Cabinet of Curiosities

A Closer Look at Subgenres: Steampunk

2012-03-02T09:25:00.002-08:00

I was recently reading the Steampunk Bible, by Jeff VanderMeer, and my teen son came in. After looking over my shoulder for a minute, he asked if he could borrow it when I was done. Later I caught him reading it. "Why haven't I heard of Steampunk before?" he asked. His tone was aggrieved. Of course, what's funniest about that is I'm sure there's a great deal that my fifteen-year old hasn't heard of yet, or had the chance to enjoy. All the same, that was my feeling, too, when I first discovered that there was a name for this weird obsession I've had, and a whole genre, too!

A few notes on Steampunk, in case you, too, are wondering what this new beast is and why you haven't heard of it.

You get to dress up, and your costume can be as historically inspired and wildly creative as you like. Many times they include funky gadgets, goggles, and glorious gizmos. Plus a corset, if you like. Not that I would know anything about that ;)

There's lots of opportunity for hands on--in fact, do it yourself is kind of at the core of steampunk. If you're like me and you love to see your own contraption take shape and work, this is for you. If you love an independent and self-sustainable lifestyle, this is for you.

It has its own music, and its own art. Above and beyond the literary genre lives an entire culture that is vibrant and always pushing the creative envelope.

The underlying philosophy is one that embraces alternatives. That history didn't have to run the way it did, that you don't have to buy everything from a store, that the possibilities for self expression run deeper than whatever clothing ad is currently running.

Stories started the whole thing, and stories (imho) keep it going. Classics include H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. My personal favorites are Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan books, and Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. Which kind of shows you the scope of what steampunk is capable of. When the future has been reinvented through a lens that recreates the past, anything is possible.

A Curious Interview: Mike Mullin

2012-02-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

We'll let Mike start us off in his own words:

"Mike Mullin's first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really hoping this writing thing works out.

Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife and her three cats. ASHFALL is his first novel."

I had the privilege of meeting Mike at Tanglewood Press’s Authors’ Retreat last summer (good times). Since then, Mike has published his debut novel ASHFALL which has received starred reviews, mounds of praise and is topping the charts of best teen books for 2011. It features a brave kid looking for his family and the gutsy girl who saves his life in the aftermath of a Yellowstone supervolcano explosion.

Mike is as engaging in person as he is in print given his knowledge of the industry and a wicked Lady Gaga impersonation.We've tried to enlighten you about his writing style, Victorian house, and martial arts skills below...what can we say? He's a man of many talents.

Ginger: Your debut novel ASHFALL has been called “YA for guys,” although plenty of girls are big fans, too. Did you set out with that plan or did it just sort of happen?

Mike: I write YA geared for guys from a noble aspiration to uplift the hordes of young minds suffering—

Oh, who am I kidding with this bull? I write from a guy’s perspective because I can’t write from a girl’s. I have a drawer novel written half in female point-of-view. It’s been “read” by my paper shredder more times than by any human. It’s become kind of a ritual, feeding that thing to the shredder after the latest complete rewrite. I’ve done it five times now.

And yes, ASHFALL has female characters. Many readers love Darla, which is a relief, to say the least. But even with Darla, I cheated. If you took my brother Paul, made him seventeen, considerably less nice than he is, and gave him a sex change, then presto, you’d have Darla. (I really hope Paul doesn’t read this.)

So the perspective pretty much had to be a guy’s. As far as the subject matter and pacing, I set out to write the kind of novel I would have loved as a teen. One with a big disaster, lots of suspenseful situations, and short chapters. Apparently, given ASHFALL’s success, guys and gals of all ages still enjoy that kind of novel.

Ginger: Your book has really dark moments. How do you prepare yourself for the challenge of creating emotionally difficult scenes?

Mike: I guess I’m a method writer, because I need to feel whatever emotion I’m writing. For example, my favorite chapters in ASHFALL are 37 and 38. They were never part of any outline. I added them spontaneously as I was visiting my Uncle Chuck, who was in the final stages of his battle with colon cancer. The most affecting part of that visit wasn’t my Uncle Chuck’s frailty and obvious pain—it was watching his wife and children showering love on him while trying to hide their own grief.

In chapter 37, Alex and Darla meet a woman on the road who is grieving the loss of her husband and desperately trying to protect her children. The first time my wife read those chapters, we were driving. (Well, I was driving. She was riding along and reading. It’s safer if you don’t read and drive.) I looked over at her and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. I thought, yes, nailed it! (I’m a really terrible husband.)

Laura: As an admirer of the Victorian Era I want to know all about your house! In addition to its historical credentials I hear it even has a literary background.

Mike: We purchased an 1895 Queen Anne in Indianapolis about ten years ago for little more than a song. It had been cut into eleven apartments, survived at least three fires, and been vacant for nine years after serving as a brothel and crack house for more than a decade.

I wasn’t aware of its historical significance until I went to the Indiana Historic Preservation Commission to get a permit for the remodeling work. They maintain records of the house’s earlier owners including William Conrad Bobbs, who bought it at the turn of the century. Bobbs was part owner and manager of the Bobbs-Merrill Publishing Company, which published James Whitcomb Riley and some of L. Frank Baum’s work. So I keep hoping my house is haunted—I’d love to meet those guys and ask them some questions! No luck yet, though.

Suzanne: As a fellow black belt and martial artist, I’d like to know your approach to Taw Kwon. Do you prefer the forms or sparring, and why?

Mike: I enjoy both forms and sparring, but my favorite workout is striking the punching bags. In sparring you learn control, but I worry about training myself to pull my punches and kicks—if I ever had to use it for real (heaven forbid), would the sparring practice hurt me? On the punching bags, I can go all-out all the time without worrying about hurting anyone but myself.

One of the things I love about my dojang (Korean for martial arts studio) is all the equipment—there are enough punching bags that we can do whole-class workouts on them, and get to use them nearly every day.

Patty: What part of your geology-themed talks do kids enjoy the most?

Mike: After I’d done a couple of presentations, I realized that the scale of the Yellowstone supervolcano wasn’t coming through. My solution? An analogy. Now I tell kids that the eruption of 640,000 years ago made a crater the size of Chicago and deeper than the Sears (now Willis) Tower is tall. That seems to make the point.

Suzanne: Do you really own a pair of Dungeons and Dragons dice?

Mike: I own two sets—i.e. 14 of them. (People who know D&D realize this marks me as a rank newb—most D&D’ers have bags with hundreds of dice. In my defense, I gave all my old dice to my nephew a few years ago, and I’ve only recently begun rebuilding my collection.)

Cabinet: Who are your favorite authors?

Mike: I keep a list of my all-time favorite books on Goodreads. My favorite author is probably Richard Peck. He started writing at about the age I am now, and he’s been going strong for almost 40 years. He’s still writing outstanding books in his seventies. Plus he’s one of the most gracious, friendly people I’ve ever met. And he speaks extemporaneously in sentences better crafted than my fifth drafts. He’s the author I most look up to, and would like to emulate in my own career.

Cabinet: You've had a number of jobs. Which ones have provided the best material for writing?

Mike: I’ve worked in two different liquor stores. You meet some amazing characters working in a liquor store. The only problem: I’ve had to tone some of them down a little bit, or they wouldn’t be believable in fiction.

Ginger: You are a wizard of social media. How do you feel your online presence has affected your novel's debut?

Mike: Twitter and Facebook have helped me connect with librarians, bloggers, and teachers. But I don’t think they’ve done much to build my audience among teens. Physical promotion—visiting schools, libraries, and bookstores—has been more valuable than online promotion. I can tell this by looking at the Nielsen Bookscan market-level data Amazon provides. For most of the fall, eight of the top ten markets for ASHFALL were places I’d visited and held events.

Ginger: Is Ashfall the first novel you've written and how long did this debut publishing process take for you?

Mike: No, ASHFALL was the third complete novel I’ve written. Now, with ASHEN WINTER, I’ve written four. To tell you about the first one, I have to start my story in fifth grade.

At that time, I attended a brick box of a school, antiseptically clean and emotionally sterile. The children marched in files down the halls, mumbled math facts in unison, and occasionally did a craft project about a book.

When I turned twelve, I escaped from that intellectual prison camp and went to a noisy, dirty, chaotic school where I was—gasp—expected to write. Every day. And—double gasp—read. I wrote my first novel in sixth grade—Captain Poopy’s Sewer Adventures. Sadly, Dav Pilkey beat me to publication with Captain Underpants, although I still spell better than him. (You don’t see me typing Mik Mullin, do you?)

I went back to a traditional school in 9^th grade, and my novel-writing impulse went dormant for 25 years. Then, about four years ago, I decided to try again. I wrote a YA horror novel that was so bad that two of the three literary agents who read it quit the business forever. Then I wrote ASHFALL.

Cabinet: Where did you get this brilliant idea anyway?

Mike: The idea for Ashfall started with another book—Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. Dozens of novel ideas lurk within its pages, but the one that stuck with me was the idea of a supervolcano eruption at Yellowstone. A few weeks after I read it, I woke at 3:30 am with a scene occupying my head so completely I was afraid it would start spilling out my nostrils and ears. I typed 5,500 words, finishing just before dawn. Then I put the project away and let it gestate for eight months. When I returned to it after researching volcanoes and volcanic ash, I realized the inspired scene I wrote in the middle of the night wouldn’t work, and ultimately that whole section had to be scrapped. Only three words remain from that original scene: Ashfall, Alex, and Darla.

Cabinet: We know there will be a second in the Ashfall saga...can we hope for a third?

Mike: Yes, I’ve planned ASHFALL as a trilogy from the beginning. You can expect a third novel, but most likely, that will be the last one in the ASHFALL universe. I’ve got about 15 other ideas begging for my attention.

After reading this interview, you'll know you can pretty much ask Mike anything and expect a well-thought out response. Head over to his website at mikemullinauthor.com or connect with him anywhere and everywhere online:

Mike's Social Media Links

An Old-Fashioned Girl

2012-02-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

That's me. When I was little my favorite TV show was Little House on the Prairie. Being named Laura, with long brown hair, you can guess who I wanted to be. As a young teenager, I fell in love with Victoria Holt and her Gothic 19th-century-set novels about governesses in remote English castles with ghosts and handsome, but misunderstood, owners. In later teen years I fell in love with British history and devoured stories and biographies spanning the medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian age.

Not that I really wanted to live in those worlds--not once I was old enough to understand that 'quaint' is another word for 'no indoor plumbing, or heat, or bathing more than once a week (or month).' I just liked to inhabit them from the comfort of my soft bed, with a cold Diet Coke at hand.

However, in some ways I remain staunchly old-fashioned.

Take the world of agents and publishing.

Everywhere you look in the book world today are stories about e-publishing stars. Amanda Hocking self-published on Amazon and sold so many books that now she has a significant six-figure deal with a major New York publisher. I'm impressed. Primarily because I would never have made it if that had been my only option.

Not that finding an agent was easy. I got mine the old-fashioned way: through lots of queries and lots of rejects. I got form rejects and silence. I got boxes checked as to why my manuscript was being rejected. I got the (very) occasional note of what could almost be called encouragement. I got the (even more) occasional request to see more. Which generally led to a rejection further down the line. All but one of these queries was cold--meaning I did my research as to which agents repped the genre I was writing, then carefully followed instructions for sending my query. Not one agent that I queried had I ever met at a conference.

Then an agent read my query and ten pages and asked to see fifty pages. After the fifty pages, she asked to see the entire manuscript. After reading the full, she told me what she liked and didn't like and said if I was interested in rewriting she'd look at it again. I rewrote for her three times before she offered to take me on, eight months after I'd sent the initial query.

Slow, yes. Frustrating, absolutely. Worth it? Without question. Here's why:

1. I'm lazy. If I had to self-publish and self-market in order to feed my family, they would starve. Even more then they already do. I want someone to send out my work and deal with the initial rejections. I want someone to intervene if I'm in disagreement with an editor. I want someone to send me my tax form at the end of year. If she would come make my ten-year-old do his homework on time, I'd pay her considerably more than 15%.

2. I'm insecure. There's nothing like having someone say, "I love this book! I want to sell it for you" to boost confidence. I like having someone wholly on my side, who wants me to succeed as much as I do.

3. I'm imperfect. No matter how many flashes of ego-induced pride I might feel while writing, I well know that my books get better with revisions. And though some writers might be able to see clearly what the problems are in a story, I'm not one of them. Sure, sometimes the comments I get are ones that have crossed my mind, but even then there's something creatively motivating about having someone professional say "This isn't working." I love that my agent isn't going to let me send out a book that isn't ready. It's a safety net that I find invaluable.

4. I'm new. I don't have a big name, I don't have any previous publishing credits, and I don't have any contacts in the literary world (besides buying lots of books.) I guarantee that I would never have gotten the deal I did last summer without an agent--certainly I wouldn't have sold a trilogy.

So congratulations to Amanda Hocking and all those brave souls who do the all work of writing and publishing and marketing solo. It's quite possible you are the future.

But me? I'm happy living in my old-fashioned world.

Attending Writer's Conferences and Chatting Up Agents

2012-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Continuing with our theme of all things agent, I'll be discussing How To Talk To An Agent at a Conference and perhaps just as important, How to Not Annoy an Agent at a Conference. I've had some brilliant successes (and some failures!) with these, so I figure I can pass along my words of wisdom. Conferences are on my brain, cause I planned to attend SCBWI's national conference in NYC this weekend...but my plans changed when the conference filled up and registration closed early. BUMMER.

However, I have attended (and been a panelist at!) WorldCon, plus last year's SCBWI national conference, RWA, and multiple regional conferences. You could even say I'm a conference junkie.

But, enough about me. You came to hear about agents! My first bit of advice is just be yourself, only with good manners. This of course means no cornering agents in the bathrooms, no smothering them in the elevators, no interupting them in conversation or inviting yourself to their table at dinner. This also means that you must behave with poise, and grace, even if your desired agent turns out to be a cold prude who blows you off and stomps on your black-and-blue toes!

Why be yourself? Because that's who you want the agent to get to know, and because you're much more interesting than you think. After all, you may be a total unknown from backwoods Kentucky who grew up barefoot and snaggle-toothed, but that's a very unusual animal to a New York agent. Fascinating, even. If you can go one step further and carry an amusing conversation with your new agent acquaintance, you may intrigue her enough she asks about your work. Now, we all know the writing has to stand for itself and the story can't hide behind your sparkling personality, but I can attest from personal experience that a personal connection with an agent doesn't hurt. In fact, it can make the difference between a cold rejection and a careful reading. Intrigued? I'll tell you the story in a minute, but first, a few notes on where and how to meet agents at conferences.

The first step is, of course, to attend the conference and not run screaming if you see an agent. I approach with a big smile, always. This probably works well for anyone who doesn't sharpen their teeth--a small smile may be best for them. :) If a presentation has just ended and the agent is conveniently trapped on the stage, try to ask a relevant question and only bring up your work if the opportunity presents.

Sometimes you just bump into the agent randomly. Smaller regional conferences are great for this. Here, it is not unusual to find an agent 'in the wild' mixing with conference attendees. Sometimes an agent can be found standing in a side hall trying to make sense of their program. Then you, oh wise and enlightened conference attendee, can come to their aid! If you happen to sit near an agent, chat about anything you would normally discuss with a seat mate. The poor weather traveling in, the delicious lunch just finished, how the kids are faring back home. Remember, many agents are mums or dads, too! And while none of these are essential conversation pieces, they are all fairly benign when brought up with a smile and a good attitude.

Now that you're chatting with the agent, what next? Because of course you really want to talk about your book, right? Well, the agent knows this, and will probably indicate if they're in the mood to hear about it. They will do this by eventually bringing the conversation back around to you, and asking how your project is coming along. If the conversation drops, or the presentation begins, let it go. Never try to force a book chat that's not materializing.

Now for my intriguing story, which took place at a regional conference. During a prior presentation, I felt that Agent Wonderous and I had developed rapport. When I later saw her take a seat in the row in front of mine, I decided to speak up. I honestly don't remember what I said, but it was meant to be witty. She looked around, we traded remarks. I definitely felt she was someone who I could connect with, and I already knew from research and reptutation that she was someone who repped my kind of book and would be my dream agent. There was just one problem. She'd already rejected my query. A form rejection, too. NOT the most auspicious beginning!

However, I am nothing if not a determined optimist and I truly believe in my book. Also, I KNEW that my book was a good fit for this agency. The book was getting plenty of full requests from other quarters and even a couple 'I know I'll regret passing on this--please sent me any future work' personalized rejections of encouragment. So, where had I gone wrong?

As I sat chatting with Agent Wondrous, I decided to ask her. Perhaps she could give me some pointers, so I'd know if this project was doomed and I should just trunk it, and if my writing skills needed a boost before I attempted anything else. I was careful, though, cause I didn't want her to feel cornered. Better that I go without getting any insights than I be forever branded in her brain as the Unpardonably Obnoxious Writer of whom she would tell horror stories in future conferences. I waited til our chat was winding down and the presentation was about to start, then told her I'd love to get her thoughts on some questions I had about my book, if she had time later.

She seemed open to the idea, then the lights dimmed as the presentation began. I confess I was a little distracted. At one point, Agent Wondrous left her seat and appeared to leave the room. I hoped I hadn't scared her away.

The lights came back up, I said goodbye to my seatmates and gathered up my things. Only to discover Agent Wondrous had come back, and was waiting to talk to me! I explained my concerns for the book, and asked if she remembered what was lacking. She confessed she didn't--that while she recognized the title, nothing else from the query had caught her attention. I filled her in, briefly. Without any prompting from me, she gave me permission to re-send the query and first chapter. She would read them over, and give me feedback as to why the query was a miss. This was not a re-query, I was to understand. Instead it was a generous offer on her part to give me a bit of direction.

I came home estatic and thrilled with my efforts at the conference. Quickly I put together my new and improved query and new and improved first chapter, and sent them off. A few weeks passed, and I got a reply from Agent Wondrous. She was glad we'd met and chatted at the conference, and that she'd had the chance to take a second look at my query. She was intrigued. Would I please send along the full manuscript?

Well, you can guess my answer! I'd since started a rewrite of the manuscript, but I finished it up and sent it along. And I'm still glowing.

So, remember as you approach your writing conferences that agents are people. They don't like to be stalked, they don't like to be treated like a trophy, and they don't like to be the bad guy. They enjoy people who smile, and respect their time. And sometimes, they'll feel that extra interest in your work which comes from a personal connection, and they'll give you a second chance. Best of luck!

Agents: Research, Reality & a Bit of Remorse

2012-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

How I think other people get agents:

They research them by perusing reputable websites, asking their agented friends, and stalking them at conferences across the nation--perhaps timing their elevator rides just so in order to have that very special conversation.
They then write a perfectly worded email which includes impressive bits from their research, a referral from a friend or a reminder of the invitation the agent extended when they were pitched during an elevator ride. This continues for about ten to twenty rounds because no one gets an agent on their first try.
Finally an agent is enamored of their work, gets back to them in three hours, they sign a contract, they sell books, have get togethers in New York and name their cats after one another.

How I got an agent:

I had the distinct and alarming impression that I had better get an agent.
I thought of the only agent I'd ever had contact with. She represented the illustrator of my first book.
I looked her up online, figured out how to submit and followed instructions.
She got back to me when I nudged her several weeks later with positive comments.
I waited a few more weeks and emailed something intelligent like, "So...are you my agent then?"
She said yes and sent a contract. Whew.
I had guilt because it wasn't supposed to be so easy.

How I lost an agent:

Also easy.

I didn't write any more books.
She didn't sell any more books.

I think one or the other may have saved us but sadly, neither happened.

In a couple of years I will be sure and post: "How I Got Another Agent."

For now, I'd better get writing some books.

Researching Literary Agents on Twitter: a dozen thoughts in 140 characters or less

2012-01-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to research literary agents is to follow them on Twitter. It can help you discover if your dream agent is all she or he seems—or if a different agent might be a better fit. You can get an idea about what an agent is looking for and a handle on their tastes. Basically, Twitter following agents will help you know more about them as individuals, that will help you make wiser choices about who to query, and in turn will lead to a higher request rate.

Here are a dozen of my thoughts about following and researching agents on Twitter--in 140 characters or less, of course.

Take advantage of the scheduled and spontaneous Twitter chats where anyone can ask agents questions. Look for hashtags like #askagent

To make following easier and faster, create a Twitter List for the agents you want to follow.

An agent’s Tweets often reveal personal traits, like sense of humor, likes and dislikes, temperament, odd quirks and pet peeves.

With the exception of agent sponsored Twitter pitch contests, NEVER query an agent via Twitter.

Keep your eyes open, agents often Tweet and RT contests and events they are involved in.

Many agents announce their slush updates on Twitter. This includes no-response-means-no agents.

You can get a feeling for an agent’s taste by seeing what movies and books they enjoy—and by learning about their favorite pastimes.

Agents often give writing and querying advice on Twitter.

Agents discuss the market and publishing in general with editors on Twitter.

Twitter gives you a chance to catch a peek at an agent’s professionalism and work style, before you query them.

Agents usually Tweet when they’ve updated their blog. This can help you spot interesting posts.

Agents sometimes mention what they are looking for on Twitter.

Now it’s your turn. Did you use Twitter to research agents? Do you have any thoughts or advice?

All I Want for Christmas . . .

2011-12-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

. . . is my coughing gone away, my packing finished, house cleaned, Christmas letters written and sent. A personal chef for the next year. And a personal trainer. And edits finished for Book One. And a rough draft finished for Book Two.

And this post is not about me. So I wrench myself away from the hectic nature of a 21st-century Christmas with four kids and a cross-country trip of two weeks and steal you away with me to a more serene Christmastime. In a placid, peaceful, joyous world where beauty reigns and love is everything, right up to the moment where swords are drawn and wives are beheaded and rebel armies are launched at an unpopular king . . .

It's Christmas 1553 in England's Tudor court. A Tudor court ruled by Henry VIII's son, William. What, you say in astonishment, you've never heard of this son of Anne Boleyn and Henry of the six wives? Well, that's because in my world, Henry only ever had two wives and the baby boy Anne miscarried in January 1536 was actually carried to term and born that summer to save his mother's life. And thus alter--for a bit--the course of English history.

This is the world of The Boleyn King, my first novel which will appear next winter from Ballantine. In this world, William is a hotheaded, charming, beloved 17-year-old king ready to take on the world as his father did before him. His best friend, Dominic, is both older and wiser and spending this particular Christmas in France spying for his king. Elizabeth is all that the future Elizabeth I should be--except with a mother who's still alive and a brother who is firmly ensconced on England's throne. And then there's Minuette--poor, pretty, orphaned, clever, and beloved by the inner circle of Tudor royalty.

In their own words, here are their Christmas wishes.

William: What do I want? I want a reason to go to war with France. I want Dominic back from whatever clandestine work he's doing. I want to win the lands my father failed to, and make his Field of Cloth of Gold but a shadow of my own glory. I want my council to look to me for orders, and not my uncle. I want Eleanor to go away for a while so she will stop sniping at Minuette and give me peace. I want the next women I take to bed to be rather more silent.

Dominic: I want to go home. I am not meant to be a spy, or an envoy, or whatever the council wishes to call it. I want to make certain Will is behaving himself, keeping his temper with the council and not flaunting his relationship with Eleanor too openly in front of her husband. I want to have a small command of my own, of soldiers who are trained and loyal and know only their own work without meddling in politics. But more than any of that, I want to serve my king and my friend so well that my loyalty need never be doubted. So I will curb my impatience and do my duty. And try not to think of Minuette. Who is all that I really wish for.

Elizabeth: I don't have time for wishing. It is pointless and also more than a little ungrateful. I am a princess royal, a daughter of England, educated and trusted and with work that satisfies me. If I were to wish for something, I suppose it would be the power to choose my own future. It was a great relief when the French pulled out of the treaty--I should not have loved to marry the French king's widowed brother. But whom should I love? Sweden's prince? A minor royal from the Netherlands? Prince Philip of Spain is by far the grandest choice--and he is, at least, of an age with me. But I do not wish to live in Spain. I do not wish to ever leave England. Almost I would be content to never marry, if only I could stay here. Almost content . . . were it not for a particular young lord with gypsy-dark eyes who can always tease me into humour. A particular young lord who is, himself, very much married to someone else.

Minuette: I wish for fabrics--satins and velvets and shot silk. And ribbons, yards of different colors. Perhaps a puppy. A letter from Dominic would be nice--one that discussed more than the state of the weather. One that perhaps hinted at when he might return to court. I wish that Eleanor may grow very fat this winter. I wish that Elizabeth would settle to a new project, to keep her from fretting at things she cannot control. I wish that the new year will be even more glorious than this one, and that next Christmas will find the four of us together, as we should be. As we always and ever should be.

Links for Focused Time Wasting

2011-11-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of talk about how the internet is a horrible time suck, a devil waiting to distract writers from their work. This certainly is true. However, cruising the internet also can be a great way to recharge the brain or refocus and find fresh solutions to writing problems. The trick is to set limits on the time spent online or the number of sites visited.

In the spirit of focused time wasting, here are a few blogs and websites I use for inspiration and recharging.

Strangest Situation--a practicing child psychologist and writer, blogs from her unique perspective about psychology, books and more. http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/

Llewellyn—Along with the books they publish and merchandise, their website has a ton of articles on all things new age, paranormal and supernatural. Fresh articles are added regularly. Also, many of their writers have blogs focused on various areas of expertise. http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article_topics.php and http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/

Archaeology News from Europe—All kinds of funky and informative news clips. Follow them on Twitter and click on the link when a topic hits your fancy. http://archaeology-in-europe.blogspot.com/

YouTube—Yup, I’m recommending YouTube--as long there’s a connection to your current project. If you want a hint about my current WIP, here’s what I watch for inspiration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZXKu9B-DEU&feature=related

Scott Eagan—He is a literary agent who represents romance (which I don’t exclusively write). However, I regularly read his blog because his advice is solid and inspiring. http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/

Heroines of Fantasy—Three sharp as a tack women writers blog about a variety of topics such as: food in fantasy, the realities of traveling on horseback . . . and they offer a look at writers and novels which break from the mainstream http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com/

Stephanie O’Dea--last but not least, because we all know writers are short on time, this is a wonderful website with amazing techniques and recipes for slow cooking http://stephanieodea.com

What are your favorite time wasting links? Do you have a problem with spending too much time online or do you easily curb the urge?

Interview with Suzanne Warr

2011-11-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

Cabinet: Why chickens? And all that land? And how does that affect and/or contribute to your writing?

Suzanne: Chickens because they make me laugh, and keep me entertained. Also, I like their eggs. The five acres because I really do need that much space between me and everyone else while I’m writing. It’s a dangerous process, and spectators need to stand back.

Cabinet: Costuming--you do it big and you do it gorgeous. (I'm thinking of a hoop skirt crushed into a suitcase in Denver . . .) What's the appeal? Do you ever dress up like a character?

Suzanne: If dressing up is reserved for Halloween, the average person only gets twenty to eighty costumes in their life. Where’s the fun in that? I’d dress up once a month, if I could. I was Bellatrix Lestrange for Halloween.

Until the telepathy breakthrough works itself down to people like me, it’s the best way I know of to get outside my own head. When else can I curse all the people who deserve it? I have also made up a character as I created the costume. It’s interesting to think about each piece of bling and imagine what history it would have for the character I’m dressing up to be.

Cabinet: I just heard a great panel of authors say how they're nothing like their daredevil characters--their leading ladies are the daring sort the authors wish they were themselves. You, however, are a martial artist, sword fighter and spontaneous building climber. How does the daredevil in you contribute to your own characters or writing?

Suzanne: Writing is itself a high-adrenaline sport with way too much risk for the probable returns, so it makes sense I’d be a writer now that I’ve stopped risking my neck on a regular basis. As for my characters, I guess I still indulge in a little wish-fulfillment. I’ve never had a zipline for my backdoor, and I’ve never defeated a demon. My characters get to do both. But I have been told that my fight scenes are both entertaining and realistic–I guess the hands on research has paid off.

Cabinet: You write many genres–picture book, adult short fiction, middle grade, YA and (gasp) even a romance novel that’s gathering dust. Do you have a favorite, and why or why not?

Suzanne: I’ve definitely found my favorite medium in middle grades. I guess that should’ve been a no-brainer cause that’s where I migrate to in the library or bookstore. But, I really think that writing on a variety of projects, ranging from science fiction to mysteries and yes, even romance, has helped me develop different skills as a writer and explore my craft. Which is a fancy way to say I can justify my constant dabbling cause it helps me be a better writer.

Cabinet: What is your closest call with a peanut?

Suzanne: Hmm, that would probably be the day I showed up to my son’s school for volunteer time and discovered every desk in the classroom loaded down with a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter. They were making edible teepees, and the peanut butter was the glue. Idiot that I am, I tried to stick it out and help. I got to re-think the wisdom of that decision all afternoon in the hospital, with an IV shooting me full of Benadryl and a big bruise on my leg as testament that my epipen had worked just fine. Nowadays, I carry a double-barreled pen, because my second reaction comes on pretty fast, and I can sniff out peanut butter from across the room. That onerous smell is my cue to leave!

Cabinet: You’ve had a number of short stories published. How does writing short fiction differ from novel length? Any tips on writing short stories?

Suzanne: The truth is, I’ve never figured out how to write short stories, but let’s not tell that to the editors who published them! Mostly I write flash pieces (snapshots that use less than one thousand words) or novels, and when a short story works, I shrug and thank my muse. I do think that becoming somewhat enured to the rejection side of publication and learning to work with editors on rewrites has been invaluable.

Cabinet: And finally, one last question the Cabinet just has to know: When or where do your story ideas come from?

Suzanne: I have a contract with a hive of Polytheneroids on Pluto. They feed me ideas, and I give them our extra chicken eggs. So far they’re buying my story that chicken eggs are priceless and rare. Let’s not disabuse them of that notion, okay?

Wardrobe Malfunction!

2011-11-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Cabinet friends!

I'm back home from a book tour for my third novel, SILENCE, and thought you might like to hear about the dark side of touring. Namely, traveling with a teeny tiny carry-on suitcase for, wait for it, an entire month.

It was probably a crazy idea to think I could do it (hello! I love shoes! And shoes take up space!) but there was also this growing fear that since I was flying to a new city almost every day, if I checked baggage, and it got lost, it might never catch up to me. In the end, I decided to sacrifice fashion and variety for the simple necessity of clothes, period.

First, I determined I had enough room to take exactly seven outfits. Then I picked my clothes oh so carefully, making sure each piece could be used in at least two different outfits. (In real life, when people do this to minimize buying lots of clothes, I think it's called wardrobe capsule. It's a pretty accurate description. Capsule = small case. Small case = Becca's carry-on bag.) For example, I packed a simple white button-down shirt that could be worn with a skirt and scarf, with jeans, and under a cardigan. In theory, it was a brilliant idea...until I spilled marinara sauce down the front of the shirt about a week into the tour. Marinara sauce is NOT easy to remove via hand-washing in a hotel sink.

Which brings me to my next survival tip: travel-size Tide laundry packets. My awesome assistant was wise enough to supply me with a handful of these, and even if they didn't get my clothes clean, at least they made them smell good. Every night, even if I arrived at my hotel close to midnight, I made laundry a priority. In one case, the drain on the sink was broken and wouldn't hold water. In which case I jury-rigged my own drain using a plastic shower cap. Just call me MacGuyver.

I towel-dried my freshly washed clothes, then hung them to dry overnight. If I woke up the following morning and they were still slightly damp, I utilized the blow dryer. In fact, if memory serves, I never once used a blow dryer on my hair. But I can think of at least four mornings when I frantically waved the dryer over damp socks.

Oh, and I did catch a lucky break once. While in Chicago, my hotel had a coin-operated washing machine. Moira Young (BLOOD RED ROAD) and I had all kinds of fun chasing down enough quarters to wash a load. It was work, you must understand. And then when Moira inserted her money to buy soap, a box of fabric softener shot out instead. It was DEVASTATING. Okay, maybe you had to be there.

All in all, I was impressed with myself for rising to the challenge of making seven outfits last for thirty days. There was only one thing I didn't think of.

Facebook.

I don't know why it never occurred to me that readers would take pictures at my events. And post them online. And tag me. During my month on tour, my Facebook feed was filled with pictures of me wearing a pink-and-blue striped dress in San Diego. And then again two days later in San Fransisco. Oh, wait, and in Chicago. Ah! The same dress in Boston. And London. And even Toronto.

By the end of the tour, I swore to Moira and Elizabeth Miles (FURY) that the minute I returned home, I was going to light a bonfire in my backyard and burn my clothes. And probably chant, "Burn, baby, burn," as I danced around the flames with glee.

But here's the thing. I can't stop wearing those same seven outfits. Is it a curse? An addiction?

Or have I simply realized how easy life is when I don't have to worry about what to wear?

A Writer's List of Thanks (and a little NaNo tip)

2011-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of my Cabinet buddies had great ideas for my post today: How to NaNo (Been There, Done That); and Loving and Hating your Manuscript--The Art of Revision. The fact is, I'm just not feeling all that informative today (meaning the murk of November is making my brain fuzzy). But those sound like great posts, hopefully one of us will write them (hint, hint).

What you get from me today is a writer's list of thanks. I figure it will be easy to come up with this if I'm truly thankful. We'll see...

Writing. Duh! (You can tell I'm really reaching here). I'm grateful for anyone who ever set story to page, committed words to forever, and who inspired me to do the same. Long live imagination and the hope of touching another life with wisdom...or just pure entertainment.
Critique buddies. It takes a certain kind of friend to point out all your flaws in such a way that you want to thank them afterward. My writing friends are twined around a special part of my heart that spills into every facet of my life.
Computers. Oh yes. Word processing programs. Email. Can you imagine doing all this in longhand?
Hope. I think writers must be the most hopeful people on the planet--even the naturalists. Without hope of completion, publication, communication...why write? (Professionally of course). Hmmmm, I may be hitting on the reason I haven't written in quite some time here.
I like fives. It just seems there needs to be five things in a decent list. PUBLISHERS! READERS! Thank you, thank you. (Oh, and those little things like family, conferences, seeing my books in print, organic raw chocolate and the delete key...I love you, too).

And for those who just want a NaNo tip:

For the love of Castle, if you want to finish, JUST WRITE THOSE WORDS! Don't look back. Just go, go, go!

Your editorial hat will never in a million years get you through NaNo. Just type. Seriously.

Did you make a false move? Who cares. Just zing your character to a new place and go.

NaNo isn't about sonnets, it's about words. You can SO do it if you just type the words. Now quit reading this and go type.

No editor.

Type.

No deleting. None.

Type.

(Now editing, that's another story. We should probably cover that in December.)

NO EDITING IN NANO!

Type--and remember to be thankful that you can and are!

Rose and Carmen Giveaway!

2011-11-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to have Ginger do the drawing in person, and not just cause Ginger's one of my most favorite people. Well, okay, that was why. :) But, seeing as Ginger and I live on nearly opposite sides of the country, that just isn't possible.

I settled on the next best thing. Closing my eyes, I imagined I had Ginger's glorious curly hair, just like the hair my mother promised me if only I'd eat the burnt crusts on our homemade bread. The hair felt lovely. Then I stretched my imagination even further, and pretended I had Ginger's sweet disposition and unfailing kindness. My imagination starting cracking at the seams, so I gave my bowl of names a quick shake and dipped in my hand. One name for Rose, one for Carmen. I could picture these lovely stories as I drew out the names and wanted to linger in my Ginger-fied state, but my imagination coughed, sputtered, and spit out a WARNING: OVERLOAD IMMINENT red flag. Sigh. Well, I enjoyed the few minutes while they lasted!

And those little bits of paper? The ones you're all waiting to hear about? Alright, let's open them up. The winner of a signed copy of Wild Rose's Weaving is:
Mirka Breen! Congratulations! I know you're going to love it--guaranteed!

Now let's just open that second slip of paper and see who's going to be giggling their way through Carmen's Sticky Scab:
Marcia Hoehne! Marcia, you must have really good karma as I seem to recall your having an extra interest in Carmen, and now you'll be getting your own copy! Yay!

Congratulations to both of you, and thanks to everybody for entering. If our winning M ladies can send me an email with contact info at spartan_writer at yahoo dot com with your info we'll get the books out to you!

Once again, thanks to everybody for playing and congratulation to Ginger on her book bday!

Interview: Kersten Hamilton author of IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT

2011-11-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today the amazing Kersten Hamilton has stopped by to answer a few questions. We’re going to be discussing IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT (the second book in her Goblin Wars series), writing complex stories, second novels, sexual tension, Shakespeare and more!

Please feel free to leave questions and comments for Kersten. She’ll be checking back through out the day to answer them—and she is an amazing source of wisdom

Pat: Welcome, Kersten. Before we get going, could you please give a quick overview of the Goblin Wars series, in particularly IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT.

Kersten: The Goblin Wars is the story of Teagan Wylltson, whose family is an unlikely mix of Stormrider and the human blood of Myrddn Wyllt, the real Merlin the Magician, and Finn Mac Cumhaill, cursed by Fear Doirich, the Dark Man, to die young fighting Goblin Kind.

I really like the description my editor wrote for In the Forests of the Night:

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

Pat: A lot of scenes in your novels are packed with characters and dialogue. It feels to the reader like they’ve stepped into a bustling family. Were you raised in a loud active family? And could you share some tips about writing scenes with multiple characters not only talking, but physically doing different things?

Kersten: I grew up with four of my seven siblings, and little or no parental supervision. My mom was out of the picture and my dad worked nights and slept days, so we rarely saw him. The usual state of affairs at our house was merry chaos. I grew accustomed to it and continued the tradition after I married—only with many, many more people. We (my husband and I) have always had an open home, where people could come if they needed a place to stay. Some people have lived with us for months, and some for years. The most we have ever had under our roof at one time was seventeen. So, yes. We are a loud and active family.

Pat: Was Shakespeare Irish? And what about his muses?

Kersten: Of course he was. Even if he was born in

England

. Of English parents. But the Irish muses gave up on him. Too much humor for a proper Irish story, and way to many happy endings! J

Pat: In addition the main fears and concerns, your stories have ever-present subtler worries (such as Mamieo’s heart problems). Were these details something you preplanned when developing the characters or is it something that emerged as you wrote?

Kersten: They definitely emerged as I wrote. ‘Meeting’ my characters is one of the things I love best about writing. They all have such complex, real lives! I really, really miss them when the book is over.

Pat: Second novels—any advice about writing them?

Kersten: Yes! Someone very brilliant (I don’t remember who) once said, “Nobody reads a book to get to the middle.” The second book of a trilogy fills that dreaded ‘middle’ of the story arc. The story had to be bigger without losing touch with the things people loved in the first book. You have to ramp up the stakes while moving the story forward. And remember to surprise your readers. On a very tight deadline.

Pat: The Greenman, Mab, Fear Doirich . . . Do you have a favorite non-human character or myth?

Kersten: Actually, yes! I do have a favorite non-human character, one that I would like to be. I’ll tell you if you promise not to laugh. I would like to be….A FAIRY GODMOTHER! (Stop laughing. You promised!) No, it is not the poofy pink sparkly outfits that I adore. (I’d wear jeans and a t-shirt) Its what fairy godmothers do: they show up at a key point in someone’s life with the tools or opportunities the person needs to achieve their dreams. What could be better than that?

Pat: LOL. I can so see you as a fairy godmother. Okay, I mentioned in my review of IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT that I was going to ask you a couple of questions related to sexual or romantic tension. Here we go.

The budding romance between Finn and Teagen really sizzles. Is writing romantic tension a craft aspect you work on specifically or does it come naturally?

Kersten: Action and adventure come naturally to me. Romance I have to work at. And kissing scenes make me blush. Some of the most romantic scenes in these books have no kissing—but they still make me blush!

The way I work at it is by reading a lot of classic romances—Pride and Prejudice is one of the romances I study. First we meet the characters and are shown exactly why they do not like each other. And there are very good reasons for them not to get along. Then, slowly, we are allowed to see deeper into each of the characters as they change and become perfect for one another. Tension comes from the fact that we know what they will miss out on if they don’t come together.

I really like books such as The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer and the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters by as well. They are masters of mischievous romance. And what is true romance without a little humor? I never did like Romeo and Juliet. Some of the funniest moments in my own books are also the most romantic.

Pat: Balancing the main plot and subplots in your stories must be difficult. When you revise, do you sometimes have to cut back on subplots to let your main plot shine through? Aka—how do you avoid having the romance take over the storyJ

Kersten: I think that you have to drop your characters into such a BIG story that the readers are always a little worried about what will happen next. A little on edge, even during the kissing scenes—because it all could be taken away in a single story heartbeat. And…there are always so many sub-plots in my own life that I guess they come naturally to me.

Pat: What one piece of advice would you give new authors on how to strengthen the romantic tension in their own works?

Kersten: Don’t move the physical relationship forward too fast, as if sex were relationship. Romantic tension is just another word for anticipation. Don’t lose the delicious relationship building and anticipation that comes with love.

Pat: One last question. Where did the title IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT come from?

Kersten: From William Blake’s poem:

The Tyger:

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And watered heaven with their tears,

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Pat: Oh, yeah. And I still think Ms. Skinner is one of the scariest characters.

Kersten: Ah, Ms. Skinner. Anyone with a heart will cry for her by the time the books are done. I promise.

Pat: Thank you so much Kersten. Will you be willing to stop back later and answer questions?

Kersten: I will be! Thanks for having me on your blog, Pat!

Pat: Here’s a link to my review of IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT

http://patesden.livejournal.com/88580.html

Order TYGER, TYGER and IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT today from you local bookstore on check it out online:

http://www.amazon.com/Forests-Night-Goblin-Wars-Book/dp/0547435606

Wild Rose's Weaving Book Bday and Giveaway!

2011-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month for cabinet members, and we haven't even finished it yet! Ginger Churchill, author of the hilarious Carmen's Sticky Scab, is to be congratulated on the release of her latest picture book Wild Rose's Weaving. Yay Ginger!

With one peek inside this book you find yourself transported to a world full of wind and color, creation and inspiration. In fact, a world where any of us would love to live! A four star review on City Book Review puts it well: "Wong’s watercolor illustrations and Churchill’s touching story charmingly convey the common misunderstandings between old and young—and the places where they can come together to share adventure and imagination."

Since I'm the 'old' in our family scenario, I'm excited to share with my daughter my newfound love of all things yarn. I even made her a little purse, using yarn scraps from our local recycle center and a child's crafting loom:

There's not much to it, and the idea for it isn't even original. But I can personally attest to the wonderful feeling of discovering creation through weaving. And, since my daughter's showing an interest in weaving as well, I'm scheming to give her a copy of Wild Rose's Weaving for Christmas, along with some new yarns. If you've got a little weaver in your life, or an older weaver, too, you might do the same!

To win a free copy of this lovely new picture book, just enter your name in the comments, and tell us how you've spread the word or if you've followed us. We'll do a drawing of all the names (extra entries for each blog post, facebook mention, etc.) on Tuesday, Nov. 8th, and some lucky soul will get a copy signed by Ginger! As an added bonus, if we can add ten followers to the blog (making a total of 80) we'll do a second drawing and give away a copy of Carmen's Sticky Scab!

Best of luck, everbody!

And the Winner is . . .

2011-10-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jennifer! (Click on her name to find out more about her and her own blog. And look, I am so excited that I wantonly threw in an exclamation point.)

Jennifer has won the first three books in the HUSH, HUSH series by the Cabinet's very own Becca Fitzpatrick. Signed, naturally. Just as soon as Becca returns home on the 29th from her tour of the UK.

I personally had a wonderful time at Becca's panel yesterday at the Wellesley Free Library in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It is amazing to see this girl (I don't care how old you are, Becca, as long as you are ten years younger than me you are a girl. Also because I was once mistaken for your mother) . . . to see this girl rock the world of YA lit. And not just with her books, but with her wonderful personality and ease with readers. She is articulate, she is funny, and she is seriously beautiful. Besides the fact that she can write.

If we weren't friends, I might have to dislike her on principle.

Jennifer, please email me at laurawriter(dot)ymail(dot)com so we can ship your winnings. And also, because it appears you, too, live in Massachusetts and having moved here only two months ago I could seriously use some friends. Who have four kids. And write. I think it's meant to be (I say brightly, and not at all in a stalker-like fashion).

But this, gentle readers, is only the beginning of another fabulous week at our Curious Cabinet. Because tomorrow is release day for our very own Ginger Churchill's second picture book, WILD ROSE'S WEAVING. There may be another giveaway on the horizon. At the very least there will be cake.

And possibly a discussion about scabs and sharks. You never know what curious things will pop up around here.

Online Writing Class Review and Recommendations

2011-10-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Over the years I’ve taken a lot of online writing classes and I highly recommend them. However it’s important for a writer to take classes that work with and, at the same time, challenge their skill level.

Here’s a quick overview of a few online writing classes which I’ve taken and my thoughts on who might most benefit from them. This is only a small sampling of the classes available. All these writing sites have been established for quite a number of years.

Coffee House for Writers. Classes for beginner to intermediate skill level. 2-day mini-workshops and longer 4 and 5-week workshops. Experienced teachers. Good interaction with teachers. The amount of interaction with fellow students depends on the students themselves, can range to from none to moderate camaraderie. Great classes for writers who want to improve specific aspects of their writing or simply need a kick start. The variety of classes is somewhat limited, but fun. http://www.coffeehouseforwriters.com/courses.html

Writers College. Classes for beginner to intermediate skill levels (some of the classes appear to be advanced, however they do not require as much experience as other classes I’ll mention later in this post). 4 to 6 week classes. Interaction level with teachers is good, but can vary. Writers College has some amazing teachers who have been there a long time and others who are less experienced. Student interaction depends on the students in the class, can range from none to moderate camaraderie. Great classes for writers looking focus on a specific topic. Writers College has a large selection of classes, some of which are quite unique. http://www.writerscollege.com/

Writing In Depth with Caleb Warnock. Classes for beginners to advanced skill level. Small groups, private 8-week classes. Moderate prices. Interaction level between both students and teacher is high. Great classes for writers wanting to take the step from dreaming about writing to becoming a professional. Limited selection classes, with some flexibility. Specialty classes sometimes available. This link has information on Caleb Warnock, his experience, success stories, upcoming classes and links to more information. http://calebwarnock.blogspot.com/p/forgotten-skills-of-self-sufficiency-of.html for an example of Caleb’s successful teaching style, listen to this 3-first-page-critique http://writingsnippets.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/ws-30-caleb-warnock-3-first-page-critique-part/

WriterUniv. Com. Classes for intermediate to advanced writers. These classes may be helpful for intermediate writers, but are best for those with pro-level skills. 2-4 week duration. Fast pace, challenging classes with lots of reading and homework. Experienced teachers. Student interaction is friendly, but minimal. Interaction with teacher is exceptional. Class topics are advanced and great for working on specific writing issues or for developing general skills. The amount a student gets out of these classes is directly related to the time put into reading the teachers comments on other students’ homework--and classes are large. Their website is a bit lacking, but the classes aren’t http://www.writeruniv.com/ For more information: http://www.marybuckham.com/Onlineclasses.html

Have you taken any online classes? Any recommends or problems? Any questions?

Happy Birthday, SILENCE! (Want to win three books?)

2011-10-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to use multiple exclamation points in the title, but I was haunted by the voice of my former writing teacher whispering that I'm only allowed three exclamation points. In my life. Ever. So one it is--but what better way to use one-third of my exclamation point lifetime allowance than in celebrating book release day for our fellow blogger, Becca Fitzpatrick.

Today is SILENCE day. The day fans of Becca's HUSH, HUSH series have been waiting for since the moment they closed the last page of the second book, CRESCENDO. The book that takes the tension of Patch (the best bad guy I've ever wished I dated) and Nora (the control-freak who loves being reckless with Patch) and throws one almighty wrench into the works. (Okay, maybe it's more like five or six wrenches but I'm telling you--that first one is a doozy.)

Here's a link to Becca's website where you can read all about her books and the exciting news about what she's working on now. Her tour schedule is also on her website, so check it out and see if she's coming somewhere near you.If you're a fan, you've probably already discovered Fallen Archangel, the official fansite for the series And if you're not (yet) a fan--well, let us change that for you.

For our own celebration right here at Cabinet of Curiosities, we're giving away the first three books in Becca's series: HUSH, HUSH; CRESCENDO; and SILENCE. Donated by our friend the author and signed by her as well. That's right--three signed books.

Want in? Here are the guidlines.

1. Do one of the following: become of follower of Cabinet of Curiosites; write a blog post announcing the giveaway and link to our site; or link to our site via Facebook or Twitter.

2. Leave us a comment with your name and a link to whichever of the above you've done.

3. Be patient: the contest will run through midnight Saturday, October 15. Because on Sunday, October 16th, I will be seeing Becca at a reading in Wellesley, Massachusetts and I'm going to let her draw the winner.

4. Be a little more patient, because once the winner is announced, it will take at least two weeks to get your books due to Becca's extreme popularity and the fact that she is currently on a month-long tour of the U.S., Canada, and the UK. When she returns home on October 29th, she will sign and send the books to the winner.

It's hard for me to believe that two years ago Ginger Churchill and I drove to Colorado to surprise Becca at the launch party for her first book. It's even harder to believe that three and half years ago she had nearly reached the end of her rope with agents asking for rewrites and then turning her down after. Becca is my shining example that life can change almost instantly--for the better. (I am, trust me, well aware that life can instantly change for the worse.)

Becca, I adore you and all of us at Cabinet of Curiosities have only one complaint about your success--when will you have time for a writers' retreat?!

(Ha, used up my second exclamation point. I'll have to be cautious with my last one.)

SCBWI Carolinas Conference--Filling the Blank Page

2011-09-29T01:34:00.000-07:00

It's been almost ten years since I attended a regional SCBWI conference. Ten years, two changes of writing genre, three changes of writing category, four novels, a handful of abandoned picture books, and endless short stories. Plus a history degree, a black belt, and three moves. But for all those changes in me, the conference rush for writing and the deep-down satisfaction from rubbing elbows with my peers hasn't changed. I'm so grateful to Teresa Fannin and her marvelous group of cohorts who made the conference happen. I've never put on a conference, but I've done things similar and I'm always grateful to the known and unknown folks who work tirelessly behind the scenes making this kind of thing happen. Woot, woot!

Now, on to a few highlights, since I know that's why you're reading. :)

The highest highlight was Marietta Zacker's keynote on writing with passion. She didn't pace, but she gave the impression of pacing while standing still. Sharing with us memories of the special bond she had with her grandpa, a writer, she talked about writing from the deepest parts of who we are, and making sure that what we send out into the world is our best work. She reminded me that even though we all come from different backgrounds, we all share certain core emotions. Also, that there's power in ritual, and in traditions. It was a wonderful insight into Marrietta herself, but also the child readers out there that we hope to touch with our writing.

Another high was Mallory Kass's workshop on writing emotional mysteries and intertwining them with plot mysteries. I loved her insights, and we as the audience had fun coming up with ways to supplement one mystery style with its other half. She also had some nice material on voice, and why it's so important to write characters which the reader will want to spend time with. We looked at snippets pulled out of books and analyzed them for character traits. An all-around great workshop.

Mary Kate Castellani challenged us to come up with a snappy handle for our books, and guided us through the tip sheet (title information page) using examples from books she's worked on. I've seen the tip sheet before, but never seen it filled out for a middle grade. It's always interesting to look at how a book gets sold. If a writer is tossing around different projects of equal interest, working up a personal tip sheet could help decide which comes first.

We also had a great agent's panel, and I really enjoyed the first pages/first impressions feedback. We writers can suppose this, and suppose that, but a little feedback from the editors and agents themselves can really shed light on our suppositions. One thing I was a little surprised to hear was how often the editors preferred a story that didn't start too fast. An immediate conflict or hook went over well, but if the reader was thrown straight into the core of the action, the editors usually asked that a little character development be added.

My weekend was trimmed on both ends, leaving me mostly just Saturday to attend workshops, but I still enjoyed a brain-full of great material. My favorite part of the conference may have been how small and intimate it was. The agents and editors mingled with writers and illustrators, rubbing shoulders with us and chatting over life, the universe and everything. When I met people in one workshop, I often bumped into them at lunch, or at a schmooz. It was really nice to feel I was making real connections with people that are local enough I stand a chance of seeing them again. The last few conferences I've attended were national or world in scope, and I've loved the energy of the big conference. So it was great to find myself a fan of the smaller, regional conference, and discover the joys of that more personalized setting. I'm looking forward to next year!

A Curious Interview: Caleb Warnock

2011-09-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

We're excited to bring you words of wisdom and whimsy from Caleb Warnock, author of bestselling nonfiction title The Forgotten Skills of Self Sufficiency used by the Mormon Pioneers (Cedar Fort, 2011). Caleb has been writing since he was old enough to string letters together and has been teaching the craft nearly as long. In fact, his online classes brought all five of us cabinet members together. We are ever grateful for this and happy to call him a teacher, colleague and friend. (Some may or may not be grateful to call him a cousin).

Cabinet: Your book, is a bestseller--congratulations!

Warnock: Thanks! That the book has sold this fast was unexpected for both me and my publisher. Happy days!

Cabinet: Tell us preparedness newbies what first small step can anyone take to move them toward self reliance?

Warnock: Buy the book, of course! Knowing what to do is most of the battle. If you don't grow any of your own food, start. If you don't grow any of your own vegetable seed, my book will tell you the five easiest vegetables to get started with.

Cabinet: Have you had any surprising moments during your popular garden tours?

Warnock: Many. My chickens were video-interviewed without my knowledge (I didn't find out until the video was blogged.) My FM100 interview has brought me fan mail from all over the world, and seriously spiked the interest in touring my garden. People are taking my advice, and sending me photos of what they've done to their gardens, and their pioneer yeast baking.

Cabinet: Do you have any marketing tips for would-be bestsellers? What works? What flops?

Warnock: Lucky for me, I have a team of marketers behind me courtesy of my publisher. I have two publicists (working with them is a whole story by itself). Bookbuyers from around the world came to the LDS Booksellers Association conference, and speaking to them (twice) was nerve-wracking. But apparently it went well because they started buying the book!

I have learned in book signings that you are wasting your time if you sit there and stare at the floor. I speak to every single person that comes by. If I can get them to pick up a book and leaf through it, I have a 50 percent chance of them buying it -- this is because they listen to my explanation of the book while they look at it. One of these days I'll do a whole blog about what I've learned about making a book-signing a success.

Cabinet: If you could be any nutritious plant, which kind would you be and why?

Warnock: Hard question. This year my favorite in my garden has been my fresh figs -- yum. I'm very partial to my Noir des Carmes cantaloupes. My stevia is the thing that most people find the most surprising about my garden -- well, that and the Egyptian Walking Onions and the mangels and all the winter vegetables.

When I die, I want to be reborn as my cat -- then I can just wander my garden all day. And I won't have to weed!

Cabinet: What is your next project? We hear rumors of fiction...

Warnock: Ah, yes, the fiction. My editor has asked for rewrites on "The Given Son" which is a good sign. Now if I only had time to do those rewrites.... Apparently my kissing scene needs to be drawn out, says my editor.

I have a natural yeast cookbook finished with a co-writer that there is a lot of interest in, so we are trying to see if that is going to be regional or national.

And I'm working on a book that will teach people how to save seed vegetable by vegetable, and how to do a winter garden, since those topics seem to be what people are most fascinated by. I've had to practically open my garden to the public because people don't believe that you can grow fresh food 12 months of the year. But you can, and people have for centuries.

Cabinet: Do you feel branding is necessary to market today's authors and books?

Warnock: Who knows? This is my first book, so I don't know that I had any "brand" but people have loved the book. I think more important than branding is to actually know what you're talking about, and to be useful. People appreciate people who are useful.

Cabinet: Do you still teach writing classes? We hear you hold like...five jobs?

Warnock: I am one of the very few lucky people in the country who is over-employed.

I have owned WritingInDepth.com for 12 years, and it is still going strong (where we teach online writing classes) and I teach every Wednesday for the American Fork Arts Council, and I teach corporate writing for Utah Valley University, and I sell vegetables, eggs, and pure open-pollinated seed out of my garden. I work full-time as a journalist for the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah, and I write books and go to book signings.

I have a privileged life. Very few people spend their life doing what they love every day, and that is what I do. I'm also a step-father and grandfather and husband. Those are my favorite jobs.

Some people invest in the stock market. I've invested in education and family and my return on my money is enviable. :)

Cabinet: How can our readers find you?

Warnock: Great question! Glad you asked. :) My book is available at amazon.com and everywhere books are sold in the West. My blog is CalebWarnock.blogspot.com, and I try to answer all emails at calebwarnock@yahoo.com. Thanks for the interview!

Cabinet: Our pleasure! Thank YOU.

Any Excuse Will Do (YA Reads)

2011-09-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can be such a task master. I mean, it's one thing to assign myself research books on the history of the outer banks and how the ecosystem of the islands have changed. That makes sense, when I'm setting a book on the NC islands. But making myself read a whole stack of YA novels? That's just cruel.

Not!

I must have checked out a dozen YA books this summer, and devoured them all in the month of August while we ran from place to place. I even taught myself to read on the road, something I've never been able to do before. And it was so much fun! Here are a few of the highlights, with my writerly insights thrown in for good measure.

Vampire Academy, Book 1, by Richelle Mead.

I know I'm years behind the curve on this one, but I'm so glad I didn't let that stop me from picking it up. This was so intense! I loved it! The heroine is
a tough girl, which I like, but has a soft side and is fiercly loyal. The stakes
are super high and feel genuine--nothing superimposed or put there for plotting purposes here! My takeaway was that dark, intense novels with relatable but hard core girls can sell--which is a yay for me, since that's what my YA is shaping up to be! Also, the reader can really tell when the situation deserves extreme measures and the character's fears are justified...kind of like the potential fate of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice. Part of the book's lasting appeal is we know that despite the charming and peaceful veneer, society has no use for washed up old maids without an inheritance. In each case, the characters are going to have to find a way through their problems, 'cause going around them simply isn't an option.

All-American Girl, by Meg Cabot.

I've read several of the Princess Diaries, and liked them okay but never fell in love with the books. This one I enjoyed more. It's the story of girl who accidentally saves the life of the President, and gets caught up in a bit of political intrigue, high school popularity pushing, and the fascinating young man from art class who happens to be the President's son. It's cute, and a fun read. I liked the interesting background of 'At Home in the White House,' and the well-developed supporting characters. I also liked--and this is going to sound so writerly--how well put together the book was. Everything made sense, the plot threads weren't introduced and then dropped, and the end fit the beginning without being too predictable. I know some people don't care about endings, but I see the ending as the place where all the parts of the book synergistically come together and create something more than we started with or could piece together from the parts. And All-American Girl pulled that off.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares.

I confess, this book made me cry--and coming from me, that actually means something! I don't (normally) cry over books, and I don't choose books in the hopes that they'll make me cry. I read to escape, or work through my emotions. Rarely am I picking up a book so I can wallow in a tear fest. No, Pants made me cry because it touched the core of human loss in a girl I could relate to, especially having just experienced loss myself. And that's part of the beauty of Pants. The girls in the book are so different from one another that there's sure to be someone for everyone. They aren't brought together by any one commonality--like family, money, or hobbies--all that's tying them together is their friendship. In lesser hands, the different girls might have felt like spot holders for one cliche or another. You know, the pretty one, the smart one, the athletic one, etc. But instead the girls were each given unique problems, then left to muddle through them like real human beings. It was refreshing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And there you have it! Three 'current classics' that you really don't need a reason to read! Of course I read other books this summer, but most of them either blurred together into forgetable characters set against bland backgrounds or did the same thing as these books, only not as well. One thing I think both my reading side and writing side can agree is that books should stand our crisp and clear in my mind months after reading them, so yay for these books that achieve it!

What about you? Got any good books to recommend?

Review: IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT by Kersten Hamilton

2011-09-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT: The Goblin Wars, Book 2

Official blurb:

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

TYGER TYGER (the first book in The Goblin Wars series) was one of my favorite novels in 2010. I was terribly excited when I received an ARC of IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT--and a bit worried. Frankly, I’ve read a number of second books this year which were letdowns and I was hoping it wouldn’t be the case with this one.

Though IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT is slightly different than TYGER TYGER, it was definitely not a disappointment.

Rather than being trapped in the doldrums of reiterating book one, like happened in the other second books I read, IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT dove right into the action—or more correctly into a house crammed with fun characters and their interrelationships. The back story from TYGER TYGER was revealed, but at a rate and manner which didn’t distracted from the ongoing story. And the writing was as excellent as in the first novel.

Everyone from TYGER TYGER returned in this book, and their dilemmas wove in and out of the main plot. Teagan and Finn’s romance blossomed with realistic sizzle, trepidation and humor. Here and there, I feared I might get lost in the pandemonium and huge cast of characters--but I never did. Kerstin Hamilton’s ability to create individualized characters and juggle a host of subplots is amazing.

The second half of the story moves way from the larger familiar cast and sends Teagen on a fantastic mission, featuring the same awesome blend of Irish Traveler traditions, Christianity and Celtic myth as TYGER TYGER. Very cool, fast paced, scary and fun.

Oh, and the end--it was perhaps my favorite part of the whole novel. It was totally exciting and satisfying, and at the same time it opened up the story’s world with an unexpected twist. If I’d had book three, I’d have started reading it as soon as I closed IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT.

Bravo to Kersten for a great continuation of The Goblin Wars series!

IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT comes out November 22, 2011. Order it now at your hometown bookstore. Or here’s a link to Amazon if you want to take the easy route. http://www.amazon.com/Forests-Night-Goblin-Wars-Book/dp/0547435606.

I do recommend ordering and reading TYGER TYGER in preparation for this story.

AND--as if having a wonderful series to read isn’t enough--Kersten Hamilton is hosting a contest for the chance to win $1,000 dollars for your favorite library, live Skytype visits and more! http://home.comcast.net/~kerstenhamilton/Trailer/IFN_trailer.html

ALSO, I’ll be posting an interview with Kersten in the near future. Be sure to stop by, check it out and leave questions for Kersten. By the way, I’m taking a class in crafting sexual tension and I plan on quizzing Kersten about how she achieves such wonderful romantic sizzle in a story packed with characters and action.

AND if you’d like to know more about TYGER TYGER here’s my review http://patesden.livejournal.com/74481.html?thread=418033

At the End of Summer, a Word on Beginnings

2011-08-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

I love beginnings. Weddings, babies, new school years, mornings. Clean slates, possibilities, nothing I’ve screwed up. Yet.

I never begin reading a book without the feeling that almost anything might happen. I might love it. I might hate it. I might throw it across the room in frustration. I simply don’t know yet.

As for writing beginnings . . . well, here’s the deal. I hate it. With the white-hot passion of a thousand suns I prick the blood from my fingertips and achingly scrawl letter by letter--

Okay, you get the clichéd drift.

There are just so many things to remember about beginnings. And so much riding on them. We all know the beginning will make or break our shot with an agent or editor. If they don’t like the first page, they’ll never see the second. So you’d better write a killer first page. Or first paragraph. Or even first word.

Sigh. Now I’m looking at the first word of this piece and worrying about it. I. Is that a good word choice? Does it make anyone want to read further? Or does it turn readers off? Are they thinking to themselves: “Why would I want to read anything that’s so obviously self-centered? It’s not about me—it’s about the vanity of the author.”

Double sigh.

It’s my completely biased opinion that beginnings are rewritten more times than anything else. Polished to a perfect gloss, every word chosen with aching care, paced to perfection—I’ve done it myself. Recently. The only catch? I never got around to finishing the story. My characters were stuck in mid-novel for months at a time while I tinkered with the opening.

You’d think that, after landing an agent and selling a trilogy, I’d have learned my lesson. That lesson being: Beginnings are often dictated by the endings. If the ending hasn’t been written, how do you know that you have the perfect beginning? Clearly I haven’t, because in ten weeks I’ve only written a thousand words in book two of said trilogy. Yes, sure, I’ve been blindsided by a cross-country move and living in temporary housing for three weeks and a hurricane, but still. Some of that delay is sheer terror at screwing up the beginning.

So my advice, completely unasked for, is this: Write the whole piece—poem, essay, column, story, novel, whatever. Finish. See your entire story arc on paper. Get a feel for the style and structure and voice of the piece. Find out just what it is you have to deliver.

And then go back and write the opening that promises whatever it is you have to give.

But for the love of books and libraries and all things sacred to the writer: Do not get so caught up in the opening that you forget to write the rest.

Hurricane Preparation for the Noobs

2011-08-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

Your hurricane shopping starts on the baking aisle, with the all-essential muffin mix. Now, you may see folks stocking up on matches, water, or batteries, but don't let them distract you from your goal. You are aiming for the baking aisle. Once you've bought all the ready-t0-make muffin mixes on the aisle, cleaned them out of cake mixes, and picked out five of every flavor of jello, you're ready to go home and get to work.

Now, depending on how close your hurricane is, you may not be able to make up ALL the muffins and mixes, but do your best. Keep that oven going right up until the minute the power cuts off. If family members protest, start screaming about water pouring into the house and starving children. That'll make 'em back off. When you're finished making muffins, take eight dozen and cram them into every crevice and cranny you can--around the doors and windows, behind electric outlets, around pipes under the sinks. You'll probably find that pumpkin muffins work best for bigger holes, while blueberry and chocolate chip work great on small ones. The cakes you made can go over the windows, if you want the extra security of protected glass. When you're finished with your muffin-plugging, mix up a package or two of jello, any color. Wait until it's almost gelafied, then pour it over your muffins and--voila! You've not only hurricane-proofed your house, you've also prepared emergency rations fit for royalty!

Now that your house is secure, fill your bathtubs and sinks with water--you may have heard others are doing this, but they're missing the essential last step--then mix up your jello flavors in the tubs, sinks, and even toilets if you feel like going the extra mile. This will make sure you have the liquids you'll need if water shortages follow the hurricane, while surrounding you with a cheerful rainbow of nutritious yumminess. Your neighbors are all going to envy this one. But--shhhh! Don't tell them. They like to see the noobs suffer through their first hurricane, but you'll be living it high!

Happy Hurricaning!!!

An Introduction: Pat Esden

2011-08-22T12:09:00.003-07:00

First I want to thank all the other Cabinet members for inviting me to be a part of this blog--and for sending me questions that were remarkably harder to answer than I’d anticipated.

Official Bio: Pat Esden would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries—or of slogging around in swamps, calling birds and studying wild plants. When stuck indoors, Pat was likely to be found brewing up a concoction from plants she’d harvested in the woods or huddled over a paperback gothic novel that she smuggled into the house. Over the years, Pat slowly migrated north. She can now be found in her Vermont country store, arranging flowers and selling funky collectables and antiques. Pat writes YA and middle-grade fantasy, both contemporary and historical. Her short stories have appeared in a number of venues, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show and Wildside Press’ Cat Tales.

Cabinet: Tell me about the kids that hang out at your florist shop. Any characters that really inspire? Do they chat and learn flower arranging, or stick to themselves? I’m so curious.

Pat: Except for ordering prom and dance flowers, I don’t get a lot of kids hanging around the floral end of my business. However, I do travel to schools and give design demonstrations. Oddly enough, the boys seem to enjoy those demos as much as the girls (Well, I do tend to be pretty interactive and I prefer noisy groups to quiet orderly ones). The kids who do hang around the store are either into candy or the antiques (specifically, knives, vintage jewelry, antique bottles or books). As for characters--yes, I meet an incredibly wide range of people through my businesses.

Cabinet: I’ve heard that you know how to find edible mushrooms in the wild. That seems really brave! Are mushrooms really as deadly and scary as we believe?

Pat: Yes, I do collect mushrooms and other edible plants. No, I’m not brave as far as mushrooms go. I stick to easily identifiable ones. When I was little, my older sister and I watched an episode of Twilight Zone which involved poisonous store bought mushrooms. Afterwards, my sister gave me a nasty smile and told me I better watch what I ate. That was when I decided picking my own food was probably the safest way to go.

Cabinet: If you could be any species of plant, what you be?

Pat: That’s easy to answer. I have endless favorite plants but if I had to be one, it would be a sundew. They live in wonderful, remote places, and are beautiful and fascinating—the bejeweled vampire of the flower world.

Cabinet: Who is your favorite writer of gorgeous, evocative settings?

Pat: This is an interesting question. I think for a setting to be both gorgeous and evocative it has to blend and interact with the plot and characters. In other words, a great setting is a character as well as a backdrop and tone setting devise. Charles de Lint’s MULENGRO and Carolyn Chute’s BEANS OF EGYPT MAINE achieve this to a high degree, as does Kathi Apelt’s THE UNDERNEATH and Diane Setterfield’s THIRTEENTH TALE, and most recently Victoria Schwab’s NEAR WITCH.

Yeah, that’s not one writer, but I included specific books to redeem myself.

Cabinet: Who is your favorite writer ever?

Pat:TerryPratchettJohnFowlesTHWhiteAnnRiceVictoriaHoltGeorgetteHeyerJamesJoyceWendleBerryRobertFrostOctaviaButlerNeilGaimenHollyBlackMelissaMarr . . . Okay, I’m going to settle on Peter S. Beagle--THE LAST UNICORN and all his other stories.

Cabinet: Who is your favorite writer currently writing in your genre?

Pat: This is another tricky question. I read for pleasure and for learning, so this would be the author of any fantasy on my bedside table right now: Terri-Lynne Defino, Kersten Hamilton and Mandy Hubbard (Ask me next week for a different answer).

Cabinet: Which cartoon character would you like to be?

Pat: I’m going for Rico in The Penguins of Madagascar. Yeah, he’s psycho, but sometimes a feel a bit too restrained. Besides, his ability to vomit up whatever is needed could come in handy.

If we’re including classics, then I’d go for Sherman in Peabody’s Improbable History. I love stories involving fractured history, and can’t think of anything more fun than traveling in my own WABAC (wayback) machine.

Thanks again, guys. This was fun.

Interview with Indie Author Extraordinaire Sarra Cannon!

2011-08-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to represent the cabinet in welcoming Sarra Cannon today! Sarra launched her ebook career in October of 2010 with Beautiful Demons, the first in her Demon series that will be coming to a climactic finish with the release of her fifth book, Shadow Demons, sometime this fall. Sarra's books pop up onto the Amazon top 100 list for the kindle, and make her fans salivate for the next! As one of those hungry fans, I've put together a few questions for Sarra, and she'll also be dropping in throughout the day to answer any questions you might have!

Q: Since we're at the cabinet, here, tell us what personal treasures you'd put out on display if you had a cabinet of cuirosities and wonders? Would they show off your finds from around the world, or come from connections a little closer to home?

I wish I could have a cabinet of memories on display. I am one of those people who always remembers to bring my camera, but never remembers to take any pictures! I wish I could find a way to get my memories out of my head and into a cabinet to put some of the best ones on display. Memories are really so much more important to me than any physical thing. Of course, if I had a real cabinet of treasures, I would fill it with my most coveted Hello Kitty items. I'm a bit of an addict!

Q: Anywhere you've always wanted to visit, but haven't been yet? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

I have always wanted to go to India. I am a huge Beatles fan and they found so much inspiration for their music in India. I wonder if I would find some inspiration of my own there, too. Hmm. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would probably want to split my time between New York City and a private tropical island somewhere. I love the water and the beach, but I'm also such a nightowl. I adore cities where things are open 24/7!

Q: Pick one: Homemade ice cream, rich chocolate truffles, a lemon tart, fresh fruit and vanilla custard, or your favorite kind of pie. Do you have any memories you attach to that dessert? Funny stories?

Okay, now I'm hungry! I have such a sweet tooth, so all of those sound good to me. Yum! I would probably have to choose the rich chocolate though. Just because, well... it's chocolate! As far as memories go, I don't have any about chocolate, but I have fond memories of summers in Georgia where we went out to pick fresh blackberries in the woods around my house. We'd bring home huge buckets full of them and make cobblers, jams, and sometimes just eat them with a little bit of milk and sugar. Blackberries always make me think of innocence and being young.

Now a couple questions about your books:
Q: Tell us where you got the idea for Peachville High, the setting of your demon books. Was it something that came in a flash of inspiration, or did you built it up layer on layer?

Peachville High is very much based on my experiences growing up in Hawkinsville, a small town in Middle Georgia. Except we were the Red Devils not the Demons. And as far as I know, none of the cheerleaders were witches. The rest of the story came in layers.

Q: Do you have a favorite character in your demon books? Who do you wish you could give a little more screen time, but can't?

I guess it's the obvious answer, but Harper is by far my favorite character. She seems so real to me, and sometimes when I'm writing, it's like she's sitting there next to me telling me her story. I love that she's not perfect, but she's also not afraid to question things.

If I could, I would give more screentime to Courtney. She's definitely an interesting character. So quiet, yet such an extraordinary gift of being able to 'recharge' other witches' powers. I think there's way more to her than meets the eye. I'm hoping to bring more of her story into Demons Forever, but I'm not sure it's going to fit. Maybe I'll have to write a short story about her afterward!

Q: If Harper Madison (teen witch extraordinaire and prima in the making) knew she'd be locked up in a little room all day and could only take one book for entertainment, what would she take? What about the irresistable Jackson?

It's funny because I don't picture Harper as being much of a reader. She's more of a daydreamer when she's alone and sometimes she likes to draw, although she's nowhere near as good at it as Jackson. She might bring along a book like 'The Zombie Survival Guide'. I think she'd get a kick out of coming up with a plan for what to do in case of the zombie apocalypse.

With Jackson, it's the opposite. I think he's an avid reader. I picture him loving the classics and rereading his favorite books over and over. For some reason, and I know this is weird, I picture his favorite book being 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. He's the type of person who would admire someone who beat seemingly impossible odds and went on to get his revenge on those who had wronged him.

Q: Your books have a lot of cool magic in them--which came first, the rules and history of the magic system or the stories? How did you keep them integrated without getting them tangled?

The story and the characters definitely came first. The magic sort of surprised me as I went along. And it still does, to be honest! I keep the rules written down in a big notebook so that I can try to keep them straight.

And now a few hot topic questions--ebooks.
Q: You've had some pretty terrific success as an indie author. Tell us what you wish you'd known earlier, and what you might have done differently.

I wish I'd known that it was okay to trust my own instincts. I wish I hadn't spent so much of my early writing days worrying about how to get an agent or an editor to notice my work. I wrote in a constant state of fear and self-doubt. As an indie author, though, I don't need to worry about editors or agents. I only have to think about readers and about story. I wish I'd known all along that those were the only things that really matter.

Q: Can you tell us about your approach to promotion, and what's worked best for you?

My approach to promotion has simply been to write more books! It's so easy to get caught up in social media and blogging and trying to figure out a way to get your name out there, but in the end, the most valuable use of my time is working on my next book. I have spent some time reaching out to book bloggers (who, by the way, have all been amazing and so nice), and I have also just tried to be myself and promote when I had the time, but for the most part, I spend my time writing and that's worked best for me so far.

Q: Do you ever plan to do a 'live' tour, so you can meet your fans in person? What about a party or event?

I would LOVE to get a chance to meet my fans in person! I haven't given much thought to doing a tour. It's hard to believe there are enough people out there who would show up! Maybe if I ever hit it big enough to sell a hundred thousand books or more, hehe. I was actually just invited to do my very first book signing back in my hometown in Georgia for their Fall Festival this year. I'm hoping to get my books out in print by then so I can do it.

Q: What tips would you provide an indie author just starting out?

My number one tip would be to simply keep writing. Trust yourself and write what you love. Work hard and don't obsess over sales numbers if things are going slow. Just keep writing and keep learning. That's the most important thing.

There you have it! Trust your instincts, eat lots of chocolate, write from inside yourself, and meet Sarra in person this fall! In the meantime, ask her any questions you have in the comments, and she'll do her best to answer them. Sarra is savvy about all the pros, cons and how to of ebook publishing and has been very generous with her knowledge!

Ginger's Summer Shelf

2011-08-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Orson Scott Card says we all have an idea shelf. A place our mind goes when we need something for our stories: a character, a plot tension, a setting. We don't realize that we reach for our easy ideas first, just like standing on tiptoes to reach something in a kitchen cupboard. We need to keep searching for the truly unique and special. Never settle for your first idea, he says. Unless, of course, it turns out to be the best one.

With that in mind, I've been keeping a notebook where I jot down things I come across in my daily life. I'm hoping this will expand my own idea shelf so I can create more compelling stories. And if that doesn't work, at least it keeps me entertained.

Here are five items from this summer's shelf:

1. The person who found ways to get into nearly a hundred homes in my neighborhood and tour them in depth (closets,cupboards, bathrooms) all on the spur of the moment. Only one person denied access, and that was for a second tour.

2. The young lady giving a loud an in-depth aura reading at the public library. Something about "your mother's color comes across as gold, very gold." Yet Mom wasn't there--I think they were reading an email she wrote.

3. The gorgeous Russian sailing ship Pallada which docked in Seattle. Though it holds the Guinness Record for Fastest Sailing Vessel, it only goes 18.8 knots. Really? Only 20 mph?? Why did I think sailing was so much faster? The signs we couldn't decipher were the best part although the signs with English translations sounded amazing when read in your head with a Russian accent, "On July, 1989 the Russian flag was hoisted on her board."

4. The boy with the cat's eye pupils. He was born with them.

5. The names Valaura (Velora) and Venicia (sounds like Venitian).

So check out your own idea shelves and start looking around for more material. It's out there.

The Cabinet recieves a Liebster Award and Passes It On

2011-08-10T11:20:00.001-07:00

Cabinet of Curiosities has been presented with a Liebster award.

It was given to us by Jaye Robin Brown http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Jaye! And congratulation for signing with a wonderful agent.

The goal of this award is to spotlight upcoming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

The Cabinet’s picks are as follows:

1.Caleb Warnock at http://calebwarnock.blogspot.com/

Caleb is an amazing writing teacher. It was his online classes which brought the members of Cabinet of Curiosities together. If you’d like a quick introduction to his teaching skills, check out this series of podcasts where he critiques first pages with the author—seriously, tough love in action. http://writingsnippets.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/ws-30-caleb-warnock-3-first-page-critique-part/

Also Caleb’s book: FORGOTTEN SKILLS OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY USED BY MORMON PIONEERS is now available (more information is available on his blog).

2. Leana Coakley http://lenacoakley.com/ Her first novel WITCHLANDERS is coming out this fall. I’m looking forward to reading it and recommend following her blog to learn more about her novel, fantastic interviews and excellent writing tidbits.

3. MGLitChat. http://mglitchat.blogspot.com/ On Thursday nights, there’s a great chat on Twitter for anyone interested in middle-grade fiction. I recommend you look for them on Twitter and also follow their blog for updates, transcripts and more.

4. Marcia Hoehne http://marciahoehne.blogspot.com/ When I went looking for blogs to give this award to, I was shocked to see Marcia didn’t have way more than 200 followers. She posts wonderful reviews of children’s literature, gives solid writing advice and hosts a once a month critique giveaway. I was lucky enough to win one of her critiques and her advice was fantastic.

5. Ruth Schiffmann http://outonalimbshywritergoessocial.blogspot.com/ Ruth’s writing and interests cover a wide range. But most of all she’s getting this award because her blog is very new. Judging by her first post, it will be more than worth your while to follow her.

* Also I’m excited to announce that Suzanne is doing an interview with YA author and e-book expert, Sarrra Cannon. http://www.sarracannon.com/ It will be posted here in the near future. Yay!

Guess the Author (Or Rewrite 'Til Death)

2011-08-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

I came upon a bargain-priced, hardcover novel the other day by an author as famous as they come. No, I’m not going to tell you the name because I felt ridiculous after realizing the author had passed away and the book I bought was found as a complete manuscript and published posthumously. How could I have not known any of this? I’m sure you all did, and you are free to guess the author and book. In fact, if you do, I’ll send it to you.

Anyway…

The book was obviously not the author’s best work, but what lessons it had to teach! It was a privilege to see how a master of popular fiction plays with a silly story to see what can be done with it. First, the plot held together well—there were holes but nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a rewrite. There were tangents (fascinating ones, goofy ones, disgusting ones) never to be taken up again—they needed to go or be developed. Most characters were still in cardboard cutout phase but they had enough to keep them interesting—even fascinating in some cases. Most just needed a bit more.

I’m sure the author's ghost would let out a shuddering graveyard moan if it knew this hidden manuscript was now published worldwide. It wasn’t my favorite story by a long shot but I wish I could write a draft that well! Because it just needed a little more. Just a little. Sigh. I hope it’s being re-written on the other side so I can see the final product someday.

With that, the Cabinet is going to take a look at revisions. I personally love revising, it’s where the magic happens for me. I like to have my basic characters, logic, tensions and my main events all laid out in the first draft. Then in rewriting I get to play within my framework. In fact, once I get going, it’s pretty hard to get me to stop, or so say my publisher and critique buddies.

Here are thoughts from other cabinet members.

Laura:

1. Every writer rewrites. Every writer. (True, I don't actually know all the writers ever, but allow me a little hyperbole.) It is not a failure. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being a writer. So say to yourself, "I am a writer" and do it.

2. You cannot rewrite until you write. Seems obvious, and yet I have to remind myself of it every time I start a new project. Because I always seem to think that this time my writing will come out perfect and if I just put enough thought (for thought--read delay) into my work first, I will only have to write it once. It's never worked yet.

So I say to myself, "I am a writer" and I do it

Suzanne: I'm a big believer in taking a little time off before launching into a revision. It doesn't have to be long, it just has to be long enough! While you're waiting for readers to get back to you, try reading fiction yourself. I personally really like fiction that's aimed at my target audience (in my case, middle graders) but that has a different voice and style from mine. This can help me bring a different perspective to the revision. As for the actual rewrites, focus on what the heart of your novel is, and make sure every scene strengthens that core. Go for bigger, deeper, better. Don't settle for good enough when you haven't wowed yourself yet!

Pat: Before I start revising a manuscript, I create a hardcopy flow sheet (which I fill in as I revise).

I fold a lined piece of paper into four columns. In the first column I put the chapter or scene number (this depends on if I have short chapters or ones packed with scenes). Next to that I put the chapter’s word count. In the following column I put the date and time span which the chapter covers. After that comes the weather, temperature and often the phase of the moon or how sunny it is. The last column is where I put a quick description of the chapter (I try to think of this in terms of pov/characters//goal/conflict/disaster).

Here’s an example from the story I’m working on right now:

Chap 8--879-words/June 26, 10-11pm/ Cool & moonlit/ Ralph rescues Istvan, but is seriously wounded

The mere process of stopping after each chapter and filling out the sheet increases my awareness and raises the probability that I’ll spot any continuity issues in the following chapter. It’s also helpful when I need to recall which chapter something happened in. Knowing each chapter's word count is great when dealing with a pace issues or when deciding where to add new scenes.

Using computer programs to plot works wonderfully, but I like creating a hardcopy flow sheet for this because I can pin it over my computer screen and refer to it in the blink of an eye.

Becca: Revising is definitely not my favorite part of writing, and it's something I still struggle with. I used to think I'd get better at revising with each book, and maybe I do, but it's still not fun. If I had my choice, I'd take rough drafting over revising any day! But if there's one thing I've learned over the course of editing three (going on four) books, it's this: start big and work small.
When I was in high school, one of my teachers did an object lesson that involved filling a jar with rocks. Some of the rocks were large, and many were pebbles. When she put the pebbles into the jar first, and then tried to cram in the big rocks, a few inevitably wouldn't fit. However, when she placed the large rocks in the jar first, and then poured the pebbles in, letting them spill between the crevices and spaces between the larger rocks, they all fit inside the jar.

It was a simple object lesson that taught me a powerful lesson—one I still think about today. When revising, I start with the larger, more global problems. Sometimes the problem is plot. Often it's character related. Maybe it's a sequencing issue. Once I solve the bigger problems, it becomes much easier to focus on the smaller things, like word choice, character names, describing a particular room, etc.

Happy revisions!

Ginger (again): So with that, it’s easy to see that everyone rewrites a bit differently. But as writers, we all rewrite. And rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. Because without revision your book may be close, but it will almost definitely need a little bit more. Just a little.

Don’t let yourself be the author that never gets published because you didn’t put in that one last rewrite. We would all much rather be the author who can sell a book from the grave on the credit of our previous success.

(This post was last rewritten on 8/5/11 9:51 pm )

An Introduction: Laura Andersen

2011-08-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Bio I Wrote for the Editors Involved in my recent auction (I promise the rest of this post will not involve me referring to myself in the third person. Though I write historical fiction, I have no delusions of royalty.): Laura Andersen lives with one husband, four children, and a continual sense of having forgotten something important. She has a B.A. in English (with an emphasis in British history) which she puts to non-profitable use by reading everything she can lay her hands on. Mysteries, epic fantasy, and historical fiction are favorites, as her own life does not offer many opportunities to solve a murder, defeat a dark lord, or wear a corset. Laura’s favorite places to travel are England and Ireland, where she drives her family crazy by providing a constant stream of historical background. She became a writer because creating stories is even more satisfying than reading them.

If I Had a Cabinet of Curiosities it Would Contain: the leopard-spotted seashell my dad gave me when I was little (why, yes, I believe that is the scientific name for it); the purple stone hippo I bought in Nairobi, Kenya; the mortar-and-pestle I brought home from my year living in Haiti; the carved cross of St. Brigid from my visit to Ireland; my tiny black Egyptian cat statue; photos of my children

Last Five Books Read: Clash of Kings (George R.R. Martin); Hell is Empty (Craig Johnson); The Red Queen (Philippa Gregory); Now You See Me (S.J. Bolton); Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England (Brock Clarke)

My Indispensable Historical Fiction: Here Be Dragons (Sharon Kay Penman); The Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet (Ellis Peters); The Lymond Chronicles (Dorothy Dunnett); My Enemy, the Queen (Victoria Holt); The King's General (Daphne du Maurier)

Indispensable Biographies: Anything by Alison Weir

Why Corsets: If the question is ‘why’ in the grand scheme of social and cultural history, that’s a long, bitter, and complicated answer. If it’s ‘why do I make them’, the answer is simpler—a) I wanted to see if I could and b) I have a weakness for looking pretty. Whatever else one can say about corsets, they contribute to an idealized form of feminine beauty that is enticing. I knew that I would not be able to breathe well in them (although let’s be honest—mine were never laced up with someone’s foot in the small of my back, I doubt my waist got even an inch smaller. Just rather less jiggly.) but I didn’t realize how much they changed one’s posture while sitting. There is no slumping in corsets.

Still, my looking pretty applies only for Halloween. I believe I can safely say I have never worn them in any month of the year except October, and I’ve certainly never worn one for longer than four or five hours at a time. I am but a novice playing at dress-up.

Upper-class women of the western past—I salute you.

How Did I Come Up with the White Garden in the Novel that Landed Me an Agent: I consider this question a true compliment, considering that it’s about setting and it’s asked by a writer who is a true master at using setting to evoke atmosphere and tone. That has never been my strong point, and indeed the original inclusion of the white garden was limited to the phrase itself and perhaps three lines of what sort of plants were in it. But as I revised, I found several inspirations to draw on. I have to have visual cues for setting, and the white garden was originally born after seeing photos of Sissinghurst’s famous white garden created by Vita Sackville-West (a close friend of Virginia Woolf.) Click here to view the National Trust property.

The circular pool in my fictional garden’s center, which came to play a crucial role in the story, was born after a weekend trip to Kilkenny, Ireland and the pool outside the restored Dowager House where we stayed.

And my favorite piece of all—the jewel-colored orbs that hang throughout to repel evil spirits and/or attract fairies—I discovered while browsing through a gardening magazine. Witch balls, they’re called. How could I resist that name? And as I read about them, and realized how far back in time they went, I knew that my white garden must have them. Here's a link to photos and legends.

If I Could Experience Only One Moment in 18^th or 19^th century history, it Would Be: Jane Austen holding her first published book for the first time.

Hotdogs & Spiders: creations of the muse or reality?

2011-07-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

When I’m writing and come up with something that makes a scene shine and feels unique, I like to think it came from thin air, from a muse or some magical well of inspiration. But often--much like with dreams--I discover the real source of the inspiration is something much closer to home.

Last week, I wrote a scene where the only thing left in the fridge for breakfast was hotdogs. Personally, I hate hotdogs and the thought of chopping uncooked hotdogs into a bowl, covering them with milk and eating them like cereal is disgusting.

However when I finished the scene I was hungry, so I headed downstairs to make my breakfast. And, to my disgust and surprise, there was my husband standing by the fridge with a raw hotdog hanging out of his mouth like a cigar. I’d probably seen him do this a million times and shoved the image to the back of my mind—until my main character opened that nearly empty fridge and reached for her breakfast.

Then came the spiders.

I have a scene in my WIP where a not so human character is laying on her four-poster bed watching spiders spin a canopy over it. Creepy and perfect, I thought as I turned off my computer and headed for my four-poster bed . . . Yeah, you guessed it.

Last winter, I had a spider invasion that I had totally forgotten about. Every night when I went to bed, I’d look up and there’d be a couple of them glaring down at me from the ceiling. And it seemed last winter’s invasion had started again. While I was writing, my mind had registered a new web stretching from my headboard to the ceiling.

What about you? How often do you discover that your creative ideas have a basis in reality, even if you’ve temporarily blocked it from your mind?

For extra credit or if you’re simply curious about why spiders are inside your house, check this out.

http://www.burkemuseum.org/spidermyth/myths/comein.html

This is Not an Introduction

2011-07-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

I promised by fellow blog writers that I would post an introduction consisting of insightful questions (from them) and witty answers (from me) no later than Friday, July 22nd.

This is not Friday. And this is not that post.

In my defense, I wrote several witty answers while on a plane Thursday. Unfortunately, they are frozen in my documents folder and refuse to budge from there. And I do not have the brain power to work it out just now. Or transcribe it. Hence, my Non-Introduction Post.

Also in my defense, my week in review:

Saturday (eight days ago), a For Sale sign went up in front of our house in Utah.

Monday--after several hours spent removing all sign of actual humans living in our house, a photographer took photos and video for the realtor.

Tuesday I had minor outpatient surgery.

Wednesday we celebrated my youngest's 10th birthday (which is actually today--but keep reading my week) and had the first showing of our house.

Thursday morning my husband and I flew to Boston for a week-long house hunting trip in advance of our cross-country move IN LESS THEN THREE WEEKS!

Friday we toured ten houses in seven hours on the hottest Boston day in eighty-five years. (Serious rant here--if you're asking more than 800,000 dollars for your house, maybe invest 10,000 in air conditioning.)

Yesterday we went back to our top three houses and tried to decide between the "small/needs work/good bones" house, the "isolated but great kitchen and floors" house, and the "expensive, fabulous family room/wooded backyard" house.

And we sold our Utah house. Over the phone. For more than asking price.

Today we made an offer on the wooded backyard house. We were countered. We have countered back. We are waiting for the phone to ring again. And eating room service pizza.

So as much as I would like to tell you why I have a white garden in one of my novels and why I love to make corsets and what five websites I can't live without, it will have to wait.

However, I finally have the confidence to announce the following: I am a writer of historical fiction.

And I have the contract in hand to prove it.

I sold a trilogy at auction to Ballantine on June 2nd and tonight I finally put pen to paper and signed the deal.

What might have happened if Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had had a son--but their daughter Elizabeth still became queen? Watch for The Boleyn King in the fall of 2012 for book one of my answer.

And I promise that my next post will be an insightful/witty/long-delayed introduction.

Also, I love my fellow bloggers--Patty, Suzanne, Ginger, and Becca, thank you for your inordinate patience and kindness this summer. I promise that once I move to Boston in a few weeks, I will be pouring out words. (I also promise my agent and editor the same.)

And maybe I'll be (slightly) less flaky.

Because Pacing Isn't Just for Runners

2011-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

I recently got feedback on my novel, 13 Demon Days, from an editor judge of a local writing contest. Given that 13DD is out on submission and that I have more than one agent reading a full, I snatched up the scoring sheet and read it with anxious interest.

But it wasn't good news.

My numeric scores were okay--she actually rated me fairly high for marketability. But in the comments section she wrote:

"This is a gripping beginning. While I like the clash of everyday with the magical, it seems a bit too fast-paced and jarring. I struggled to understand what was happening and how I was meant to feel about it all."

I confess, I did that most cliche of all character behaviors--I bit my lip. My story does start pretty fast, and it isn't just the beginning that's on caffeine. It rips along at a good clip throughout. And what good does it do to have a fascinating story if the reader can't keep up, and feels left in the dust? Now, to be fair, the editor in question is with a small press that specializes in quiet, lyrical books. But she brings up a good question. How fast is too fast? How does a writer know when the pacing is right?

Well, I'm obviously no expert, but I think it depends on the story. Some stories will unfold slowly, like a rose coming into bloom. Others are more like the flight of a hummingbird, darting here and there. Story pacing should be a reflection of the characters, as it's their story being told. If your character is given to introspection and takes time to savor the sunsets, the story should reflect that. Otoh, if the character is maybe just a tad hyperactive and can't walk through a room without setting something off, the plot of the story will need to keep up with this very active protagonist.

And what about the reader? I suspect pacing is a matter of taste, but I know it's my goal to write books that will reach as wide an audience as possible. In the case of the contest editor, I missed my reader. The story didn't do enough leisurely showing, and maybe could have used a bit more setting and pov contemplation. I feel the pace reflects the characters well and is about the pace my audience--young teens--would like...but I confess that I'm not one hundred percent sure. In fact, in my next novel, I plan to make an effort to slow down just a bit. Because as the story's narrator, I want my reader to feel emotionally grounded in my characters and fascinated by the unfolding story, and that might mean going slower. Spending more time establishing setting. Stopping to watch the rose as it blooms, and maybe plucking it off to take home as well.

What makes for good pacing, in your mind? How fast is too fast, and what would you consider too slow?

Five Things I Learned at Tanglewood's Author Retreat

2011-07-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a retreat put on by my publisher where a handful of us authors--well, a handful and a thumb--learned about the business, hiked in the woods and got a glimpse of the great books Tanglewood is publishing soon. Here are five of my personal highlights.

1. Great school presentations can be made by telling stories about your stories. And don't forget the props! If you've stumbled upon dinosaur poop in your ramblings, by all means, stick it in a backpack and take it on tour. Thank you, my newest hero, Audrey Penn.

2. Mushrooms are actually flowers of a usually unseen fungus. Oyster mushrooms grow on wood, smell like anise and taste delicious. Destroying Angel mushrooms grow on dirt, smell like anise and taste delicious--right before they dissolve your liver. I have been sternly forbidden by a mushroom specialist to ever pick and eat my own mushrooms, although he picked a few for us. I still didn't dare taste one after the whole liver thing...maybe if there had been butter involved. I think death might be better with butter.

3. My new guru of social media, Mike Mullin, isn't sure if all his tweeting is of value in selling books because he's just having a great time. Personally, I think he should get a clue of how well it's working from the 1500 ARCs of the debut novel ASHFALL he signed at ALA. The interesting part is that the book's premise (a super volcano erupts in Yellowstone) might be getting him those fans all by itself. Still, you should check out Mike's great blog "How I earned 8600 Twitter Followers in 8 Months" because all those contacts certainly aren't hurting. You can also link up with Mike on Facebook, Goodreads and pretty much anywhere else authors are found on the web.

4. Fireflies are the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. Better than aerial fireworks in my cul-de-sac on the fourth of July. AND I HELD ONE! Sometimes there are things on your bucket list you don't realize are there until they're sitting in front of you, flashing.

5. Katie McKy does a whole heap of school presentations each year that include leaf blowers, putting teachers in time out and picking a fight with the school bully. If you have a chance to see her in action, VIDEO IT FOR ME! She says great presenters keep the kids off balance, get them riled up and pull them back into focus all while re-booting their brains with physical action every fifteen minutes. I'm not sure anyone does it like Katie, but it sure sounds fun to try.

Well, for the rest of what I learned you'll have to visit these amazing authors' sites (Ashlee Fletcher, Carmen Fereiro-Esteban) and check out the best publicist ever: Rebecca Grose (you know you're my favorite, right?)

6. Ah, heck. Let's make it six of the coolest things I learned. You're an author. Sure you're in a collaborative business, but in the end it's your business. Expect to do a lot yourself while being supported by your fellow authors, your publisher and your wonderful fans. But publicity doesn't just happen to you. You make your own luck.

Thanks all, and thanks to Peggy at Tanglewood for the adventures, education and weenie roast.

Discovering New Settings

2011-07-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

I love exploring new places. Not only does it give me a chance to study people and eavesdrop on their conversations, it also allows me to experience possible new story settings first hand. And interesting settings can take a scene or story from mundane to fresh and exciting.

This week I visited two such places.

This was actually my second trip to The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts http://bridgeofflowersmass.org/ .

The bridge and its gardens are amazing. It was built in the early 1900’s as a trolley bridge. About twenty years later, the trolley line was discontinued and the bridge transformed into a suspended garden. As a setting for a story it could be used in many different ways.

It’s easy to imagine the bridge as a setting in a historical novel. What would it have felt like to walk across the bridge when the trolleys first stopped running and then as it transformed into an amazing garden with wisteria curling up lampposts, and fragrant roses arching over stone benches? As a setting, the transforming bridge could be used to mirror the main character’s inner journey.

Whether the story is set in the past or contemporary, I’m left wondering: what would it be like to live overlooking the water or in the bridge’s shadow, to always see the bridge’s stark metal lines, its flowers so full of life and color--but also so exposed to the elements.

Romance. Murder. Loss or love. The Bridge of Flowers seethes with possibilities. What would it feel like to stand on the bridge and watch as the seasons move toward winter? What does it feel like to run barefoot across it—or to lie on the path at midnight looking up at the stars or with the rain pounding down? What emotions could this setting make the reader feel?

The second place I visited was Magic Wings in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. http://www.magicwings.com/

It’s mainly a live butterfly conservatory. But it also has loads of other cool and freaky, living things: walkingsticks of all kinds, lizards, tropical birds, a display of hatching chrysalises, giant cockroaches…tropical plants, blooming and in all shades of green.

Unlike the bridge, Magic Wings feels tight and secret, small hidden things, flashes of movement, glimpses of color, layers of undergrowth hiding living treasures and all held captive within a secure building. It’s an environment filled with natural wonder, but at the same time an environment controlled by man and machines. As a setting it would have a very different feel than the bridge.

It’s easy to think of a story where the characters are trapped in the conservatory. But what about using it in a more subtle way? What about a woman who is struggling to find freedom in her own life? Wouldn’t this be a great setting to put her story in, at least for a scene or two? What if she worked with the butterflies or in the conservatory’s restaurant? What if she was a new immigrant to America? What about setting a futuristic story in a butterfly conservatory?

Okay. You get the idea. And I’m not going to give away all the ideas I got.

How about you? Where have you explored lately—and how could you use those settings in a story?

Linking It All Together

2011-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

I love the internet! In fact, I don't even pretend to be able to function without it. I mean, sure I could technically go without it for awhile...but I could also theoretically go without food for a couple weeks. Why would I want to?

So in honor of the Fourth and because I'm personally celebrating the internet today, here are a few links from our cabinet (i.e., Favorites bar) to yours. First the writerly ones, 'cause we're all pretending to be back to work today. Here's a link to John Brown's truly excellent discussion of suspense and what makes a story compelling. First Page Panda has some great examples of how to pull that off in the first page, not to mention plenty of teasers to give you the must-go-spend-on-Amazon itch. And while we're on the writing kick, here's a youtube of an informative chat where Martha Alderson of Blockbuster Plots talks about the importance of setting. Most of these links were new to me, but they've got some great stuff for writers!

Another cool link, because this is the Cabinet after all, is this one to Archaeology in Europe. Go check it out, and see if you don't finally click away hours later with your head full of ideas!

Lastly but certainly not leastly, I'm including this youtube of a backyard firework show that's truly stupendous. Can you believe this was put on by 'amateurs?' And all from one fuse! Thanks to my bro-in-law Dave for the fireworks link, and to Pat Esden for the rest, and happy internet surfing, erm, I mean, working Wednesday, everyone!

Poolside Picks

2011-06-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Becca Fitzpatrick here. I had every intention of vlogging my poolside picks today, but I'm training for a sprint triathlon and between evening swims, early-morning runs, and afternoon bike rides, it's very hard to find a time of day that I'm not sweaty and winded, wearing workout clothes, or sporting a ratty ponytail. This pretty much sums up what I look like: YIKES!

I write books for young adults, so as you might expect, I love the genre and most of what I read falls into this category. The following book recommendations are no exception. If you've never read a young adult book, consider this a challenge to broaden your horizons and try something new. If you're already a fan of teen fiction, pick up any of the books below, head to the pool (or if you're lucky--the beach!) and...ENJOY!

THE DAY BEFORE by Lisa Schroeder

A beautiful romance told in verse about living each day like it's your last. Amber and Cade have one day together, and they intend to make it the best one of their lives.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han
Belly has spent every summer since she can remember at the beach house, but this summer is different. She's falling hard for two boys, but how will she choose between them?

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen
With her boyfriend off at Brain Camp for the summer, Macy learns to let go, comes to terms with her grief over her father's death, and all with the help of quirky, laid-back, and charming Wes.

MATCHED by Ally Condie
How will Cassia learn to trust her heart in a society that dictates everything from who she will become...to who she will marry?

SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White
The highly anticipated sequel to PARANORMALCY comes out July 2011. Oh, bleep! (Had to say that.) What dangers will Evie face this time?

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is less than thrilled to be heading off to boarding school in Paris, but has a change of heart the moment she meets the gorgeous and unattainable Étienne St. Clair.

Family, Cruises and Stories

2011-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Laura Andersen here. Posting remotely since I am currently in the middle of the ocean, locked on a ship with my husband's family. Since I board this ship in a couple hours, my anxiety--sorry, I mean anticipation--precludes a generous introductory post. Rather, you get the rambling post that I hope I can figure out how to time-delay so it shows up on Monday.

Though frankly, the above paragraph is as good an introduction as any. It tells you that I'm married, that I travel, and that I am (somewhat) prone to exaggeration. I won't actually be in the middle of the ocean after all, more like hugging the Alaska coast. And locked up is rather melodramatic, since theoretically I could steal a life jacket and jump ship whenever I wish. Not that I don't love my husband's family. I do--extravagantly and gratefully. It's just that I am an oldest child with one brother who married a youngest child with six siblings. Yes, six. That's a lot. I remember being stunned to silence the first time said siblings and spouses and nieces and nephews gathered in one place. But they're such fun people--especially the nieces and nephews. Many of them are married and providing beautiful babies for the next generation and there's nothing I like more than babies to hold and buy presents for. (As long as said babies don't have to come home with me. Been there, done that. Four times.)

Speaking of which, my oldest son just turned eighteen. Eighteen!!!! Seriously, it's not possible. It was yesterday that I brought home a little blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy and now he's over six feet tall and heading to college. There is definitely some sort of paranormal influence going on in my life, because I. Am. Simply. Not. That. Old.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Stories. That was supposed to be the point of this post. Last Saturday I attended an author event featuring Heidi Durrow. She's the author of the debut novel The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, about a bi-racial girl growing up in a world of labels. It was a wonderful event, due to Durrow herself who is warm and funny and generous and, oh yes, drop dead gorgeous. This story is in some ways her own, being the daughter of a Danish mother and an African-American father. (When introduced, she was described as an 'Afro-Viking.')

What primarily struck me about her was her continual reference to stories. We are not labels, she said, but stories. We are not simply Afro-Vikings or soccer moms or disabled veterans. We are all the strands that go into those labels AND all the strands that weave a different web. We are contradictory. We are complex. We are human beings. And we are stories.

That is why I write--at least one reason. Because in the stories I write and read, I widen my experience to the complicated, breathtaking, fantastic variety of experience found in every single human being.

Especially in myself.

Dr. Seuss, Caterpiller Tanks and Writing From a Place of Wonder

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think it was Dr. Seuss who said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope.” I love that quote, and it sounds like Dr. Seuss. So what does it mean to look at life through the wrong end of the telescope? As a writer, I think it means more than just making something big, changing its color or making it small. I’ve done that–and love it–but simply super-sizing the critter or creature will only take the story so far. I like to play with the creature's purpose. Its sense of self. Take this guy*, for example:

He looks reasonably well-armored, so if I were to super-size him I’d make him a tank. In fact, I’m hoping I’ll have a tank just like him if there’s ever a sequel to 13 Demon Days. It seems like just the vehicle for a super-subversive mission into a demon world, don’t you think? And I believe this little white grub would be pretty happy with his new role as a tank, too. Maybe that’s what Dr. Seuss meant by fantasy being a part of living. That there’s more to seeing than just sizing a thing up and slapping on a label. There’s also the need to make a leap from our limited set of experiences to that of those creatures or things which brush elbows with our lives. And in doing so, the parameters of our understanding are pushed out a bit. Which is pretty fantastic, when you think about it!

*Thanks to Homeschooling Happy Honeybee for the found pic!

Curious Interview: Ginger Churchill

2011-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Cabinet of Curiosities plans to bring you monthly fun and informative interviews. Ginger Churchill, a Cabinet contributor, is honored to be the guinea pig and do our first.

Ginger has five rambunctious children and thus the obligatory sense of adventure, humor and the tendency to lock herself in a closet from time to time on purpose. She is the author of Carmen's Sticky Scab--a ripping good picture book told with depth and sharks and also a Humpty Dumpty Magazine "Choice book" (Tanglewood 2008). Another picture book, Wild Rose's Weaving, is due out this October, also with Tanglewood. Wild Rose's story weaves together themes of creativity, the interplay of art and life, and the important gifts that are handed down through generations of women. Though Carmen and Wild Rose are artistically different, Ginger insists they are inseparable friends.

CABINET: Nature plays an important role in the picture book you have coming out later this year. If you go outside right now and look up--what do you see?

Ginger: Potential...and questions. How deep into space can you actually see out here under the blazing sun? Is a star right in front of me staring back? If I squint just right, could I see it? And how much hope does it take that cottonwood tree to send out these thousands of seeds? Will any of them grow? Potential. And questions.

CABINET: What website (apart from email or Facebook) could you not do without?

Ginger: Easy! My Writing in Depth online writers group. Friends, fun, laughs, tears, success, cyberhugs and writing. Absolutely indispensable.

CABINET: Could you explain to us the relationship between outhouses and spiders?

Ginger: Ha ha! No. I've blocked it out (although I do remember it was a monstrously huge Black Widow spider, and that it visited me more than once). If I manage to break through my psychological barrier, I'll post a link to it on my personal blog.

CABINET: Many of the characters in your stories get in trouble at school. Were you the teacher's pet or a fixture in the principal's office?

Ginger: Wow, that's tougher to answer than you might think. Both actually, but much more the pet than the fixture. In high school the principal kept calling me in to chat about personal issues--hers not mine. And then there was the time my dad gave the vice principal a ticket for running a red light (YES, Mr. Ardema, I KNOW you think it was yellow!!) I was always getting called in for something or other but not usually my behavior.

CABINET: If you could be any superhero or cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Ginger: FIRESTAR! I had the hots for Peter Parker in that afterschool Spider Friends show in the eighties. I used to try and heat up the water from my faucet like Firestar could. I swear it worked a time or two.

CABINET: Thanks, Ginger, for being a good sport and picking which of our many curious questions you wanted to answer and post yourself.

Ginger: Why you're welcome. Pleasure being here with all of you!

CABINET: No, no. OUR pleasure to be here with you, Ginger. OUR pleasure.

Review: The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Rebecca Guay

2011-06-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

I’m excited to have the honor of posting the first review on Cabinet of Curiosity. First, let me introduce myself. I’m Pat Esden. I’ve had short stories published in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, George Scithers Cat Tales (Wildside Press), Challenging Destiny and Mythic Circle . I’ve completed several young adult manuscripts and am currently seeking representation. But enough about me, let’s get on to the review.

Graphic novel review: THE LAST DRAGON written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Rebecca Guay. Published by Dark Horse Comics

Blurb:

Master storyteller Jane Yolen (Owl Moon, Sword of the Rightful King) and celebrated fantasy artist Rebecca Guay (Swamp Thing, Magic: The Gathering) weave a textured and lyrical tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way.

Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew-with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

MY THOUGHTS:

I requested an ARC of THE LAST DRAGON through NetGalley because of the author’s reputation and the cover illustration. I was hoping for a great dragon story with the feel of a traditional myth, but with new twists—and for illustrations which had a classic beauty.

I was not disappointed.

The story began with sepia toned art work and pages framed in a battered-brown. This combination created the appearance of an ancient book. It was so well done that, at one point, I thought if I touched my computer screen I’d feel worn leather (much like the ancient books which are mentioned in the story). As I read on, I didn’t notice when the ancient-look gave way to a more conventional comic book form. What I did realize was that the illustrations varied from textured and beautifully detailed to more simplistic, in a rhythm which seamlessly matched the needs of the story. Overall the illustrations were wonderful. They had an oriental flair and at the same time were reminiscent of the Golden Age of illustrations.

The written story was equally as wonderful. At first, some of the characters seemed like standard fairytale creations. But they didn’t always do what I expected or wanted them to do—which provided tension and made me read THE LAST DRAGON in one sitting.

The world building was extensive and never interfered with the story. Secondary characters and plot threads worked well and expanded the story to a point where I felt like I was experiencing an epic instead of a single graphic novel. There was humor and action, romance and adventure . . . Okay, it was just plain great. I recommend THE LAST DRAGON for anyone who loves fantasy, whether you’re a graphic novel fan or not. In fact, I’m planning on ordering copies as gifts for people who are not fantasy fans, but are art lovers. I’m quite sure they’ll love everything about it.

Publication date: September 21, 2011

Pre-Order Last Dragon (Hardcover) Now @ TFAW.com

If you’d like to see examples of Rebecca Guay’s stunning art work check out her website: http://www.rebeccaguay.com/

And here’ s a link to Jane Yolen’s website which has tons of information about how her stories can be used for teaching and interviews about writing for children and more: http://janeyolen.com/

Here’s a link to Dark Horse Comics if you’d like to check out their other comics and graphic novels : http://www.darkhorse.com/

All of These Things are Not Like the Other . . .

2011-06-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

Exhibit A: corals, herbarium, clockwork automata, Scythian lamb, stuffed alligator, unicorn horn

Exhibit B: Clash of Kings; Mad, Bad, and Sad; Russian Winter; clock, 1940s photo, and an African statue

Exhibit C: contacts, Facebook, messages, games, MyNetDiary, yoga, Twitter

Exhibit D: 1: "As Josh backed up, the beetlebum stepped forward. It rattled its carapace, rubbing its wings like a lion licking his lips before he pounced on his prey."
                  2: "See the sparks like birds turning into stars--like souls flying to heaven."
                  3: "Kings are true believers--in themselves. And true believers are always dangerous."
                  4: "Don't pick it," Molly said. "If you bleed, sharks will eat you up."
                  5: "You can see who I was, or you can see who I am now. I'm not good," he said, piercing me with eyes that absorbed all light but reflected none, "but I was worse."

Challenge: Find the thread in each exhibit that ties it together.

Finished?

Although I imagine there are multiple ways to tie each exhibit together, I will give you mine (since I am the one writing this post.)

Exhibit A: typical contents of an historical Kuntskammer or Wonderkammer--known more generally in English as a Cabinet of Curiosities

Exhibit B: items on my nightstand

Exhibit C: home screen of my iPhone

Exhibit D: favorite lines of the five friends, writers, and founding members of the new blog Cabinet of Curiosities

Laura Andersen, Ginger Churchill, Pat Esden, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Suzanne Warr write (have written, are writing, will write) everything from picture books to short stories to mid-grade fantasy to historical fiction to YA paranormal. Despite that variety--and like the typical exhibits of a historical Cabinet of Curiosities--we are tied together not only by friendship but by a certain sensibility that sees wonder in every aspect of the world.

To learn more about us, click on a name at the top of the blog page to read our bios. We will also be introducing ourselves in many and varied ways as we post here, but the one thing we want everyone to know is this: We love stories. Across genres and styles and forms, we value complicated characters, twisty plots, and compelling tensions and stories that make us remember that we are all human.

We're delighted to come together to share stories with all of you--but this is one story we haven't outlined to the end. It will change along the way, and we hope our readers will contribute to those changes by sharing your stories with us.

Now widen your eyes, open your mind, and welcome to our Cabinet of Curiosities.