Kate Ristau's Blog, page 46
August 22, 2016
Another Read Through
Photo credit: Grace Julian
We are blessed with indie bookstores in Portland, and one of my favorites is Another Read Through. The owner, Elisa, curates a wonderful collection of books. She features indie and local authors, and has a large LGBTQ section. She also has an amazing tree climbing up toward the rooftop. Elisa told me that she grew up sitting in a tree, reading. When she opened Another Read Through, the first thing she did was commission that tree. It is a beautiful representation of how art and life can meet in the middle of a bookstore. Next time I chat with Elisa, I’ll ask her who the artist was, and I’ll let you all know.
Shadow Girl at Another Read Through
Elisa invited me to read from my new (old) book, Shadow Girl, last week at her store. I had a fantastic time, telling stories and sharing joys and frustrations. I called my talk “The Impossibility of Publishing Shadow Girl.” We had tea and cookies, and the dog ate all the scones beforehand, so we didn’t have any scones, but I think we had fun. I certainly did.
Photo credit: Grace Julian
I am so lucky to have fans and friends that take time out of their lives to listen to me say how “excited” I am about everything (I think I said the word 84 times).
But seriously, I was excited. It’s not often that a book finds a second home (after its first home implodes), and it’s not often that you find friends that will show up for the second release of your first book. Thank you to everyone who came, shared the love, and maybe found a great new book at Another Read Through.
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August 9, 2016
New Clockbreakers Cover!
Head over to the Middle Grade Mafioso to see Lee Moyer’s fantastic new Clockbreakers cover!
And in case you missed it, here’s a bit more about Clockbreakers, which releases October 1st from Indigo Sea Press:
On her eleventh birthday, Charlie receives a key to go back in time. But before she blows out her candles, she rolls her wheelchair right into Ancient Greece with her best friend Maria and her former best friend Trent. She’s a Clockbreaker on an action-packed adventure with a mission: to save her father, and perhaps even save the world.
I hope you like the new Clockbreakers cover, and if you haven’t read the first chapter yet, head over here. Enjoy!
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July 6, 2016
New Shadow Girl Cover!
I am thrilled to show you Shadow Girl’s new cover, and its amazing new space (between Shadow and Girl. Because you all know I’m more than a little spacey)!
Lee Moyer’s fantastic new cover for Shadow Girl! Returning this August.
The cover was designed by Lee Moyer. If you haven’t seen his work, take a peek. He is beyond creative, ridiculously smart, and extremely talented. I love the new cover design! Look closely, and you’ll see the eta swirling through Aine’s body, like a universe inside her.
It’s such a departure from the original book, but that makes me very happy. The first print run of Shadowgirl was dipped in good, but sprinkled with bad. I’m happy to get a new start with Shadow Girl!
If you’re in Portland, I’ll be having a re-release party on August 18th at Another Read Through. Join me as we remake everything. More news on that coming soon.
And if you haven’t heard already, Clockbreakers releases on October 1! If you know any teachers who would like me to visit this fall to discuss Clockbreakers, shoot me an email. I’m so excited to share Charlie’s story with the world! You can find out more about Charlie’s story here.
See you in August!
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July 1, 2016
Heartsong
It was well known throughout all of the valleys and all of the vales of the Kingdom of the Valley of the Land of the Puppers that Winslow was a good and magnanimous king.
So begins the story Bob and I tell our son, Rowan, every night before he falls asleep. Each evening, we follow Winslow, our dog, on his adventures throughout the magical Land of the Puppers. Winslow, the king of all of the animals, learns how to make friends, how to dance, how not to eat too much frosting. He also meets a little tree that has the most beautiful heartsong Winslow has ever heard:
Winslow ran up the deer path, as fast as he could, and the sound grew louder, and louder, and louder until it was all he could hear—until it filled him up to the very top. And there, with the wind blowing through his fur, he found what he was looking for. It was a rowan tree.
“I’ve never seen a rowan tree before. Is that you making that sound?”
The sound splashed into Winslow’ s ears like the ocean crashing against the rocks, echoing through the leaves of Treeton’s branches, and finally whooshing toward his heart in a flood of sound and life.
That sound is the whoosh of Rowan’s heart—not a beat, not a thump-thump, but a whoosh…
Read more of my new column at LiteraryMama.com.
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June 9, 2016
YA Author Panel this weekend
If you’re in Portland, join me this weekend with TINA FREAKING CONNOLLY, ALI OMG BERMAN, and SUZY HOLY WOW VITELLO. for a YA Author Panel!
Can you tell I’m excited? This YA Author Panel is going to rock your socks off. Or your sandals. Or make you dance.
Plus, they’ll be cake.
YA Author Panel: Saturday, 1:30PM-3:00PM, at Another Read Through
And, if you can’t come to that panel — or just can’t get enough — you can join me Sunday at the Barnes and Noble in Bridgeport Village for a Writer’s Workshop, which will be totes awesome.
YA Writer’s Workshop: Sunday, 2:00-4:00PM, at Barnes and Noble
These events are going to be a great kick-off to your summer reading. So join me, I’ll sign your book, or suggest a new one!
Until then, keep reading,
Kate
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April 27, 2016
Books I’ve liked
And lately, I’ve read a lot of REALLY good books.
I thought I’d share three of them with you. I won’t get all long-winded. I want you to have time to read them instead!
Book One: Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau
Time travel that rocks. If you are into indie rock, you’ll love Mo’s book. If you’re into time travel, you love Mo’s book. If you’re into books…you love Mo’s book. Good plot, great characters that you come to love, plus, did I mention time-travel?
Book Two: The Cult of Loretta by Kevin Maloney
I’ve heard Kevin read around Portland, and he nails it with this book. Lots of great stories that come together into one bigger story. This one is not for kids. But it’s a fantastic lesson in the possibilities of form (See his story: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) and how to slip in the beautiful and transcendent without sounding sugary.
Book Three: Hagridden by Sam Snoek-Brown
Historical fiction that actually kept me reading. That in itself should be reason enough to get this book. But if you need more, how about a rougarou? It’s like a Louisiana werewolf. Sam is also a master of description and tone. Read this book slowly — there’s goodness here.
Bonus: Book Four! Seriously Shifted by Tina Connolly
It’s not out yet, but I’ve got Tina’s follow-up to Seriously Wicked. It’s seriously great — good pacing and a funny twist that keeps things rolling. More on that later though.
Dig in, read some books, and tell me what you think!
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April 15, 2016
Big News
Big news today! Indigo Sea Press will be republishing Shadowgirl, along with the other books in the series!
And even BIGGER news: they’re going to publish the work that has been my heart and soul for four years. It’s called Clockbreakers. It’s a middle grade novel about Charlie — a girl in a wheelchair who gets a key to go back in time. It’s full of folklore and magic and all those things I love. I can’t wait to share it with all of you.
For now, though, it’s time to celebrate.
And edit! I have the second Shadowgirl book to work on now — it’s ready for a heavy dose of red ink. But I’m sure you’re going to love the story. This one really gets into Hennessey’s character. If you know how Shadowgirl ended, well, you know it’s going to be epic.
And I’m headed to the Terroir Creative Writing Festival this weekend. You can still register at the door, and get good help and great words from the likes of Barbara Drake, Shawn Levy, Brian Tibbetts, Sam Snoek-Brown, and me!
Yay! Woot! It’s happening!
Clockbreakers is the story I’ve wanted to tell for so long. It’s been through an agent; it’s been through the big publishing houses; and now it’s coming to you. I can’t wait for you to read it.
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March 29, 2016
Ellen Urbani — storyteller
Ellen Urbani, the Willamette Writers Conference closing keynote speaker, is a not your average storyteller. Ask her to tell you about writing, her novels, or even SEC football, and she’ll regale you with a tale that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat – or falling out of it.
Urbani is the author of Landfall (Forest Avenue Press, 2015) and the memoir When I Was Elena (The Permanent Press, 2006), and her work reflects both her sensitivity and her range. Landfall, a devastating novel that follows two girls during and after Hurricane Katrina, is simultaneously descriptive and fast-paced. The reader wants to know more of the story, turning the pages through descriptions that tear away the surface and get to the heart of the experience of trauma.
When Urbani launched Landfall at Powell’s last year, I expected to be attending a somber occasion – a book reading that reflected on the traumatic deaths and the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Her reading was far from what I expected.
Roll Tide
First off, Cheryl Strayed came up to introduce her, explaining how they had met on the playground with their kids, and had supported each other over the years. Then Urbani gave her heartbreaking reading and answered questions. At this point, a traditional reading would have finished, and the audience would have lined up to get their books signed.
Instead, Ellen Urbani brought up a former assistant coach from University of Alabama, and she sang the Alabama fight song as he tossed out cracker jacks and Mardi Gras beads. The crowd went wild, standing on their seats, waving arms, and a few even sang Roll Tide along with her.
Yea, Alabama! Drown ’em Tide!
Every ‘Bama man’s behind you;
Hit your stride!
In the space of an hour, Ellen Urbani showed the audience the light and life of Louisiana, while digging down into the terrible heartache of the hurricane. In the end, I left the reading feeling a lot of anger and pain, but also feeling the joy of Mardi Gras, and the celebration – no – the downright joy of life.
Read more at the Willamette Writers Conference Website>>
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March 21, 2016
Pitching your novel with Marvin Baker
Screenwriter Marvin Baker knows all about pitching.
I met Marvin in 2014 when I sat down for breakfast at the Willamette Writers Conference. Armed with my coffee, I settled in to share stories and talk pitching with a group of writers I did not know. After I introduced myself, Marvin launched into a story – one I just can’t forget – about how difficult it is to break into the business.
I met with Marvin again this week at his favorite coffee shop in West Linn. Over another cup of coffee, I asked him to share that story once more.
Pitching with Confidence
“I went through the same years of rejection as most people,” he said. “Then in 2007, everything changed. I finally broke through. I had a television pilot optioned out, and we went down there for two weeks at the end of August. It was perfect. I celebrated my birthday, and we spent two weeks in Hollywood checking out housing, and looking and seeing the possibilities – what it would actually be like to live down there. We were ready to move.
“And then the writer’s strike came along and derailed all of that.”
The entire conference table groaned as he said those words. To be that close – and to have it all slip away – was unimaginable to us.
“That was kind of tough to take,” Marvin said. “I’ve had other things happen like that since then. It doesn’t get easier. But, now, I’ve just accepted that it’s a business. It’s not me, it’s them. It really truly is.”
I nodded my head, knowing the feeling, knowing the frustration. We’ve all felt it before: the sting of rejection. The form dismissals.
But that still leaves the question: how do we do it? How do we walk into that pitching room, grab their attention, and keep it?
Marvin explained that the first thing to know is it’s actually not all them. I tilted my head in confusion, and he explained.
Read the rest of the article at the Willamette Writers Conference website.
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February 8, 2016
Your First Five Pages | Teal Writing Workshop
Well, it’s 70 degrees in Oregon. I love this weather. I should really go outside. But instead, I’m inside writing to you about your first five pages (as if I needed an excuse to write!).
I’ve got a great workshop coming up this month, on February 20th. It’s all about your first five pages. If you are preparing to submit your novel or have you been submitting, and not getting the response you want, this workshop is what you need.
Come work with me on your first five pages!
Join me for a in-depth writing workshop. We will work as a team to edit, revise, and perfect your first five pages. A series of focused discussions will be followed by chances to get down to work and make changes — in your own office at the writing house. We will then reflect and comment on your edits, and ultimately define your next step in the submission process.
Once you register, you will be invited to send me your first five pages. I will then base the workshop on the writing samples. Registration is limited to 5 writers.
Register below!
This workshop will be challenging, fun, and focused on your success. Lunch and coffee will be provided, along with plenty of inspiration. So, click below to register now! It’s going to be a great event!
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