Fantasy Friday: Devices of War Author, Frankie Blooding

And yes, she is this much fun!!

It is with great pleasure I introduce SM "Frankie" Blooding.

SM “Frankie” Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Jack the Bird. Jack has refused to let her to take up the piano again, but is warming to the guitar. It might help that Frankie has learned more than two strings. She’s added a few more Arabic words to her vocabulary, but don’t invite her into conversation yet—unless, of course, you’re willing to have a very . . . slow . . . conversation.— Frankie's Mind Design

Ooo, la-la your killin' me, Frankie!

Here is a little about her latest book: Return to a world of mind blowing visuals, heart stopping action, and ships that sail the skies.
Nix, Queen of Wands, has exactly what she wants—Synn El’Asim, the greatest Mark the world has ever seen. Even though she bound his soul to hers, he is not easily controlled. If she wants him, she must do the one thing that pains her most. Let him go, and give him what he desires. Peace.

Armed with a treaty bearing Nix’s seal, Synn sets off to bridge the gap between the world’s two reigning tyrants—the Hands of Tarot and the Great Families. He struggles to trust Nix as he fights for control of his soul. He’s going to need every ounce of restraint when dealing with his mother, leader of the Great Families. She will not give up her power without a fight. Nix will honor her treaty only if Synn agrees to become her knight. His mother refuses to sign the peace agreement if he falls into the queen’s control.

Frustrated, Synn does the one thing neither woman saw coming. He invites all the tribes, currently voiceless in the war between these two ruling tyrants, to partake in the treaty negotiations. All they have to do is prove their worth in his Peace Games. As Synn’s influence and subsequent power grows, a new fight begins.

Who will control Synn’s League of Cities? Can he protect more people as a leader of the Great Families, or as the Knight of Wands.

And now over to Frankie.
1. What genre's do you write in and which are your favorite and why?

I write fantasy - everything from adult to young adult - from romance and urban fantasy to adventurous high fantasy. But which one's my favorite? Oh, wow. Huh. I'd have to say fantasy adventure because there are no limits to where my mind can go! In urban fantasy, you have to keep the story kind of rooted in reality. With romance, you kinda really have to focus on the two main characters and make sure they FALL IN LOVE by the end of the book (which, *clears throat* can been a little tough for people like me.)

But in fantasy adventure, I could be riding a giant jellyfish one day, and duking it out with an angry rainbow the next. I'm really not kidding.

2. New adult, the genre or your Devices of War trilogy, is a fairly new genre. Can you describe what makes it different than YA, and why it isn't just called Adult?

New adult is for the older teens, the ones who are stepping into the adult world for the first time. We're dealing with more adult issues, a few things that are absolutely taboo in young adult.

However, it's not adult. Yes, we're dealing with adult issues, but it's through the inexperienced hands of young characters. Do you remember when you first stepped into the adult world? Sure. You were expected to act like an adult, but, boy-oh-boy, did you mess things up! In some cases, it's about watching the mess being made. In other cases, it's about watching how a teen is shaped into an adult. There's a lot more cringe-worthy moments in new adult. 

3. Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a writer.

I've always had a wild imagination, but I've always been bound by reality. When I was in school, I had one teacher tell me I should be a writer. My mother informed me that I'd fail as a writer and that I needed to get a real job. So I quit writing and GOT the real job.

As a grown-up, I realize they were both right. I need to pay the bills, but writing is my passion. One day, it was like something burst out of me. I had to write. So I did. Whether I'm any good at it is still debatable.

4. What comes first character or plot?

*silent chuckle* The WORLD! I know. I know. The story is a story with a plot and characters. The world is just the background, but for me, the world comes first. The history, the landscape, all the elements that might shape the characters and the society and the plot.
Then, I either get a character or a plot. It's a toss-up at that point. What developed with greater appeal from the world I built? In Devices of War, it was my protagonist, Synn, and his antagonist, Nix. Oh my word. Those two. They battled it out in my skull for almost a year before I started writing their story, but it took me that long to get all the details on their world. It's a bit complicated because it's so different from ours.

5. Most of your stories and novels require a certain amount of world building. What do you find most challenging about this process?

When I was writing Devices of War, I would have said nothing was really challenging about it because apparently I just have a knack for it. However, look at how long it took me. Over a year of developing, so maybe it's a bit more challenging than I'm willing to admit. I enjoy researching the science behind the world, and developing the societies, and the histories, and the details.

However, as soon as I allowed Dreamland to explode into two side-by-side series, I realized there are challenges. Keeping everything straight. (Hello, but how?)

I've been able to keep most of Illona (the world of Devices of War) straight and out of Dreamland. However, this universe is just so vast. It's difficult to keep track of. Also, I have multiple characters telling their stories, and sometimes telling different sides of the same parts of stories, that I have to recall who sees what and how, which just adds all new levels of challenges! One person understands how Place (teleportation) works in Dreamland, where another one just goes by gut feel, and another one has created a whole new dictionary to it. Everything makes sense through their eyes, but it's a struggle to remain consistent. (Tell me about it!)

I now realize I'll probably have the same issues when/if the Devices of War Saga continues without Synn in the front seat.

So, world building? Love it! LOVE it!

How do I keep it straight?

A Series Bible. I cannot leave home without it!

6. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning the world building process? Any tools or books you found most helpful?

Understand that science is COOL! 

(Check.)

Watch the Science Channel, History Channel, and the Discover Channel. Read science books on biology, astronomy, physics, theoretical physics, chemistry, microbiology, DNA, viruses, et al. Even if you only understand about half of what you read, do it! Don't be intimidated.    (I ask my kids to explain stuff. LOL)

I don't understand half the chemistry stuff I'm reading right now, but I can tell you it's making my Dreamland series more plausible because the tiny parts I do get made me realize there were certain things that just couldn't happen!
Dig into our history. You don't have to remember any of it. 

(That's a relief!) There isn't a test afterwards, but it's amazing how looking at the past can shape the imaginations that occur in your head. You start asking yourself, "What if this happened instead?" and then all of a sudden, you have an exciting story on a brand new world.

Oh! And build a model of the things in your world that are wickedly different. (I love making a mess.)

I have a model of the solar system from Devices of War hanging up from the ceiling of my office. I made it out of Styrofoam balls and wire hangers. Oh, and string, and wooden beads. My lethara (giant jellyfish) is being made out of tree branches, yarn, paper, and foam.
(Too cool!)

Be creative! That's the key to it all, but be consistent! And if you're interested in more details, here's a video of me talking, oddly, about the world-building involved with Devices of War.

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7. What was the inspiration for the Devices of War trilogy?

Am I getting too chatty? I feel like I might be. LOL! 

You're gonna laugh. (Never!)
I had been writing the female young adult romantic urban fantasy series. Things were going well. It was a great series. (*hand blocks chuckle*)
Then I killed off everyone in the series. (Feeling guilty)

All the good guys DIED because Riley (mc) failed, and failed hard! I was heart-broken. I cried for weeks. I tried re-writing the scene, but no matter what I did, the dark witch won. I tried starting at the beginning of the last book (because that's where I was) and everyone still died and we LOST! Cierra (Mom) and Quinn (Dad) dying, I was okay with. But Riley's SISTER? No. No-no-no.

So, I needed something totally different. I wanted a male protagonist. I had to get off this fracking planet. So I took a solar system that had been percolating in my head for about a decade and said, "I want to tell a story on that little moon right there!" And Devices of War was born. 

8. Tell us about your process.

It's really changed over the years. It used to be, "Find a spare second, sit down, WRITE," and that was the process.

Now, I have time. After years of hard training, of writing in my spare seconds (no joke), I've created a process. Mon-Thur, I get up an hour and half early to make a pot of coffee and get my free-mind writing (writing done before my brain wakes up enough to say, "Yo, dude, this is a baaad idea!" My best writing gets done here). Then I go to work. At lunch, if I still have a braincell or two, I try to get another chapter banged out, or finish the one I started that morning. Emails can happen here, also blog posts because for story writing, I typically need two braincells, not just one. Then after work and after all the craziness that comes with my house, I will either write a chapter painfully slow, or I will edit, or work on some cover art, or edit someone else's book.

Fri-Sun, it's a free for all. I used to be able to use these days practically for non-stop writing, editing, cover art, whatever. People want to spend time with me all of a sudden and I like it. o_O O_o

My process is schedule. 

  

9. Where is your favorite place to write?

My office! It used to be outside, but now I have an office and it's AWESOME! I have everything a creative mind might need! I have a sewing table to create any doll costume I need for visualization. Also, sometimes, I make my creatures. I'm building a lethara right now. It's hanging from my ceiling and I'm still building tentacles for it. Then, will come the challenge of building the city inside those tentacles. It's exciting!

I also have a craft table for building whatever other visuals I need, or storyboards. I use the ceiling more often, but...whatever!

Storyboards line every wall that isn't broken by a door or a window. It's awesome!

(Omg, I so want to visit!)

And then there are stars. Yes. I do childish stars for each goal I achieve. I get them from the school supply place. I put my accomplishment on the star, and then hang it up on my wall. 2014 is going to have a LOT of stars! There's a lot of hard work going on this year. Holy WOW! 

(Can I get a star? Please?)

10. What did or do you find most challenging about the publishing process? What advice would you give authors?

Getting reviews. Good. Grief!

(Confession: My TBR lis is out of control. *hangs head)

I used to think it was the writing. Then, I discovered editing (which is a different kind of Hell, I'm pretty sure.) Then, I tripped into promotion and platforms, and thought I was going to END! I eventually conquered all that.

Getting reviews, however? I found out I could send my book to a hundred people for free. I'd get three reviews back. One would love it. The other would say my characters were two-dimensional and lacked emotion, and the third would just not get any of it. It's gotten better over the years, but the fact of the matter is, no matter how many books I release to the wild, and no matter how well written they are, I have absolutely no control or influence to what I'm able to glean from those efforts.

Anything else INSIDE my control? Oh, yeah. I'm going to conquer it. I might not look the same afterwards. Might be a bit bruised and bloody, but I'm gonna win, dang it!

(Persistance. I admire that!)

  
11. What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

Write. Just write and do it a lot.

And pick up these books that I just discovered! These two women! Holy Pete! If they were here, I would hug them. Hug them! The Emotion Thesaurus, their two companion books, and their website. Treasure troves. OMW!

There are times when you're writing and you're like, "Good grief, Self! How many times can he clench his fists? Yeah, okay, he's still pissed. Show it a different way! For the love of shiny objects! Seriously!" And this is just a handy, easy to use book of quick-sheets to give you ideas on how to show your emotions. AWESOME! The other two resources are good quick sheets for characters. 

I've challenged a few fellow authors to a Show vs Tell Challenge that we're going to share on our blogs. I'm excited. There are a lot of story tellers, but I love to be IMMERSED, to feel as the characters feel it as though I'm there feeling it myself. So, it's gonna be a lot of fun.
Well, I think I've blabbed long enough! Thank you so much for this opportunity! And if there's anything you need, let me know! 

Thanks so much for stopping by Frankie. You've given us so much to think about. Inspiring ideas and great advice. Here are some links to Frankies books and where she hangs out on the web:

Frankie's Bookshelf
Facebook

Twitter

Devices of War - Experience a world of ships that sail the clouds and cites buried beneath the ocean, and survive the fiery battle brought forth by those who control the forces of nature!

Dreamland Stories - Where fairy tales and dreams are made, irrevocably destroyed, and then reborn again.

The Dream Killers - An entire series geared for fans of “Once Upon a Time”. Join us as we discover terrifying places and villains unlike any you've faced before

Author To Author: Margo Sorenson

Today for our Author to Author interview, all the way from Hawaii we have Margo Sorenson. 

Author of twenty-eight books, Margo Sorenson was born in Washington, DC, and spent the first seven years of her life in Spain and Italy, living where there were few children her age, so books became her friends. She finished her school years in California, graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles. After teaching high school and middle school and raising a family of two daughters, Margo is now a full-time writer, writing primarily for young people of all ages, toddlers through high schoolers. Margo enjoys writing for young readers since she believes they are ready for new ideas and experiences, and they really have fun "living" the lives of the characters in books. A National Milken Educator Award recipient, Margo always has a good time meeting with her readers in school and library settings from Minnesota to California and Hawaii.

1) Why do you write for children? I believe children deserve hope and to enjoy life.  Besides, I don't know any adults. 

2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer. I grew up in Europe as small child, which left me to become the perennial observer of other people, watching from the "outside," so to speak.  Reading was my favorite occupation and being able to live different lives through the characters was pure joy.  When I became a teacher and taught my English students creative and nonfiction writing, my students' parents encouraged me to write myself, so I gave it a try!

3) What were the inspirations for Island Danger and Time of Honor?  We lived in Hawaii for ten years, and the conflicts that newcomers often felt before they appreciated the culture were a source of fascination for me, so I wrote Todd's story in ISLAND DANGER, in which he tries to find weapons hidden by a terrorist group.  For TIME OF HONOR, as a medieval history major, I always wished I could have lived during those times, so I wrote a time-travel adventure with a feisty heroine who has to adapt to life in 1272 and prevent the murders of her new friends, as well as of herself.

4) Tell us about your process.  As William Faulkner wrote, "It all begins with a character, really, and once he gets up and starts moving around, all you have to do is follow behind him with a pencil and paper and write down everything he says and does."  Once a character appears and I keep working on him/her, playwright David Mamet's wise words guide my next steps in working on the plot: "Who wants what and why? Why now? What happens if her [sic] don't [sic] get it?"

5) What does a typical writing day look like? Coffee, coffee, coffee!  I'm an early riser, so I answer emails and tweets, review and tweak any upcoming Skype visits, and read the publishing news of the day.  Then I settle down to write.  Either I am revising manuscripts or I am starting new ones, and I may also be researching editors to whom to send manuscripts.

6) Where is your favorite place to write?  In the beginning stages, I have a chaise lounge that I like to use; I can scatter papers and notes everywhere.  Once I transfer the work to the computer, I work in my office, where I can look at my inspiration – some of my favorite childhood books right next to my laptop.

7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and/or getting it published? What do you wish you would have known? The most challenging thing about writing and publishing is the revision process.  That is always the hardest, because, as you well know, being an author yourself, we writers tend to fall in love with our own words!

8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received? "Put it away in a drawer and don't look at it for a while!"

9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it? I have a new picture book coming out in the fall of 2014, SPAGHETTI SMILES (Pelican Publishing), and I'm working on publicity for it.  Besides that, I am working on some new picture books and revising older manuscripts – the never-ending story!

10) What advice would you give others that write for children? Stay in touch with children and listen to them and observe them.  I volunteer for homework help every week during the school year at our local Boys and Girls Club, and I know I couldn't be effective in writing for children if I didn't stay immersed in their world. Things have changed so much!

Margo would love to hear from you. You can find her in many places online.

Twitter

Website

Pinterest

Goodreads

LibraryThing

Author Interview: Dorine White

About The Book: Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins.

Today Dorine White is here for her blog tour for her debut middle grade fantasy, The Emerald Ring.

1) Why do you write for children? I like children's books because they are so full of whimsy. Children are at an age where they can imagine anything is real. I am able to weave in great fantasy and unlikely adventures into my stories.


2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer. Well, I am a stay at home mom of 6 awesome kids. The oldest is a senior and the youngest is in pre-school. I have always loved writing and was the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper. Writing books just seemed to come naturally and it was something that I didn't mind spending time on. Of course, it is a little hard to find time to write, so I tend to do it in spurts.

3) What was the inspiration for The Emerald Ring? My love of culture and fantasy. I studied Humanities in college and like to mix fun history with adventure.

4) Tell us about your process. I'm one of those weird writers who doesn't write everyday. I think it's adult ADD or something lol. I write in spurts, filling up pages and then setting it aside for awhile.

5) What does a typical writing day look like? I have no typical writing day. It's mostly finding time at night after the kids have done their homework.

6) Where is your favorite place to write? I have a desktop in the living room. It's easiest for me to write there so that I can keep an eye on the kids at the same time.

7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and/or getting it published? What do you wish you would have known? The most challenging thing is the amount of time it takes to get published. It took me over 8 years.

8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received? Write what you love.

9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it? Yes, I am working on a YA fantasy novel that involves an evil tyrant and his flesh eating griffin.

10) What advice would you give others that write for children? Read! I find that people sometimes try to write for children, but rarely ever read the children's books that are out there. Read what you write.
Connect with Dorine: 

Author Website- http://www.dorinewhite.com/

Blog- The Write Path- http://www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com/

Twitter @Dorinewhite- https://twitter.com/DorineWhite

Facebook Author Page- https://www.facebook.com/dorinewhite

Author Interview: Matt Peterson

I'm very excited to today to have Matt Peterson, author of the middle grade book, The Epic Tales of a Misfit Hero, on the blog today. 

Here's a quick blurb about the book: From passing the sacrament with his fly down to failing miserably at capture the flag, Andrew knows he'll never be able to fulfill his duties as a deacon. But when tragedy strikes on his Boy Scout backpacking trip, Andrew's whole troop must become stronger than they ever imagined. —Goodreads

1) Why do you write for children?

Well, probably because I still feel like a child myself. :) I love the energy, excitement, and honesty of kids. If they don't like something, or something doesn't make sense, they'll tell you. But more often than not, they just love to be entertained. They don't care about plot structure or character development (they actually do, but they don't talk about it in those terms). They just yearn for a great STORY. And I love to tell stories.

2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

I have always loved reading...stemming back to the carefree days of sitting in my room and reading Beverly Cleary and Matt Christopher books. In high school, I found that I was pretty good at expository writing, and decided to major in English with the end goal of attending law school. Well, law school wasn't the right choice and I started doing copywriting for a living. I had never been great at creative writing (in fact, I think I got a C in the one creative writing course I took in college), but decided to write this story that was in my head. And now I am forever a writer.

3) What was the inspiration for The Epic Tales of a Misfit Hero?

For the past 12 years I've been involved with the Boy Scout program and other youth organizations, and that alone makes for some pretty interesting fiction material. You can't make up the stuff these boys do on a daily basis. :) But I noticed that there weren't a lot of exciting books for boys that had a good moral message. I wanted to change that. I know so many boys that may not love to read yet and feel I can give them something they will love. Hopefully this is a book that both kids and their parents can get excited about. And by the way, the girls that have read the book like it just as much as the boys...who knew?

4) Tell us about your process.

Wow, I wish I had a great process! Truth is, I kinda have everything jumbled in my head at first, and it takes some effort to coax it out onto paper. Usually I start by writing down some very specific scenes that I'm imagining. Then I try to sketch out the story around those scenes. Once the rough timeline is done, I start writing from the beginning. I'm the type that doesn't like to move on until I nail the chapter or scene I'm working on, but I've been learning to keep moving on and to be okay with coming back to fix things. It's all still fairly new to me, but I love it.

5) What does a typical writing day look like?

I finish work at my "day" job, come home and take care of family responsibilities like baseball practice, kids' homework, yardwork, dinner, and school events, then try to find time to write. If I'm lucky (and I don't get distracted by Netflix), I will write for about an hour in the evening. I tend to write in spurts, too, so I'm trying to get more consistent.


6) Where is your favorite place to write?

Honestly, it's my kitchen table. I have 5 kids so there's always some commotion going on, even late at night when I usually write. Someone's always coming out to get a drink, ask a question, or otherwise stall going to sleep. I like the distractions, actually, and it helps me think of new things.

7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

The hardest part, bar none, was allowing my manuscript to get out in the "wild." I was (am?) pretty self-conscious, and allowing other people to read it (and perhaps hate it) scared me to death. I only had to send 2 query letters, but the first rejection stung quite a bit. Luckily, I am surrounded by people who believe in me and convinced me to send it out again. I got an offer from the 2nd publisher and here we are. That never would have happened if I just held on to the manuscript like I wanted to.

8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

"Rejection always stings, but it's not permanent." I don't know that anyone put it exactly that way, but this thought was key in helping me try new things. I was conditioned to expect "A's" (well, maybe some "B's" too) on my college papers, and it was hard to move into the much more subjective world of creative writing. This quote helped me be okay with rejection, and to know that it happens to everyone. And it's true, the sting always goes away...eventually. :)


9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

YES! I'm writing the second book in the series, where the main character goes to junior high (arguably much more dangerous than a camping trip in the wild). I'm also plotting out a young adult-ish book with a school and time travel and quirky relationships and adventure, so we'll see where that one takes me. Should be fun!

10) What advice would you give others that write for children?

Just have fun with it! The best part of writing for children is hopping in their shoes while you write. It's so fun to live like a child again. Also, don't be afraid to write words and ideas that may seem a little above your target demographic. You'd be surprised at how much they understand if given the chance. Oh, and don't ever give up! :)

Watch for my review sometime in July!

Author Interview: Julie Bourbeau

Today we are privileged to have the author of The Wednesdays on the blog today! Welcome to Julie we're so glad you've stopped by. 

Let's get right to it!

 1) Why do you write for children?And what was your inspiration to create you debut middle grade book?

I never intended to write for children -- in fact, if you had told me ten years ago that I would write a kids' book, I never would have believed it. No, THE WEDNESDAYS came about quite by accident. I had just moved to Spain with my infant son, and I was struggling a bit with the combination of new motherhood and culture shock. Spain's mediodía (the custom of shutting down businesses and schools for several hours for an extended lunch period) was particularly difficult for me, because I never seemed to be able to adjust my timing accordingly. My son was always waking up from his nap precisely at the moment when my entire neighborhood, and all the shops I needed to visit, literally drew their shutters for three hours. 

One Wednesday afternoon I was pushing my son in his stroller and feeling a bit grumpy and lonely because nothing was open and no one was around. I had a bit of a mini-tantrum during which I decided that it was just plain creepy that my neighborhood was so deserted during the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of the week. To entertain myself, I began to make up a funny/creepy story to explain why an otherwise lovely city would shut down so completely during the middle of the week. And... THE WEDNESDAYS was born! In the process of writing it, I discovered that I loved writing for kids.

2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

I didn't start writing until I was in my thirties, which I suppose makes me a bit of a late bloomer. I was a new mother, living abroad, and I found myself without a job for the first time since I was a teenager. I was fortunate to be able to use the opportunity to do some soul searching -- to figure out what it was that I really wanted to do with my newfound freedom. I'm a lifelong bookworm (in fact, my first job ever was in a bookstore), so I decided to give writing a try. Once I discovered how much I loved it, I never looked back. I just wish that I had figured out how much fun writing is a decade or two earlier!  

3) Tell us about your process.

I fall halfway between the seat-of-my-pants school of writing and the disciplined-plotting school of writing. I started THE WEDNESDAYS with little more than an idea about the setting and the premise (a village halfway up Mt. Tibidabo that is forced to shut down every Wednesday). The characters came next -- Max is essentially the boy I imagined my (adorably) impish son becoming a few years down the road. Only then did the actual story start to shape up in my mind. 

My next book, KING OF NOWHERE, which will be out in 2014, evolved in a similar manner. I had only an opening sentence and a single, brief scene in mind when I started to write. Once I was a couple of chapters in I stepped back to sketch out a very rough outline -- basically just the beginning, the middle, and the end. And as I start each new chapter I take some time to figure out what I want to accomplish -- both in terms of character development and storyline. 

 5) What does a typical writing day look like?
  

Thinly-disguised chaos. Or perhaps that just describes my life in general, since I now have two very (VERY) energetic little boys in my household! Honestly, I require two things to write: silence and coffee. I wish that I could be one of those writers who can plug away while life unfolds around them, but I can't seem to do it. This means that I have to grab the moments of silence whenever and however I can. Perhaps when my boys are a little older I can achieve some sort of "typical", but for now I'm utterly without routine or consistency. 

 6) Where is your favorite place to write?

I write while sitting in a chaise lounge that is in the corner of my living room. My laptop is on my lap, and a cup of coffee is always nearby. The position is not ideal for spine health, I'm sure, but I've never been able to write at a proper desk. My little corner has lots of natural light and a view of a wooded area, so until my back rebels, I'm going to keep writing there! 

 7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

I had no idea just how many years go into the making of books. Three years passed between the time my book was acquired by my publisher and my publication date. I have been terribly impatient waiting for my debut to finally come out!

8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

The advice that I most needed to hear (and that I most often need to be reminded of) is simply BIC (butt in chair). I'm very easily distracted by blogs, publishing industry news, online writers groups, etc. -- things that may be related to writing, but don't get me any closer to typing The End. There is no escaping the fact that a book requires many, many hours parked in front of a screen, with fingers on the keyboard...with NO internet access allowed! 

 9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?
 

Yes! KING OF NOWHERE is a YA novel about a teenage daughter of the leader of an unnamed Middle Eastern country. When the rest of her family flees to the U.S., she is forced to come to terms with culture shock, poverty, and increasingly uncomfortable truths about her home country and her father's legacy. The book is loosely based on real events. 

 10) What advice would you give others that write for children?

Read your book out loud to a child who isn't afraid to play critic. It's amazing how quickly you'll stumble over awkward phrases or boring lulls in the action when you have a precocious seven-year-old rolling her eyes or yawning while you read to her! 

For more information about Julie, check out her website here.

Thanks to Julie for those thoughtful questions. The Wednesdays just debuted yesterday so be sure to hop over to Amazon and give it a like!

Striking A Balance Between Planning and Surprise: An Interview with Daniel McInerny

Why do you write for children?

I love writing middle grade fiction because it’s addressed to kids ready for a more nuanced narrative and emotional palette, but who haven’t yet been inveigled out of their natural sense of innocent enchantment about the world. That sense of enchantment includes a robust spirit of adventure and mystery, as well as a love of comedy. All of those ingredients make middle grade the perfect mix for me.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

I’m a not-quite-48-year-old husband and father of three who lives in Northern Virginia not terribly far from Washington, D.C. I am a native of South Bend, Indiana (just downriver from Patria), a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BA in English), and a holder of a PhD in philosophy. I spent nearly 18 years teaching and working at various universities in the United States, and just over a year ago left academia and launched Trojan Tub Entertainment.


I have been writing fiction all of my adult life, but only recently have begun to publish. I don’t only write children’s fiction. Last month I published my first novel for adults, a dark comic thriller called High Concepts: A Hollywood Nightmare. I also write short stories and screenplays and am currently at work on a radio play for a competition sponsored by the BBC.

See My Review Here!

What was the inspiration for your Kingdom of Patria series?I am a great fan of the comic stories of P.G. Wodehouse. In praising Wodehouse’s tales of feckless bachelors and wise butlers, Evelyn Waugh spoke of Wodehouse as creating a “fairy tale” world. It occurred to me that it would be fun to turn Waugh’s comment on its head and set out to create a fairy tale world that aspired to be as comical as the books of Wodehouse. My Patria stories are first and foremost meant to be laugh-out-load funny. Their plots revolve around adventure and mystery, but the tone is always light and fluffy. Their humor owes a lot to Wodehouse, but also to that of Roald Dahl, as well as J.K. Rowling in the more whimsical portions of the Harry Potter books. One of my reviewers on Amazon compared Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits to the film version of Ian Fleming’ children’s novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I like that comparison. Rob Reiner’s film, The Princess Bride, from a script by William Goldman, also masterfully hits the tone I am striving for.

Tell us about your process.

I will usually get an almost hopelessly vague but nonetheless exciting germ of an idea and then follow it up with a lot of note-taking and outlining before actually getting going on composing the story. My Patria books involve a lot of characters mixed up in complicated, farcical plots, so that it’s simply not practical to plunge in like Hemingway and start writing to see where the story leads. If I proceeded in that way, I would eventually have to stop and start note-taking and outlining, because again, my stories have too many moving parts to keep straight without some kind of roadmap (to mix my metaphor).

The trap for me is that I can linger too long over the note-taking and outlining, becoming too left-brained about the process. I thus have to strike a balance between the desire to plan and know every aspect of the plot beforehand and the need to just start writing and let my imagination surprise me. I’m better than I used to be at striking this balance, but I still, with every project, reach a point where I become too analytical and where I need to simply put aside the notes and outlines and start writing.

  

What does a typical writing day look like?


I’m a morning writer. Afternoons when a deadline presses. Practically never in the evenings. These days I start pretty early and write until about mid-day.

Where is your favorite place to write?

The ideal for me is to be able to write anywhere, to be prepared to put words on paper even if my regular routine is upended. That being said, I enjoy writing in my home office the most. That’s where I am most comfortable and disciplined. I like being surrounded by all my books, having Internet access if I have to look something up or I want to read the paper during a break, and being able to go downstairs at will for a cup of coffee or tea.

Public spaces, like a Barnes & Noble, can work well for background work and a change of scene, but it takes a great deal of concentration for me to actually compose fiction in such a setting. Sometimes I do, but rarely.
What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

These days, there’s really no reason to experience any significant trouble in self-publishing one’s books (as I do). Advances in digital technology and the new distribution platforms provided by Amazon and others make publishing a breeze. The real challenges come with the marketing.

I wish I had learned a little earlier than I did that the best kind of marketing is “content marketing,” i.e. providing rich fictional and other entertainment and informational content, some of it for a price, but a lot of it for free, in order to draw my audience in. The free content on the Kingdom of Patria site--the short stories, the activities that the two clubs are involved with, the character blogs, the Kingdom of Patria Storytime Radio--all helps kids and parents become familiar and comfortable with my brand. 

I've heard it said that from the Internet people are looking for either information or entertainment. A lot of self-pubbers do a great job at content marketing through information, "How To" articles and the like. All that is great and I consume a fair amount of it and produce some too, but my favored approach is to entertain by providing free fictional content. That's what interests me most and what I feel I'm best at.
What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

“A writer is someone who writes.” That’s an unromantic, lunch pail, craftsman’s take on what it means to be a writer, and I think it’s the best advice that any writer can begin with and return to.

When it comes to entire books on writing, I like Dorothea Brande’s Becoming A Writer, Stephen King’s On Writing, Robert McKee’s Story, and Flannery O’Connor’s Mystery and Manners.

Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?


I could tell you about it, but then I would have to send the Knights of the Blue Sock out to hunt you down! :)

Among other things I do have a new children’s book brewing. I’m just getting started with it. All I’m able to say is that it’s a kind of prequel to the two Patria novels I’ve released. Why should George Lucas and Peter Jackson have all the fun!

What advice would you give others that write for children?

First and foremost I would urge them to enjoy the process, to play with the story, to let one’s own childlikeness (not childishness) come through in the writing. Second, to keep in mind that children’s literature is not only for children, but should be of such a quality that it can be enjoyed by anyone. Third, not to introduce children, in the hopes of being “relevant” or “edgy,” to aspects of the adult world that are beyond their maturity level.

Everyone is always welcome to the Kingdom of Patria! You can also keep up with the news from Patria by “liking” the Trojan Tub Entertainment Facebook page. Daniel McInerny can be found on his blog at the Kingdom of Patria, at his author site,danielmcinerny.com, and on Twitter: @kingdomofpatria.

Hard Work, Late Nights And Dirty Laundry: An Interview with Jodi Meadows

I'd like to welcome Jodi Meadows to the blog today! I recently reviewed her book Incarnate and you can find that here.

1) Why do you write for young adults?


Because young adults are awesome. There's so much going on in their lives, they're experiencing so many things for the first time. Firsts are exciting to write about.Also, because I really love YA books.


2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

I've always wanted to be a writer. My sister and I made up lots of stories when we were young, but it wasn't until I was in seventh grade when I realized that writing was something people did. There was actually a job that involved making up stories!When I realized that was an option -- that anyone could be a writer if they wanted -- I decided I would.

Jodi's Ferrets

3) What was the inspiration for Incarnate?


First, I filled up a room with keyboards. Just keyboards, of course. The wires all went into computers in another room.
Then I released the ferrets.I'm not sure how they came up with Incarnate, but somewhere in the 8,000,000 pages of "jdfskjklgjfklesjgvcxnfghjkguioehfdnvv gk jskafskdljfads 1~~!!! !fdsfsda" I found a gem.That answer may be a lie.

4) Tell us about your process.


My process does not actually involve ferrets. Ideas arrive in my brain. I write them down in a "new ideas" document. And if the ideas don't leave after that . . . usually they start growing. Characters introduce themselves. I somehow end up tethered to my keyboard for months. At some point, a first draft emerges. It needs lot of work. I spend more months revising.

Mostly, my process involves a lot of hard work, late nights, and dirty laundry piling up.

5) What does a typical writing day look like?

Generally, it looks like me sitting in my desk chair, a ferret trying to balance on my head, and a cat sitting on my lap or keyboard, depending on the weather.

I write about 8 - 10 hours a day. It's a full-time job for me. I know how lucky I am, and there's nothing I'd rather be doing, but it is work and I definitely put the hours in.


6) Where is your favorite place to write?

I'm on a desktop computer, so I write only in the one place: my ferret room. I'm not sure I'd do well trying to write anywhere else, actually. I like complete silence while I'm writing.

7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

I was actually a pretty educated querier. When I was ready to start looking for an agent, I already had a few friends who were published. I had the benefit of their experiences, so there wasn't much that came as a surprise.

But I think a lot of new authors are surprised by how much work writing is. Lots of people imagine writing all day and having everything else magically happen around them, but it doesn't work like that. Revisions have to be done (by one's deadline), emails have to be answered, promotion has to get out there. It's not all glamorous.

8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

Oh, that's really hard to say. I've received a lot of excellent writing advice! But one of the most widely useful pieces I like to send back out to the world: only write the good parts. If what you're writing is boring to you, it's going to be boring to the reader. They can tell whether you're into what you're writing.

9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

Yes, I am! But no, I can't. It hasn't been sold yet, and while I hope it does sell, I can't make promises. And I hate to get anyone excited about something I can't promise will make it out there.

10) What advice would you give others that write for children?

Never, ever write down to them, or try to force a moral into the story. The second they feel patronized, they're out.

11) What are a couple of your all time favorite YA books?

Oh man, this is HARD. All time favorites? *pulls hair* Okay.

Anything by Robin McKinley. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones (which so far is the only thing I've read of hers, but I have a feeling *anything* of hers would be on this list). IF I STAY by Gayle Forman. THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. PLAIN KATE by Erin Bow. And . . . well, okay.

Here's my "books I love beyond reason" shelf on Goodreads. Not all of them are YA, but most are. http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4011205?shelf=books-i-love-beyond-reason
12) It sounds like you never questioned whether or not you could be a writer...Were you always that confident?

Well, for a long time, I didn't realize how hard it was to get published. I assumed one simply wrote a book, and then someone published it. Once I did learn how difficult it was . . . I thought it was mostly a matter of time. I would query until someone said yes. I would write books until someone published one. (And then I'd write more.)

There was a while in there when I was a *good* writer but not good *enough* -- and that was really hard. So while I never doubted I could be a writer -- anyone who picks up a pen or keyboard and starts writing is a writer -- I did, for a while, doubt that I would ever be published. Most days, I'm still surprised that it happened. Because even though I can go to my local bookstore and see my book for sale, the whole thing still seems so surreal and like a goal I will always be shooting for.

New Books: 

Thanks so much Jodi. It was great to get to know you a little better! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and you can bet I'll be reviewing it.

Have any of you read Incarnate? What did you think of the premise? 

Getting Across The Finish Line: An Interview with Wendy Wan-Long Shang

I'm so excited to have the author of The Great Wall of Lucy Lu which I reviewed last month, here. It is one of my favorite reads so far this year.
Welcome Wendy!


1) Why do you write for children?
     I love every aspect of writing for children. I enjoy the process - imagining the story, writing, and revising. I think it's an honor to write for kids and be a part of their lives. And when I began meeting other children's book writers, I felt like I had found my "tribe".


2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.
      I was originally an attorney working on behalf of children in the juvenile justice system, and I left that work to stay home with my children. Then about six years ago, I received an invitation to a high school reunion, and that got me thinking about what I wanted to accomplish with my life. I realized that I wanted to try to write a book, and on the advice of a friend, I signed up for a class on writing for children at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. It was quite difficult to attend the classes - my husband had to come home early from work to take over for the kids and it was a long slog through Washington's infamous rush-hour traffic to get there. However, once I attended the first class - taught by the wonderful Mary Quattlebaum - I was hooked.
      I began to work on what would become LUCY in the fall of that year, and I wrote about 50 pages in a year. Then I received the call that I had won a Work-in-Progress grant from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. That call was a game-changer; I realized that I had been acting as if the story could not be finished and that I should finish quickly so that I could mention the grant without looking like I had waited too long. I wrote the next 100 pages in 6 months!

ORDER HERE

3) What was the inspiration for The Wall Of Lucy Wu?                                                         
The real kernel of inspiration for The Great Wall of Lucy Wu came from a relative in China I never met. He had written to my mother, asking her for family photographs because he was researching our family. She sent him some copies, and he wrote back, saying, "I thought I'd never see these photos again." Presumably, the photos had been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. I was so blown away by this thought that I wanted to write about it in a way that was meaningful to young people.


4) Tell us about your writing process.
When I start a story, I have an idea of what the climax should be and a general idea of how I want the story to end. Everything else in between is an adventure.


5) What does a typical writing day look like?
There really is no "typical" day for me; having three kids does that! When things are going well, I write for an hour and a half to two hours, and I try to leave the manuscript with a question or idea to gnaw on for the next writing session.


6) Where is your favorite place to write?
I like to write in public places, even if I don't talk to anybody - the local public library or a coffee shop. I'm really lucky - I have four libraries within a 15-minute drive of my house!


7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?
My biggest challenge - and I'm hardly unique in this - is keeping writing at the top of the list. It's so easy (and sometimes tempting) to let chores and the demands of everyday life take over and keep me from writing. I am working on keeping the "nibblers" (the little things that eat away at my time) to a minimum.


8) What kind of marketing have you found to be most effective?
I've been fortunate to have Scholastic's incredible marketing and publicity teams behind my book - I really feel that their support has allowed me to focus on the fun stuff: writing and school visits.



9) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?
I can't remember where I saw it, but the saying that sticks with me is, "The most important job of a writer is to finish."


10) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?
I'm a bit superstitious about talking about works-in-progress, but I'll tell you a bit about the inspirations: in the early 1970s, my dad allowed a girl on my brother's baseball team, much to the consternation of some of the other parents. In this same time period, Taiwan was beginning a long reign over the Little League World Series.


11) What advice would you give others that write for children?
When you write, think about the children for whom your book will be the most meaningful. When I was in the middle of writing LUCY, I watched Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary about 5th graders in New York City learning to ballroom dance. There's a moment where they interview different kids - about the opposite sex, I think - and three Chinese girls are included. I started crying when I saw them, because I realized I was writing for them (and the 5th grader inside me) and I hoped LUCY would be a book they would love and relate to. While LUCY is, of course, for many different children (and I have received many letters starting with "I'm not Chinese-American but I understand Lucy's story because..."), having a specific audience in mind helps focus your story and inspires you to get across the finish line!
Find more Wendy:
Goodreads
From The Mixed Up Files

Be sure to check out my review here for great links and more information about her book.