Cheryl Rainfield's Blog, page 58

The Sadness of Banned Books: A Poem by Cheryl Rainfield author of SCARS and STAINED

Photo by Kaylah Krysdell Urquiza

The Sadness of Banned Books

When I hear of books being challenged

removed from libraries

banned from shelves

from the minds of young readers

from hearts that need those stories

    to know they’re not alone

    to survive the pain they’re living

I feel a sadness so deep

my chest aches.

I know the desperation

of needing to find

reflections of my pain

in the safety of books.

of needing to know

I’m not alone

I’m not crazy

I can get through this

and healing can happen.

Every book that’s challenged

Every book that’s banned

and removed from shelves

creates a void

where healing could have happened.

It keeps the book from the hands

of someone who needs it

someone who might have used it

to stay alive

the way I did

with books.

© copyright Cheryl Rainfield, September 22, 2013

I wrote this poem for Banned Book Week, and for the book bans and challenges that happen all year long, every year. My own book SCARS has been challenged a few times and probably quietly removed from some libraries more times than I know. Many authors’ books who I love and admire have also been challenged and banned–including books by Ellen Hopkins, Suzanne Collins, Jay Asher, and many more. Recently I’ve seen a number of book bans and challenges popping up, including Tanya Lee Stone’s, and authors being uninvited to speak including YA authors Meg Medina and Rainbow Rowell. It saddens and angers me. Book banning and challenges–and authors being uninvited because someone makes a bullying complaint about their book–shouldn’t be happening.

Books save lives. I know this deeply. Books helped save me; I don’t think I could have survived all the abuse and torture I did without them. And I’ve received many letters from teens telling me that SCARS helped them not kill themselves. I’ve never understood why people feel that they can ban a book. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. But don’t deny other readers a book that may give them hope.

Check out ALA’s list of frequently challenged YA and children’s books for ideas on books you might want to read if you haven’t already.

My little dog Petal reminds this author to have fun

I’ve been working really hard–almost frantically–for a long time. Just the past few weeks I’ve editing the manuscript I’ll be sending to my agent very soon, working on book promotion material for the release of STAINED (Oct 1st!) and for my book blog tour, getting things ready for my local book launch, and starting work on my panel for the Less Than Three conference. Plus working on another manuscript, a grant application, and all the usual writing, editing, and book promotion and social media work, responding to readers, and talking with other writers. I have an almost constant feeling of I-can’t-keep-up! Petal also woke me up a few times last night; her tummy was off. AND I’ve been working on some pretty heavy duty memory/trauma work in therapy. I am TIRED.

And this morning it was cold and wet. I felt a bit draggy when I went for my early morning walk with Petal. But Petal didn’t. She pranced along as usual, running along the trail we walk. And when we got to the park and I threw her ball for her, she chased and leaped for it with so much obvious delight–her hair flying, her body leaping and stretching.

Even though it was a cold and wet morning, even though Petal’s PJs got wet and clammy and her face and ears got wet, Petal kept playing and playing. She’d run to me with the ball in her mouth, her eyes so happy, her jaw squeaking the ball (it has a squeaker inside)…and I’d laugh. I’d laugh to see so much joy and happiness in her. And it brought lightness to me.

Petal reminded me of how we can find joy and happiness and pleasure even when things aren’t perfect or we’re tired. She reminded me of finding the joy in small things, in catching a ball, in being out in the sun, in having a moment with someone you love. In being completely present in the now. In taking time to do things you love.

I need to hold on to that and remember that.

What reminds you to have fun, to feel joy or happiness or pleasure?

STAINED book blog tour starts today! Enter to win prizes including an ebook reader

STAINED comes out Oct 1st! To celebrate, we’re doing a month-long blog tour! Check out the posts for interviews, reviews, and guest posts by me, and enter to win prizes, including bookstore giftcards and ebook versions of all my books. For every comment you leave on a blog along the tour (one comment per blog) you’ll get an extra entry to win the grand prize–an ebook reader (Kindle, Nook, or Kobo).

There are a few blogs participating in the tour who aren’t yet up on the official blog, so check back here for those blogs and dates to get extra entries.

In STAINED, Sarah thinks she knows what fear is–until she’s abducted. Now she must find a way to rescue herself!





STAINED Book Blog Tour Stops

September 20

Review, eBook Giveaway and Top 10 List at Blkosiuer’s Book Blog

September 22

Review at Literary Lunes

September 23

Review and eBook Giveaway at Mean Old Library Teacher

September 24

Review and $15 Gift Card Giveaway at The Book Cellar

September 25

Book Spotlight at Therian

September 26

Review and eBook Giveaway at Shelfishness

September 27

Review at Manhattan Reader

September 28

Review and eBook Giveaway at YA Between the Lines

September 29

Review at A Bibliophile’s Thoughts on Books

October 1 & 2

Review, Interview and eBook Giveaway at I Write, I Read, I Review

October 3

Book Feature and eBook Giveaway at Unputdownable Bookies

October 5

Review and eBook Giveaway at Amaterasu Reads

October 6

Book Spotlight at C Mash Reads

October 7

Guest Post and eBook Giveaway at Frellathon

October 8

Guest Post and $15 Gift Card Giveaway at Nerdy Book Club

October 9

Review at The Writer’s Voice

October 10

Review and eBook Giveaway at Workaday Reads

October 11

Guest Post at Unconventional Librarian (@Pamlovesbooks)

October 12

Interview at Infinite House of Books

October 13

Book Spotlight and eBook Giveaway at My Fiction Nook

October 15

Review and $15 Gift Card Giveaway at YA Bliss

October 16

Review and eBook Giveaway at Shooting Stars Magazine

October 17

Review and eBook Giveaway at Ed and Em’s Reviews

October 20

Top 5 “Thriller” List and Grand Prize Giveaway of eBooks and an eREADER at Xpresso Reads

Join me for STAINED Toronto Book Launch Oct 27 at Indigo Yorkdale

Join Cheryl Rainfield, the award-winning author of SCARS,

to celebrate her new book STAINED

noon on Sun Oct 27th at Indigo Yorkdale

(See the event on FB)

Sarah thought she knew what fear was–until she was abducted. Now she must find a way to rescue herself.

“Powerful. I raced through it, wanting to know if Sarah would find a way to escape both her captor and her self-doubts. A real nail-biter!”

- April Henry, New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

There will be a live self-defense demonstration, an author reading, cake, and a contest to win coffee with the author! One teen who attends will also win a 4-class self-defense prize pack.

Come get a signed book, talk with the author, and have some fun. Hope to see you there!

Countdown: It’s almost STAINED release day! (Oct 1)

It’s almost STAINED release day! STAINED comes out Oct 1st in the US and Canada (and Jan 1st in the UK). In STAINED, Sarah is abducted, and she must find a way to rescue herself.

For every person who buys STAINED now or in the first month it’s out (Oct 1-Oct 31), I will send you an ebook copy of either SCARS or Parallel Visions (your choice), and you’ll be entered it win a $25 gift card to any online bookstore of your choice. Just email me your receipt (and let me know which ebook you want).

I’m so excited! I believe STAINED will help many readers the way SCARS did, while gripping them–and I’ve heard from a lot of reviewers who say they can’t put STAINED down once they pick it up. I love that! (beaming) In STAINED, Sarah deals with body image issues, bullying, rape, and abduction, and she must rely on her own emotional strength to save herself. She is a strong girl character–which I think we need to see more of–and there’s a lot of emotional truth in this book. Like I did with SCARS, I drew on my own trauma experience to write STAINED.

Are you looking forward to STAINED? I hope so!

My Little Dog Petal: Companion, Comfort, and Joy To This Writer

I used to think that I should keep my blog “writerly” and professional. But readers often like to know things about the authors they read. And if you follow me on Twitter or FaceBook, you’ll frequently see photos I post of my little dog Petal. So I’ve been thinking for a while now–”Cheryl, this is silly. Why not post photos to your blog, too? Maybe not *every* time, but…sometimes.” (smiling) I love my dog so much, and I love it when people enjoy her, too, so it’s fun to share photos of her.

Petal in her flannel cow-star PJs, catching a stick. (Hey–it was a cold summer day. )






Petal is such a sweet-tempered and beautiful-soul dog. You might be wondering why she’s wearing clothes in most photos. She’s a Chinese Crested–a hairy hairless dog (she has more hair than most Chinese Cresteds do). She doesn’t have any hair on her belly or sides, and grows a small amount on her back, but a lot on her head, tail, and feet. Because she’s a (mostly) hairless dog, in the summer if she’s not wearing PJs she gets sunburn in 15 minutes outside, and shakes from being cold in the air conditioning, and in the winter, she must wear PJs, sweaters, and when we go outside, a down coat, to keep warm. (Think if you had no clothes on in the winter!) Petal is also allergic to weeds, so wearing PJs helps protect her and keep her a little less itchy. It’s for her health and comfort–but I admit I also like dressing her. (smiling) You should see her Hallowe’en costumes!

Petal on a warm summer’s day without her PJs.

My first dog, Willow, was also a Chinese Crested, and also very sweet tempered. I loved her so much and found it so painful when she died, that I had to get another dog of the same breed. I’m glad I did. Chinese Crested dogs are so sweet, loving, and lovable. And dogs give such unconditional love! I still miss Willow, and Amazon, too (my cat of 23 years), but I’m glad I had them in my life. So much love!

Petal is a joy and a delight for me. She is so playful, happy, and sweet–and she is my family. Since I work at home all day, writing, editing, and working on book promotion, Petal is with me all day–usually pressing her paw or back or side against me as I sit on the couch and work. She’s such a sweetie! She also interrupts me after I’ve been working too long, and insists on me playing with her or giving her treats, which is a good thing, because otherwise I would work far too long. Petal is so good for me! And I love her dearly. Since writers often work in solitude for long hours, I think it helps a lot to have an animal companion. Petal sure helps me!

Petal snuggling with me.

Petal lying on my legs as I write. Yes, I write and edit by hand! I think it’s more creative and intuitive, more deeply connected to what I need to say.

Petal making sure she’s connected to me as I write. (smiling)

Petal snuggled up with my best friend Jo. Petal loves Jo, and Jo loves Petal. Perfect!

Petal looking up at me on our walk.

I have so many more photos of Petal! (laughing) But I think this is good for now.

Do you have an animal companion who’s part of your family? I hope so. They give so much joy.

My books In The Wild: From Readers G. Donald Cribbs and Kaylah Krysdell Urquiza

I love it when readers post photos of my books in the wild! It feels so good to see.

I love this one reader–and writer–G. Donald Cribbs, reading HUNTED. It made me laugh!

I think this one of SCARS at Starbucks by Kaylah Krysdell Urquiza is so cool–it shows how well loved and well read Scars is!

And (ahem) here’s one of me so happy to have the final copy of STAINED–which comes out Oct 1st! I’m so excited!

It’s a delight to see people taking photos of my books and sharing them. I love knowing my books touch people.





Have one of my books? Want to be featured here on my blog? Take a photo of you or your pet “reading” one of my books, or my book out somewhere, and email it to me at Cheryl @ CherylRainfield (dot) com, and I’ll put it here.

I just got the bound copy of STAINED! It’s such a joy to hold a book you wrote for the first time.

My advance bound copy of STAINED just arrived (it doesn’t release until Oct 1st)–and it is gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful. It felt so good to get in the mail today! (In STAINED, Sarah, a teen with a port-wine stain and body image issues, is abducted, and must find a way to rescue herself.)

There is so much excitement and joy in seeing (in person) the book you wrote–the finished copy–for the very first time. I admit that I was so excited to get STAINED that I ran and showed five different neighbors, and then a friendly teller at the bank who always loves to hear about my writing, and my hairdresser, and the clerk at the grocery store who’s always friendly with me. (Laughing) And they were all lovely about it, joining in with my excitement and enthusiasm.

And there is also SO much good feeling in holding your finished book in your hands for the first time. In running your hands over the cover, feeling the texture (or smoothness), breathing in the scent of the book, seeing your name on the cover, seeing the way your manuscript became an actual, finished book. Taking in the effect of the cover, the weight of the book, the color of the pages, the fonts used. Feeling proud of your hard work, your dream–and of the publishing team who helped you. My editor, Karen Grove, was fantastic, helping me make STAINED a stronger book, and everyone I worked with at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was lovely.

I think the book designer Liz Tardiff did an absolutely beautiful job. I love the purple dripping from the title on the cover–so fitting when Sarah has a purple port-wine stain on her cheek, and she feels stained by it and the way people judge her, as well as by the abduction and rape. I also love how easy it is to read the one-liner and my name on the cover. I really love the cover–it reminds me of Ellen Hopkins’ books–but I’d already seen the cover (in digital form). What I hadn’t seen and realized was how gorgeous the paper for the dust jacket is. It’s a lovely matte finish with a wonderful, almost grainy texture–a surprise and a delight to hold!

And then the end papers are a deep, rich purple–tying perfectly into the title (and into the port wine stain on Sarah’s cheek), and also the first line description on the inside flap, and my name and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s info on the back flap.

And then a nice surprise, to me, was to take off the dust jacket and see the title in that vivid, shiny purple, overlaid on top of black, along the spine.

I am so lucky to have a cover and a book design I love. I’m so happy! I had a lot of fun with the photos and STAINED; I hope you can tell. (grinning)

Here’s one of me reading STAINED. I know that books can save lives. Books helped save mine, and I still get reader letters every week from teens (and adults) telling me how SCARS helped save them. I hope that STAINED will also be a book that will save lives.

I didn’t used to be able to say or even feel that I was proud of myself…but I am, now. I know my books reach people who need it. I know I write emotional truths, break silences, and talk about abuse and trauma and healing, queer characters and strong girls and things that I care about deeply. I know I’m writing the books I needed as a teen and couldn’t find. So today–with the arrival of STAINED (out Oct 1st!) I feel proud.

Thank you for allowing me to share my excitement and happiness with you over STAINED. (smiling)

And (ahem) if you noticed the blue and orange fabric in the corner of my photos, that is a pair of Petal’s (my little dog’s) pjs. heh.

Playing For Social Change: A Better Place. A beautiful song for peace and equality.

I LOVE this collaborative song and message for peace and equality: A Better Place. It’s catchy and feel-good and beautiful. I wish more women were featured and for longer, and Canada, too–and I also wish they’d mentioned sexual orientation in the text as another way we should all be equal (or another form of oppression) and poverty (perhaps that’s caste?)–but it’s wonderful song and message. It made me feel good to watch; I hope it does you, too.

A Better Place from Playing For Change on Vimeo.

SCARS audiobook now available for pre-order!

SCARS audiobook is now available for pre-order! It releases Sept 1st–a month after STAINED releases. The SCARS audiobook is read by Emily Bauer. It’s a different cover than the original book, but it’s still the same book on the inside.

I’m looking forward to hearing how Emily reads it. I love being read to–to me it’s a treat, especially when the reader speaks with the emotion of the book and the characters.

How about you? Do you like being read to? Do you enjoy audiobooks? Or does it change how you hear a book?