Kelly Fiore Stultz's Blog, page 8

Guest Post @ Word Spelunking

1 Day until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

 

 

Today I’m a guest at Word Spelunking (http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/) and I’m discussing TASTE TEST’s main characters — and what kind of cupcakes they’d be!

 

Check it out!

A Meal to be Grateful for

 

 

So, in two days, I’ll have a book in bookstores.

 

It’s a pretty surreal feeling.

 

I’ve been going through a lot of surreal moments lately. This past week was the first week of school in my district — and the first time in ten years that I wasn’t there as a teacher. Having orientations at the community college where I’m teaching is pretty surreal, too. I never really thought I’d be teaching composition again.

 

But, for every surreal moment, there’s been a beautiful one. Over the last week, I think the best was last Sunday night, when Matt, Max, and I headed down to Farmers Fishers Bakers (http://www.farmersfishersbakers.com/) in Georgetown (DC).  I spent the majority of that dinner just sitting there grinning like an idiot. And sure, most of that was because we were out to dinner as a family (Max’s food allergies often prevent us from going out to traditional restaurants.)

 

 

But part of it was something I’ve tried to verbalize here a lot lately. I was grinning because I was happy. I could kick myself for wasting the last few years being miserable if I’d known how happy I could really be. Choosing to live the life I want to live was a big leap for me, but it changed everything in terms of how I approach my day and the things that normally would stress me out.

 

So, the night before what would have been my first day back at school, we had an amazing meal in Downtown DC and walked the streets, taking our time and savoring this beautiful life. And, of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t show off the meal.

 

Homemade Vanilla Bean Soda

 

Matt’s Mint Julep

 

I don’t drink alcohol very often. I used to really enjoy wine, but as I’ve gotten older, alcohol just makes me sleepy. Doesn’t matter what kind. So I opted for the homemade Vanilla Bean Soda, which Max got as well, made with housemade “scratch” syrups. Like it’s sister restuarant, Founding Farmers, Farmers Fishers Bakers has a Soda Fountain style menu, offering things like egg creams or fizzes. Matt opted for a beautiful Mint Julep. I’m such a sucker for crushed ice.

 

Homemade Pretzel Stick Appetizer with Pimento Cheese, Onion Dip, and Honey Mustard BBQ

 

Max was REALLY happy about the pretzels

 

Kettle Corn with Beer Nuts and Candied Bacon — better than you can imagine!

 

   The appetizers were selected with Max in mind, since a lot of them had dairy and we wanted him to be as excited about our choices as he usually is about Founding Farmers Bacon Lollis. We chose right — the pretzels were crusty and, for lack of a better word, pretzel-y, with a hint of homemade bread yeastiness. The popcorn wasn’t sticky or greasy, the way you might expect because of the bacon. The beer nuts (which are peanuts, for the record) were a little spicy and my favorite part of the popcorn dish.

 

 

My weakness — a good spicy tuna roll

 

My Mussels with Garlic and Wine Sauce

 

Matt’s Entree – Fried Chicken with Peas and Grits

 

Max just got fresh cut fries for dinner, so I didn’t take a picture of those. But the other entrees are above. I LOVE Spicy Tuna Rolls — they’re definitely my “go-to” sushi roll, so I had to try it here. It didn’t disappoint. The mussels were good, but not overly amazing — just what you could get anywhere. There was an option of many sauces, but my server (who was lovely) suggested the garlic and wine, which is probably the more typical choice than Thai or Coconut Curry or Beer Butter. I really wish I’d chosen the Beer Butter…

 

Matt’s chicken was excellent as well, which didn’t surprise us — Founding Farmer’s does a Spatchcock chicken dish that is TO DIE FOR.

 

And, of course, dessert!

 

Another great part of the meal was getting Max dessert, something we NEVER get to do. At normal restaurants, if they have anything for him, it’s usually sorbet — but it’s full of artificial ingredients that he can’t have. Here, there was homemade all natural strawberry lemonade sorbet — and as you can see about, Max loved it.

 

This night, this meal — all of it was memorable for many reasons. I can’t tell you how valuable it is to have a night out with my boys where we can order food for Max right off the menu. It’s such a special treat for Max that he’s always so grateful and a little in awe of what he can actually have there. Rather than making me bitter tha there aren’t more opportunities for us to eat out, it just makes me appreciate it all the more.

TASTE TEST Blog Tour!

2 Days Until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

For the next few weeks, I’ll be participating in a blog tour for TASTE TEST. Each day, I’m blogging where you can find me, but here’s the list of where I’ll be when.

 

TASTE TEST Blog Tour

 

Monday August 26—September 6

 

*Click on Blog Name for Link*

 

1.     Monday August 26—Word Spelunking (guest post)

 

2.      Tuesday August 27—Fiction Freak (interview)

 

3.      Tuesday August 27—The Write Path (review)

 

4.     Wednesday August 28–KellyVision (interview)

 

5.     Thursday August 29–Happy Book Lovers (review)

 

6.     Friday August 30—Chick Loves Lit (interview)

 

7.     Saturday August 31—Write All The Words (guest post)

 

8.     Sunday September 1—Fall Into Books (swag giveaway with book)

 

9.     Monday September 2–One Page Reviews (guest post)

 

10. Wednesday September 4—Cornucopia of Reviews (vlog host)

 

11. Thursday September 5–Manga Mania Café (interview)

 

12. Thursday September 5–My Heart Hearts Books (interview)

 

TASTE TEST Giveaway: Crazy for Cupcakes

9 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

On Monday, 8/26, I’ll be kicking off my blog tour for TASTE TEST at Word Spelunking (http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/). I’m super-excited about stopping by all these amazing blogs and websites to get a chance to chat with readers!

 

So, of course, I’m giving something away.

 

Word Spelunking uses a “cupcake” rating system when reviewing books — 5 cupcakes being the best, 1 being the worst. Since I ADORE cupcakes (and I had that cupcake business once upon a time…) I decided to do a baking-related giveaway.

 

This time, you can win a pink TASTE TEST apron with glittery accents, a rainbow of cupcake liner cups (yellow, hot pink, green, purple, and blue), a set of TASTE TEST spatulas, and one of my favorite baking-based cookbooks – Alton Brown’s I’M JUST HERE FOR MORE FOOD.

 

 

 

Here’s the Rafflecopter — enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No turning back now

13 days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

Today, a lot of my friends are going back to work for the first time in two months. I, however, am not. As you know if you’ve been reading this blog, I was a high school teacher for ten years, up until this past June. I decided a month before that — and really, it was longer, but only verbalized in May — that it was time to leave high school behind.

 

I refuse to seem like I’m bragging or gloating on Facebook because it’s not nice to my teacher friends. But, I figure if someone comes here, it’s voluntary. So, here I can say the truth: I really am glad that I’m not going back. REALLY.

 

Now, to be clear, I got a LOT out of teaching. I know that for a fact. I made some of the best friends – lifelong friends – whom I love dearly and I will miss our day-to-day interactions. Also, if it weren’t for teaching, there’s no way I would have become a young adult author. Being surrounded by teenagers rooted me in the emotional and actual lives of young people — ultimately, I wouldn’t understand my readers had I not been a teacher.

 

It’s funny, though, how things come full circle. In 2004, when I graduated with my MFA, I thought a college job was the only thing I wanted. But the idea of a stable, adjunct-less job at the high school level (with two-year tenure, benefits, and a salary) was really too good to pass up. Now, though, I’m so excited to be an adjunct, teaching writing — the subject I love most of all — to college students.

 

 

You know what’s weird, though? It doesn’t feel strange not going back to teaching high school. You’d think that it would be, considering I did it for so long. But all I feel now is glad and hopeful. Things feel right.

 

Here’s the thing I’ve learned about teachers and teaching – for the most part, if you stay in it and ENJOY IT, you are probably good at it. This is where my law of attraction beliefs come true once again. If it feels joyous and like you could do it all day, then it is in line with what the universe wants you to do. I didn’t feel that way, but I know lots of teachers who do.

 

So I wish luck to my teacher friends (and to my former students, who go back in a week) and I hope your year is a beautiful one!

 

 *All GIFS courtesy of www.reddit.com*

TASTE TEST vs. Top Chef/MasterChef/Chopped, etc.

15 days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

I’ve always been a huge fan of “food TV” — the Food Network, in particular, but the show Top Chef as well. When I came up with the idea for TASTE TEST, it was due mostly in part to the enthusiasm many students at my high school showed for the county’s “Commercial Foods” program. Led by a former chef, multiple students enrolled in Commercial Foods and greatly enjoyed the ability to excel at something as tangible as cooking.

 

The “inspiration” for TASTE TEST was that group of students and how I felt that type of show would play out if teens were on it.

 

I want to be clear about something that has caused a little confusion — TASTE TEST was not written about a particular reality cooking show. In fact, I’ve never seen MasterChef. I’ve seen bits and pieces of Chopped, but I don’t think I’ve watched an episode in its entirety.

 

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TASTE TEST wasn’t written about those shows or as a tribute to those shows. TASTE TEST was written as a tribute to teens who cook.

 

Now, obviously, I understand why the comparisons have been made — I mean, the book is about a reality cooking show. I’m not sure how MasterChef is set up, but on Top Chef, the contestants live together — that, and the idea of dorm life, is what I based my contestant’s lives on between tapings.

 

Writing a book about a reality show was challenging because it needed to establish the same kind of momentum. That’s why I used different genres of writing — interviews, recipes, emails, etc. to create a multi-faceted approach. I like compiling various forms into a novel because I think it breaks things up a bit. With something like a reality show, you want the read to be somewhat fast-paced, especially since the show is a competitive one.

 

In my perfect world, readers would read TASTE TEST without any preconceived notions — but that’s an awful lot to ask in a world full of food television! So, instead, I hope that readers will keep an open mind. When writing a book, it is impossible to directly replicate another type of entertainment, like music or movies. It’s a challenge to find a way to translate it and I can only hope I’ve done it some justice.

 

The Truth about Money and Happiness (and Writing)

 

 

Money’s a weird thing. No one likes to talk about it.

 

Well, actually, that’s a lie. No one likes to talk about how much money THEY make. But, for some reason lately, lots of people want to talk to me about how much money writers make.

 

No one is asking exactly how much I make, per se. Although, in a conversation last week, someone did say to me, “Wow, it must be nice to just sit at home and receive checks in the mail.”

 

Yeah. That did not please me.

 

I’m not sure why people are interested in the money writers make, but I have a couple of guesses.

 

1. Some people see writing as an indulgence or a hobby, not a career. That makes me feel like this:

 

 

And it makes me want to say a few choice words that cats can’t say.

 

Writing. is. a. job.

 

Sure, some people do it just for fun. That’s totally fine. But that’s not the same thing.

 

There are days when writing IS lots of fun. But it’s also my job. Right now, I’m in the middle of revisions of my second book. I’m also blogging regularly and running contests to prepare for TASTE TEST’s release in a few weeks. I do enjoy it very much, but I’m not “sitting at home and receiving checks.”

 

 

2. Many people — MOST people — equate money with success. (i.e. more money = more success.)

 

This is a pretty “American” ideal. There are many countries and cultures where money may be a factor in one’s happiness, but it is certainly not a deciding factor.

 

I can understand this impulse, though. I used to feel that way, too — that the more money we had, the better our life would be. I have seen various levels of financial success and strain. When things were good, our family was able to buy our dream house, vacations, cars, and whatever material possessions we wanted.

 

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Our beautiful home (before we bought it – hence the For Sale sign)

 

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I love it when we’re cruisin’ together…

 

Yes, I realize how this sounds. It sounds materialistic, right? Well, it was. VERY.

 

But guess what?

 

I wasn’t NEARLY as happy as I am now.

 

So why is that?

 

Because money can’t buy you happiness.

 

It really is true and it’s something I never really understood until I became truly happy.

 

 

So, what makes me happy now?

 

Well, writing — of course. But more than that? I took a risk – a big risk – in becoming a full-time writer and part-time college instructor. I’m no longer buying unnecessary things because they are, frankly, not nearly as sweet and desirable as living this new life. You find what makes you happy and if you’re lucky enough, you do it forever.

 

 

To be fair, I believe that “money doesn’t buy happiness” is an ideal you can only believe if you’ve had that kind of money in the first place. I sort of wish that for everyone — not that I would want you all to be disatisfied, of course. But I hope everyone can understand that money often makes things more complicated and stressful than they should be. Life can be simple and, in that simplicity, it is so – SO – freaking sweet!

 

*All GIFS are from www.reddit.com*

Countdown to TASTE TEST — Kitchen Swag Contest

19 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

19 days, baby!

 

Wow, am I stoked or WHAT?

 

So, this week, I’m giving away a Kitchen Swag Contest — here’s what it entails: Pink/Green Rubber Spatulas with TASTE TEST tag, a TASTE TEST kitchen towel, and a set of recipes from TASTE TEST on adorable recipe cards!

 

Enter below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lucky Review x 2: Rachele Alpine’s CANARY and Kara Taylor’s PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

21 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

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Traveling gives me a GREAT excuse to read. I hate needing an excuse to read, but often I do — usually I’m working on writing or reading things because I need to, not necessarily because I want to. But these two books were ones I couldn’t wait to pick up — so on the way to our family reunion in Buffalo, I devoured both of these beautiful books.

 

I’ll start with CANARY –

 

I am SUCH a sucker for sibling relationships in books — I love to see that established immediately in any text, and Alpine does it masterfully. The family dynamic sets the tone for the entire text — the way the male family members relate to Kate, the one remaining female of the family, reflects how later events are dealt with.

 

I have to also mention that, in terms of basketball being the school’s most elevated sport and, thereby, the bar to which all students aim to meet in terms of their popularity, I couldn’t help but think about ONE TREE HILL, a show I LOVE. This has similarities, but CANARY is far darker, and frankly, more realistic than the Nathan-Lucas drama.

 

CANARY is about secrets, lies, and the way they are kept and told. It’s a book that is loaded with the stresses and drama that contemporary teens deal with every day. Something I love about this is that Alpine doesn’t shy away from dealing with multiple issues. She faces them head on, because, frankly, that’s how they appear in life. When it rains, it pours. When you are dealing with sexual assault, you will have other stresses as well — in Kate’s life, popularity, family, school, etc. wrap themselves up into an environment that forces her to invest herself into her Daily Truths, more than other people.

 

This book was fantastic – in the same vein as SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, which I adore.

 

 

 

And now, PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL –

 

There are few things I love more than a strong, non-apologetic, balls-to-the-wall female protagonist. Kara Taylor establishes this with her MC, Anne. When we first meet her, she’s promiscuous and frank, her words cut right to the heart of the matter. LOVE that. It’s a great way to establish her tough outer shell — especially as the drama of her fire-setting debacle ensues.

 

I can’t help but draw comparisons to Blair from GOSSIP GIRL (and Serena, for that matter) and Katherine from CRUEL INTENTIONS. But Anne has more heart and depth than Katherine, though she’s just as smart and ballsy. When a student is murdered in Anne’s new school and the administration shuts down all talk about the crime, Anne is determined to figure out the details. I love her dynamic with the victim’s brother, Anthony, and you can’t help but root for the two of them in the end.

 

I loved this book — the way privilege is discussed and examined, the way Anne’s character develops and changes, and the way we get a look into a world that is so often veiled from our eyes.

 

I suggest reading both of these books — like me, you can do it in one weekend! It made the drive from Maryland to Upstate NY fly by!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Difference Between Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing

24 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the difference between these two books?

 

Let’s go through the obvious — on the left is Gretchen Powell’s book, TERRA. It is a dystopian YA novel.

 

On the right is my book, TASTE TEST. It’s a contemporary YA novel.

 

Gretchen is a friend of mine — by all accounts, she’s an incredible writer. She has great reviews on GoodReads. She has a terrific blog and a loyal following. That — and she’s super-cool and nice and sweet.

 

There is no visible difference between these two books — the only difference is how they were published.

 

Self-publishing has really come a long way since it’s inception. It used to be considered “vanity publishing” — a method to get your work published because you weren’t able or willing to go through the traditional channels.

 

Now, though, self-publishing is just another option. It’s just another way to get your book out into the world.

 

Gretchen, for example, is incredibly talented and knows talented people. She had the savvy to create the book, the cover, the company that the book is published under, etc. She worked her ASS off to do that.

 

I do NOT have those talents.

 

I can write — but I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I had to publish my own work. There are great websites that walk you through it, there are dozens (hundreds?) of designers to help you with covers and all that goes into the process.

 

The biggest difference between self-pubbing and traditional?

 

There are two: 1. The people in your corner and 2. Time.

 

1. The people in your corner

 

When you publish through traditional channels – i.e. a major publisher, or a small press — you have people working for your success. You don’t have to pay for their support. You don’t have to pay for anything — unless you choose to, obviously. You will have a publicist sending your book to all the major reviewers — PW, Kirkus, NYT, etc. You will have an editor and copy editors going over your manuscript and polishing it up. You will have support from retail locations — many of whom may stock your book.

 

It still remains true that you are many times more likely to be stocked in stores in the shelves if you are published traditionally. The stigma that self-publishing = vanity is certainly still there, but it’s also mostly to do with the real estate of books. There isn’t even close to enough shelf space for all the books that come out into the world.

 

If you self-publish, you should expect that your book will not show up at BaM or Barnes & Noble or (and especially) WalMart or Target. You might get local stores and small Indie book stores to carry your work — but, again, you’re fighting for the same spots as mainstream books from traditional publishers.

 

And 2?

 

Time.

 

Publishing is SLOW. By all accounts. It’s no one’s fault. It’s not problematic. It’s just a slow industry. TASTE TEST took 25 months to make it from purchase to print. That is very normal. The best case scenario — unless you’re a celebrity — is 18 months.

 

So if you’re impatient or you have a specific reason you want your book out RIGHT NOW — you want to publish before a family member passes away or you want to capitalize on a trend or whatever — than self-publishing is for you.

 

Similarly, if you’ve tried the traditional route and it isn’t your thing or you didn’t find the success or reception you are looking for — self-publishing could be the way to go.

 

There are a handful — probably more than that, probably a few dozen or so — of self-published authors who become best sellers. It does happen — and then two things usually occur. First, they have an amazing platform and marketing plan. They’re willing to put the time and money into it. They’re committed to forging their own success in this critical world. And, second — once they’re a best seller? Most of the time, they sign with a big named publisher.

 

There’s no shame in that game — seriously. You do you.

 

In the end, the difference between the two routes have nothing, NOTHING to do with talent and everything to do with choice. It’s choosing which journey you want to be yours. In my case, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wrote a YA novel in November of 2008 and, 4.5 years later, I’m a full-time novelist. My journey was MAGICAL. But there was certainly a lot of waiting. I learned a lot about being patient. And that’s just part of it.