Madhuri Pavamani's Blog, page 39

Throwback Thursday – The Coco Butta Kids

It feels like another lifetime now, but in the late 90s, Henry and I had this brilliant idea to move to Atlanta, Georgia. He went to college down there at Morehouse and I’m from Snellville (which, I know, I know, is not Atlanta, but it’s close enough), so we thought “hell, why not? Let’s do this.”

Henry got a job before we left New York (of course he did) with a hot litigation boutique down there, immediately jumping into a matter involving mischievous NBA players, and I kind of tried to find my way. At the time, there was no reciprocity between New York and Georgia, which meant I had a bar exam and a job search looming over my head.

So what did I do?

I started writing my first novel.

Of course I did.

Interview for jobs, study for the bar or write a novel – which would you pick?

We had a loft downtown, but only one car, so I would drop Henry off every morning for work and then come home and claim to be furthering my legal career when, in fact, I was embarking upon my writing career.

And it was fabulous.

I remember the thrill of writing my first few chapters, sending it to my girlfriend, Priya, she loved it and encouraged me to keep going, saying it was exactly what she wished existed when we were younger.

So what was I writing, say you.

It was really very simple – I wanted to create a series for young adults of color similar to those Sweet Valley High books that were around when we were growing up, but with kids of color as the lead protagonists instead of in the usual, stereotypical roles of the sidekick or irrelevant, forgettable minor character. At the time, there was really nothing of the sort out there; urban lit was emerging, but that’s not what I was trying to write. I wanted to turn a stereotype on its head, not reinforce it.

And so was born The Coco Butta Kids: Ayesha Bala, her best friend Kenya Solomon, twins Malik and Simone Travis, uber-athlete Walt Haley, and charming misfit Dhru Thomas. They were my crew and I loved them.

I published two books in the series, Crossing Paths and Tough Times and had begun working on the third when I kind of gave up on the enterprise (a long story for another time), put my writing dreams on hold for a bit, did some lawyering, did a lot of partying, had a kid and began creating The Sanctum Trilogy.

But people often ask me about those books, especially those who knew me at the time and saw the way the kids I interacted with reacted to my crew. It was quite special.

I remember one night going up to do a reading at the 92nd Street YMCA with some of the kids in the after-school program. As I was setting up, the director let me know that I shouldn’t be too upset if the kids don’t really get into it, that no matter what, she wanted me to know how thankful she was for me coming up to talk to them. So I started with some chit chat about myself and my story about creating the series, let them ask me some questions, and then took a chance and I asked them if they wanted to do a reading. Let me tell you, every hand in that room went up so fast, they were so eager to get a chance to read aloud. It was unreal being surrounded by all that positive, excited energy, the kids letting me know how happy they were to read about kids that looked like them, and all of us wondering aloud why there weren’t more Coco Butta Kids on bookstore and library shelves. (More than 10 years later, we still need diverse books, hence the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement)

When I was packing up to leave that night, the director came up to me, visibly emotional, and thanked me, saying that almost all of the kids in that room had trouble reading and they most definitely never read aloud. She had never seen anything like the way they responded to me and those books.

It was awesome.

I had more experiences like that, with fantastic kids in Maryland and Georgia and Florida and New York, but I also had some really crappy experiences with adults in those same places (selling books is a bitch, people) and in the long run, I think I just got tired of the whole grind.

Anyway, I still think the Coco Butta Kids have a role to play, which is why a few years ago I re-released the series as an eBook under the name Ayesha’s Teenage Survival Files. I admit, I’ve done little to nothing to promote it, nor have I rewritten it or revisited its content in any way, except to design a new cover, which I think should probably be re-designed, but I don’t have the time right now.

But I’m going to – I have every intention of going back to my original crew of Xavier High School kids and adding to their story. They deserve it. But for now, it will have to suffice to offer the two books in the series for free every so often and hopefully pull in a few new fans each time.

So that’s exactly what’s happening next week. From Monday, June 23rd through Friday, June 27th, both Crossing Paths and Tough Times are available through Amazon for free download.

I hope you’ll check out my Coco Butta Kids, add them to your TBR pile or pass them along to a middle grade reader in your life. I think you’ll love Ayesha and the crew.

HOLLA.

Killing It

I believe this is what they mean when they say killing it on the cover of Vogue

Rock on with your bad self, Lupita.

Rock on.

Thursday Thoughts

I might have posted this somewhere before but I love it, so it’s getting another spin

The Kill

If you’ve been following my blog posts lately, you know that I’ve been having some issues with productivity when it comes to Book III: The Prophecy. And not because I don’t know what to write or where the story should go or even how it should end, but because the time has come to kill off a character I love.

Dearly.

My hemming and hawing might seem funny to you because the characters are just constructs of my imagination, neither real nor based on reality. And yet, to me they are quite the opposite. I’ve been thinking about some of them for years now and although others have only recently popped into my head, they’ve become so vibrant so quickly that it’s as if I’ve always known them. Perhaps this is some weird trait of writers, especially imaginative ones, but it is what it is. My characters are very real and although I understand they need to die to move the story forward, sometimes their deaths are just too painful.

My apologies to the fabulous George RR Martin – I know I greatly disappoint him when I say this death is one of the painful ones.

I’ve known about it since I created the character; I planned for the death to occur in Book II until I found a way to avoid it. So I gleefully traipsed through Book II with my character alive and well and they were still kicking it a few chapters in on Book III.

But it cannot be avoided any longer.

Unless, of course, I stop working on Book III, which is exactly what I did for a couple of weeks.

However, I love to write my trilogy more than I love my character, so I was only able to stay away from Book III for so long – that little itch started getting to me early last week and before I knew it, I was back to working on the dreaded chapter. And last night I finally reached my destination.

The kill.

My character crossed into the land of death around one in the morning and I have to say, the way I wrote it made it much easier to handle than expected. Or maybe my contemplation of this scene for so long and in so many ways tempered its actual impact.

Either way, it’s done.

The scene is written; interestingly, I have yet to read what I wrote. Every morning I read my work from the night before and edit it, but today I couldn’t bring myself to indulge this habit. But I will, of course, and soon, if only to make sure what I wrote does justice to the character.

My beautiful, complex, charming character.

I suspect now that I have traversed this hurdle, I will be able to write with abandon.

Until the next death…

 

Vote to Make THE GIRL July’s Goodreads Group Book of the Month selection

THE GIRL made it through the Goodreads group Shut Up & Read‘s nomination process for its July Book of the Month selection by garnering more than two votes (which is not as easy as it sounds) (and thanks to you lovely folks who nominated it).

So Shut Up & Read just opened its polls this morning to start voting for the BOTM selection and THE GIRL opened tied for 6th place. Not terrible, but not that great either. Since then, we’ve moved up a couple of spots to the number 5 position, holding fast with 7 votes. The leader, as of right now, has 18 votes.

Do the math.

I’ve gotta get some votes to win this thing.

Here’s the deal – to vote, you must be a member of the Shut Up & Read group, which is super easy. Just click here and then click to join the group. You can’t ask for a simpler sign-up process.

Once you’re a member of the group, then click here to vote. If you’re already a member of Shut Up & Read, then just click here and vote.

But vote, I say. And then pass this post along to your friends and get them to vote as well. It’s the only way for me to win.

And I’ll love you forever.

(And do you really need any other reason than that to vote? Puh-leez.)

The Founding Families of The Sanctum

The Sanctum is an all-powerful, governing body founded by ten families, entrusted by the gods to maintain the peace amongst Magicals and ensure the ignorance of humans.

Overseen by a ruling body known as The Circle of Ten, The Sanctum has no official leader, but that fact has mattered little over the years. Founding Families have butted heads and waged politicially-motivated battles against one another in their quest for power for generations.

Currently, The Sanctum is “led” by Carter and Ava Breslin, heads of The London Academy and heirs to a throne built on fear, intimidation and violence. But their reign of terror could be coming to an end as falsehoods are brought to light, agendas are uncovered, and new threats to their chokehold on The Sanctum emerge.

So keep reading and learn more about the ten Founding Families, their personalities and their leaders. And if you have a chance, snag copies of The Girl and The Boy, sit back and enjoy the adventure.

TEN FOUNDING FAMILIES OF THE SANCTUM 

Breslin: founders Augustus and Victoria, rigid and didactic and power-hungry. Since the founding of The Sanctum, the family has made every move in the book to wrest control and authority from other families. They bully and cajole, manipulate and torture to get what they want, when they want it. The free-will loving, open-mindedness of the Clayworths runs counter to everything the Breslins hold dear and they make it one of their goals to oust one day oust the Clayworths from the Circle of Ten. The family is currently led by Ava and Carter Breslin. They specilize in torture, the dark arts and murder; run the London Academy.

Clayworth: founders Micah and Rose Clayworth, free-spirited and open-minded, chosen as a counter to the power-hungry Breslins. Over the years, the family has broken tradition with many of the precepts of The Sanctum, such as cutting familial ties and placing The Sanctum above all, angering the more rigid families and setting themselves up to be called rebellious and anti-establishment. Famously hired a troll as their weapons expert, brought her within the confines of the Academy, housed her and built her a state-of-the-arts weapons lab. The family is currently led by Sam and Josiah Clayworth. They specialize in weaponry; run the New York Academy.

Allende: founders Dane and Arsha Allende. For generations have supported moves by the Breslins, oftentimes being central to their plots and plans, as of late their enthusiasm for such machinations appears to be waning. Developers and practicers of Rai-chu, a well-known battle technique used for centuries by warriors for The Sanctum. The family is currently led by Sasha and Lyla. They run the Buenos Aires Academy.

Khambaita: founders Padmini and Ashok Khambaita. Readers of runes and protectors of The Book of Rune, the family has amassed a collection from both the Magical and human worlds, learning their secrets and working to harness their powers. Rumored to have helped the Breslins manipulate demons, the family also has ties to the Parisian vampires. Currently led by Dhru and Everlee Khambaita; they run the Paris Academy.

Ravensdale: founders Ru and Violet Ravensdale. A direct adversary to Micah Clayworth, the family famously promised to kill him and string him up in the town square for all humans and Magicals alike to witness. Lovers of violence, experts in the sword, the family has a long and storied history of leading armies into battle, despite the precept that Sanctum shall take no side in a Magical war. Currently led by Asha and Grant Ravensdale. They run the Barcelona Academy.

Galloway: founders Henry and Eliza Galloway. A family with strong ties to the Clayworths since the founding of The Sanctum, having supported them in many decisions concerning the protection of Magicals. Considered by some to be more liberal than the Clayworths, the family has always believed killing rogue Magicals is most often the wrong policy. Currently led by Jada and Christopher Galloway, they specialize in herbs and spellbinding and run the smaller Mexico City Academy.

Barksdale: founders Jonathan and Bernardo Barksdale. Considered loose cannons and not a family to be trusted by the more conservative members of The Sanctum for their revolutionary relationship, the family was surprisingly conservative in their politics, but after years of Breslin machinations and manipulations, became more liberal-leaning in their politics. Currently led by Greer and Yuli Barksdale, they specialize in manipulating time and space and portal travel. They run the Los Angeles Academy.

Edwards: founders Lily and Michael. A smaller Academy, deeply steeped in witchcraft and sorcery, created mainly due to the large numbers of Magicals in the region. After many years of experimenting, successfully developed the protective gear worn by all warriors of The Sanctum. Led by Kalinda and Jasper until their untimely deaths, then passed to their children Pia and Dante, the family specializes in garment design. They run Mumbai Academy.

Leatherby: founders Jake and Priya Leatherby. A family with strong ties to the Edwards clan, developed over the years through a kindred love of witchcraft and sorcery, the Leatherbys have built the Cape Town Academy into a renowned center for healing Sanctum and Magicals alike. The family is led by Oona and Marcus Leatherby.

Sexton: founders Sayo and Edward Sexton, close friends of Micah and Rose Clayworth. For generations the family has fought Breslin efforts to amass power and control The Sanctum, questioning their use of torture and violence to keep Magicals in check. Known for their study and knowledge of Magical language and history, they have built an extensive library within their Academy. Currently led by Oscar and Pippa, the Sexton family runs the Beijing Academy.

 

Book III: A Snippet

The very title of this post suggests that yes, I have gotten my veritable procrastinating ass in gear and am back to writing. And not just blog posts or reviews of other people’s work but, in fact, Book III.

[that right there would be my computer, bearing witness to the fact that yes, I am, indeed, working on Book III]

Which, in case you’re wondering, is called The Prophecy.

Makes sense, non?

Anyway, it’s Friday and seems like as good a time as any to post a snippet of what I’ve got going. It’s not much, but then again, it’s not like I said I was posting an “excerpt”, so don’t be greedy and instead, take this snippet for what its name suggests – a small piece or brief extract – and enjoy.

Dev stood and brushed herself off, too stunned to speak. Looking about as if in a dream, she could not believe her eyes. She gasped, the reality of her surroundings finally hitting her. Without thinking, she took off running down the road, the route all too familiar, imprinted on her being, humming in the blood of her veins, an intrinsic part of her soul.

Home.

Wyatt watched her disappear down the road and smiled. He and Asher stood for a moment longer then leisurely made their way down the dusty road, Asher running into fields to explore as Wyatt enjoyed the peace and quiet. He spotted her as he rounded the corner, her lone figure, so regal and majestic, standing in a field of green, an expanse that seemed so vast and lonely, as if something vital was missing.

It was the land of her family. And she was seeing it, really seeing it, for the first time in too long. She was transfixed.

He stopped for a moment and studied Dev. Even from a distance, she took his breath away. Stilled his soul and he had to remind himself: inhale, exhale.

Dev felt Wyatt approach and turned back to smile at him.

Her beautiful warrior.

Her lover.

Hers.

She sensed he did not want to intrude upon her moment, that he hesitated, but she wanted him near, to share it with her and so, as Wyatt did often and with such ease, Dev smiled and offered her hand, outstretched and open. She waited until he was near, then reached for him, lacing their fingers together, pulling him close.

Still too stunned to speak, Dev’s eyes told Wyatt everything he needed to know. He wrapped her in his embrace and they stood together.

Quietly.

Happy.

Peace out, bitches!

 

 

Random Thoughts

1. A high school friend was in town last week, which prompted an even older friend (Jess and I have known each other since we were 7 and 8 years old!) (holy shit!) and I to meet up with Milner for drinks. As a girl who has always appreciated the comfort of strangers, I must say there is nothing quite as divine as the comfort of old friends. You bitches rock.

2. I returned to the gym after almost a one month hiatus and surprisingly one, I didn’t die and two, I’m not in terrible shape. But tomorrow is Greg’s Metcon 3 class and I’m already coming up with excuses not to go. He scares me.

3. I am currently working with and for the nicest person in my firm. No lie. Nicest.

4. That said, he might not be so nice when he learns of my upcoming vacation of which I’ve told no one because it’s the worst-timed vacation ever. And I don’t know how delaying the revelation of said vacation is helping matters, but that’s exactly what I’m doing. Which evokes shades of my blogged-about procrastination…

5. Was I the only one who found the scene in TFIOS where they kiss in the Anne Frank house kind of weird?

6. People need to stop complaining about Derek Jeter and how he’s ruining it for the Yankees this season. STFU. Let him play his final season as a Yankee, do his goodbye tour and be freaking thankful you rooted for the team with the guy who made the gorgeous flip in the Oakland series, ran into the stands and bloodied his face in the Boston series, hit the homerun in November, and, if you’re around my age and lived in the city in the late 90s, partied with up at Uncle Jimmy’s in the Bronx. Stop being haters. You suck. And I’m sick of hearing it. The Yanks aren’t losing because of him, they’re losing because they’re not that great. Instead of spewing all the vitriol at Derek, how about turning it around on that idiot of a GM, Brian Cashman. Just saying.

7. Did you see this? Whoa. Just when I start to think I’m used to Angie and she no longer overwhelms me with her jaw-dropping beauty, she goes and does this. Talk about giving good face. Whoa. Just whoa.

8. I was just in a meeting where we tossed around a football like we’re little kids while our “boss” was on the phone.

9. My mom and I were face-timing last night and she mentioned that she started reading THE BOY and wanted to know who wrote the poetry in the beginning of the book, to which I replied Walt Whitman and Sandra Cisneros, while in my head I’m saying “duh” since their poems are very obviously cited. I am a lawyer after all. We cite damn near everything. She then laughed and said no, not that, but the poetry in the beginning of chapter one, to which it was then my turn to laugh because 1) poetry and I are NOT friends (my friend, Stephanie, knows this better than anyone in my life) and 2) it figures that I would write something poetic without even trying and 3) that is still not poetry. Why you ask? Because it makes sense, I shout. And nothing, and I mean nothing, about most poetry makes sense. (Prime example, and the poem that gave me fits in AP English: Ice cream. It melted.) (Again, Stephanie will understand why I “shout” that response, as she knows all too well my frustrations with the utter inanity of poetry) (my opinion only….all you poets out there, do NOT get your panties in a huff because I find poetry inane. It’s all a defense mechanism to thwart my feelings of inadequacy the minute someone whips out a poem.) Anyway, she thought it was very beautiful and loved it and sounded really proud of the way I put those words together.

10. Happy father’s day to all the dads out there, especially Henry, my dad, and my brother, Ashok, who is celebrating his first Father’s Day this year. Rock on all you badass dads.

 

HOLLA BITCHES!

 

Thursday Thoughts

Book II: THE BOY – A Goodreads Giveaway

There are only three days left to enter my Goodreads giveaway to win a signed paperback copy of the second book in The Sanctum Trilogy, THE BOY.

I know I should have posted this earlier, but better late than never, non?

In Book I: THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted.

The journey becomes more perilous as Book II: THE BOY unveils the world of the Ramyan, a mysterious sect of Magicals haunting the blank spaces between time and memory, and the power they hold over the prophecy.

Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?

And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?

 

Sounds amazing, right?

And it’s so freaking easy to enter the giveaway, just click here.

Or here.

Or even here.

Do it! You know you want to. Just go for it.

Here. I’ll even give you another shot. Click here.

Of course, if you’re like me and suffer from a terminal case of immediate gratification, then by all means, go ahead and snag a copy of THE BOY on Amazon for the Kindle or in paperback.

HOLLA.