Katherine Longshore's Blog, page 10

GILT playlist - The End

Everyone knows how Cat Howard's story end - or anyone with access to Wikipedia does.  But what about Kitty Tylney?  That, my friends, is a little more mysterious, and has to be left up to the imagination.  Not wanting to be too spoilery, but that last phrase is key.  Imagination is important.
However, so is this week's playlist song - Quelqu-un ma dit, by Carla Bruni.  Now, I don't go around listening to French music very often (I did, however, take four years of French in high school.  Totally useless, except for one trip to France straight out of college, when the ticketmaster at the Lyons train station looked at me after I used my best schoolgirl French to purchase tickets to Bordeaux and said, "Excuse me, but I do not understand English." Hmph.)  And I haven't put this song in here to appear more worldly-wise or cosmopolitan than I am (which is to say, not very.)  But I did see the movie 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, and the simple beauty of this song moved me.  And when I really listened to it, so did the lyrics, at least what little I could understand.  (There are ways to find the lyrics - and the translation - online, but I chose to come to my own conclusions).




My own version, based on what I heard, translated the chorus this way:

Someone told me that you loved me still....


It is possible, then.


Love opens up a whole realm of possibilities, does it not?  I chose to imagine that it does for Kitty, too.

Friday Five -- Diana Renn

I am very excited to introduce to you this week's Friday Five interviewee - Diana Renn, author of TOKYO HEIST, a new YA mystery/adventure published by Viking a couple of weeks ago.  I met Diana online through the Apocalypsies, and we quickly bonded as pub sisters.  She has an artistic eye, a vibrant imagination, and is a taiko drummer.  How cool is that?


THE FIVE:


1. What is your earliest memory?


My earliest memories all seem to involve books. Building houses out of my parents’ books. Sleeping with library books. Making my own little illustrated volumes. My uncle was a printer, and always kept me well-stocked with paper, all kinds of cast-off bits which I felt compelled to turn into books. I was a self-publishing force to be reckoned with by age five, churning out little illustrated chapbooks and foisting them upon anyone who crossed my path. The earliest had incredibly didactic titles, like “Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!” and “Time to Clean Up!” (Now, as a parent of a preschooler, maybe I’d actually find them useful – I think I’ll revisit them!)


2.  What would your super power be?


My super power would be similar to one imagined by Violet, the main character in Tokyo Heist. Violet is writing and drawing a graphic novel, and she invents an alter ego, Kimono Girl, a superhero who can fly into works of art. Inside the art, Kimono Girl can fully investigate the world of the painting, or spy on the outside world. I’d love to slip into art and books like that. Poke around for awhile. Though it might be hard not to tamper with anything.


3.  What single thing would improve the quality of your life?


Other than more hours in the day? A personal assistant. I am currently drowning in paper, correspondence, household errands, etc. I constantly feel stretched in many different directions. (Don’t we all?)


4.  Who are your writing heroes?


Anyone who balances writing with parenting and/or a day job and gets stuff done, whether they are published or not. I’m an avid follower of my friend Pat’s interview series called The Juggler Interviews. He does these in-depth interviews with people who juggle creative careers with family life and other demands. Many of them are playwrights and screenwriters, and have travel pressures on top of everything else. I’m humbled and inspired every time I read those interviews.


5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?


It’s one word. Believe. I write it on a post-it whenever I start a writing session. That single word reminds me to believe that I’ll get something done, even if it feels impossible. It also reminds me to believe in what I’m writing, and to trust the writing process. There’s work in the writing, for sure, but there’s a little magic in it. Here’s some uncanny proof. Last summer, while revising Tokyo Heist for my publisher, I decided I wanted the book to make the Indie Kids’ Next List. I read that seasonal list faithfully and love the bookseller recommendations. I crossed out “Summer 11” and replaced it with “12,” for 2012. And I knew making that list was a longshot – so many factors you cannot control -- but I wrote one word on that masthead. Believe. Astoundingly, my book did make the Indie Kids’ Next List for Summer 2012! That is one powerful word.

ABOUT TOKYO HEIST:


When sixteen-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she's walking into. Her father’s newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger -- including Violet's and her father's.

Violet’s search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery thickens, Violet’s not sure whom she can trust. But she knows one thing: she has to solve the mystery -- before it’s too late.

You can order TOKYO HEIST here!

ABOUT DIANA:

You can find Diana on her website.
On the blog Sleuths Spies and Alibis.
On Twitter.
And on Facebook.

It's the End of the World...

As we know it.  And you can tell, because I have allowed myself to be videoed.  While singing.  I blame the Apocalypsies....

Friday Five -- Marissa Burt

Marissa Burt is a sister member of the 2012 debut collective called the Apocalypsies.  I only know Marissa online, but I know her to be kind and generous with her words and a keen supporter of other authors!  Her middle grade novel, STORYBOUND, was published by Harper Collins in April.


THE FIVE:


1.  Who are your real-life heroes?

My real-life heroes are always those people who demonstrate exemplary courage.  I’ve recently been reading about the life of William Wilberforce, the famous abolitionist, and I so respect people like him who weren’t daunted by the magnitude of the societal ills around them.  He could have been dissuaded by his own smallness; instead, he gave everything he had to the fight for justice.  Lately, I’m learning more about modern day slavery and human trafficking, and I just read a story of a woman who quit her job in her thirties and ended up establishing an orphanage in war-torn Sudan.  That combination of bravery and compassion is stunning.

2.  What intrigues you?

People’s stories.  Love of story is what makes me a book-lover and a fiction-writer, but I also find the accounts of real-life experiences to be captivating.  Biographies.  The quiet chapters of well-lived lives.  Dramatic, unbelievable, true tales.  All of it.  So intriguing.  

3.  What other profession would you like to learn?

I would love to be involved in the theatre.  I’ve done a few community theatre productions – both as an actor and as a backstage helper – and I loved my experiences!  I think this has to do with my obsession for living out the imaginary worlds I so love, and there’s something magical about the vitality and energy of creative people on stage.

4.  What profession would you never, ever want to have?

Tough question!  I would have to say anything to do with heights.  Whenever I see footage of people hanging from harnesses, washing skyscraper windows or operating cranes on towering structures, everything gets all tingly.  I’ll keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, thanks!

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

Just do it. We all have our tricks for encouraging creativity or brainstorming plot ideas, but the reality is that one’s capacity to write is directly related to the ability to sit down and crank the words out.  The surest way to writer’s block is to wait for the muse to strike.  Instead, I’ve found that forcing out those first few sentences – as horrible as they seem at the time – is the only sure way to a productive writing session.

ABOUT STORYBOUND:


When Una Fairchild stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, she thinks nothing of opening the cover and diving in. But instead of paging through a regular novel, Una suddenly finds herself Written In to the land of Story—a world filled with Heroes and Villains and fairy-tale characters.

But not everything in Story is as magical as it seems. Una must figure out why she has been Written In—and fast—before anyone else discovers her secret. Together with her new friend Peter and a talking cat named Sam, Una digs deep into Story's shadowy past. She quickly realizes that she is tied to the world in ways she never could have imagined—and it might be up to her to save it.

You can order STORYBOUND here.

ABOUT MARISSA:

You can find Marissa

On her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.

The Next One

A few days ago, I wrote a post asking for topic suggestions and readers came back with some very intriguing ideas!  But one has been echoed by Facebook messages, Twitter replies and interview questions, so I thought I'd address it here.

Anonymous commented: I want to know what your next book will be about!


Well, let me tell you, I am dying to talk about it.  I wrote the first draft of Book 2 last summer and fall, and struggled with it.  I think most published writers talk about the dreaded Sophomore book, the Book 2 curse, the horrible fear of being a one-hit wonder.

I was terrified that GILT was a fluke.  That I didn't know how to write a book.  That my agent and editor were deluded.  That I would let everyone down - agent, editor, myself, and (worst of all) readers.

But I wrote it.  And that first draft was not pretty.

However, I loved my character from the very beginning.  My husband teases me when I tell people this, but her voice just came to me. (Oh, so now you're hearing voices?)  It was a six-hour drive to see my family, everything was quiet in the car, the road curved around a river and bam!  The book started.  This girl was funny.  Snarky.  Self-assured but vulnerable.  So different from Kitty in GILT.  It was her voice that carried me through the first draft.  And her voice that made me able to sustain the revisions.

I have a couple of revisions left to go (a novel's path to publication is a long process!), so I am not yet ready to talk about this character.  I know I sound cagey, and I'd rather not be.  But I want to retain the freedom of writing this character without other voices intruding.  Without comments or suggestions.

Writing historical fiction based on real people naturally invites opposing opinions - we don't know what these people were really like!  This is what makes them so much fun to read and write about!  And I love it when people question my take on an historical character - was Catherine Howard really such a manipulative cow?  Was Katherine Tylney really so loyal? Because I don't know!  These are real people, but my characters are fictional!  I'm just not ready to face these questions yet about Book 2.  I need the book to be complete, to put the character to rest, and then I'll tell you all about it.

Promise.

Friday Five -- Joanne Levy

Joanne Levy is the author of SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE (quite possibly the best title of the year for a middle grade novel) and a Class of 2k12 sibling.  I have the great pleasure of being able to hear her wisdom and humor almost daily through 2k12 e-mails and I'm delighted to be able to share her here.


THE FIVE:

1.  What is your guiltiest pleasure? 
I have two – one reading and one food. Let’s start with the reading: J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books. They are SUCH a guilty pleasure because they’re kind of cheesy (hello, laughable character names, gratuitous product placements and really bad urban-speak) but they are very, very addictive. Seriously. They are like Crahck (if you’ve read them, you get that spelling joke) and I’ve read them more times than I care to admit. But they are my go-to comfort reads when I’m tired and worn out and just want to go to a happy place.  And now, my food guilty pleasure. Um, it is SO GROSS, that I am embarrassed to tell you, but I will, because I really like you and you deserve an honest answer. Okay, here goes: when my mom (a bona fide Jewish Grandmother, who is an AMAZING cook) makes soup, she always throws in some soup bones to make for a richer broth. When we were kids, our favorite thing was to get the bones from the cooked soup and scoop out the bone marrow and spread it onto bread like butter. OMG, it’s so good, but truly one of those disgusting things that you’re kind of ashamed of as a grown-up. But would still do, given the opportunity *calling Mom right now to beg her to make soup*.


2.  Who would play you in the film of your life?
Amy Adams - I think we even have the same nose and the red hair is a no brainer. And how cute is she, right?

3.  If you could edit your past, what would you change?
Probably nothing—every experience, even the stupid mistakes I’ve made or the times when it seemed like the universe was pooping on me, have made me who I am today, and I’m pretty okay with that.

4.  What one word do you think describes you best?
Funny. I hope. Oh, man, now I’m not sure. Can I change my answer? If so, please change it to ‘self-assured’. Thanks!

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?
Just Do It. Get your butt in the chair and start writing, because you can’t edit a blank page.

ABOUT SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE:

From Goodreads: After she’s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel.

You can pre-order SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE here.

ABOUT JOANNE:

You can find Joanne at her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.
And on Goodreads.

Summer Slump

Did any of you ever go to summer school?  I took Home Ec. when I was about twelve, and then squeezed in my economics requirement in college during a torturous six weeks about which the only thing I can remember is that the teacher in the next room always had a pot of coffee going and didn't mind if I raided it.

I think I become brain dead in summer.  Something about the sunshine.  The long days.  The desire for everything to slow down a little.  This year, however, I'm trying to crank out a first draft of Book 3, so that languidness just can't happen.  But it is, with the blog.

I have no idea what to write about.  I'm going to keep up the Friday Five as best I can, because I love talking to other authors.  But other than that, my well is depleted.  So I'm taking the question to you:

What do you want to know?


Anything I haven't covered?  Details about GILT?  Tudor gossip?  My latest historical obsession?  Anything?  Let me know, and I'll pull myself up my my elastic summer bootstraps and see what I can do!

Friday Four!

It's Friday and I don't have a Friday Five!  Forgive me, my friends, and let me offer instead a Friday Four.

As some of you know, I'm spending this weekend touring with some of the Stages on Pages authors, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Gretchen McNeil, Elise Allen and Kim Culbertson.  Can I just say here that these ladies are amazing?  They come from a variety of backgrounds and a variety of locations, but the one thing they all have in common is a love of the arts and a love of writing.  We spend our evenings talking books and theater, dance and music, art and life with teenagers, retirees, booksellers, librarians and anyone else who will join us, and it is always inspiring and always delightful.

THE FOUR:

Stasia Ward Kehoe is the author of AUDITION, a novel in verse about a ballerina from a small town who is chosen as a scholarship student to a big-city ballet school.  Gorgeous writing.  Amazing characters.  And Stasia is an absolute dream to know as a person.

Gretchen McNeil is the author of POSSESS, the story of a teen exorcist in San Francisco.  I have had to stop reading this book at least five times now because it scares the pee out of me.  But I'm determined to finish.  Her new novel, TEN, will be out in September, and is a retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - ten teens stuck on an island with a serial killer.  Chilling.

Elise Allen is the author of POPULAZZI and co-author with Hilary Duff for the Elixir series.  POPULAZZI is the story of a girl navigating her way through a new school during her junior year with the help of the best friend she had to leave behind.  Her friend's advice?  Climb The Ladder and become the most popular girl in school.

Kim Culbertson is the author of INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BROKEN HEART and SONGS FROM A TEENAGE NOMAD.  I've only read Instructions, and loved the account of a girl on school trip to Italy, learning to heal after the betrayal of her boyfriend (who happens to be on the trip as well. With his new girlfriend.)  Amazing prose, and Kim deftly shows the transformation of girl to artist through the visions of Italy.

These are four to watch out for, my friends.  And if you ever hear they're speaking near you (with or without me!), make the trip.  It's worth it.

Stages on Pages Tour!

The amazing authors of the Stages on Pages tour have invited me along for their Northern California events!  There will be readings and giveaways and possibly song and dance (though probably not from me!)  I'm honored and humbled to be included in such talented company.  If you are anywhere near the following venues, please make the journey to come and see them (I mean us!) and say hello.

Wednesday, MAY 30 from 3:30-5 PM
Belmont Library
1110 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA
Elise Allen, Stasia Kehoe, Katherine Longshore & Gretchen McNeil
*Win a bundle of novels by Stages on Pages authors*


Thursday, MAY 31 at 6:30 PM
Center for the Arts, Grass Valley, CA
in conjunction with The Bookseller
Elise Allen, Kim Culbertson, Stasia Kehoe, Katherine Longshore & Gretchen McNeil
*In a lovely theater space, these authors may not just read, they may dance...and sing (hear that, opera buffs?)*

Friday, JUNE 1 at 7:00 PM
Towne Center Books, Pleasanton, CA
Elisa Allen, Stasia Kehoe, Katherine Longshore & Gretchen McNeil
*Attention aspiring writers: We'll be meeting up for dinner and spilling secrets about the writing biz (keep watching our Facebook Page for 5 pm restaurant details)*

Saturday, JUNE 2 at 11:00 AM
Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
Elise Allen, Kim Culbertson, Stasia Kehoe, Katherine Longshore & Gretchen McNeil
*Get ready to put the authors ON THE SPOT and WIN books, swag, and even a 20-page manuscript critique!*

Friday Five -- Mike Jung

 Mike Jung is a fellow Apocalypsies author and northern Californian, as well as the author of GEEKS, GIRLS AND SECRET IDENTITIES, coming from Scholastic on October 1, as well as a contributor to DEAR TEEN ME, an anthology of letters from authors to their teen selves (coming November 1 from Zest Books).  I had the distinct pleasure of meeting him at my local SCBWI conference this spring, and look forward to the next time!
THE FIVE:
1.  What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
The obvious answer is “a giant pile of money,” but would that really improve the quality of my life? The truly meaningful things in my life have nothing to do with money, but are all about people, emotional experiences, creative exploration, internal reflection, etc. Sure, I’d love to be able to support my friends and colleagues in the industry by buying more books.  Yes, my broken-down subcompact car isn’t meeting my transportation needs in the most effortless way. All right, I’d give my left arm for a personal office devoted entirely to my writing career.
Does that really mean a giant pile of money would improve the quality of my life. YES, obviously. But that makes me sound like such a materialistic chowderhead! So instead of “a big pile of money” I’m gonna say a complete set of All-Clad cookware. The heat distribution in those pans is flipping amazing. They’re really expensive, though – buying a full set means spending a giant pile of mon—huh. Wait a minute…
2.  What is your guiltiest pleasure? 
For years I tried to up my quotient of hipster music snobbery, which introduced me to some really great music but was toxic for my intellectual and emotional health. One person’s guilty pleasure is another person’s cultural touchstone, so who am I to say what’s universally good or bad? I haven’t entirely shaken those attitudes, unfortunately, but a number of years ago I heard about Richard Thompson’s 1000 Years of Music tour. In the course of a single show he plays every kind of music under the sun, including “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears, and apparently he does it straight, no irony, no mockery, no sarcasm. So, following his example, I’ll profess my fondness for Avril Lavigne’s breakout hit, “Complicated.” I love that song. I might learn to play it just so I can record myself performing it for a vlog post.
3.  What is the worst job you’ve done?
A couple of buddies and I spent one desolate summer working on the assembly line in a Worcestershire sauce factory. We’d empty crates of garlic onto a table, sort through them for assorted garbage (of which there was quite a variety – pens! Already-chewed gum! An entire pack of cigarettes!), push the garlic into the hopper of a huge industrial garlic press, cap the resulting barrels of garlic juice, and roll the barrels into a storage room. The smell was incredible - I’d drive home with the windows rolled all the way down, leave my shoes outside, and stuff my work clothes into a sealed plastic bag until laundry day. On the plus side, none of us were attacked by vampires that summer.
4.  What one word do you think describes you best?
Hmm. That’s a tough one…I’d say “creative,” but geez, that makes me sound a lot more together and self-assured than I actually am. I could also say “expressive,” but aaargh, that doesn’t capture the complexity of it all! I’m profoundly introverted, but is that THE word? How about conflicted? Self-contradictory? Indecisive?
5. What is your favorite word?
I’ve always had a fondness for “defenestration.” “Hornswoggle” is another good one, and I’ve made liberal use of “troglodyte” in my Facebook status updates. “Gobsmacked” also has its own peculiar kind of aesthetic appeal, as does “fisticuffs.”
ABOUT GEEKS, GIRLS AND SECRET IDENTITIES:
Vincent Wu is Captain Stupendous’s No. 1 Fan, but even he has to admit that Captain Stupendous has been a little off lately. During Professor Mayhem’s latest attack, Captain Stupendous barely made it out alive – although he did manage to save Vincent from a giant monster robot. It’s Vincent’s dream come true… until he finds out Captain Stupendous’s secret identity: It’s Polly Winnicott-Lee, the girl Vincent happens to have a crush on.
Captain Stupendous’s powers were recently transferred to Polly in a fluke accident, and so while she has all of his super strength and super speed, she doesn’t know how to use them, and she definitely doesn’t know all the strengths and weaknesses of his many nemeses. But Vincent and his friends are just the right fan club to train up their favorite superhero before he (she?) has to face Professor Mayhem again. And if they make it through this battle for the safety of Copperplate City, Vincent might just get up the courage to ask Polly on a date.
You can preorder GEEKS here.
ABOUT MIKE:
You want to follow him on Twitter.Mike's Facebook page.Mike's blog.