Katherine Longshore's Blog, page 8

Friday Five -- Leah Bobet

One of the things about today's Friday Five author that comes across in everything she writes - her novel, her website, her interview questions - is also the one word she'd use to describe herself (see below).  It is my pleasure to introduce Leah Bobet, author of ABOVE, out now from Scholastic.


THE FIVE:


1.  What is the worst job you’ve done?

In the summer of 2003, there was a SARS outbreak in Toronto, and all the tourism jobs dried up, which meant all the people who normally worked tourism jobs snapped up all the retail and customer service jobs – which meant university students looking for summer work, like me, were entirely screwed.  I managed to land a job at a call centre – calling people who had shares in companies and getting their votes on company board elections and the like -- finally, in July.  I knew I wasn’t going to like it from the first day, but it paid $13 an hour, I had a $30 phone bill in my hand, and $15 left on my credit card -- never mind the question of saving up money for next year’s textbooks.  And so I worked it for the rest of the summer.

The job was seven hours in the evening, 4pm to 11pm – so no social life for Leah – sitting in the same chair at the same computer and the same grey-walled cubicle, going through calls as fast as you could.  There was half an hour for dinner, and no real time to talk to any of the students and new Canadians and young moms I was working with: you had ten or fifteen minutes, total, for bathroom breaks, and when you clicked your computer to the break setting, there was a literal timer that would count down.

I think that’s what made it the worst job I’ve ever worked, even though it wasn’t close to the dirtiest; the smelliest; the hardest, to be honest; or the one with the meanest people.  It was that timer.  It said right out that they had zero trust in you and you had zero integrity.  It made you want to pull complicated Ocean’s Eleven-style cons to get five minutes extra.

I learned two valuable things from that summer: that whenever someone’s doing something for you, you extend your trust and kindness to them right out, and they’ll try harder because of that; and to never, ever be nasty to a telemarketer.  They have enough to deal with.

2.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

I don’t know where this came from, or if it’s just an observation that went around my writing group at some point, but: “Writing is like everything else.”  Writing is like knitting because you’re making very complicated things out of very simple tools -- sticks and string – and it’s all in how you arrange it.  Writing is like building a house, because you need to make sure the characterization runs consistently through the story, like wiring, and the foundation is solid, and your plot doesn’t leak.  Writing is like doing a four-year university degree, because you (and I mean me) need the same skills – discipline, focus, the ability to push through when you don’t want to anymore – to finish either a degree or a novel.

I really like this one because it’s so flexible: it lets me use whatever metaphor I need to figure out the problem in front of me, whether it’s knitting, or rock-climbing, or building a house (I’d been watching a lot of Holmes on Homes that month).  But I also like it because of its literal meaning: Writing really is like everything else in the world.  It’s not better, and it’s not worse.  It’s a passion and a vocation and the best job ever, but other people also have passions and vocations and jobs that make them feel good about everything, and remembering that every day helps me keep a level head and appreciate all the other things going on in the world.

3.  What is your most treasured possession?

I have a battered old green suitcase, probably dating from the 1940s or so, that has my grandmother’s diaries: every single one from early 1950 to last year, when she died.  They’re one of two things she wanted me to have.  Mostly they’re not all that full of stories: to do lists, and appointments, and things like that.  But half the time they are, and having a book that talks about your mother being born, you being born, how she felt when my grandfather died is kind of amazing and humbling.

4.  What one word do you think describes you best?

Passionate.  I care about a lot of things – my friends, my city, poverty, politics, indie music, good food, good art, writing – and no matter what it is I’m focused on, I care about it a lot.  There is no half-assing anything in this corner of the world.

5.  What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned since becoming a writer?

That when a person wants something, really wants it, nothing’s going to stop them.  Because people who want things that much want them more than their own bad habits or attitudes, more than being able to say not succeeding is someone else’s fault, more than being comfortable and not taking a risk.  I grew myself up mostly because I wanted to be a professional author, and all my little immaturities, the parts of me that were a little bit petty?  They were in my way.  So they had to go.

People are kind of amazing machines sometimes.  It’s amazing what we’re capable of when we want something more than ourselves.

ABOUT ABOVE:


Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

Order ABOVE here!

ABOUT LEAH:

You can find Leah on her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.

What Are You Reading?

It's Labor Day.  The official end of summer. But that doesn't mean we have to put away our beach chairs and flip-flops (or even our white shoes and skirts, like my mother always insisted when we were kids).  And it doesn't mean we have to put away our fun summer reads, either.

Recently, I've been reading a huge variety of fabulous books, including, but not limited to:

SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE by Joanne Levy.  How can you lose with a title like that?  Smart, snappy, fun and utterly delightful.

TOKYO HEIST by Diana Renn.  This book combines some of my favorite things: art, travel, mystery and Seattle.  Fast-paced and ever so detailed, it makes me want to visit Japan and jump into a Van Gogh painting.

THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT by Veronica Rossi.  This book doesn't come out until January, but it will be worth the wait.  Brilliant sequel to Under the Never Sky, it continues Aria and Perry's story, deepening our connection with them and their world.  Amazing.

EVERY DAY by David Levithan.  This book is so unusual it almost defies description.  Philosophy and love story combine to make this an entertaining, inspiring and thought-provoking read.

THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray.  What can I say?  Libba + 1920's + ghosts + fabulous characters.  Did I mention it's set in the 1920's?  Did I mention I always wanted to be a flapper?  I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat, though, and had to skip a couple scenes.  Be warned - do not read this late at night!

MARY BOLEYN by Alison Weir.  I always have to throw a couple of historical biographies onto my TBR pile, and this one doesn't disappoint.  So little is known about Anne Boleyn's sister, it's like trying to puzzle through a mystery.

MEMO FROM THE STORY DEPARTMENT by Christopher Vogler and David McKenna.  I need to refresh myself on craft every day, and the advice and inspiration in this book help keep me going.

What have you been reading?  What have I missed?

Friday Five -- Nikki Loftin

Today's Friday Five features Nikki Loftin, author of THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY, published by Razorbill on August 21 (another Penguin sister!)  Nikki is also an Apocalypsies member and a delightful cheerleader of reading and writing.


THE FIVE:

1.  What is your earliest memory?


Weird. My earliest memory relates to books! I remember sitting in the loft part of a playhouse my dad had built for me behind the house we lived in until I was four. I had a book up there, and I was reading it (yes, I was one of those freaky three-year-old readers), and feeling like I was hidden from the whole world. I think I love that about books the most: the way you can escape utterly into a place where no one can find you. But where you can find yourself, if you spend long enough there.

2.  What would your super power be?

One hundred percent: FLYING. (I’ve actually spent quite a lot of time discussing this question with my sons, who are 9 and 12 years old.  Not sure why it comes up so often, but we’ve spent more than few car rides to school debating the pros and cons of different superpowers.)

3.  What keeps you awake at night?

Zombies. I mean, I’ve sort of learned to tune them out, but the constant scraping at my window, the moaning for “brains” at all hours, and the smell of rancid, rotting flesh? Potpourri can’t touch it. I gotta go with zombies on this one. If anyone can give me a great way to overcome my “inzombnia,” I’m all ears.

4.  What is your most treasured possession?

It’s hard to pick just one, as I discovered last year. We had a fire break out just across the street last year, though. Since we live in a rural, heavily wooded area, and that day had forty-mile-per-hour winds moving from the fire straight toward our house, we had to evacuate! I think it was: kids, then pets, then photo albums and musical instruments. Then the laptops and two enormous paintings I bought in New Mexico.

I know, I know. We could all have been burnt to a crisp, what with all that packing, if the fire had spread faster. But the fire department came and saved the day. Whew!

5.  What intrigues you?

Birdsongs. I’m not sure why.

Also, I love palindromes. My favorite short one is “rats live on no evil star.”

My favorite long one? “Doc, note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.”

ABOUT THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY:


When Lorelei's old school mysteriously burns down, a new one appears practically overnight: Splendid Academy. Rock-climbing walls on the playground and golden bowls of candy on every desk? Gourmet meals in the cafeteria, served by waiters? Optional homework and two recess periods a day? It's every kids's dream.

But Lorelei and her new friend Andrew are pretty sure it's too good to be true. Together they uncover a sinister mystery, one with their teacher, the beautiful Ms. Morrigan, at the very center.

Then Andrew disappears. Lorelei has to save him, even if that means facing a past she'd like to forget – and taking on a teacher who's a real witch.

What Lorelei and Andrew discover chills their bones – and might even pick them clean!

You can order SINISTER SWEETNESS here!

ABOUT NIKKI:
You can find Nikki at her website.And on Twitter.

Literary Weekend!

This past weekend, I met up with authors and book bloggers at the Palo Alto Litquake festival at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center.  The weather was gorgeous, the festival fun and free and casual and the conversation amazing (aren't they all when they're centered around books?)

I spoke as part of a panel with authors Corrine Jackson (IF I LIE), Veronica Rossi (UNDER THE NEVER SKY) and Talia Vance (SILVER), moderated by the amazing Pan Van Hylckama-Vlieg, known as Bookalicious Pam to the blogging world, but also a literary agent with Larsen Pomada.  We talked books and the publishing process, and answered the truly difficult questions like "If you went to Hogwarts, which house would the sorting hat put you in?" My answer? Hufflepuff. Because I'm kind of unsortable, and it's the place where people who haven't quite decided where their place is yet.  Veronica would be my roommate. :)

Talia Vance, Corrine Jackson, Veronica Rossi and me.
And no, we didn't color-coordinate on purpose!We were joined by some members of the amazing Northern California book blogging community and dinner afterwards included lively discussions of our favorite books...
Debbie (@DebWorldofBooks) Nancy (@RavenousReadr) Tara (@tarataterbeans)
Mindy (@bookluvrmindy) Jaime (@arnoldjaime13) and Pam (@BookaliciousPam)The most exciting part of the day was seeing all of our books together, being sold at the event by Books, Inc.  Corrine's isn't officially published until tomorrow, and Talia's will be in stores on September 8, but we got early pickings (and of course I had to buy both!)

Friday Five -- Suzanne Lazear

This week's author is another 2k12 Classmate, and I'm thrilled to get the chance to talk a little about her novel, INNOCENT DARKNESS, which was published by Flux on August 8.  Suzanne is an avid Steampunker, runs with bustles, invents cupcake cannons and lights up Twitter when she gets going on a topic.


THE FIVE:

1.  What would your super power be?

I’d want to be telekinetic. Or Fly. Yeah, flying would be awesome.

2.  What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?

I had a teacher tell me I’d never be an author.

3.  What is your guiltiest pleasure? 

Chocolate! I especially love the dark chocolate pistachio toffee from Trader Joes.

4.  What is the worst job you’ve done?

In Grad School I spend an entire summer stuffing envelopes while standing up for a reputable organization.  I was promised a stipend for the summer and never paid.  I actually did additional work for them in the fall because they told me if I did they could make sure I was paid.  I still was never paid. When I finally worked up the nerve to approach someone they called me a liar and sent their lawyer after me. It was awful.

5.  What keeps you awake at night?

Odd things – like did Werewolves live in the Wild West? What if only half the world died – would it still be an apocalypse?  Half the time these odd thoughts become stories.

ABOUT INNOCENT DARKNESS:

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from her home. The school slowly tries to strip Noli of everything that makes her who she is. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. The mysterious Kevighn Silver from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

ABOUT SUZANNE:

You can find Suzanne on her website.
On Twitter.
And on Facebook.

What Century Am I In?

Any of you who follow my blog or my tweets regularly know that I don't normally go on a political rant - no matter what issues are making headlines.  But there are just a few things that I can't let go.

I write about women in history.  About women who lived five hundred years ago.  A time when they were treated little better than possessions - and sometimes worse.  When women didn't have the right to choose anything - not a life-partner, not a career, not a leader and certainly not her reproductive options.    A time when any and all reproductive issues were blamed on the woman - the ability to get pregnant, the health and physical strength of the baby, even the sex of the child.  A time long before science caught up with reality.

Reading the news today, I felt transported back to another century.  Because science hasn't caught up with a man who claims that a woman's body can "shut down" and "not get pregnant" if she is attacked. And humanity hasn't caught up with the emotional, reproductive and legal rights of a victim of rape.

Today, in the United States of the 21st Century, women have rights.  We have rights to choose our careers - we can be teachers, doctors, governors, Navy SEALs.  We can choose our life-partners, and we can choose which gender we prefer to become our life partners.  In many states, we have control over our reproductive options.  And we have the right to choose our leaders, and the right to demand that they respect our choices.

We have an election coming up, my friends.  I loathe the runup to November in election years.  I'm pretty good at hiding my head in the sand.  I can't access television programming in my house.  But I vote.  In every election.

One hundred years ago, three states granted women suffrage.  The rest of the world caught up eventually.  Choices are what make us human.  Our "ladder to the stars" as Mumford & Sons say.  Don't you think we ought to exercise that?  We have a voice, unlike the women in Tudor times.  That's something to celebrate.

For more information on what inspired this post, take a look at today's BBC News article on Todd Akins.

And check out Kami Kinard's blog for a fabulous post on women in politics and women voting.

Friday Five -- Kristen-Paige Madonia

I'm very excited about this week's Friday Five!  Kristen-Paige Madonia is an award-winning writer, a creative writing teacher and has published several pieces of short fiction, but FINGERPRINTS OF YOU (published by Simon and Schuster on August 7th)  is her first novel.  She is a sister Apocalypsies author, and I'm delighted to have her on the blog today.

THE FIVE:

1.  What is your most treasured possession?

My photo albums from my childhood - I still keep them at my father’s home where I grew up, but whenever I’m there I always make time to sift through them. There’s one set in particular, a group of scrapbooks that my mother put together as a gift when I graduated from high school, that are especially important to me.


2.  What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Having Fingerprints of You published is by far my greatest achievement so far. I began the novel in 2008 and sold it to Simon & Schuster BFYR in 2010, and to know that it exists in the world, to be able to talk with readers about the book, well there’s just nothing like it.

3.  If you could edit your past, what would you change?

In terms of my writing life, if I could give my younger self a piece of advice, I would suggest worrying less about what’s to come and focusing more on the now. It’s so easy to get bogged down by the rejections and by wanting the successes to happen more quickly, to always be looking at what comes next versus enjoying what’s happening in the present. I’d slow down, celebrate the small successes more often, and worry less about the things I still hope to achieve. Less stress and more celebrating starting back when I first got into grad school for creative writing, that’s how I’d edit the past.

4.  What one word do you think describes you best?

Stubborn. I’m a Taurus, and while I’m not argumentative, I never give up on something once I’ve set my mind to it. I think being stubborn is a job requirement for being a writer. Truly successful authors have an element of raw talent, of course, but you also have to be persistent in studying the craft. And relentless in terms of sticking with it. So many people will tell you “no” during the process of publishing short stories, of looking for an agent, and of finding the right editor, but if you’re stubborn enough you’ll eventually find the person that tells you “yes”.

5.  Who are your writing heroes?

This is an easy one – Judy Blume. One-hundred percent. Not only is she an incredible author, she’s revolutionized the writing world in terms of her fight against censorship. As one of the country’s most prolific and most frequently banned authors, I’ve always been in awe of her dedication to advocating the first amendment. I love her books, no questions asked, but more importantly I love her passion for the art of writing and the importance of freedom of speech. She’s written more books than I can count, and just this year she co-wrote her first screenplay based on her novel Tiger Eyes. She works vigorously on her art form but makes time to contribute to a wide variety of organizations such as the Author’s Guild, SCBWI, and the National Coalition Against Censorship. I hope one day I can give back to the literary community in the same way she has, not only through my creative work, but through my involvement organizations such as the ones that she supports.

ABOUT FINGERPRINTS OF YOU:
Seventeen year old Lemon Williams has spent her life buried in the shadow of her free-spirited mother, Stella, and Lemon’s childhood has been spent on the move – dodging disasters and mastering the art of packing up apartments, of being the new kid, and of leaving the past behind. But when Lemon begins her senior year at another new school, she realizes she’s taken an inescapable part of their last life with them: She’s pregnant. In an attempt to fill in the gaps of her history and to avoid repeating Stella’s mistakes, she decides she must set things right by going in search of her father, a man she’s never met. As new life grows inside her, Lemon boards a Greyhound bus and heads west to San Francisco in hopes of freeing herself from her childhood mishaps and discovering the true meaning of family.
You can order FINGERPRINTS OF YOU here!
ABOUT KRISTEN-PAIGE:
You can find Kristen-Paige on her website.And on Twitter.

Upcoming Events!

On August 28, I will be speaking with a panel of YA authors (Veronica Rossi, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, Talia Vance, SILVER and Corrine Jackson, IF I LIE)  for the Palo Alto Litquake festival.   We will be talking about genre and writing and answering questions.  Books will be for sale courtesy of Books, Inc. (including early copies of SILVER and IF I LIE!)  Stop by and like the Facebook page for updates of the event.

The four of us will be speaking again on September 29 at 2pm at Bay Books in San Ramon.  This event will be relaxed and intimate - a real chance to get to know us better!

On October 25 and 26, I will be speaking with the YA Muses (Veronica Rossi, Talia Vance, Bret Ballou and Donna Cooner, author of SKINNY) at the Your Best Book workshop in Charlotte, NC.  We hope to do a bookstore event in Charlotte, too, so stay tuned!

On November 15, I will be at Book Passage in Corte Madera, launching the anthology DEAR TEEN ME with authors E. Kristin Anderson, Marke Bieschke, Stacey Jay, Mike Jung, Katherine Longshore, Erika Stalder and Mariko Tamaki.  We will be speaking briefly about our essays and our other books.

Hope to see you soon!

Friday Five -- Heather Anastasiu

This week's Five features my Apocalypsies sibling Heather Anastasiu, author of GLITCH, just published by St. Martin's Press this week.  Heather is funny and honest and a fabulous person to know online - I hope one day to be able to meet her in person!

THE FIVE:

1.  What would your super power be?

Super endurance. As a person with a debilitating chronic illness, I can’t imagine anything better than being indefatigable.

2.  Who would play you in the film of your life?

Kate Winslet. She’s spunky, passionate, and often has fabulous hair.

3.  What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned since becoming a writer?

I think the most surprising thing was that the book deal was only the beginning of the journey as a writer. Before that, I’d always imagined it as the end goal. Even though I’d been writing and facing tons of rejection for years, the actual work of writing became more difficult and intense after the book deal. But it’s also so much more worth it because my writing continues to get better and better.

4.  What other profession would you like to learn?

I’d definitely love to become a professor. I love the academic atmosphere where people are passionate about continuous learning.

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

Butt in chair! You’ll never get anywhere as a writer unless you can develop that basic discipline of getting your but in that chair and writing regularly.

ABOUT GLITCH:


Zoe lives in a world free of pain and war. Like all members of the Community, a small implanted chip protects her from the destructive emotions that destroyed the Old World. Until her hardware starts to glitch.
Zoe begins to develop her own thoughts and feelings, but nothing could be more dangerous in a place where malfunctions can get you killed. And she has another secret she must conceal at all costs: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As she struggles to keep her burgeoning powers hidden, she finds other glitchers with abilities like hers, and together they plot to escape. But the more she learns about beauty, joy, and love, the more Zoe has to lose if they fail. With danger lurking around every corner, she’ll have to decide just how much she’s willing to risk to be free.
You can order a copy of GLITCH here!
ABOUT HEATHER:
You can find Heather on her website.On Twitter.

Radio Silence

Have any of you watched Apollo 13?  Or do you know anything about NASA and the space program?  I have to admit that most of what I know comes from the movie.  Remember when the moon capsule is coming back to earth?  It enters the earth’s atmosphere and starts to heat up pretty quick. And then….silence.  Houston loses contact.

This, apparently, is normal.  Something about the heat or the atmosphere or the rate at which they’re traveling.  And it’s supposed to last for about three minutes.  Three minutes of not knowing where they are or how they are or when – or if – they’re going to land.  Radio silence.

I recently experienced something like this.  Perhaps the modern equivalent.  I’ve been struggling to finish the revisions for Book 2 – in part because I’m a perfectionist and in part because there has been a lot in my life conspiring to take up all my time.  And in part because the modern world offers a huge amount in the way of procrastination.

So I checked out.  Traveled up into the mountains to a little cabin with no phone, no Internet and no cell coverage.  It’s not quite as isolated as it sounds – there are neighbors on either side, close enough to shout.  And a tiny little town 10 miles away where I could get Wifi at The Saloon and cheap wine at the market.

I wrote.  I revised.  I revised again.  I chose the right words and then double-checked that they fit.  I lay down on the floor and thought about my characters.  I went out into the cricket-filled night and watched the stars and listened to the river and let the subtleties of the story come to me in the still night air.

Radio silence.

Sometimes I felt like I was missing something.  I would have loved to send an e-mail to writer friends to hear how their writing lives were going – sometimes this process is so lonely it hurts and you feel you’re the only one in the world lying there on the floor watching the ceiling fan spin.  And it’s nice to hear someone else say, “This first draft is killing me.” Or “I love my revision, but can you just take a look at this scene?”  It’s nice to see what people are talking about on Twitter.  Or to find out if someone tried to message me on Facebook.  Or just to hear my husband’s voice on the other end of the phone.

Honestly, though, I’m glad I didn’t get that.  I’m glad I stayed in the silence.  For three days.  Until Book 2 was done.

What would you do if you encountered radio silence?  Relax?  Go crazy?  Drive down to The Saloon twice a day?  More?  Revise?  Listen to the crickets?