Killer Nashville!

"It was Col. Mustard, in the library, with the candlestick..."

Who knew all those hours playing Clue when I was a kid would come in handy now, in my late twenties?    But I am *stoked* about an opportunity that popped up this week - I am presenting at Killer Nashville, a humongo mystery writers conference here in middle Tennessee! I'll be discussing writing for children and young adults on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.  (And yes, I can hear those of you who know me well laughing at the idea of me being coherent at such an obscene hour...)  My friend Tracy Barrett is on the panel, too, so we can gulp down several dixie cups of coffee first.  

I plan on focusing on a series of short mysteries for 6- to 9-year-olds that I wrote several years ago.  The characters, Officer Iguana and Sergeant Salamander, are Insect Inspectors; they are, according to their business cards, "The Best Pest Detectives."  Iggy & Sal solve crimes using facts about bugs.  Two of these stories appeared in Spider magazine a few years ago; three more are due next year.   I think it'll be big fun to talk about mysteries for kids, and just as fun to learn more about Dr. Bill Bass, founder of the Body Farm , who is the guest of honor.  Too cool!

I'm off to go bone up on skull fractures...  Get it?  Bone up?  Ha!  That's why I like kid lit - that stuff kills with the younger set.  Get it?  Kills...  :-)   

Yay, Killer Nashville!

An Interview with Little Willow

I'm so excited about an interview I recently did with Little Willow, book blogger extraordinaire!  Please, hop on over and take a look!  One thing that I really enjoyed about this experience was how thoughtful Little Willow's questions were.  And hey, check out some of the other authors she's been rubbing elbows with.  Not shabby company, eh?  :-)  

Thanks, LW!    

I'm in Love! (Again)

So if you scroll down a bit, you'll see that the main character of my work-in-progress, Hope, has been giving me FITS.  I mean, the girl was downright nasty.  Well, I'm happy to report that I've undertaken a major overhaul of this story, and she is now a rather pleasant person to spend time with!  It's a good thing, too - after all, I take time away from my family to write.  When Hope was buggin', I began to question why I was doing this.  I'd walk away from the story feeling bitter and short-changed, like I was covering for a lazy co-worker.  These feelings are difficult to relay to a 16-month-old:  "Sorry Mommy's cranky, sweetie.  The people who live in my head aren't playing nice."  

But now Hope gives me hope.  I received some fantastic feedback that has helped me figure some of the things that just weren't clicking.  That, and I've been doing more research (it's historical fiction), and am positively stoked about some of the things I've uncovered about this era (1910).  So - yay!  I'm in love with writing again.  And *that* feeling is easy to carry over to my family.

 

Update on the Class of 2k8

Here it is, mid-April, and I have yet to give some major shout-outs to my fabulous classmates in the Class of 2k8.  If you'll scroll down to the "Class of 2k8" entry below, you'll see all the folks who are in this marketing group with me, and their wonderful books, too.  And of course, you can always hop over to the Class's blog:  www.classof2k8.blogspot.com. 

As of right now, the following books are available:

-A Difficult Boy by M.P. Barker.  Just released earlier this month.  On my "must-read" list.  Gotta love historical fiction, yo!

-A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce.  Currently reading it and LOVING it.  Nominated for an ALA/YALSA best book of the year.  A retelling of "Rumplestiltskin."  It's glorious.

-The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman.  Ditto that nomination of best book of the year from ALA/YALSA.  This one is on my nightstand now.  I'm getting my pencils sharpened so I can play along with all the games and riddles inside.

-Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer.  Out this week, folks!  Gotta get this one; it's a behind-the-scenes look at Miami's modeling industry.  Yummy fun!

-The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher.  A Spring 08 Booksense Pick.  I devoured this one in two sittings.  Alice, the main character, is my kind of gal.  Get it, y'all.  You're gonna love it.

-I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder.  A novel-in-verse, which I adore.  And so do others, as it was just named an ALA Quick Pick.  Yip!

-The Lucky Place by Zu Vincent.  Just out earlier this month, so I haven't read it yet, but it's also on my "must-read" list.  It sounds positively lovely.

More updates later, as the accolades continue and the launches keep coming!  Yay, Class of 2kgr8! 

Thought for a Monday Evening...

I believe myself to be the only person in America who is inconvenienced by the fact that Gossip Girl and Antiques Roadshow air at the same time...  

Peace!  

My First Review!

It's official, y'all:  I have a review!  A real, live person (who isn't my editor, my mother or my husband) has read my book and wanted to comment on it!  Gaaaaaa!  Click here to read the full review.  

I feel like a debutante, minus the pounds of hairspray and awful pantyhose.  

Thank you to Susan Sales Harkins for taking the time to read and comment on Autumn.  And for, well, making me a reviewed author.  I'm having to restrain myself from casually tossing it into conversation:  "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your favorite brand of shampoo is giving you the hives.  Do you know who doesn't get the hives?  Susan Sales Harkins.  Yes, yes, the woman who reviewed my book..."  

I'm pathetic.  But I'm reviewed!  :-)  

The Best Synopsis Advice Ever

I've been lax in posting lately due to, well, my life.  :-)  It's tax season, after all.  I am *not* known for my organizational prowess.  Doing my taxes takes me the better part of a week of evenings.  Lax and tax rhyme... coincidence?   

But ever since I've returned from the Most Fabulous Conference Ever (SCBWI-New York in February), a statement made by an editor there has been banging around in my head.  At the Friday workshop, one of the participants at my table offered a synopsis as her 500-word sample, as opposed to 500 words from a WIP.  Her synopsis was, by all accounts, what I've always heard a synopsis should be:  a direct account of the plot.  It was clean, single-spaced, and on one page.  But it was also, unfortunately, dry.  

Why is this, we writers asked.  She did everything right, so why wouldn't this synopsis catch an editor's eye?  Our guru responded that while yes, a synopsis should briefly summarize the plot, what is most important is the story arc of the main character.  Smaller plot lines and secondary characters have no place in a succinct synopsis.  You should first show where your character is in the beginning of the story (not physically - mentally.  Is she sick of her mom?  Does she want to overhaul her image? Is she counting the days toward a big event?).  Next, show a few major plot points, and how those IMPEDE your character's goal.  (And they must, of course, impede.  Otherwise, there is no story).  Then, wrap it up by showing where your character winds up.  (Again, mentally here.  She reconciles with Mommy Dearest, or she accepts who she is, or she realizes that she should not base her social status on the prom alone.)  

The editor said, (and I'm paraphrasing here):  "A synopsis is a summary of your CHARACTER'S story, not a summary of the story itself."    

Wow!  It's such good advice, it almost makes me want to dash off a few quick synopses, just for fun.  

Almost...  :-)