Cynthia Chapman Willis's Blog, page 21

It Takes More Than A Village (if you ask me)

And when it comes to putting out a novel, perhaps an army. There are so many talented people involved in the creation and birth of a novel. It's really pretty cool, I think. From those willing to be interviewed in the name of research, to those who review a writer's work in progress, to the agent, to the editor and all the amazing people at the publishing house responsible for turning manuscript pages into a stunning book, and then marketing and selling that book. Wow.

But today I'd like...

With only a month to go until Buck Fever is released, I a...

With only a month to go until Buck Fever is released, I am beyond excited to be posting the book trailer for this novel today.

A HUGE thank you to Madison at M2 Productions for putting this together for me. She is amazing! And wonderful to work with.

Hope you all like the Buck Fever preview! I'd love to hear what you think.

What Is On Your Desk?

What is on your desk and what does this say about you? The other day I was chiseling characters in my mind. As I stared at my desk, wondering what objects say about the characters that possess them, a familiar phrase from an often-heard commercial popped into my head: "What's in your wallet?" My imagination tweaked this into "What's on your desk?" Want to know what is on mine at this moment?

1.A Starbucks vente chai latte. Fuel for my writing engine.

2.A large bottle of water. Chai is...

Hurray for Grandparents! Hurray for GRAND Magazine!

Have you heard of GRAND magazine? I hadn't until about six months ago, but what a great concept. GRAND is a magazine geared toward providing information and inspiration to grandparents of all ages and in all stages of life. In GRAND Magazine and through GRANDmagazine.com, the joys and challenges of relationships with grandchildren are celebrated. How cool is that?

I think grandparents are incredibly special and wonderful and just plain fabulous. I love seeing grandparents interacting with...

Happy Birthday to IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS!

In my last blog post, I wrote about what draws people to books. So it's perfect timing that this is the week that In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith, author of Ghost Medicine, makes its debut. Very exciting! Because the premise of In the Path of Falling Objects is guaranteed to snag, grab hold, and not let go of readers until they reach the end if this young adult novel. Yes, this is a story ripe with page turning suspense and tension.

I really don't want to give too much of the...

What Draws You to a Book?

It's Labor Day weekend and perhaps you've got a bit of time to read. So, what draws you to a book? The premise? The buzz about it? The author or his/her previous work? The cover art, or art in general if it's a picture book? Maybe the blurb or author endorsement, if there is one, ignites your interest. Or, maybe the story synopsis or the text on the book jacket grabs you. I sometimes consider what brings readers to books as I write, read, and shop for my next great novel (three of my...

Happy Birthday to The Sweetheart of Prosper County!

Break out the cake, light the candles, and toast the newest addition to the world of books! Today is the birthday (book release) of Jill S. Alexander's wonderful young adult novel, The Sweetheart of Prosper County!

In this warm and funny story, 15-year-old Austin Gray is tired of watching the parade pass her by. She is determined to get herself into it and onto the hood of a shiny pickup truck, determined to wave to the crowd and prove that she's got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper

Two Months and Counting

Do you hear the clock ticking? I do. It's two months as of today before Buck Fever will be released. Excuse me for a moment while I clap madly while tossing back a handful of aspirins. For me, prepping for my novel to bust out into the world brings on giddy excitement and a sort of chilled stomach sink coupled with nail-nibbling anxiety. I hear this is standard operating procedure. Oh, joy. Anyway, despite all this, I'm making this blog entry about shameless self-promotion because Megan Rebekah,

A Book Talk With Derek

If you're like me, you think about your audience, both boys and girls. You probably agree, too, that nothing beats getting to know young readers. So, when I had the opportunity, recently, to talk about books with Derek, a thirteen-year-old guy going into the eighth grade, I jumped at the opportunity. Here's how some of our conversation went:

Hey, Derek, thanks for taking the time to chat with me about books. Okay, so tell me, what kind of books do you most like to read?

I'm not a big fan of c

Snippets of Inspiration

One of the reasons that I love attending conferences and workshops is that I find quotes and snippets of talks immensely inspiring. They are sort of like volts of electricity, but in a good way (not a finger in the socket way). They kick my brain into gear, steer me down new paths. So, here are my ten most recent personal favorite quotes and almost quotes:

1. Never forget the initial spark, the grain of sand that starts the pearl. Kathleen Duey

2. "Start a story as close to the end