Lisa Schroeder August 8, 2011

YA and MG Author, Lisa Schroeder

Okay, so I’m not going to win any awards for my photographic skills, but I wanted you to be able to put faces to names while reading my post. (We won’t go into the fact that I have these pics–as less than stellar as they are–which serve as a subtle reminder that I got to attend this truly awesome book signing…)

Tonight I’d like to talk about the third author I met at Third Place Books.

*Confession: Lisa was actually the first author I lined up for. In fact, she was the primary reason I bribed my husband with a Mariner’s game to get him to drive me to Seattle in the first place. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love the other authors any less – they were like happy bonuses!*

I had the opportunity to read Lisa’s latest book, The Day Before, when it was still an unedited galley. ZOMG, it blew me away. I made the mistake of opening it on my computer a few minutes before the bell went to start the day, and holy doodles, let me tell you, it was hard to focus on actually teaching the students and not running back to my desk for just one more verse.

Yes, I said verse. The book is written in free verse – and I was totally wary about this – but Lisa’s writing style (and total command of plot and character) sucked me in and I had to read to the end. The Day Before is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not going to spoil the plot, but let me tell you, it’s worth reading just for the tale, never mind the word flow.

I am thrilled to have an autographed copy of my very own. I started campaigning for a class set of the novel the day I finished reading the ARC. I cannot do a novel study using The Day Before as a read aloud. Half the magic of the book is the way the text is formatted on the page, and I want my students to experience the book the way it was meant to be read.

That being said, school budgets are getting smaller every year, and I know my librarian will have to wait until the book is available in paperback (or trade at least) before considering purchasing thirty copies. I will attempt to be patient.

Anyway, Lisa was charming and pleasant to talk with. She seemed genuinely happy to interact with everyone, and she remembered that I’d commented over on Facebook that I was coming down from Vancouver for the signing. Lisa is very open with the public, she has a wonderful blog (http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/), tours, goes to schools, and even visits classrooms via Skype.

If you’ve never read a book in verse, or have always wondered what one would be like, Go. Get. Lisa’s.

Seriously.

I’ll wait.

Suspend your wariness. I did, and I don’t regret it for a moment.

Mandy Hubbard August 5, 2011

The second author (sitting from left to right) I had a chance to chat with was Mandy Hubbard. For those of you in the writing/publishing community, you might also know her as a literary agent for the D4EO agency.

Author of the YA paranormal, Ripple

However, the signing at Third Place Books wasn’t about being an agent, it was about being an author. I didn’t feel it would be appropriate to chat her up about agenty things because, really, we were all there to celebrate an awesome group of authors with some pretty kick ass summer releases.

After all, none of the other authors started pimping their day jobs. There was no discussion of, “I wrote this awesome book, and by the way, my [insert company name here] has a great deal/sale/advantage over the competition/whatever on right now and you should totally check it out.”

I wonder if it’s hard for Mandy to separate the two roles at literary events. I imagine, given the hungry nature of aspiring writers, that her “agent status” kind of overshadows her author status at conferences and whatnot. Which, given the little teaser she gave of her latest book, is a shame. I’m not a fan of paranormal, but I am TOTALLY intrigued by the idea of the main character being a siren.

Seriously.

A siren.

Dude.

Mandy was a pleasure to chat with, and I am excited about reading her latest book, Ripple. If you’re interested in Mandy Hubbard the author, you can check her out here: http://www.mandyhubbard.com/. If you’re interested in Mandy Hubbard the agent, try this page instead: http://www.mandyhubbard.com/index.php/agent/.

 

Insider Information April 11, 2010

Many publishing houses provide their writers with tips and tricks for developing (or increasing) their presence on the web. Such documents are incredibly useful in helping writers work smarter, not harder. PR people (should you have the budget for one) also regularly provide their clients with packages designed to increase an author’s profile.

Normally these amazing nuggets of gold are reserved for those under contract with the publisher, but I have had the great fortune to peruse said documents at my leisure. How, you may ask, did I come to possess such wonders? Did I sneakily sign a multi-million dollar book deal while you weren’t looking?

Nah. I just happen to have an awesome friend (who is different from, yet equal to, my beloved cheerleader in my esteem). She was holding on to the packages, wondering if or when to share them with me (she knows I’m a ways from getting a book deal), until we had a discussion about whether or not the NYT bestselling author who’s following me on Twitter (yes, there is one) found me via my website or some other means.

I have to admit to having had a little *squee* moment when I discovered this author following me. It’s not like I have a large web presence–or a large Twitter presence–and I certainly haven’t published anything of note, but for some reason this person believes I am worthy of following. Let’s hope I can live up to expectations.

And to my dear friend who risked life and limb to share the forbidden knowledge of the publishing/marketing world with me, you are precious beyond measure.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

Author Questionnaire Response #3 March 29, 2010

What are the main points about you and/or the book that should be emphasized to the media?

I have been called hilariously scathing by my friends, and this sense of humour is readily apparent in my book, Job Hunted. The main character, Toni, has a similar penchant for ascerbic remarks and has to consciously remind herself not to say some things out loud. While the book is listed as a suspense novel, those with an interest in humour may also enjoy a romp through its pages.

One of the key themes in the book focuses on the dilemma many people face in our current society – how to balance work and family. Toni thinks she has it all figured out (which she doesn’t, but she’s pretty good at lying to herself about some things) until Matthias explodes onto the scene and forces Toni to re-evaluate her entire life. Job Hunted pushes the dilemma to the extreme, forcing Toni to choose between her career and her family, and her choice comes at a cost few would be willing to pay.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

Author Questionnaire Response #1 March 26, 2010

As promised, I am going to spend the next several posts exploring the questions asked by agent Jessica Faust. I thought I would tackle the inspiration question first.

What was your inspiration for the book?

The Firestorm Conspiracy

My source of inspiration for this book came from my love of space opera. I enjoy science fiction, but my love comes from the characters inhabiting a strange universe, not the science behind it. I am content to let the space ships fly without rationalizing the hows or whys. Shows like Star Trek and Red Dwarf helped inspire my love of space opera. My inspiration for the main characters came from the desire to explore the reluctant hero, which is very much a common thread among John, Rebeccah, and Kree. Each is placed into situations that challenge their comfort zones, and each reacts in a unique way based on their other strengths. Kree is one of my favourite characters and he is based on the mistaken hero – he thinks he’s nothing and, through the course of the novel, comes to discover he is far more than he (or those around him) imagined he could be.

Job Hunted

The inspiration for this novel came in the form of a scene that repeatedly played itself out in my mind concerning a woman spying on someone in a house across the way. I spent weeks trying to figure out who this woman was, why she was watching the house, and what else she could possibly have to share with me. The first scene was the genesis of everything that followed. Watching the scene over and over again created an intimate connection, and I had to discover who this woman was and why she was haunting my thoughts. The process of fleshing out the rest of the book was really an organic offshoot of this first scene. The questions that I hope my readers will ask as they peruse the first pages are the same questions I asked as the scene unfolded before my eyes. The answers to those questions arrived as glimpses of future scenes. This is the first time I have written a novel based on a motion picture created by my mind, but as I think it is my strongest work to date, I hope it won’t be my last.

Tune in tomorrow for the answers to another author questionnaire question!

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

Author Questionnaire March 25, 2010

Agent Jessica Faust it Bookends, LLC (http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/) posted a series of ten questions commonly asked on author questionnaires (documents that many publishers ask their authors to complete). I have included the questions she posted below, and I am going to spend some time over the next few entries trying to answer them according to both my novels.

• What are the main points about you and/or the book that should be emphasized to the media?
• Who do you think will buy your book (i.e., your market)?
• If you could construct an interview for yourself, what questions would you want to be asked? Can you come up with about 5 to 10 questions and answers for this self-interview?
• Are there any anniversaries, occasions or events upcoming to which we might tie the publicity for your book?
• Is there any competition for your book? How are the other books alike? How are they dissimilar?
• What was your inspiration for the book?
• Who are your favorite authors?
• Tell us anything about you as a working writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.
• What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading your book?

I need some time to think about my answers, so I will update you on my writing. Last night was tough. I thought I was buoyed by my success on Tuesday, but the self-doubt returned and I spent precious writing time looking for other things to do. After another chat with my cheerleader, I used my remaining time to get my head into the correct space for working, and forced a few more sentences down on the page.

I was really hard on myself for sliding back and avoiding the novel. I know the only way to get past my insecurities is to write, and write a lot, but like a wimp, I keep shying away from the task. If I want others to take me seriously as a writer, I need to take myself seriously. If writing were the job that pays my bills, I’d be fired for my behaviour over the past few weeks.

Enough is enough. You don’t want to hear me whine, my cheerleader doesn’t want to hear me whine (but she listens anyway, bless her), and I don’t want to whine anymore. It’s time to suck it up, Princess, put on my big girl panties, and meet the fear head on. I have two hours before I need to leave for an appointment. I am going to use that time to write.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com