Tough Chicks & Girlie Girls

I've seen some back-and-forth in the YA community this year on needing more STRONG female characters. We need tough girls, buff girls, girls who kick butt and take names. Some folks, though, say there are PLENTY of alpha females in the YA world. That there's room for girlie girls, too. Mousey girls, sweet girls, girls who played with Barbies and grew up to read fashion mags.

I say this: we need both.

Teen girls can't be lumped into one category. There are girls out there who are both feminine and fierce. There are girls who will relate to a character who gave her Barbies green Mohawks and there are girls who will relate to an aspiring model. And there is NOTHING wrong with that. There are books out there for both of these girls. And, in all likelihood, these girls are bffs, and end up sharing books with each other. Mohawked Barbie Girl reads GIRL IN THE ARENA by Lise Haines, loves it, and trades with Fashionista Girl for VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY by Melissa Walker. And what do I love about both of these books? They're well-written, insightful, and feature REAL girls. Girls who are three-dimentional, make good and bad choices, have complicated relationships with their family and friends, and are developing their own sense of identity.

I think there's also something to be said for girls who are strong in a more subtle way. Right now I'm reading JEKEL LOVES HYDE by Beth Fantaskey, and what I love about her character, Jill, is that while she's quiet and reserved and innocent, she is super super smart. She understands and LOVES chemistry. And even though she doesn't always stand up to bullies, and loves to be rescued and comforted by her crush, she's learning to make her own way. And girls can relate to that -- being the science nerd, feeling insecure and unpretty compared to a friend, crushing on a bad boy and wanting Prince Charming to come riding in on a white horse. And that's okay. Sometimes we need that. And sometimes -- like for Jill -- your brain is your biggest weapon.

I also love books like HOTTIE by Jonathan Bernstein, where you have a girl who kicks bad-guy booty while wearing designer heels. HOTTIE is like Clueless meets The X-Men, hilarious and girlie and badass. How perfect, because, in my mind, inside every don't-break-a-nail diva is a superhero ready to strike. And with a book as fun as HOTTIE, does it get any better?

The best thing writers can do for teen girls is to write REAL girls. And real girls are a lot of different things -- tough, happy, sad, lonely, strong, fearful, girlie, smart, feminist -- and there's no reason we shouldn't accommodate all these girls. There's plenty of room on the shelves for girl characters of every shape and size, mood and mentality!

So, maybe there won't be a garden gnome attack...

But... That's not the point. You see, I run a non-profit literary membership organization whose members are comprised mostly of pre-published writers. We rely heavily on information from reliable sources and industry professionals who keep us up to date on the latest trends in the business, guidelines, agents and editors, etc. Without this information, the books we passionately write would likely sit in drawers much longer than we can reasonably stomach.

And while we may not get an opportunity to thank these professionals in person or with hand-written notes, we sometimes get an opportunity to show our appreciation for the value they provide us.

I've come across such an opportunity this week and I hope you will take it. Chuck Sambuchino, is an editor for Writers Digest books and two annual resource books: Guide to Literary Agents and Screenwriter's and Playwright's Market. He also assists in editing Writer's Market. He recently helmed the third edition of Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript. Yes, Chuck is VERY busy. You may be most familiar with his blog, Guide to Literary Agents where he has been gracious enough to feature a few of my writing contests in the past.

What you may not know, is Chuck is also an author. His book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack was released this week from Ten Speed Press/Random House. I encourage anyone and everyone who has benefited from Chuck's awesome blog, books and advice to BUY THIS BOOK! Order it online or pick up a copy at your local bookstore. Why? Because you CAN say thanks to someone who has had an impact on your personal writing/publishing journey. Not to mention the fact that the book looks like roaring fun.

And who knows? It may come in handy in case those little buggers ever do decide to attack. It could happen.

xoxo-

G

I'm back, dirtywords!

That's right. Here I am. I'm doing a little rooster strut to get your attention. I had to R-U-N-N-O-F-T for a while there to take care of some Very Important (tm) trachea reconstruction in my youngest youngin'.
Things were so crazy for a while there I actually almost forgot my latest book was launched on August 17th. Oops.


But now I'm back, ready to get all talky and sharey about books and words and writing and reading and whatever else you want to talk about.

I am obviously not ready for the nitty-gritty of blogging, though, because my photos are jacked. I am too tired/lazy to fix them, though, so please use your imaginations as to where they might look best in this post. Gracias.

Now.

On to the book talkings.

Actually, no. I have to go to bed. So this is actually a teaser post for all of the fabulous things I will post soon-ish. Also, I want to talk about MOCKINGJAY, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I am going to sit on my hands and say nothing. Unless you are my husband, and then you're getting an earful of stories about katniss and peeta and all their malarky, but you don't care that much because you haven't read any of the books. Pesky spouse.

11% battery left on my laptop, so I have to go. But know that I am here. Even when I have to go.

I offer you all a post-summer fist bump and say, "May we never have to do that again" about all of the things I was busy doing when I couldn't blog.

What are some good books you guys read this summer? I have got to catch.up.

PS. Tomorrow is my birthday. I kind of want to have a contest to see if you can guess how old I am, but I think this contest may end with me weeping behind the couch, so you can use your imagination about that, too. (About my age, not about the weeping. Unless you're into that, in which case, I say this non-judgmentally - yikes.)

PPS. I am obviously cracked out on no sleep because this post blows and is kind of rip-roaringly insane. Alas.

PPPS. Do blog posts even use postscripts like this? Like I am sending you all a pen pal letter? The tired, it is pwning me. I must sleep. We will talk soon.

Shameless (Self) Promotion for September

Free advertising is great, right? One of my favorite book review websites, Dear Author, does this open thread for promotion or self-promotion once a month, and I sort of like that idea. I'm one of those people who never has enough to read (don't tell that to my TBR pile) and I gather up book recs like a squirrel hoarding acorns for the winter.

So this is your chance to promote your book, a friend's book, or something you just read that you think the entire world should read. Simply leave a comment with the title of the book and a short synopsis, and feel free to link to the book as well. The only rule is that the book must be already out, or have a release date sometime in September. This is your chance to promote shamelessly.

And...GO!

Let's open our hearts today.

Okay, before I get all serious on you, I want to remind you to visit my other blog at the dot com for the purpose of hate-mongering all over censorship. Or rather, so you can learn how you can win some supacute Banned Books Week swag.



Anyway, it's serious time. Why? It's National Suicide Prevention week here in the US, and I want to shed a little light on the topic.

I've mentioned in other posts that I struggled with mental illness as a teen -- trufax. Here's the part where I full-on out myself: I'm a woman with bipolar disorder (in remission, as my adorable, grandfatherly general practice physician calls it) and panic disorder. And I'm totally okay with talking about it. Why? Because the stigma is still floating around out there, and that can make an already difficult illness even more tough. Especially if you're a teen.

Whenever I tell someone about my illness, I get the "I never would have known!" response. Even from people I talk to regularly who also know that I have frequent panic attacks (which I guess seem common enough, especially on TV these days) and am easily overexcited and obsessive. Sometimes that makes me feel happy, because, hey, that must mean I'm doing a good job at assimilating as a fully-functional grown up! But in the back of my mind I think, well, it's not always easy to pick us out of a line-up.

Okay, here's an idea: think of your lunch table. Picture them lined up in front of you, in your head. Think about what they like, what they talk about, what they do after school, what classes they're good at and what classes they'd love to skip. Do any of your pals have bipolar disorder? Clinical depression? Anxiety? Schizophrenia? Borderline personality disorder? An eating disorder? Addiction?

Now I'm not saying you should get all diagnose-y on them. In fact, I very much discourage playing therapist at your lunch table. But what I'm trying to say is that there is probably someone you know suffering from mental illness, and you don't have a clue. And that's okay. What I'm trying to say is that you should be there for your friends no matter what, because if someone you know *is* thinking about suicide, or is self-harming, or is having secret panic attacks in the bathroom between periods, sometimes all it takes to keep someone from doing something drastic and ambulance-ride-y is knowing they have someone they can call and talk to when they're having a truly shitty day.

When I was in high school that person was actually my sweetheart (at right, with me, at my parents' before senior prom), whom I'm still in touch with via Facebook. He had issues of his own, too, which, admittedly, made him easier to talk to. I remember one day I was such a mess that I locked myself in the bathroom, refused to come out, and was feeling particularly destructive. (Let's just say it's a good thing my parents were already thinking about remodeling). My parents knew how amazing Sweetheart was, and they called him and my grandmother (who is my best best BEST friend to this day) and they got me out of the bathroom and we talked on the porch and, well, I can't say it was all better, but I survived.

Why am I sharing this with the whole wide Internet? Because I'm hoping that it will help someone reading. I'm hoping this will save someone the scary, scary pain that comes with suicide. Of all my adult friends, I can list on one hand the ones who didn't lose a high school classmate to suicide. Is that terrifying or what?

So let's think about that this week. Let's give our friends extra hugs and let them know that they can call us in an emergency even if it's four a.m. on a school night.

And in case you're looking for something to help you relate, one of my favorite books that deals with suicide is HOLD STILL (Penguin Speak, 2010) by Nina LaCour. In HOLD STILL, the protagonist has just lost her best friend, and is struggling to find her own identity, to make new friends, to relate to teachers who know what she's going through but who are scared to reach out. I also love WINTERGIRLS (Penguin Speak, 2010) by Laurie Halse Anderson, which is way too good at illustrating the harsh reality of anorexia and bulimia, and also deals with the loss of a best friend to mental illness. Of course there is also CUT (Scholastic Push, 2002) by Patricia McCormick, which is a beautifully written novel about a girl in a mental health facility, who refuses to talk about anything, let alone her self-harm.

Recently the book HOW I MADE IT TO EIGHTEEN (Roaring Brook, 2010) was released. It's an autobiographical illustrated novel by Tracy White, about a girl who checks herself into a mental health facility to figure out how to deal with her depression, her eating issues, her substance abuse, and, ultimately, her emotionally draining relationship. Also, check out Samantha Schutz's memoir-in-verse I DON'T WANT TO BE CRAZY (Scholastic Push, 2007) about panic disorder and anxiety. I think all of these books give an intimate picture of what it's like to be a teen with mental illness. And they could be just the trick to opening new doors with friends who are also struggling.

And, please, if you'd like to, take this as an opportunity to share your story. Post it in the comments, or blog about it and send me a link. I think the more we talk about our struggles, the more we can keep the stigmas at bay, and the more lives we can save. Sharing our stories can help us share the struggle, and ultimately help us heal.

(PS, check out Samantha Schutz' blog on this topic, You Make Me Feel Less Alone. I tried to work that in more eloquenty, but failed. Woops.)

I will now leave you with an entry me and my BFF Fiona wrote in my journal in 1999. This was probably around the time I was first seeing a therapist, but I still wasn't aware of the my diagnosis or the seriousness of it, and Fiona didn't know much about my illness yet, either. We were watching a rerun of Nirvana on MTV Unplugged, and it was breaking our hearts and blowing our minds:

(Click the image to see full-size & read my teenage ramblings.)

What's In a Name?

People often ask me how I name my characters and truth be told I prefer astrology and Greek or Roman names. No, I don't do the whole baby names site but for those writers who do--more power to you. I feel a certain kinship when I find an author with a protag named Grace. I'm sappy that way.

I think about successful YA books of recent years and the names of their protags or leading men--even antagonists. I believe that great character names make great characters even greater. And great characters make a great book amazing. Even quirky characters with great names can leave a lasting and memorable impression. One thing is for sure, a HORRIBLE name can also leave a lasting impression too--can you say, "Renesmee?"

Whether named for a plant, star, planet, ancient Greek or Roman figure, old friend, ex-boyfriend, soap opera star, musician or favorite pet; character naming can be hard and fun. It can also make or break your book. A hard to pronounce name or one that the reader dislikes interrupts the flow of your lines and story. An annoying character with an equally annoying name makes reading...annoying. Get my drift?

When naming your characters, be original but don't be hard on the reader. There's nothing wrong with Mary (The Forest of Hands and Teeth), Grace (Shiver) or Bella. Yep--I said it. What are you gonna do? How about Edward or Jacob? Hah. Bet you're really mad now, eh? And no, I'm not Canadian. Not that there's anything wrong with being Canadian.

What I'm trying to say is, if YOU can't pronounce your character's name, chances are your reader won't be able to either. Make sure you let betas or critique partners have a look and that your choice of names flows just as smoothly as the plot, voice, pacing, character development, etc. If you can read your sentences out loud and get stuck on the name of one of your characters, it may indicate a need to change it.

Below are some of my favorite character names of recently released YA books. Can you name the book?

• Katniss Everdeen
• Ever Bloom
• Clary Fray
• Katsa and Po
• Grace Ann Miller
• Lia Milthorpe

Write well-

Georgia

You had Me at "Crystal Pepsi"

Last night on Twitter, Emily and I were discussing the untimely demise of Crystal Pepsi. Sure, it was almost twenty years ago (wow, that makes me feel old), but there are some things you never forget. It’s amazing how many memories we have that are tied to trends (whether bad or good).

Like how I saved up all my allowance so that I could have a Crystal Pepsi every day at lunch. I was in junior high, and the big deal about being in seventh grade was that we were allowed to drink soda. There was even an honest to god soda machine. Not just one, but FOUR. Our school was big enough cool enough to have Snapple and Fruitopia, which was this fruit drink with these trippy adds of kaleidoscoping fruit.



Really? Like a fruit drink could save the planet.

Yeah, okay, maybe I believed it a little bit. But that was before I saw crystal Pepsi.

If a beverage could save the planet, it would be Crystal Pepsi.



After all, Crystal Pepsi got me my first boyfriend. It went something like this:

I was hanging out at lunch in the library, helping the librarian shelve books (yeah, I was that awesome) when I realized that I was a bit parched. A beverage was in order. I walked out to the Crystal Pepsi machine (every slot was Crystal Pepsi, with one sad Diet Crystal Pepsi selection at the bottom) and ran right into the boy of my dreams, at least that week. Jon McPhee. Green eyes, brown hair, a complete lack of understanding of the themes in the book A Day No Pigs Would Die (we had advanced English together. Yes, I was hitting ALL of the checkpoints to popularity), and apparently also a Crystal Pepsi drinker.

So I approached the machine where he and his friends hung out. I put in my thirty-five cents, and pushed the button.

Nothing happened.

Woe! Catastrophe! Distress! I need a Crystal Pepsi RIGHT NOW! Just like the ad says.

Jon McPhee saw my distress. Him: Hey

Me: Hey.

Him: Did the machine take your money?

Me: Yeah.

Him: That sucks. Here, let me help.

He proceeded to beat the living crap out of the machine, despite the huge metal cage surrounding it to prevent people from doing that. Eventually we hit enough buttons that not one, but two Crystal Pepsis rolled out. I handed one to him.

Me: Thanks.

Him: Hey, no problem.

I walked away, completely in love with my knight in Crystal Pepsi Machine kicking boots. They were actually Doc Martins, but whatever.

After a few passed notes and whispered conversations between friends, we were an item. Well, at least at lunchtime and during PE. He moved away a month later, but I knew it wasn’t meant to be when a couple of days before he left he turned to me and said:

“I don’t really like Crystal Pepsi all that much. Coke’s more my thing.”

Agony and heartbreak.

So, what fad will you forever remember fondly?

Heading back to school could be way worse, I promise.

Yeah, I hear it's that time of year. You're donning your backpacks weighed down with textbooks and homework and bidding your beach gear goodbye. Woe! I mean, I bet you're kind of excited to see friends you haven't seen in a while, right? Or maybe that crush you meant to call all summer but never actually, um, got up the nerve? (Totally been there.) I get it, though. School can be a bummer. I don't think I know anyone who likes homework, even for their favorite class. So I thought I'd share a few reads with you that could lend a little perspective. At least you're not starting the school year in one of these books.

SHADOW HILLS by Anastasia Hopcus (Egmont 2010)
Persephone "Phe" Archer has been having dreams since her sister died. Nightmares, really. And when she found out that her sister had been having them, too, Phe knew where she had to go: Devinish Prep in Shadow Hills. Her sister had written about it in her journal, had even requested information from the school. And Phe just knows that there are answers there, answers she can't find at home in California. But as soon as she steps foot on campus, she knows this isn't your average boarding school. For one, the nearby cemetery is just a little too nearby. As is the hospital. And when she meets Zach, a strange, beautiful boy who seems to attract metal like a magnet, Phe falls hard -- and her curiosity is intensified. When Zach finally confesses what Phe already suspects -- he's different, descended from the people who survived the epidemic that wiped out Shadow Hills in the 1700s -- he puts her in danger. But Phe isn't exactly average either, and as her visions -- and her feelings for Zach -- intensify, she realizes that even if it kills her, she's going to uncover what's going on in Shadow Hills. This paranormal mystery will have you guessing until the very end, and while I wouldn't want to go to school in Shadow Hills, I absolutely can't wait to visit Devinish Prep again in a sequel. (Please?!)

MY SO-CALLED DEATH by Stacey Jay (Flux, 2010)
Karen Vera has been transported from her fabulous position atop a cheerleader pyramid to DEAD High. She'd known there were risks to being a "flyer," but she didn't imagine that she'd die -- let alone become "genetically undead." Now Karen has to deal with things like her weirdo roommate who mostly cries and performs goth-y rituals under a blanket. And then there's the snacking on animal brains to prevent rot. And, oh yeah, someone in school has been harvesting her fellow student's brains and way too many signs are pointing to crushworthy Gavin. This hilarious mystery will have you hooked from page one, with its fabulously imagined world in which the teenage undead can play, complete with plenty of zombie puns. I'm really hoping that Stacey Jay will continue Karen Vera's story as a series, even if I'm not inclined hang out at the DEAD High campus any time in the near future.

CANDOR by Pam Bachorz (Egmont 2009)Candor is the perfect city where perfect teens live perfect lives and make their perfect parents proud. Oscar knows why -- his father, the founder, developed technology that makes even the most rebellious teens conform. Oscar gets kids out…for a price. Then he meets Nia, an artist and a rebel, and he finds himself smitten. Oscar wants to change – he wants to save Nia, whether that means getting her out or hiding her in plain sight. But the powers that be are stronger than even Oscar realized, and soon he is asking himself what sacrifices he is willing to make for love. Candor is terrifying and heartbreaking, a story that clearly resonates a Stepford vibe and keeps the reader guessing through the last page. It will make you feel a little crazy. There is nothing in the world that could make me register for classes at a high school in Candor. But this book is gripping, stunning, and the twisted sort of read that makes you want more.

Hindsight is 20/20

Or so they say...

Writing is like life--in that there is a beginning a middle and end. While working on my latest book, it became quite apparent about midway through the story that past tense wasn't the best way to tell the story. Well, not quite midway but about a third of the way. Still--it was a significant chunk of the way in--36,000 words.

The previous 3 books I'd written were done so in past tense and they all made perfect sense. However, this particular book did not. It begged for the present. I read from it aloud in the middle of chapter ten in the present tense--just to try it on. It flowed so much better. I knew then what I had to do.

It got me to thinking about life and do overs. How often do we think about our lives and the things we could possibly change that would make our it flow better? Simple things that if we took a minute to say out loud to ourselves, "hey, this isn't working," perhaps maybe we could go back and change it--make it better.

In writing, as in life--you can go back and change things. You can recognize mistakes, missteps or minor tweaks that if altered even slightly can make a huge impact on the overall outcome. You can have a do over. You can change it. Revision is a bitch. It takes time and a lot of patience. But it can be done.

So if there's something you're thinking about changing about yourself or your life--think about this: you can do it. It'll be hard and it may take some time. But you can do it. And while you're working on that, I'll be here revising 36,000 words, changing each sentence from past to present tense.

Talk amongst yourselves.

xoxo-

Georgia

Mockingjay? SQUEEEEE!!!! MOCKINGJAY!!!!! *spoiler free*

So, I downloaded a copy of Mockingjay at 430AM Tuesday (I have a kindle and start work EARLY) even though I'm expecting my copy of Mockingjay ANY DAY NOW.  Most likely, I will be finished with the book before the hardcover arrives, but I'm one of those people that likes to buy hardcovers for my keeper pile (and this is a definite KEEPER!).

I love Suzanne Collins with all of the breathless giddiness that I loved Santa Claus with as a kid, and so far Mockingjay has been everything I'd hoped it would be. 

Don't have the book yet?  Waiting on a library waitlist?  Well, here is a great link to occupy you while you wait for your copy of awesomeness.   http://mockingjay.net/  is a fan site, and will warn you of spoilers before you navigate too far.  Still, there are some links to great videos.

If you've finished the book and can't get it out of your head or you don't like surprises and want to know the end (lame), here are some great links about the book that might make you think about things in a different light, or share some reactions.  *****WARNING:  The splashpages may be spoiler free, but digging any deeper may result in major spoilage.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!*****

UPDATE:  Since I've posted this, the Hogwart's Professor Page has turned a bit spoilery, so this is your possible spoiler warning.  The other link is a chapter by chapter reaction guide, and is still safe.  Still, if you want to aooid spoilers it probably best if you avoid the internet. ;)


http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/

http://katherinebook.blogspot.com/

Boys are Freaking Insane

Alright, so it's eleven at night, and I'm back after packing up a campsite, paddling twelve miles (with four portages) (and three kids) and driving seven hours. I'm dirty, smelly and my house is littered with camping debris.

Still. Must post.

Given my short attention span and limited brain activity, I'm going to talk briefly about boys (because boys are fun to talk about). Now any of you who happen to follow me on twitter will have some background regarding the many (and infinitely crazy) exploits of my son, Leo. When he was nine months old he climbed to the top of the refrigerator. When he was two, he climbed to the top of the garage. He is intensely curious, creatively out of bounds and absolutely knows no fear.

He is one of the main reasons why many of my characters are boys. He is the reason why I take particular delight with my boy characters. This is not to knock my daughters (because they freaking rock) but I was completely unprepared for the roller-coaster ride that defines raising a son.

Which brings me to book making.

I'm writing a new book, tentatively titled Witless Ned and the Speaking Stones. It started with a story I told to my son while we were hiking through a thick, humid forest in Virginia and I needed to keep him going. I asked him what should happen next, and he told me - and his plot points were like his behavior at home: unexpected, out-of-bounds and utterly, utterly wild. Half the things he insisted that Ned would do I regarded with some skepticim. No boy would do that, I said. Oh, but he would, Leo insisted fervently. And many of those things, Leo did. Later. This summer. With gusto. Which is why I am only slightly insane right now. Which is why I am writing the book.

So. As I mentioned. We were camping. Near to our campsite was a latrine - a deep pit, dug by an earnest young park ranger, and about halfway full of - well, you know what it was full of. My son, after using the latrine, accidentally dropped the hand sanitizer deep down into the dark pit. It rested on a pile of slowly decomposing human excrement.

Now, do you remember that scene in Slumdog Millionaire, when the little boy jumps into the gigantic pile of poo after getting stuck in the latrine while trying to get an autograph from his hero? Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIrehaK5Jks And remember how we all watched with utter incredulity. No way, we thought, would any little kid jump into a vat of crap for something as silly as an autograph.

My little son, in hopes of retrieving a little bottle of Purel, climbed into the toilet, hooked his arm around the seat, and lowered himself down into its skanky, putrid depths.

When I became a parent, did it ever occur to me that I would one day be scrubbing layers of the poo of strangers off the feet, ankles, shins and knees of my blue-eyed, cherubic little boy? No, ladies and gentlemen. No I did not. Now that I am a writer, will this moment of boyish fearlessness, innocence of consequence and wild abandon one day show up in one of my stories?

Ladies and gentlemen, you can count on it. 

Under the Sea! (la la la la) Under the Sea!

Ohmygoodness it is a scorching 102° here in Austin, Texas. And, being the master procrastinator responsible adult that I am, I just got back from running errands. I'm a pedestrian with a rockin' carbon footprint, which is all fine and dandy when it's, like, May or April. But in August, I mostly want to just go jump in the ocean every time I leave my house.

Oh wait, I live in AUSTIN, TEXAS where there is no Ocean. Woe! Fortunately, I've noticed a new trend in YA. Watery mythologies are all up ons, and I'm so psyched to read some of them.

For example, there's SIREN by Tricia Rayburn, a recent release from Egmont USA, sitting in the large stack on my bedside table. this book takes place in my home state of Maine so I am so so so psyched to read this one. (Maine people are like that -- we cling to all things Downeast.) With a tragic series of deaths on the coast, a supernatural twist, some steamy romance and all that ocean-y goodness, what's not to love? From Booklist: Rayburn’s modern-day, edgy spin on siren mythology combines suspense, dark drama, and romance. Vanessa is an appealing protagonist, whose detailed narrative incorporates well-drawn issues, from grief to relationship complexities…[Siren] will appeal to fans of contemporary supernatural novels, and the lingering ambiguities and loose ends will leave readers wanting more.

And then there's REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOERINGS by Hélène Boudreau, coming out from Sourcebooks later this year. It sounds absolutely fresh and sweet, a quirky coming of age story complete with first periods and bumbling dads. Of course there's also that oh-crap-am-I-actually-a-mermaid? twist, which plunges me right into the cool, watery depths of summer (which will be nice, since it hits shelves in December). And I love that the heroine, Jade, isn't your typical mermaid material. She's a big girl, and since her mother drowned, she's terrified of water. Since it sounds like Andersen's THE LITTLE MERMAID meets ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET, I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this book.

SELKIE GIRL by Laurie Brooks is also sitting in my TBR pile. It takes place in an island community near Scotland, and the main character is an outcast with physical deformities she can't understand or conceal. The grandfather character seems lovely and intriguing, encouraging our heroine to discover her heritage and find out why she's so different. And of course we've got a hearty dose of romance. SELKIE GIRL sounds like a refreshing, ocean-y read, and I love the eco-angles. From Booklist: Although the flowery pink-and-turquoise cover art suggests a sweet, girly mermaid story, Brooks’ brooding, romantic tale of a shape-shifting seal-girl is drawn straight from Celtic folklore. Her mother is a selkie (a seal/human shape-shifter), her father is human, but Elin Jean belongs nowhere. Celtic mythology? Heck yes I'm on board! SELKIE GIRL is out now in hardcover from Knopf Books for Young Readers, and it hits the shelves in paperback with a new cover this fall.

Coming in October from Houghton Mifflin is THE MERMAID'S MIRROR by L.K. Madigan, and I am just itching to get my hands on this sea-rich story that appears rife with magical realism. With a character dying to surf, and a father forbidding her to do so, you know this is a novel filled with secrets and suspense. And the magic! Something is luring our protagonist to the water, and she's seeing things that she knows can't be real. This take on mermaid lore sounds refreshing and exciting, and I can't wait to read it this fall while pining away for my coastal homeland.

AAAAAAAAND You couldn't possibly think with all this mermaid love I hadn't already started in on some seaside stories! In case you haven't picked up your copy of FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs yet, now's the time. FORGIVE MY FINS (Katherine Tegan Books at HarperTeen) is the story of Lily, a girl from Thalassinia -- the mermaid kingdom off the coast of Florida. She's not just any girl either, she's a princess, daughter of the king and heir to the throne. But being half-human, she's embracing her land-lubbing side and attending high school where she falls in love with Brody, a friend from journalism class. Lily doesn't think she's all that pretty with her wildly frizzy blonde hair and freckled face. That hasn't stopped obnoxious neighbor-boy Quince from harassing her for as long as she's known him. And when Quince tries to do Lily a favor and ends up setting off a series of events that Lily considers life-ruining, the romantic drama is more than enough to drown in. FORGIVE MY FINS is irresistibly cute, with sweet romance and a fun mythology, a perfect beach read or a great book to curl up with in bed on a warm summer night.

What do you guys think about the mermaid trend? Any ocean-y books y'all are looking forward to? Leave me a comment and let me know!

BRAINS FOR LUNCH Winner!

WOOOOOOHOOOO! Big congrats to Manar, aka Twitter user @thelastgoodkiss! Here is her winning #brainsforlunch haiku:

Rotting flesh, so sweet.
My zombie haiku, a tweet.
I want to eat you.

I think this really has both the spirit of BRAINS FOR LUNCH and our blog, The YA-5. There were a lot of great entries, but this one takes the cake! So, Manar, send me a DM on Twitter with your address, and I'll get your BRAINS FOR LUNCH ARC to you ASAP! Hope you enjoy!

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaains....

Interview with Cyn Balog

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Cyn Balog at the NJSCBWI conference last June, and I thought she was pretty awesome.  My hypothesis was proven correct when she agreed to do an interview for the YA-5.  Her newest book, SLEEPLESS, is currently in stores.  It's about a sandman who falls in love with a human girl, and if the awesome premise doesn't sway you, then the yummy cover definitely will.

And without further ado, Cyn Balog!

Me:  Okay, so your most recent book is Sleepless, about a sandman who falls in love with one of his charges. Where did you come up with the idea?

Cyn:  I was driving home from work and listening to I'm A Little Teapot or some other mind-numbing tune because my daughter was in the back of the car, and I was probably really sleepy because all of the sudden I imagined a guy sitting outside a girl's bedroom, waiting to lure her to sleep, because he was a sandman and that was his job. He'd been with her since she was young and had fallen in love with her, but she didn't know he existed.

Me:  That's pretty cool.  So far you've had two books come out, both Young Adult.  What do you like most about writing YA?

Cyn:  The readers are so passionate about it. I'll get emails from readers who are so excited about the book, but I don't think adults would be so interested. The YA world is a world of firsts, of freshness and excitement. The adult world is all been-there, done-that. Pretty dull. I've tried writing adult stuff and it's never been as fun.


Me:  What are you working on right now?

Cyn:  Well, I am procrastinating, an art I have perfected. I am the world's best procrastinator because even though I do it all the time, I still manage to hit my deadlines (knock on wood). Anyway, I have the first draft of my fourth book, LIVING BACKWARDS, due to my editor in March. That's about a boy who remembers his future. And I just finished a proposal for a new book about paranormal happenings during a whitewater rafting trip in Maine. Which incidentally, is based on a harrowing whitewater rafting trip I took when I lived in Maine.


Me:  Note to self, avoid whitewater rafting.  So back to Sleepless, in the book Eron can communicate with people through their dreams. Whose dreams would you stalk if you had that power?

Cyn:  My daughter's. She always comes into my room in the morning and tells me about all these wild dreams she has, but they're always happy, involving rainbows and princesses. They sound nice and unthreatening.


Me:  Aww, you're much nicer than I am.  In your first book, Fairy Tale, Cam is a fairy. So, would you rather be a fairy or a sandman, er, sandlady?

Cyn:  A fairy, probably. It's actually a chore to have to put people to sleep night after night, and you have all these rules you need to follow. Fairies have cool magical powers. At least my fairies could heal people and do all sorts of neat things.

Me:  Okay, so the age old question: What's your favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor?

Cyn:  Karamel Sutra.... yum. Caramel and Chocolate is the food combination of the gods. Urgh, now you made me hungry.


Me:  Yeah, I'm pretty good at that.  Any books you want to rave about?

Cyn:  Oh yes, I just finished reading Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus and it was delicious. I probably just said delicious because of question #6. Now I must go raid the freezer. :)


Thanks a lot, Cyn!

Make sure you run out and buy SLEEPLESS or Cyn's first book, FAIRY TALE.

Censorship Sucks

When my daughter was a year old, I was struggling my way through my first year as a public school teacher.One of these days I'll actually blog about that year (one of the best, worst, and insane years of my life so far) but I'm not going to do that today.

Today, I'm going to talk about censorship. Because during that year, I stared censorship square in the face for the first time.

Now, it almost seems quaint to talk about the stink people made over the Harry Potter books a decade (or more!) ago. There were phone campaigns and demonstrations and well-meaning public radio hosts who were misguided into thinking that balanced reporting meant having a bunch of illiterate book-haters spewing nonsense on their show about how a single book was going to turn Our Nation into a bunch of tree-hugging, goddess-worshiping (though still godless, right?) hippy-freak magic addicts. One page of Harry Potter, and it's off to Hell we go!

I mean, sure, there's still people out there stinkin' it up like it's still 1999, but mostly it's all water under the bridge, right?

Or, maybe not.


Ten years ago, I was teaching a leveled reading class, and the kids had six weeks of literature circles - two weeks per book, and the kids would rotate from table to table, choosing the books and groups that interested them. There was one table devoted to Harry Potter. I'd say about twelve kids in all read it.

And oh! The Stink was mighty.

What killed me was that the parents who complained didn't even have kids who chose to read Harry Potter. I designed the course specifically so that there were more stations than there was time to read it all. Best to allow the kids to hear other kids talking about different books. Create a culture of reading. A multiplicity of books! (See how young I was! How brimming over with optimism and hope!)

Still, there were parents who didn't want their kids in the same room as other kids who were reading Harry Potter. Apparently, immorality and magic can spread like lice, and book cooties are epidemic.

I remember having a conversation with a parent, trying to reason my way through a forest built by un-reason. She was concerned that having the book in the same room as her son would make him lose his faith. (Yeah. I know.)

"Listen," I said, "I'm a practicing Catholic, a Theology major and a general Acts-Of-Christian-Mercy type, and I'm noticing all kinds of themes in this book that are actually friendly - and largely in sync - with our religion."

"Well," she said. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I haven't read it, and I never will."

Which seems to be the theme with those who seek to censor.

Later, when I was an on-the-road fiction instructor with the Writers in the Schools program, I had a principal get in my face for just suggesting that the students read a copy of Kelly Link's amazing short story "Flying Lessons". He'd heard there was a scene where the main character shoplifts (there is). "The last thing we need is an epidemic of thievery around here," he said.

Another principal had an issue with my recommendation (!!!!!) of a Jeff Vandermeer story called "Dradin In Love". (He'd heard it was sacrilegious. "Do you have any idea what the god-fearing types would do to me if they heard I allowed that in the school?")

Again, these are people who hadn't read the works in question.

Which brings me to this mess in Texas. Here's the story: This amazing lady, was invited to present at the Teen Lit Fest in Humble, Texas. Why? Because her books are incredible, raw and brave. And important.  And then, when a small group of people felt that she had too many Edgy cooties and Dark cooties, raised up a Stink the size of Texas and dis-invited her. So some of the other invitees have disinvited themselves, thank you very much, and we now have ourselves a Texas-sized to-do. 

Now, a lot of people have written about it with more clarity and understanding than me. Ellen Hopkins, for starters.  It was her book that raised the ire of a small group of parents and a single librarian, who somehow had the power to overrule every other organizer who felt that Ellen's contribution to the festival would be a positive impact for books, for readers, for librarians, for teachers, but most of all, for kids. Pete Hautman, one of the writers who disinvited himself in solidarity with Ellen (and in solidarity with books), has also written on the subject, and his piece made my blood run icy and cold. (side note - Pete was a teacher of mine way back, and is a kick-ass writer, teacher and thinker and is generally a righteous guy)


Look. I'm a parent. I get it about wanting to protect a child from the world's agony and pain. And wickedness. And greed. And hatred. And everything. It don't make it right. In fairy tales, the kings who locked their daughters at the tops of tall towers were likely just trying to be good parents. They were idiots, of course, and their little schemes backfired. So, too, will the little scheme in Texas and every other bone-headed censorship attempt.

The point is this: Children do not belong to their parents (as much as we'd like to think otherwise); children belong to the world. You belong to the world. And it is up to parents and teachers and librarians and kindly neighbors and any other adult that's important in a kid's life to give that kid the tools necessary to exist and understand and thrive in the world. Their world. Your world.

Books are a tool. So is talking. So is listening.

Get creeped out. Learn some history. Support small publishers.

So last week I read this book DRAW THE DARK by Ilsa J. Bick. My mind was blown.

Like, BOOM, there goes my mind. Blown.

Christian Cage lives with his uncle, the town sheriff, since his parents disappeared when he was young. He's an outsider, picked on at school for being the weird kid. He's socially awkward and his only release is his art. He's an amazing artist, but he has a secret -- he believes his art is responsible for some of the bad things that have happened to him and his family.

Lately Christian has been having vivid dreams, so vivid that they almost seem like visions. When he sleepwalks himself out to the town jillionaire's barn and vandalizes it with swastikas, he has an inkling that his dreams are trying to tell him something. His town, Winter, Wisconsin, seems to have swept a lot of its history under the rug. And when Christian dreams, he becomes a boy, David, who is witness to some of Winter's long-forgotten secrets. Secrets that may be surfacing when a mummified baby turns up in the wall of a recently-purchased house.

As Christian finds himself deeper and deeper into this mystery, he finds himself both fascinated and terrified by the prospect that his ethnically German neighbors may be descended from Nazi prisoners. He struggles to control his ability to slip back in time, while maintaining some semblance of sanity and maybe even getting closer to his only friend -- and, yeah, cute girl -- Sarah. He feels a responsibility to David, to tell his story, discover the origin of the baby in the wall, and find out why there are no longer any Jews in Winter. And he wonders if his new-found ability can help him find his parents in "the sideways place" where he believes they might be trapped.

With so many threads of story, DRAW THE DARK is an absolutely ambitious novel. But it is artfully woven together, piece by piece, and I'd love to see it mentioned for the 2011 Edgar Award in the Young Adult category.

DRAW THE DARK is with a smaller press, Carolrhoda Books, and for that reason, if you're not paying attention, you could miss it. Some of the big chain book stores in your area might not have DRAW THE DARK and this makes me crazy because, whoa, mind-blowing books belong on the shelves of all the stores. ALL THE STORES!

So I hereby challenge you to go into your local bookstore -- be it an indie or a Barnes or a Borders -- and ask for DRAW THE DARK. Be all like, "Sup, do you have that new book by Ilsa J. Bick?" And if they say "no" you can be all like "THIS IS A TRAVESTY! Please order me a copy. I will come pick it up when it comes in. And, btw, you must read it if you like creepy awesome smart YA books." And then when it comes in, you pick it up, and you read it, and you get your mind blown. Whoa.

Book Cover Envy (and Joy)

If you're a writer, there are many writerly type emotions you experience. Some experience writer's block or the inability to work through a difficult scene or story line. Some, the pain of rejection of their work by the so-called "gate keepers" of the industry--agents and even editors. Others elation and joy when the call arrives from an agent or editor with offers of representation or publication. Still others feel the sting of jealousy or a pinch from the Green-eyed Monster when writer friends find the success they seek.

Today, I feel something else. Something I have no right to feel--book cover envy. Why do I have no right to feel it this way you ask? Its not as if my own book cover sucks in comparison. I have no book on which to place a sucky cover. I haven't gotten to that stage yet. I'm still on submission to agents. Further, my own book (on submission to agents) has a dark red-headed protagonist named Grace--just like this book and I'm darn jealous.

There. I said it--out in the open in front of everyone. Waaaah.

ENTANGLED was chosen as a Waiting on Wednesday by Jean, one of our teen book reviewers from Scotland (yes you read that right--an awesome 15 year-old teen book reviewer who lives in Scotland). According to Jean's blog--The Magic Bean Review, here's a synopsis for ENTANGLED.

Grace meets enigmatic Ethan the night she’s planning to kill herself. The next morning she wakes up in a strange room with a table, chair, pens and paper. There’s nothing to do but write, and as she writes, Grace remembers the things she’s tried so hard to forget.


The hazy memories lead Grace into a dark place where friendship, heartbreak and betrayal tangle together…


Congratulations, Cat Clarke! Love your cover and hope the book does well. it not only LOOKS amazing but sounds so. From one red-headed Grace to another, rock-on!

xoxo-
Georgia

Congrats to our very own K.A. Holt!

Hey YA-5 Readers! Today is normally K.A. "Kari" Holt's day to post, but seeing as she's out of town and super busy being a supermom and saving the world and stuff, I thought I'd post a little somethin' somethin' on her behalf. You see, Kari has a fabbity fab book coming out NEXT WEEK called BRAINS FOR LUNCH from Roaring Brook/Neal Porter Books, featuring illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Gahan Wilson. And it is (imagine Zoolander voice here) ridiculously good.

Yeah, I know. You all are screaming NEPOTISM in your heads, right? Because, duh, of course YA-5ers love K.A. Holt books. Or maybe you're not as cynical as I imagine. And you all are like GIVE ME MORE, GIVE ME MORE! Well, in either case, I'm not the only one who loves BRAINS FOR LUNCH. In fact, I am so proud of and excited for Kari, who just got a STARRED REVIEW in Publisher's Weekly! In case you're unfamilliar with PW, basically it's a magazine that industry professionals, booksellers, librarians, etc. read to find out what's going on in the book world. And a starred review is KIND OF A BIG DEAL. It says, HEY, LIBRARIANS! BOOKSELLERS! EVERYONE! YOU NEED THIS BOOK! And, no lie. Everyone does need BRAINS FOR LUNCH.

In case you STILL don't believe me, I'm giving away my very own ARC (advanced reader's copy) of BRAINS FOR LUNCH. What you have to do is Tweet a kick-butt zombie haiku, and then follow AND @reply me (@emilytastic) AND the YA-5 (@YA5updates) to let us know you have completed your mission. By this time next week, the very best zombie haiku gets BRAINS FOR LUNCH.

In case you missed it when Holteriffic posted the trailer last week, here it is, in all it's ridiculously awesome glory:

PS, here is a unicorn, because K.A. Holt loves unicorns. Woooo!

UPDATE:
Here are some rules, as per some questions! One submission per person, and the haiku are 5-7-5 haiku like in BRAINS FOR LUNCH. Also, feel free to use the #braisnforlunch hashtag if you have room! Any other quessies, leave a comment or @emilytastic on Twitter!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from YA Books

I read. A lot. And like any proper bibliophile I like to think that I learn something from every book I read. So here, in no particular order, are the things I have learned from reading YA.

A single party can change your life. Same with a makeover, a dress, or a dance. Use sparingly.

The mean girl in your school might just be the most sensitive person around. Or not. Either way, try getting to know someone before you judge them.

If you have a ditzy best friend, s/he will inevitably blurt out something embarrassing in front of your crush. If you are the ditzy best friend, you will blurt out something embarrassing in front of his/her crush. Either way, it’s best just to keep ice cream on hand.

Ummm, aren't you kind of old to be in high school?

The moody hot guy who slinks through the hallway might just be a very nice, sensitive werewolf. Or an undercover cop.  Or a serial killer. You’ve been warned.

The prettier a girl, the less chance she knows it. Unless she’s the evil high school cheerleading mega-bitch. Then, her beauty will be completely shallow somehow.

A hot guy will be completely sweet and amazing unless he happens to be a serial killer. Or wants to pressure you into sex.

 The bigger a secret, the more people that will somehow find out about it. It’s much easier to be honest and upfront with people. You know, unless you happen to be a werewolf. In that case, keep your mouth shut.

There are consequences for every action.  Sometimes it's having to sit by yourself at lunch, sometimes it's having a 3000 year old vampire trying to kill you.  Either way, think things through.


So, which ones did I miss?

Showdown..... Or Smackdown?

Well, I've been fussing about this post all day because I realized that my brain is empty - empty, I tell you! Between wading through the proofs of my novel (the last time I get to mess with my words before they head out into the world! I feel like my kid is graduating and I'm panicking that they'll never be able to survive without me) and drafting a new novel in which my main character (a boy named Ned who I love, love, love) is dealing with a rather nasty band of bandits, my brain is now oozing out of the corners of my eyes and pooling onto the floor.

(What, you don't believe me? Fer serious! It totes is!)

Too many thoughts. Not enough brain.

Anyway, I was about to give up on posting all together, when the internets came through for me once again! Just when you thought that there weren't any more awesome on the internet to distract you from the eight million things you need to accomplish on a given day, it shows up at your doorstep with EVEN MORE AWESOME!  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you

 THE YA FANTASY SHOWDOWN!!!!

Seriously, this is the coolest thing I've seen in a while. To celebrate the upcoming installment of Suzanne Collins's brilliant trilogy, a group of some amazing writers and bloggers decided to see what would happen if some of our favorite characters in YA fantasy duked it out. Kasta vs. Edward Cullen? (oh, please, please, please let it be Kasta!) The Wizard Howl vs. Eona? Katniss Everdeen vs. Tally Youngblood? (I'd put my money on Katniss). I had way too much fun reading through their little literary mash-ups. In fact, it kind of inspired me to write a few of my own.

Anyway, go and place your bets.....I mean votes!