S.P. Sipal's Blog, page 11

Is Modesty Barebone a Witch in Hiding? Day 1 of the 12 Days of #FantasticBeasts

On the first day of Fantastic Beasts, my true love said to me... Look! A witch in hiding!

Today we start the 12 Days of Fantastic Beasts ! To celebrate, I'm sharing with you one of my character analyses from Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts (releasing this week!): Modesty Barebone.

SPOILERS ABOUND! DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE MOVIE OR READ THE SCRIPT BOOK!


Doxy artwork by Kayla Perkinson
Now, for those of you eager to start delving into the secrets of JK Rowling's newest work, here are a few thoughts on Modesty Barebone:

From Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts

At eight, Modesty is the youngest of the adopted Barebone children. We have no idea how long ago she joined the family, but as Credence informs us, she still misses her eleven brothers and sisters. Perhaps this is why she, above the older Chastity and Credence, shows more spirit and rebels against Mary Lou. You have to cheer when she throws her Second Salemer leaflets into the air in glee, despite Chastity’s warnings.

The biggest hint of something more going on with Modesty comes when Credence sneaks into her bedroom, believing her to be the Obscurus.

A single bed, an oil lamp, a sampler on the wall: AN ALPHABET OF SIN. Modesty’s dolls lined up on a shelf. One with a little noose around its neck, another tied to a stake.
(p. 201).

It’s a bleak room, witness to a bleak childhood. No wonder in her fantasies, magic would seem a wondrous gift rather than the abomination her Ma makes it to be. Perhaps that’s why she hid away the toy wand Credence finds.

In the confrontation that follows, while we know it is Credence who kills Mary Lou as the Obscurus, it appears to be Modesty who snatches the belt out of her hands with magic. Modesty who makes the belt slither out of her reach like a snake. And Modesty who looks back at her mother with defiance.

For Modesty is the defiant one. Defiantly she sought to protect her older brother against the foul Senator. Afraid and upset when their mother beats him, Modesty showed love in protecting her older brother from the woman who was supposed to love and nurture him.

It seems Mary Lou has been forming her family from the children of witches and wizards in order to squash the magic out of them. If the hint of magic in Modesty is real, I believe she will play a key role in saving Credence before series end.

One question regarding Modesty—where did she get the wand from? Was it really a toy, or was it given her as a nod of encouragement from an interested party?

I have more on Modesty in other sections of my clue book and will discuss the chant she hopscotches to tomorrow. Be sure to come back!

What are your thoughts on Modesty? Please share any thoughts about the movie as a whole or Modesty in particular below!
Join the Celebration:
I'm celebrating the 12 Days of Fantastic Beasts with clues and insight released every day and spoilery forums for all! To help spread the word, my publisher, Deep River Press, is offering some special incentives. If you're a blogger or active on any social media platform and would like to participate, drop me a note in the comments or email me at SPSIPAL AT gmail DOT com.

About the Book: Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts
Explore JK Rowling's secrets, one clue at a time!

Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts is THE guide for all Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them fans eager to experience anew the excitement of of finding clues and sharing speculation, just like they enjoyed during the height of the Harry Potter series. New fans will be amazed at the secrets lurking underneath the surface of Rowling's newest film. Diving deeply into the story's mysteries, S.P. Sipal offers a detailed analysis of the analogies, myths, and clues JK Rowling hid on screen and on page to charm her fans once again.

Discover and explore such questions as:
Is there an Animagi hidden in the story?Why will there be FIVE movies?What secret is Modesty hiding?Did Frank wipe out ALL the memories from that fateful night?And was Grindelwald already in possession of the Elder Wand?
S.P. Sipal has analyzed the mysteries behind the Harry Potter series for over a dozen years. A sought-after presenter at fan, writing, and academic conferences both at home and abroad, her books have also delighted writers, teachers, and fans alike. Now she turns her expert attention to investigating the beginning of Rowling's exciting new series. Join her as she prepares you to dig into the layers of subtext yourself to claim what treasures await...before the Niffler beats you to it!

Preorder the Book Now:Until December 16, you can pre-order the book at DeepRiver.press. After the 16th, it will be available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts Announced!

Help me celebrate my NEWS!
Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic BeastsI have a new book coming out that I hope you will be as exited about as I am. FANTASTIC SECRETS BEHIND FANTASTIC BEASTS is expected to release December 16, just in time for the holidays! This guide to the analogies, myths, and clues Rowling hid in her series covers all the secrets and mysteries hidden within this first film and speculates as to what's to come.

Calling all Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter fans!
Starting this Sunday, December 11, I'll be hosting a 12 Days of Fantastic Beasts Celebration with clues and insight released every day and spoilery forums for all! To help spread the word, my publisher, Deep River Press, is offering some special incentives. If you're a blogger or active on any social media platform and would like to participate, drop me a note in the comments or email me at SPSIPAL AT gmail DOT com. We'll only be taking 12 people or fansites. So let me know ASAP if you'd like to be a part.

About the Book:
Explore JK Rowling's secrets, one clue at a time!

Fantastic Secrets Behind Fantastic Beasts is THE guide for all Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them fans eager to experience anew the excitement of of finding clues and sharing speculation, just like they enjoyed during the height of the Harry Potter series. New fans will be amazed at the secrets lurking underneath the surface of Rowling's newest film. Diving deeply into the story's mysteries, S.P. Sipal offers a detailed analysis of the analogies, myths, and clues JK Rowling hid on screen and on page to charm her fans once again.

Discover and explore such questions as:
Is there an Animagi hidden in the story?Why will there be FIVE movies?What secrets is Modesty hiding?Did Frank wipe out ALL the memories from that fateful night?And was Grindelwald already in possession of the Elder Wand?
S.P. Sipal has analyzed the mysteries behind the Harry Potter series for over a dozen years. A sought-after presenter at fan, writing, and academic conferences both at home and abroad, her books have also delighted writers, teachers, and fans alike. Now she turns her expert attention to investigating the beginning of Rowling's exciting new series. Join her as she prepares you to dig into the layers of subtext yourself to claim what treasures await...before the Niffler beats you to it!

Preorder the Book Now:Until December 16, you can pre-order the book at DeepRiver.press. After the 16th, it will be available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Teaching Harry Potter to Creative Writers Released!

Teaching Harry Potter to Creative Writers
I'm thrilled to announce my newest release from Deep River Press. Based on the Fifth Anniversary edition of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter , I have partnered with co-author Dalton Perkinson to create Teaching Harry Potter to Creative Writers: An Educator's Guide . It is our aim with this new book to help teachers of creative writing struggling with engaging their students to better help them channel their creativity to empower their own voice through storytelling.

“There are countless books about good writing, but few that peel back the curtain on what makes a book beloved. TEACHING HARRY POTTER TO CREATIVE WRITERS is a treasure trove for writers and teachers alike, filled with nuggets of insight into the characters, world, and techniques J.K. Rowling used to work her magic.”-- Martina Boone, award-winning author of COMPULSION and the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy.

Dalton is a linguistics teacher who has for many years helped students communicate more effectively. Our Teachers Guide couples his skill of engaging students in the classroom with my experience of teaching creative writers how to use techniques learned from studying JK Rowling to empower their own stories with Harry Potter as our text.

We will be celebrating the release of our book in conjunction with the release of JK Rowling's newest story and film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . You can get both books at our release event at Stone's Education Superstore in Raleigh, NC this Friday, November 18, starting at 4 pm. Teachers are eligible to receive a 25% discount for this Friday only. Email me at SPSipal AT gmail.com for more details!

Check out our Facebook Event here.


We wish to thank:
Martina Boone for her constant support and encouragement.Greg Schultz for his exquisite cover.Kayla Laine Perkinson for beautifully drawn and fan-inspired illustrations that make our book come to life. And Deep River Press for being an innovate, supportive publisher. Thank you!
And be sure to check back with me soon as I hope to have another surprise coming in a few weeks!

The Transformation of a Goddess Through Centuries and Cultures

This is an article I originally posted for the awesome author Kaitlin Bevis over a year ago. Following a recent conversation on Twitter regarding the spread of myths from one culture to another, I thought it would be nice to update it a bit. My analysis focuses on imagery rather than a written myth. Until reading and writing became widespread, iconography was the preferred method for communicating ideas and beliefs through symbols. It's fascinating to me to see how these powerful images transformed across cultures and centuries by the new people who embraced them.

From Amazons to Artemis – Anatolia Rocks the Goddess
As a reader and a writer, I’ve been following the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign with a lot of interest. To me, it only makes sense that the diversity of reality is represented both on the page and on the screen. And as the mother of two kids born of a mixed ethnic, national, and religious heritage, I believe it’s important that they, and others like them, see themselves in the books they read and the heroes they admire.

But this desire to see ourselves reflected in our contemporary heroes is nothing new. Indeed, it goes back to the most ancient of days when people saw themselves in the adventures of their gods and goddesses…the novels of their day. As Cilla, the main character in my YA contemporary novel Southern Fried Wiccan discovers, being able to see yourself in the divinity you worship is quite empowering. The first time Cilla saw the Divine depicted as a young, powerful woman, rather than an old, white dude was game-changing. In gazing upon Artemis of Ephesus, Cilla realized that a spark of the divine could live in someone like herself.

Asia Minor, or Anatolia, the home of Ephesus and the peninsula where most of modern-day Turkey now lives, is one of the major cradles of civilizations. It was here that the earliest sanctuary has been discovered, built by hunter-gatherers BEFORE settling down to farm. Here that many of the great Greek and Roman cities birthed the thinkers that pushed forward what we now call western civilizations. It was also in Anatolia that a long line of mother goddesses flourished in the hearts of her followers, worshiped by both men and women who envisioned the divine power that unites us all in the fertility of a woman’s body.

In Turkish, Anatolia is called Anadolu, translated by Dr. Rashid Ergener literally as “land of the mothers.” Anatolia is indeed filled with powerful mothers, goddesses who transformed throughout history due to cultural changes. And this, to me, is where the beauty of diversity fully blossoms. Because we can see in each of these incarnations how the people of the time adapted their goddess in their own image, while still preserving a central core from the female power she preceded.

Mother Goddess Catal Hoyuk
Mother Goddess of Catal HoyukThe Mother Goddess from Çatal Höyük is one of the earliest examples of mother goddess worship from Anatolia. Found in a grain bin of a Neolithic settlement over 8000 years old, this ancient female gives birth in a throne-like chair supported by lions (or leopards or panthers). She is the most famous among many similar fertility goddess figures found at this site.

The beauty of this figure is in her raw, natural power. In naked glory, she brings forth life in harmony with nature. Notice she is not subjecting those felines -- they are supporting her, but still stand proud and powerful beside her. To me, she embodies eternal female power. And she must have to the ancients as well, because her legacy survived the transformations below to last until today.


Cybele
CybeleThis Phrygian mother-goddess has lost a bit of weight and wears better clothes than her predecessor, but she still sits on a throne framed by lions and displays her divine power in all its wild and fertile glory.

Cybele’s “association with hawks, lions, and the stone of the mountainous landscape of the Anatolian wilderness, seem to characterise her as mother of the land in its untrammeled natural state, with power to rule, moderate or soften its latent ferocity, and to control its potential threats to a settled, civilised life.” (source)

Cybele sits higher above her feline companions than does her predecessor.  And her city-crown and civilized clothes now separate her more from her wild, animal companions. Is this shift a natural transformation to represent the sedentary culture of the people now worshiping her? Or is it a reflection of the rising city-state rulers seeking to harness her natural power for their own political purposes?

Artemis of Ephesus Artemis of Ephesus
Whether the shifting image of the goddess was a natural transformation or one controlled for a political purpose, the power of women aligned with nature and untamed by civilization continued to inspire and awe. According to legend, the Amazons are said to have founded Ephesus. It was here that the Temple of Artemis, one of the Great Wonders of the Ancient World, drew worshipers for thousands of years.

In Ephesus, Artemis was viewed from a different angle than Artemis in other parts of the Greek world. That is because she draws directly from the imagery of Cybele and the mother goddess of Çatal Höyük above. While this goddess is standing in the pillar pose rather than seated on a throne, you can see that she is still envisioned as mistress of the animals with lion-like figures at her side as well as the stags, bees, and bulls depicted along her ceremonial clothes.

Most people think the protrusions from Artemis’ chest are breasts, but there are other theories, such as pollen sacks (she was in part a bee goddess) as well as bull testicles (which were sacrificed to the goddess). She has grown in power both in her crown of the city as well as in her adornment of the natural world.

Mary, Mother of God
Hagia Sophia's Virgin MaryAlthough Mary is not officially considered a goddess and is indeed not from the Anatolia region, it was in 431 CE at the Council of Ephesus, home of Artemis, that Mary was first given the title Theotokos (birth-give of god) and depicted with many of Artemis’ attributes and titles, such as Queen of Heaven. A church was dedicated to her in Ephesus on the ruins of a Roman temple to the Muses, and legend has it that, after the crucifixion, she traveled with John to Ephesus and lived out her days here.

With the worship of Artemis now in decline, thanks to the rise of Christianity, Artemis’ loyal followers transferred their adoration to a new face of the female divine. From this icon at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, at the heart of the apse of the great Byzantine basilica, we see the same commanding mother on a throne of power. Bordering her (out of sight of this picture), she is garlanded with natural images of vines, flowers, berries and pears.


Four amazing females. Four inspiring images of feminine power. Each one slightly different than the one before, re-visioned and re-clothed in the costume of her own particular culture, and yet still lit by the ancient spark of universal subconscious that brought her to life.

If cultures have been reimagining the divine in their own image for millennia, why would we stop doing so today? Especially when it so profoundly affects how our children see themselves?


If you like this article, you may enjoy some of my posts on Egyptian Mythology.

Announcing My New Harry Potter for Writers Video Series

Harry Potter for Writers Video SeriesI'm so excited to show you my latest creation. Recently (I know I'm late to the party!) I've gotten hooked on YouTube videos for learning almost everything new. My daughter got me started when she learned how to sew solely from YouTube instructional videos.

So, I started thinking, with the new edition of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter being out, maybe I could try to put together some of my own how-to videos based on the book and my favorite posts from this blog. I didn't realize how much work it is! But it's been fun learning.

Now that I have the basics covered, I want to share the three I've done so far with you. And what better day than September 1, as well all head back to Hogwarts in our hearts! I hope these videos will help you peer beneath the surface to how J.K. Rowling created all that magic.

I'll keep adding to the playlist, but would love any comments as to what topics you'd love to see covered in these videos.

Here's the playlist where the three videos I've created so far are listed:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyWj3uphEDs3kb8A1lFoRqFAVNJQKI2An

And here are the three videos embedded here.
The first is an introductory video to the series:



The second covers one of my favorite clues, and one of JK Rowling's most powerful, from the scene where Snape Kills Dumbledore:



And the third analyzes a fascinating, and often overlooked, element that can be a part of the Hero's Journey, The Forbidden Door:



As my channel and videos are brand new, I'd love it if you could take the time to like and comment on the videos and follow my channel.

Thanks!

The Original Potter Generation: Where Are They Now? (Survey)

Does the magic of Harry Potter still call to you?

Following up on last week's post on The Next Generation of Harry Potter fans, I've been wondering a lot about the original generation of fans and where are they now. During the last ten days as I've attended multiple Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release events and A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter book signings, I've been blessed to meet and talk with a ton of fans

From young children who are just now discovering the books on their own, to families of readers who have shared their Potter love together, to adults who grew up on the series and still look forward to hearing more about Harry and friends, the love of Potter continues. However, it's the original set of kids growing up during the height of the Harry Potter mania, who are now adults, that I'm most curious about at the moment.

From personal stories readers gave shared with me, I've been blessed to hear of how many were affected deeply by their love of JK Rowling's stories, and not only regarding their reading habits. So many fans developed deep commitment to social concerns and justice after engaging in the trials of Harry and friends as they fought the fear and prejudice of pure bloods against mudbloods or witches and wizards against other magical beings. Others were influenced to become writers or other creative careers because of the stories.

If you are one of these fans, I ask you to take part of my survey for an upcoming article.

If you were:

a Harry Potter fan during the original release of the books (1997 - 2997)born between  ~1982 - ~1998 (thereabouts)influenced in your life by reading Harry Potter
Then please consider participating in the survey by answering the following:

Your name (or pseudonym if you want to be anonymous)Your age How old you were when you read your first Potter storyHow long it took you to read the whole series (mention time waiting for releases)How many release parties you attended Where you were living during the time of the series' releaseWhere you live nowThe most interesting thing that happened to you as a result of reading Harry Potter How you participated in fandom, then and nowHow reading Harry Potter affected your life choices then and now.
Please answer as many as you will, especially the last one, but you do not have to answer them all. And you can be general in regard to personal details if you wish.

You can reply with your answers in the comment trail here, or, if you prefer, send me your owl at SPSipal AT gmail DOT com.

I'll update this blog regarding when and where the article will be posted.

Thank you all for sharing your experience with me (and the world!).

Also, be sure to check out my article on the highly popular AlwaysJKRowling fansite this week, Harry Potter: From Story to Myth. There's a great giveaway included!

The Next Generation of Harry Potter Fans

Presenting Clues
A Writer's Guide to Harry PotterThis past weekend, I was fortunate enough to present and sign A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter at two Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release events, both at local Barnes and Noble stores. Saturday night was in Durham at New Hope Commons, and Sunday afternoon was in Cary (both North Carolina). While Sunday's gathering was more laid back than the very excited crowd for the midnight release party, at both I was fortunate enough to meet and share with some very enthusiastic Harry Potter fans.

There were plenty adult fans gathered, but the group that surprised me the most, the largest group, were the young ones. I'd read an article somewhere in the last few months that the current target-age for the Harry Potter series was not as into it as the past. That some teachers who grew up loving Harry, Ron, and Hermione had a hard time getting their own students to read about their adventures.

Fans Gathered for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
But by the amount of in-depth knowledge I was quizzed on throughout both events, I feel Potterdom has definitely charmed a new generation. Some of their parents were fans too, but most were not. The kids discovered the magid on their own or through their peers. And what I found wonderfully surprising is that at least half of the young fans I talked to represented many diverse cultures. Harry Potter remains a story with broad appeal.

I have always been amazed at how well Rowling's youngest fans understand the mysteries and subtext in her series and can pick out the clues. And these kids were no exception. They quizzed me on which ghost belonged to which House (I got stumped w/ Hufflepuff...the shame!), how in Deathly Hallows the Patronus deer in the forest had given away Snape's involvement right away, and insightful speculation regarding how Umbridge had obtained Mad-Eye's mad eye to pin on her Ministry.

Head of Hufflepuff!As a writer, especially of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter, it always thrills me to see how many of Rowling's youngest fans are writers themselves. I was blessed to hear many stories already written or in the process of being written. The depth of imagination in these young fans astounds me. I wish I could bottle some of that creativity for days when I feel my own well running dry.

Rowling has left us many gifts through her books, but perhaps the inspiration of a new generation of writers is the greatest. For without Story, Story that has been with humans since the earliest images on cave walls, would we have any of the developments of civilization brought about by imagination?

And now, with the release of Cursed Child and the renewed interest in Harry Potter, Rowling is once again inspiring those with the strongest imagination. Perhaps, this time, the stage will benefit as well.

A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter Release Week + #Giveaways!

It’s release week for A Writer’s Guide to Harry Potter , and I couldn’t be more excited! So many good things have happened recently to share with all of you. Best of all, I want to invite you to the virtual launch party this Wednesday.

First, I am featured this morning on WRAL TV’s Go Ask Mom column in an interview about how I came to write A Writer’s Guide to Harry Potter. Please check it out here.

What’s really cool is that the reporter for this piece, Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, will also present the book live on FOX 50 this Wednesday as part of their morning newscast. If you’re local, you can watch it between 8:30 – 8:45.

Wednesday will also be the day of our virtual launch with a Facebook and Twitter party. The theme will be Harry Potter Fandom Around the World and the Writers JK Rowling Inspired. My publisher and I will be interviewing writers from many countries about how Rowling inspired their writing and what the fandom is like in their country and throughout the US. If you were inspired by Harry, there is still time to get involved. Just drop me a note at SPSipal AT gmail.com.

As part of the release party, we’ll have giveaways and prizes, so be sure to attend. Along with the interviews, I’ll also talk about some of the clues Rowling wove into the HP series and what we can expect from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , which releases this Sunday. Our hashtag for the event will be #WritersGuideToHarryPotter.

After a couple of days of recovering from all this, I’ll be participating in Durham's New Hope Commons Barnes and Noble midnight release party for Cursed Child. I’ll post more updates on Twitter and my Upcoming Appearances page as they are confirmed.

Our live-in-person launch party has turned out to be more fantastic than I ever imagined in my wildest dreams. I’ve been invited to present and sign my book at a mini Renaissance Faire in my hometown, complete with RenFaire craft booths, vendors, food trucks, sword fighting, mead tasting, and lots and lots of cosplay. So, I guess I’ll be dressed as someone from Potterdom. Who should I go as?

If you’re close enough to attend, you can also get your picture made in our Prisoner Sirius Black, “Have You Seen This Wizard” insert-your-face cutout carnival standee.

Finally, the paperback version of A Writer’s Guide to Harry Potter is live today on Amazon. The Kindle will go live tonight at midnight here.

My fabulous publisher, Deep River Press, made all of this possible. The marketing team at Deep River is just incredible, and I cannot thank them enough.

Come have fun with me this week!

A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter ARC at ALAA and Hogsmeade + #Giveaway

From June 24-26, I had the pleasure of attending my first American Library Association Annual Conference. I went with my publisher, Deep River Press, to promote the upcoming release of the new edition of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter . I had a blast, and gave a report for Adventures in YA Publishing, but wanted to copy it here in case you missed it there.

First, I should say: Librarians are the BEST!! Seriously. Every librarian we met was so friendly, so eager to hear about our books, and so committed to providing the best services to get people reading. I've been to writer conferences, fan conferences, and publishing events, but none of them beat librarians for loving books across the board and all their readers.

Darker the Night at IBPAWhile the conference offers tons of panels, meetings, and workshops geared specifically to the librarian's needs, my editor and I spent most of our time in the immense exhibit hall at the Orlando Convention Center. Deep River Press' most current release, Darker the Night , was on display at the Independent Book Publishers Association booth, as they are a member. We hung out there to talk to interested librarians about DRP's whole catalogue, and I was able to show off the new ARC for WGHP. I was thrilled to see how much interest there was in the book.

But we spent most of our time walking the exhibits, meeting publishers, authors, and vendors...and picking up so many free books we had to check our luggage home. I'm giving some of these away here, so check out the books and the Rafflecopter below!

Writer's Guide to Harry PotterAs an author wanting to promote my book, I have to say that the best thing I did was to take the advice of my editor and have a T-shirt made with my book cover. I took it one step further and had the front cover on my front and the back cover on my back. I was a walking ARC!

Can you imagine how many Harry Potter fans there are at a library convention? I got to meet lots of people and share both our excitement and trepidation with the upcoming releases of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I also got to book lots of speaking events and workshops for book release events for both upcoming script books.


Here are some pictures and highlights:I was thrilled to hear Editor Zareen Jaffery speak on the Salaam Reads imprint from Simon and Schuster. This is the new Muslim-themed imprint that will be publishing 9 books a year starting in 2017. She spoke of the importance of positioning the books in a new imprint, rather than through existing imprints, for marketing and ease of finding the books.

Zareen Jaffery on Salaam Reads
Harry Potter Alliance: They are doing such wonderful work with their chapter organizations and projects like #Protego. Be sure to check them out.

The Harry Potter Alliance
Got to see Lemony Snicket signing! Alas, the line was too long for me to get a book.



Loved this lovely lady from the Bright Star Touring Theater. They provide literary and curriculum performances for libraries, schools, and other events.




Enjoying Happy Hour on the floor at the exhibit hall. So many good people to talk to!



Lisa London w/ QBO

And here is my editor, Lisa London, holding her newest release, QuickBooks Online for Small Nonprofits & Churches.








Finally, as any true Harry Potter fan would do at the end of a busy weekend in Orlando, we visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Can you believe it was my first visit? Time did not permit us attending both parks, so we enjoyed everything Hogsmeade had to offer.

My new home...
Off to have a chat w/ Dumbledore

And...my book made it into Flourish and Blotts! Almost.

Writer's Guide to Harry Potter

So, my advice to you if you're attending ALA or any other conference event as an author promoting your book:

if appropriate, wear your cover!have bookmarks and business cards to pass out to anyone interested in your bookwalk the halls and meet peopleshow genuine interest in what books they are writing and reading and loving as welland at the end of the day, have fun with other book lovers!Giveaways!!
I didn't go overboard with the freebies because I knew, from experience, I'd have to haul them home. But here's what I got:


I'm giving away ARCs for Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee, Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin, and Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz. Sign up through the Rafflecopter below. US shipping only. One book per winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Updated and Expanded Edition of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter Releases Soon!

A Writer's Guide to Harry PotterI'm thrilled to share some exciting news. A newly updated and expanded edition of A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter will be releasing July 26, 2016! My publisher, Deep River Press, has some wonderful plans for this 5th anniversary edition.

First, the book has been completely revised and expanded with more examples and some new analysis, including thoughts on the upcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . This edition will be available in both paperback and Kindle through all major retailers.

But one addition I'm truly excited about are the upcoming workbooks and teachers' guides. Encouraging a love of creative writing with Harry Potter as the text is a natural step for many teachers who grew up on the series. Now, we'll provide educators with workbooks at two levels, middle grade and upper grade, along with a teacher's guide to help make this an exciting enhancement to the classroom curriculum.

If you've read my Writer's Guide in the past, or attended any of my workshops, and would be willing to give me a quote, or are interested in reading an ARC of the new book and providing a review, please contact me at SPSipal AT gmail.com. Or, if you're an educator interested in the workbooks and teachers' guides, you may contact my publisher at publicity AT deepriverpressinc.com.

Check out the new book on Amazon here. It's available only for preview until July 26, but you can add it to any of your wish lists now.

Note: I will also be teaching from the new Guide and using the workbook when I teach the class at Central Carolina Community College from July 14 through August 8 at the Pittsboro, NC campus. See more info and sign up here under the link for The Crafting of a Bestseller.

About the Book:
A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter Improve Your Writing with Harry Potter as Your Text!
The Harry Potter magic lives on as J.K. Rowling expands her wizarding world into new stories and formats. For five years, writers and fans from all continents have used A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter to delve beneath her pages' surface to discover the skill and artistry which created a story that enchanted audiences across generations. In this newly revised and expanded edition, S.P. Sipal takes you even deeper than before, exploring new techniques, and even peering into the artistic and marketing vision behind the upcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

No matter your genre, this guide will help you strengthen your craft by virtually apprenticing under a bestselling mentor. Through fourteen lessons, discover the expert techniques Ms. Rowling employs which makes her series such a phenomenal success and which will help improve your own craft and style.

Topics include:

characterizationworld buildingbackstorymystery plottingmyths and archetypesfan interactionsocial mediaand author-driven publishing and promotion.