Kelly Fiore Stultz's Blog, page 10

SUPER SWAG SUNDAY — It’s almost here!

 
The 2nd Annual 

SUPER SWAG SUNDAYis finally here!!!

 

When:  June 24th thru June 30th

Where:  laurisareyes.blogspot.com

Why:  For a chance to win lots of cool promotional items signed by 55+ of today’s best middle grade and young adult authors!

Every day for seven days, Laurisa’s blog will spotlight some of the most amazing new books for kids and teens! Monday June 24th thru Saturday June 30th visitors will be able to enter for chances to win one of 6 Swag Packs containing everything from signed bookmarks and postcards, to pins, pencils, totebags, stickers, key chains, lip balm, charms and more all donated by 54 of today’s top middle grade and  young adult authors! Most of it is autographed!

On the last day, SUPER SWAG SUNDAY , one last MEGA SWAG PACK will be given to one very lucky winner! This pack so far includes everything listed above PLUS:

1- hardbound copy of THE UNWANTEDS signed by author Lisa McMann

1- TEST TASTE charm bracelet

1- TOUCHING THE SURFACE T-shirt

1 – LOVE AND LEFTOVERS charm necklace

1 – SEND ME A SIGN guitar pick

1 – paperback copy of EVERTASTER: THE BUTTERSMITH’S GOLD signed by author Adam Sidwell

1- hardbound copy of THE SCORCH TRIALS signed by author James Dashner

1- paperback copy of THE ALWAYS WARS signed by author Margaret Peterson Haddix

1 – OyMG! T-shirt

1 – Original Artwork Print from FISHTALE signed by author Catherine Masciola

1- LOSING IT water bottle signed by author Erin Fry

1 – hardbound copy of LOSING IT signed by the author

1 – paperback copy of HYSTERIA signed by author Megan Miranda

1- hardbound copy of STARTERS signed by author Lissa Price

1 – poster of THE BINDING STONE signed by author Lisa Gail Green

1 – DRAGONWITCH pencil

1 – signed Margaret Petersen Haddix PIN!

1 – MONSTERS (Ilsa J. Bick) Back Pack & Advanced Reader Copy

1- Paperback copy of DESMOND PUCKETT MAKES MONSTER MAGIC signed by author Mark Tatulli

1 – DC SUPERHERO Totebag

1 – paperback graphic novel TERRA TEMPO

Just a few of the very cool MEGA SWAG PACK goodies!





Where is this all taking place??? LAURISAREYES.BLOGSPOT.COM Stop by every day from June 24th – 30th  for plenty of chances to win!

 

See you there!

Publisher’s Weekly rates TASTE TEST…

…and they say that:

Debut author Fiore persuasively details the constraints of being on this kind of show, from the strict security measures to the way producers try to pump up rivalries to increase ratings. Justice, love, and the best chef prevail…

YAHOO!

The End of an Era

64 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world.

 

Time for the fun to begin!

 

And so ends my career as a high school teacher.

It was far less emotional than one would expect it to be. I didn’t cry or get all nostalgic or make any dramatic speeches. On my last day, there was a morning meeting. A friend/colleague of mine spoke and presented me with a very nice gift card to a restaurant I love. I probably could have left soon after that, but I didn’t. Instead, I walked around the building I’ve worked in since I got out of graduate school and did some saying goodbye.

 

 I’ve said since the beginning, since making this decision, that the students and my teacher friends are what I will miss about the job. The people/human interaction of teaching is what I love best. The main reason I decided to leave was my (lack of) quality of life. I was working from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm five days a week, then coming home to write for a good 4-6 hours, depending on the day. Every spare moment was used to write, even on weekends. That wasn’t fair to my family — especially once the world dug itself out of the bleak and depressing winter we had this year.

 

But, let’s be honest — there are lots of writers who keep teaching, even after they hit the NYT Bestseller list or receive some sort of literary award. Sharon Draper comes to mind. But I decided to stop because I was burnt out — completely and totally ready to step away. In fact, I had already made my decision when I was dealt a final blow — a nail in the coffin of my teaching career.

 

 

In mid-May, I was accused of racism.

 

In my classroom, there were often a dozen or more nationalities represented. This school is proud of it’s diversity and it’s something we celebrate. In the decade I spent there, I never once was accused of anything like racism. So when a parent accused me of grading her children based on their race (they are African-American) I was intially hurt. Then I was horrified. And then I was furious.

 

The majority of students I’ve taught are lovely and my interactions with their parents have been either cheerful and pleasant, or a non-issue. What shocked me, and continues to shock me, about this woman’s accusation was that I spent hours upon hours with her children, assisting them in all the ways a good teacher would. I accepted late work multiple times. I gave them extra chances to make work up. I repeatedly went above and beyond to assist them.

 

And then she reported to my direct supervisor that I had graded her children unfairly based on racial bias.  Even more frustrating was the fact that she had no problem withher kids returning to my classroom. I mean, if I thought a teacher was discriminating against my son, I’d have him out of there immediately. Ultimately, the students  sat in on the meeting with myself, their mother, and two of the Assistant Principals; the kids didn’t have much to add.

 

In case it wasn’t obvious by the tone of my post, I was cleared of all accusations. In private, my APs told me that there was no evidence of anyt racism whatsoever and that the mother was clearly only interested in getting me in trouble so that I would be forced to change her kids’ grades. I didn’t get in trouble. I didn’t change their grades.

 

At the end of the day — or at the end of the year in this case — leaving was the best choice for me. I was no longer comfortable in the role I’d been playing. I needed to bust out and be me — which, yes, involves cursing and honesty  and opinions and mess and disorder and fear and love and hyperactivity. I needed to be myself and I felt unable to continue doing that in the confines of a public high school.

 

Like I said, I know that I’ve left my students in good hands. I have friends who’ve been there for a decade, like me, or a whole lot longer. I’m happy — really happy — that I’m out in the world. I think it’ll be weird in August, when everyone is going back to school. Guess I’ll just need to write another book to occupy my time!

Saturday Night Feeder(s)

79 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

Dueling Iced Teas at Ten Ten Baltimore

I had a date last night. It was lovely…and the first date Matt and I have been on in a while. Like, a long while. Part of this — most of thiss — is because I’m always writing. But part of it is also because we take Max just about everywhere with us. When you only have one kid, it’s easy to do that.

 

But yesterday, Matt was in Baltimore at Pimlico for a Beer and Bourbon Festival, which entailed needed a designated driver (obviously! No drinking and driving people!) So I took a break from revising to drive down and pick him up. We weren’t planning on getting dinner anywhere special, but then Matt reminded me about a group of restaurants he’d visited on a sales call a few weeks ago.

 

Herb Foccacia from 10 10 — DELISH!

The Bagby Restaurant Group (http://www.bagbyrestaurantgroup.com/)  is everything I LOVE about today’s innovative restaurants. They have a series of locationsl, all different, all reliant on fresh seasonal ingredients. Much of it is grown on one farm in Cockeysville, Maryland (http://bagbyrestaurantgroup.com/cunningham_farm.php) which is owned by the head of Bagby Restaurant Group. Visit their website — I know it’s annoying that you can’t click on my hyperlinks (I’m trying to fix that, I swear) but it’s worth the Copy + Paste!

 

 

Anyway, we hit up Ten Ten, which is a beautiful, bistro-like setting with a big exterior dining room. Actually, the dining room is sort of a mutual effort between Bagby Pizza Co, Ten Ten, and Fleet Street Kitchen. This is one of the cool parts — all of the BRG restaurants (at least at this stage) will be in this one block. It’s a super idea. It allows you to try all their offerings in a variety of settings.

 

 

So, I’ll be brief. Here’s what we ordered –

 

 

Duck Fat Frites with Aioli

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Chili Sauce

Grilled Shrimp and Grits with Braised Greens and Pork Belly

Gnocchi with Pickled Vegetables

The Duck Fat fries were Ah-Mazing. Definitely my favorite part of the meal. The Shrimp and Grits were spicy and savory. I loved the greens in particular. Matt got the Gnocchi and we both were amazed at how pillowy and tender the homemade pasta was.

 

 

Everything about our meal was great — the fact that we were in Baltimore, the fact that it was the two of us, the fact that it was at a place where we’d never been before, and the fact that we believe in the philosophy of the restaurant. I’m so glad we had a chance to experience Ten Ten and I can’t wait until we get to try the rest of the Bagby Restaurant Group’s locations.

 

When there isn’t a happily ever after…

Once upon a time there was a high school English teacher. She was teaching a reading improvement class and a certain student was assigned to her class. This student was an African-American male, about 14 years old, and healthy. He was average height. He attended regularly and, in terms of academics, maintained adequate progress.

 

Then life intruded.

 

This student lived with his grandmother and his biological father. His mother lived in the Washington DC area. Over the course of four years, this student deteriorated. He now had a more “thug-like” exterior. He was constantly angry and in trouble. He was in physical altercations. He was, by all accounts, an undesirable member of any class.

 

When I taught this student the first time, he was 14. The second and last time, he was 18. It was like he was a walking time bomb. I never had any issues with him personally; he came in, put in his ear buds and stayed away from other kids. I let him do that because it prevented problems. He had a 3% in my class. I honestly can’t tell you what he did to get that 3%. I don’t remember him doing anything. But he never got in a fight on my watch.

 

Ultimately, he was transferred to a school with a more intensive, therapeutic environment for him. It took a lot of meetings and documentation to get this to happen. This student’s grandmother, his primary caregiver, was elderly and unable to help him get Medicaid for individual treatment. This student’s diagnosis was only school related, not medical – ODD, ADD, ED. The acronyms were endless.

 

I saw this student in March at a gas station. He was happy to see me. He said hello. He said he was doing well in his new school.

 

Then, in April, he pretended to be a delivery person, broke into a house, and held a family of five captive at gunpoint while he robbed them. The family included two small children.

 

When someone asks me what the hardest part is about being a teacher, this is it – this right here. When I think of that family, all I see is my son’s face. Then, I see the student, as he would have looked as a toddler or a preschooler. He was one once. And now he’s a felon and in jail, charged with robbery and abduction, among other things.

 

I HATE THIS. I HATE that so many resources went into this kid and there was no difference made. I HATE that we didn’t get through. I HATE that we probably never had a chance in the first place.

 

I have so many kids I adore – a couple just graduated. Kids who hated my guts at first when I made them buckle down and learn. Kids who adored me by the end. I know we can reach them. But, there are certainly times when it is probably too late by the time we get them. At 14, this student had already been abandoned by the people he loved. He’d built up a wall around him until there wasn’t even a crack to seep into.

 

When I think about this student now, I think about the family he terrorized. I used to think he’d be one of the ones I’d see in ten years, working a job and raising a family. I don’t really think that anymore.

I know this is a sad post. I don’t have much else to say but this: when I think of my legacy as a high school teacher, I’m going to try to remember this student when he smiled and tried to joke with his classmates or me. He so desperately wanted to be a part of something. Now, I guess he’ll be a part of the penal system.

What I’m doing when I’m not writing

85 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

This kid loves hiking more than he loves cars. And that’s saying something.

So, this past Friday (the 31st) I did something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. A long while. Like, nine months worth of a while.

I submitted my full draft of JUST LIKE THE MOVIES to my editor. Pfew. I can’t tell you how anticipatory/stressful/devastating/terrifying it is to finish a book and send it to an editor, even when your editor is amazing, like mine. It’s a lot like giving birth to some kind of word baby and then handing it off to word vampires and werewolves to raise. No offense to Bloomsbury/Walker and Mary Kate — they are NOT vampiric or werewolvian. The thing is, when you’re a parent, any person you hand your baby off to is a predator. That’s just the way your brain works.

I was really excited about finishing JLTM but once I had, I felt a little bereft. I remember sitting and staring at my computer screen thinking, “Oh…okay…now what?” And then I immediately pulled up my in-progress romance novel. I literally couldn’t imagine not writing. It just seemed…wrong.

But it is far more important for me to live up to my promises and one of those promises was to my family. I’ve missed out on a lot of things over the course of the last 12-15 weeks — longer, really — because I was drafting full time in the evening and on weekends. So I gave my boys the weekend — and wrote a little on the side.

Getting ready to brave the Green Trail

First, we hiked at Gambrill State Park, one of my favorite hiking locations. There are a wide variety of trails, so you can go as hard or as light as you want.

I know. You really can’t take us anywhere. And Matt isn’t this miserable, I swear!

top, which Max in particular enjoyed.

Super Max!

Then, we headed over to Open Book Farm in Myersville, MD, where we get our meat and eggs and (sometimes) vegetables/fruit. We used to be on their CSA for the summer and winter, but the farmers recently had their first baby and needed bit of a break. A summer garden owns you, especially when you’re growing for other’s consumption.

This is how chickens should be living!

These chicken friends of mine were kind of adorable. And, this may upset you or gross you out, but they are also DELICIOUS.

Butterflied Chicken, Ready to Grill!

What the package looks like for my Open Book Chicken

Open Book’s chickens are about $4.50 a pound, which makes them affordable, particularly when you’re talking about grass fed and finished meat. I decided to try a new recipe that I’ve wanted to give a shot for a while — Chicken under a Brick.

Yeah, I didn’t have a brick. I used my cast iron grill pan.

This recipe involved a marinade — I tried to mimic a rub I’ve had at a restaurant we love — I used whatever I could find, really.

From leftish to rightish: Cayenne, Minced Onions, Smoked Paprika, Lime, Tuscan Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper, Dried Celery, Dried Parsley

I used the lime peel and juice, then added some canola oil — rubbed it all over the chicken and let it sit for 4-5 hours. Then, on the grill it went (in the rain, no less) with the pan on top. And some leeks (also from Open Book) next to the chicken on the grill.

Once the chicken and leeks came off, I let the chicken rest and chopped the leeks. Then I seasoned them and added them to some Trader Joe’s roasted corn and some jasmine rice.

This probably could have used some of the lime, too, but I didn’t think about it until right now.

The chicken, on the other hand, had to hit the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 to finish up the inside. It’s not the chicken’s fault — my grill has two tempertures: hot and super-freaking hot. Oh, and off. So I pulled it early, knowing I’d need to finish it up in the oven.

Regardless, this was a reminder of what life looks like when I’m not writing. It was lovely and a great time. I think my husband was really glad to have me along for the things he’s only done lately with Max — adventures to Middleburg, VA, going to the farm, hiking, etc.

But, honestly? I still wanted to write. Ugh. I guess I’m just an eternal Type-A person!

It’s coming…SUPER SWAG SUNDAY!

GET READY FOR
 
The 2nd Annual
 
SUPER SWAG SUNDAY!!!

 

 

When:  June 24th thru July 1st

Where:  laurisawhitereyes.blogspot.com

Why:  For a chance to win lots of cool promotional items signed by 42 of today’s best middle grade and young adult authors!

Win? Did you say WIN?

YES!

Every day for seven days, Laurisa’s blog will spotlight some of the most amazing new books for kids and teens! Monday thru Saturday visitors will be able to enter for chances to win one of 6 swag packs containing everything from signed bookmarks and postcards, to pins, pencils, totebags, stickers, key chains, lip balm, charms and more!
 
On the last day, SUPER SWAG SUNDAY , one last MEGA SWAG PACK will be given to one very lucky winner! This pack so far includes everything listed above PLUS:

1- hardbound copy of THE UNWANTEDS signed by author Lisa McMann

1- TEST TASTE charm bracelet

1- TOUCHING THE SURFACE T-shirt

1 – LOVE AND LEFTOVERS charm necklace

1 – SEND ME A SIGN guitar pick

1 – paperback copy of EVERTASTER: THE BUTTERSMITH’S GOLD signed by author Adam Sidwell

1- hardbound copy of THE SCORCH TRIALS signed by author James Dashner

1- hardbound copy of THE ALWAYS WARS signed by author Margaret Peterson Haddix

1 – OyMG! T-shirt

1 – Original Artwork Print from FISHTALE signed by author Catherine Masciola

1- LOSING IT water bottle signed by author Erin Fry

1 – hardbound copy of LOSING IT signed by the author

 

And more prizes are still being added to the pile!

 
So be sure to stop by laurisawhitereyes.blogspot.com every day from June 24th thru July 1st for plenty of chances to win. Stop by now and follow the blog to receive notifications of when the event starts posting.

 

See you then!

TASTE TEST gets Kirkus-ed!

97 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

It is my absolute honor to post the following review from Kirkus Reviews, one of the most respected and reputable book review publications in the publishing world. To say I’m thrilled with this review is the understatement of the century. Kirkus is known for their honest reviews. Having their approval feels like I’ve won an Oscar!

TASTE TEST

Author: Kelly Fiore

Review Issue Date: June 15, 2013

Online Publish Date: May 22, 2013

Publisher:Walker

Pages: 336

Price ( Hardcover ): $17.99

Publication Date: August 20, 2013

ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-8027-2838-8

Category: Fiction

This debut about a reality show for young chefs has enough spice to keep readers feasting all the way through.

Nora has been cooking all her life; her dad runs a barbecue restaurant that’s legendary in their part of North Carolina. She loves the reality TV show Taste Test, in which teens vie for a $50,000 scholarship to a famous Paris cooking school, and she enters it as a contestant. As soon as she arrives, sparks fly. Handsome Christian is the privileged son of a famous chef, and his friend Joy hobnobs with celebrities. They treat Nora as a redneck. Nora and Christian turn out to be the major talents among the contestants, but the tension that generates convinces many that they’re hiding a romance. As the contest progresses, someone appears to be sabotaging the show. Amid all the turmoil can, Nora concentrate on winning, and does she really have a chance? Fiore creates some likable, enjoyable characters, especially in Nora and Christian, and keeps the narrative zooming along with all the urgency of a real reality show. She spends only a few chapters on the actual cooking challenges, focusing instead on the conflict between Nora and Christian. Readers will spot the romance potential immediately, but the story stretches out that prospect for as long as possible.

Contestants may lose, but readers won’t. (recipes) (Fiction. 12 & up)

Prime Real Estate

108 Days Until TASTE TEST meets the world!

This is my surprise/elation face…

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There are a LOT of things I didn’t know about the book business until I was in it. The biggest one, though, is probably the “real estate” of book stores. In my mind, every book that ever comes out ends up in a physical bookstore. While that might have been the case at one point, it doesn’t work that way anymore. Now, with millions of books published every year — especially since the boom of self-publishing — there’s no way all books could show up on the Barne & Noble shelves. On their website? Absolutely — that’s always a given, even for a lot of self-publishing writers. But not on the shelf. That’s like landing on Boardwalk in Monopoly and buying it outright.

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Which explains why I’m so thrilled to say that TASTE TEST will, indeed, be on Barnes & Noble shelves. I can’t tell you how many or where because I don’t know that information. I’ll never know it. That’s information between my publisher and B&N. What I can say, though, is that wherever you live, there’s a good chance you can get a real-live copy, with a hard cover and pages and all that. In the days of e-readers, that may not be your chosen reading method. But it’s a really good feeling for me. It’s like getting an “A.” Approval from the big guys means they believe my book will sell — and that makes me feel pretty awesome!

The Value of Teachers

111 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

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This is a pretty old picture of Max — I think he was almost three here? Or maybe just turned three. Regardless, he doesn’t look like this anymore. He’s become such a boy — such a real, live little person. He says crazy things. He’s smarter than I am on most days. I adore him.

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Today I had a parent/teacher conference at Max’s school. Educare is technically a day care center, but it’s run like a school, with classrooms and a curriculum that follows state standards. It’s the second best thing we ever did for our son. He has absolutely blossomed at Educare. He’s become the boy he was always meant to be. Ms. Laurin, one of Max’s favorite teachers, wrote out a lovely chart to show all the ways he has improved over the last year and a half. So much has changed about my little boy, but the biggest changes or improvements are in his behavior — which takes me to the best thing we ever did for our son: put him on the Feingold Diet.

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I’ve written about Feingold before — this is the diet that’s free of additives that are artificial (colors/flavors/preservatives) and limits or eliminates foods high in salicylates (i.e. peppers, berries, cloves, apples, and others.) After a year and a half on the FG diet, Max has become the kind of child everyone dreams of having. His dairy allergy combined with the diet certainly limits his options, but we live in a world where you can get just about anything you want, from brown sugar cotton candy to dairy free Milky Way bars. Max never goes without treats. And, frankly, he’s probably the healthiest eating 5-year old I know.

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The combination of good teachers and the diet have assisted my special little man in learning greater self-control and discipline. There was a time when his tantrums were so bad, he was physically violent. He chewed on everything – clothes, buttons, his fingers, etc. He got frustrated so easily and we had to walk on eggshells to keep him happy. Now, almost every day is extraordinarily pleasent and simple. As I’m writing this, he’s watching one of his favorite movies downstairs with his uncle. He is just such a great kid. I am so blessed to have him in my life.

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Consequently, the same day that I had my conference was the day I told my students I wasn’t coming back next year. I think the reaction was mixed between disappointment and surprise and general apathy — I mean, really, you can’t expect everyone to care where you go, right? It felt good to hear that I’d be missed. Sometimes I doubt my impact on my students. I care about them a lot, but one thing I’ve really learned is that sometimes the personal connection is more important than the curriculum. Don’t get me wrong — we read Beowulf and Macbeth and Animal Farm. We tick the boxes of what’s required, always. But I like that I can laugh with them and we tease each other. I like that we’re friendly and it’s a happy place. I guess I just feel like you shouldn’t have to do away with the simple pleasure of enjoying the company of others for the sake of learning. Doesn’t learning require an open mind? Doesn’t an open mind need a safe, accepting place to exist at all?

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Which brings me back to my conference with Ms. Laurin — like me, she and the other teachers provided that personal connection to my son. It’s great that he knows his letters and numbers. It’s great that he’s writing words and spelling them, too. But, frankly, the emotional connection is far more valuable to me. His first two years were with a childcare provider/neighbor who was literally like a second mom. Leaving her was intensely hard. Then we spent two more years in a hellacious situation where Max was judged and mistreated. It created more negative behaviors than I could have possibly anticipated. So once we found Educare and the teachers began to love, really love, my son, I knew that this– this connection — is the most important thing about teaching. The learning is great. But the love is what lasts the longest.