Good vs. Evil, YA Style

Tip of the Day: When you teach a kindergartener how to crack an egg into a bowl, you might want to tell him not to finish the job by tossing the shells on top of the yolk in triumph at his accomplishment.

So I’m reading like a million YA novels for the Cybils awards panel (http://www.cybils.com/). (You can check out my previous post on this at http://author2author.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-did-i-get-myself-into.html). One thing I’m learning about all this reading is what separates a YA book from an adult or middle grade novel. Part of it is identity. In YA, the main characters are struggling to figure out who they are. But I’m also seeing a common thread in how YA books deal with moral dilemmas.

In middle grade novels, good and evil can be labeled. We know what side we want to be on. We don’t want to be Death Eaters. We want to be in the Order of Phoenix. The main characters have moral dilemmas where they struggle to keep on the side of good, but we’re usually pretty clear on what the side of good is. In YA novels, trying to figure out who the good guys are can be a large theme. Take some of the books I’ve read this week:

4In The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante, the main characters struggle with their oppressive Christian commune’s rules and mores. Can you be a good Christian while breaking a few rules? What if you’re not sure if the rules are part of your religion or part of your commune’s cult? How do you separate them?
4In Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji, Idi Amin’s brutal regime in Uganda expels Indians from the country in the cruelest possible way. But the main character watches Ugandan Africans, unaware of Amin’s worst actions, suffering from exploitation and prejudice from an Indian economic upper class. Should the working class support the dictator?
4In Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne, the main character knows a boy later accused of murder. She’s sure that he’s guilty, but does that justify his execution? If it doesn’t, should she answer his letters? Speak to him? If he deserves to live, does that mean he deserves to be treated as we’ve been taught to treat other human beings?

I didn’t want to give away any of the plots of these great books so you can enjoy them spoiler-free, but hopefully you can see how I’m enjoying these explorations of the gray areas. I can be glad that the main characters’ moral dilemmas aren’t mine, but as I read, I find myself struggling to make the right decision alongside the characters. And that’s powerful.

If you’re writing a YA novel, how do good and evil play out in your novel? Do your readers get a chance to think about it and make decisions, or is the decision made for them?

-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer

A2A Chat: Interview with Heather Duffy Stone

Tip of the Day: Our guest today blogs here.

Happy Teen Read week! It's been a fun week here at Author2Author, meeting five new authors who will have books coming out the first part of 2009. It looks like it's shaping up to be a fantastic year for young adult fiction!

Today we get to meet Heather Duffy Stone, author of THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU, March 1, 2009, Flux.

The book begins with these lines: "The stories people tell are always about the things we left behind, and the things we wish we could do again. The real story isn't about what you know; it's about what you wish you knew then..."

A2A: Can you tell us how you got the idea for this book? How long did it take you to go from idea to completed manuscript?

Heather: In the spring of 2001 I moved to Los Angeles. I’d been out of school for about two years and I’d been working in publishing, first for a teen magazine and then for a literary agent , in NYC. I was struggling with trying to be a writer and trying to pay my bills. So I quit publishing and packed up my stuff and moved to L.A., where, I was somehow convinced, I could be a writer… this is another story. But I moved to L.A. and I started waiting tables and writing vigorously. I wrote this story about a woman named Lace. She was a single mother who had six year old twins. The twins were a product of her one great love affair with an Italian boy she’d met at her family’s lake camp when she was 18. He disappeared but she could never get over him. When this story began she had a third child, a baby named Bella, and a boyfriend named Toby, who was very salt-of-the-earth, very caring, very good to her and her family. But she was in love with this man who’d become a ghost… and so. I finished the story and then I got an amazing job developing creative writing programs for high schools and my life sort of changed. I started to focus on different things. On teaching. And suddenly I was writing very little. 

Fast forward six years and I moved to Italy to teach in an international school. I worked with this incredible group of students. I was such a bad teacher—it was my first year as an English teacher, I only knew how to teach Creative Writing then and I was such a pushover—but I adored them and they taught me so much. I was struck by how hard it was to find books for them. Books that asked them to look at narrative style and movements in literature and also spoke directly to their lives. And in all of this I stumbled across this story I’d written about a mother and her Italian lover. Suddenly, the twins grew up. They were sixteen and the story was about them. 

I fell into their story. I started writing for my students, and then for the twins, and then the story just took off. I wrote notes about them. I knew this was the story it was supposed to be. And then about a year later I wrote an essay about this very personal experience, this sort of re-acquaintance with someone I used to know. And in reading over that essay, I realized I hadn’t told the truth exactly, but I’d made up a character. And he belonged in the story. Once all of these things came together (and I’d just moved back to New York) I enrolled in a writing workshop. And I wrote the whole thing in about four months. It became THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU.

[Lisa:  So we should never throw away those stories that never go anywhere, right? Who knows where they might lead us in the future!]

A2A: What was your publishing journey like - a pretty straight road or did you have lots of detours?

Heather: Publishing this book has been so surreal. I finished the manuscript (sort of. It definitely had holes) over Christmas vacation last year. And I was sitting in my apartment on New Years Day and I said, I turn 31 this year. And I was supposed to publish a novel by 30. I have to do this. So literally on New Years Day, I sent my manuscript out to two editors. One of them was Andrew Karre at Flux, who I’d been hearing a lot about. Andrew wrote back within a week and asked to see the manuscript. I was so floored. When we spoke, I was so blown away. He GOT my book. A big thing for me was that I don’t use quotation marks in dialogue in this project. This is really important to me. I wanted the line between thinking and speaking to be very intentionally blurred. I knew this was going to be a hard sell. But Andrew knew too. He said, this is going to make some people nervous, but I see why it needs to be. He sent me an offer letter within a month. When I got it, I think I stopped breathing. And then I turned off my computer and went into the kitchen and started to make dinner. I think it was a few hours before I told anyone. I was in total shock… at this point I got an agent and my agent, Jenoyne Adams, has been so wonderfully supportive through this whole process and she so gets my work. We had all of these connections—people we knew and writers we’d studied under. It was just very fortuitous. That part was kind of backwards I guess, because the agent came after the offer. But it has all worked out… 

[Lisa: I've heard great things about Andrew Karre. I know a lot of people who are sad about him leaving Flux.]

A2A: I was reading your blog and see that you work in a high school as a counselor and an English teacher. As a fellow YA author I have to say, wow, how cool! It seems teens have so much going on these days, I'm amazed they can find any time to pick up a book just for fun. But they are! What do you think makes a teen pick up a book - the cover, a friend's recommendation, a librarian's recommendation, etc? Any interesting observations you've made about teens and reading you'd like to share?

Heather: You know it’s funny. I was working at a high school last year and my students were a little bit older than I think my reading audience will be. They had a lot of demands on them. Many of them worked and went to school and helped support family members. They had so much going on. They are really incredible, inspiring kids. One of them, a poet, was one of the first people to whom I showed my cover. I was so nervous about it. But I was like, I have to see what kind of reaction it gets. And he was really honest. He talked about it for a while, why it would jump out, what story he thought was behind it (he even sent me an email later with another idea for the cover, an image he really thought would work). I was so impressed. He was very analytical about the whole thing—the story, the cover, the marketing. He thought about this book and what makes a story appealing and what makes a book sell, he thought about all of this in a way that was so sharp and so critical (and I mean that in a very positive way) I finally asked him:
“Do you go into bookstores? Would you ever go pick up a novel and buy it?”
“Nah,” he said. “I never buy books.”
This experience was so telling for me. Because the audience I think I wrote this book for, is the one who wouldn’t necessarily pick up a novel. Those who don’t have time, or don’t think it will be relevant to them. Yet they are such great critics. Such great readers. It poses an interesting dilemma though.
I’m afraid I might not have answered your question at all…

[Lisa: Yeah, kids are so busy these days, I do wonder how they find time to read for pleasure at all! But the way the YA section at the bookstores is growing, they must be doing it somehow!] 

A2A: Is there anything you're especially nervous about as you move from the status of unpublished to published author?

Heather: Well, I guess my biggest fear is that no one will read my book. I mean, it’s kind of a quiet little book in a world where there are a lot of BIG books and BIG stories and mostly, I just want it to reach readers. I’m also really proud of this story, I’m really close to it. And I suppose there is always the fear that I won’t ever feel as close to another project.

[Lisa: Those were my biggest fears, too!]

A2A: What YA books have you read lately? What's in your TBR pile now?

Heather: Oh this is embarrassing. Because once I start teaching I am only reading what I’m teaching. Right now I’m re-reading Frederick Douglass’s Narrative because I start teaching it next month… but let’s see. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is one of my favorites. I’m very scared about the movie because that story is SO narrative-driven. I just love their voices. But I’m excited too. Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is my all-time favorite. In my pile right now… mostly I can’t WAIT to read the ARCs of all of my fellow Debs (www.feastofawesome.com) especially Neesha Meminger’s Shine, Coconut Moon and Cheryl Renee Herbsman’s Breathing. But really, all of them…

[Lisa: Yeah, you're so lucky to get to read all those ARCs - I'm envious. :) ]

Thanks for chatting with us, Heather, and good luck with your book! I look forward to reading it!!

A2A Chat: Interview with Saundra Mitchell

Tip of the Day: Today’s author blogged on how to build your own press kit here this week.

I am SO excited that I got to interview Saundra Mitchell, author of Shadowed Summer (in stores February 10, 2009).

Not only is Saundra a super awesome writer, she is a super fantastic person.

Here’s a bit about her debut book (from BN.com):

“Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.

Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?”

And now for the questions:

A2A: We have a lot of authors who read this site and are interested in the publishing process. Can you tell me what you found to be the best and worst (or hardest) part in the process for you?

SM: The hardest part is letting go! I've worked with Dreaming Tree Films for more than a decade now- not only am I their screenwriter, I also write a lot of their marketing and business copy.

Which means I got used to writing blurbs, catalogue listings, festival copy- basically, anything marketing related, for films I had written. So it was a real shock to hand over my book and have other people defining it. Creating loglines and hooks for it. Shaping its public face. It made me totally crazy! (Okay, it still makes me a little crazy- but I'm starting to get used to it!)

Everything else is the best part. I mean, I had a party at my desk when I got my ISBN. When I saw the tiny little leaf icon they used to separate my chapters. When my book showed up in the Japanese Amazon database. It's all just so good; I'm having so much fun.

Kristina: OMG! I totally know what you mean. There is a tiny cherub on the spine of my book and I was like THIS IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!

A2A: Your book will be released on February 10th of next year so I'm sure you are busily getting ready for your debut and preparing marketing wise. Is there any one marketing tip or trick you've learned that you can share with us?

SM: My trick is starting early. It works for everything- when I make Thanksgiving dinner, I chop all the onions, celery, cheese and herbs the day before. When I wake up, I can start cooking in earnest- my ingredients are all ready for me.

The same thing goes for marketing. We have *lots* of lead time in publishing. When you're waiting for a contract or a revision, work on building your mailing lists and contacts. Then, when it's time to start marketing, you're actively reaching out on Marketing Day One.

My tip is, there's no good place to start, so just start somewhere. It doesn't matter which list you make first. Seriously. It doesn't. Especially if you start early!

Kristina: Great tip! You make it seem less daunting!

A2A: You probably get this question all the time but I'm sincerely interested—how on earth do you get done everything that you do? You are a screenwriter, author, and mom to two kids. And you are always the first to organize activities online or assist other writers in just about anything. So what's your secret?

SM: Insomnia. I mean, I say that and people laugh, but it's partially true. I have bouts of insomnia and I can sit awake at 3 am and enjoy an existential crisis, or I can sit awake at 3 am and address postcards. You can get a lot done when you have 18 or 20 waking hours in your day!

But for those people who don't have insomnia- the real answer is, I don't get everything done all at the same time. When I'm finishing a book, my husband makes dinner, and the laundry piles up. When the book is finished, I clean the house and reintroduce myself to my family. Also, I choose to spend my energy on things that are important to me. I'm never going to lay on my deathbed and wish I had washed my curtains more.

I hope no one ever looks at me and thinks I'm balancing everything really effectively, because I'm not. I'm just doing a decent job of neglecting the right things at the right time.

Kristina: I love that last line! And you make me feel much better about the baskets of laundry piling up at my house.

A2A: In your book, your main character Iris spends the summer looking for a ghost she saw in the town cemetery—the ghost of a boy who disappeared from the town decades earlier. Here's my question, do you believe in ghosts? And if so, have you ever seen one?

SM: I definitely believe in ghosts, but with a caveat. 9 times out of 10, there's a totally rational, physical explanation for phenomena if you're willing to look for it. But I absolutely believe those 10th times happen, and here's mine:

When I was a kid, my grandmother's house had a narrow stairway in the back, which led to a finished attic. It was split like a small apartment, with a sitting room in front and a bedroom in the back-accessible both by doorway and by a tiny closet between both rooms. My younger brother and I loved to play up there.

One Thanksgiving, we headed up and at the top of the stairs, I headed for the closet, and my brother headed for the doorway. And then we both stopped abruptly when we emerged in the bedroom because there was a man we had never seen sitting at the window.

And then... he was not.

We screamed and scrambled down the stairs, got the whole family in a tizzy about the man upstairs that disappeared- everybody had to go look, the adults weighed whether to call the police or to sit us in corners for making things up- it was an exciting holiday!

Kristina: OH. MY. GOD. That is freaky.

A2A: What are you currently working on?

SM: Currently, I'm working on another YA novel, "The Last Will & Testament of Evan Todd," which is about a boy who died, but he's the only one who realizes it. I'm also working on a book proposal to write a guide to practically free filmmaking for teens!

Kristina: Wow—both books sound awesome!

Thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with me Saundra! I can’t wait to read your book and I know it will fly off the shelves next year!

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub

A2A Chat: 2009 Debutante Edition (or Prepare to Pre-order!)

Tip of the Day: Check out debut author Jenny Moss's blog at http://jenny-moss.livejournal.com/ or visit her at the 2009 Debutantes' blog at http://community.livejournal.com/debut2009!

Welcome to the middle of Teen Read Week! Our special guest today is Jenny Moss -- whose historical middle grade novel WINNIE'S WAR comes out February 3, 2009. Who doesn't enjoy reading about scary viral epidemics like the Spanish Influenza of 1918?

From Amazon.com:

Life in Winnie’s sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother’s distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she’s plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she’s feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.

And Jenny has ANOTHER book coming out in October 2009 as well -- SHADOW, a YA fantasy. She is HOT, folks!

Now, let's hear from Jenny.

Q. You sold two novels to two different publishers in a short period of time! Congrats! What has it been like revising two books for publication in different genres on top of each other? And what has it been like working with two different editors/publishing houses at the same time?

Thanks so much!

My editorial letters arrived within two days of one another, so it was a little overwhelming at first! But the deadlines for the two revisions were spaced far apart, so once I got past the initial panic (how can I do this?!), I realized it was very doable. The revisions on Winnie’s War were needed in a month, the ones for Shadow not until the fall.

Each letter, one seven pages and the other two, was accompanied by a copy of the manuscript with the editor’s comments written in the margins. Many of the comments were questions, which helped me to see things from a new perspective, hence sparking creativity. I usually worked by e-mail and snail mail, but if I didn’t quite understand the editor’s point, we would talk by phone.

My editors are truly awesome: Emily Easton at Walker and Lisa Sandell at Scholastic. I was fortunate enough to meet them on a trip to NYC last June. Emily and Lisa are both talented editors, wise and perceptive, with the added bonus of being kind and just great people. So this editorial process for me with Scholastic and with Walker has been a creative, joyous one.

[That's so cool you got to meet your editors!]

Q. What got you interested in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 and how much research did you do before writing your first draft?

I wanted to set the story in a small town and thought I could more accurately represent one that was located in the area I live in now. Stories about the bird flu had been appearing in the newspaper, with references to the 1918 influenza pandemic. I’ve always been drawn to stories *blush* about people surviving plagues and disasters; Year of Wonders, The Long Winter, and Fever 1793 being three of my favorites. The heightened emotion during those times brings out fascinating facets of people’s characters, sometimes enabling them to discover truths that are real and lasting. This was what I wanted to explore.

I wrote a few scenes for Winnie’s War before I did any research. Winnie’s voice was loud in my head, and I wanted to capture it. Once I finished those initial scenes, I launched into the research, spending many, many hours in libraries, museums, and churches, looking for historical information about the area. I tried to immerse myself in the time period as much as possible, reading newspapers and novels, and also non-fiction books about the Spanish influenza. I also visited cemeteries, falling in love with one beautifully situated by a creek, and talked to local historians, who were a good source of information.

[It's so great when you find people as passionate about a subject as you. And I'm totally with you on FEVER 1793.]

Q. When did you become serious about getting a novel published?

Like so many writers, I’ve dreamed of this since I was a child. The first story I remember writing was about a young girl living on the prairie who was kidnapped by American Indians; I was intrigued by the idea of being forced to learn to survive within another culture. But I also loved math and decided to pursue a career in engineering. After many years of working in the aerospace field and writing for myself on the side, I began to actively pursue publication. In 2003, I finished my first novel, an MG fantasy, Mona Molly, about a Texas girl who travels through time and stumbles upon Leonardo da Vinci.

It was then I discovered SCBWI -- attending conferences, meeting wonderful writers, joining critique groups, and realizing publication, for me, would be a journey. After 17 rejections and with sadness, I decided to put that first novel in a drawer. Many writers know how difficult it is, after years of work, to put aside characters and their stories. But doing that was the best decision I made. I worked on two more novels, an MG historical fiction and a YA fantasy: Winnie’s War and Shadow, respectively.

[SCBWI is so fabulous for networking and inspiration! And go you with the math skills. :)]

Q. Can you give us a hint of what you're working on next?

I have two works in progress: a sequel to Shadow, and a YA centering on a teenage girl in the sixties who skips school to go on a road trip to see a Bob Dylan concert with a guy who, unbeknownst to her, is deeply in love with her. I have ideas for other books: a Mississippi ghost story filled with secrets and shadows, another MG novel set in Houston – this one during the early days of the space program, a YA love story centered on the theme of the twin soul, and others.

[I love the idea of the early days of the space program novel!]

Q. Tell us about your writing space -- and share a photo if you can!

I write best in crowded restaurants or on my bed with a laptop propped up in my lap.


[Looks very comfy!]

I also write without a pen or computer – just daydreaming while driving, showering, and doing daily tasks.

Thanks for the interview! I enjoyed it.

Thank you, Jenny! I look forward to reading both of your books in 2009!

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

A2A Chat with Sarah MacLean

Tip of the Day: stick around to find out about more exciting Debut 2009 books!

Our next guest for our Teen Read Week Celebration is Sarah MacLean. When I heard about Sarah's novel THE SEASON that debuts in March 2009, I thought it was tailor made for me. It has Regency London, hot boys with accents and titles, best friends who get along, pretty dresses, balls, espionage, murder, mystery, and a sharp-tongued main character. Sarah had me salivating at one of these, so you can imagine how excited I am to read a book with all of them together. And come to find out Sarah is an extremely fun interviewee as well.

So without further ado please welcome Sarah MacLean.

Thanks for being here this week Sarah!


Tell us about your soon-to-be-released book THE SEASON.
When I started THE SEASON, I set out to write book about girls. I
wanted it to be about the power of female friendship, and to fly in
the face of the (rather disturbing) trend that we've all been seeing
of teen books that highlight the nastiness that can exist between
girlfriends. Lady Alexandra Stafford, the heroine, came to me fully
formed...sharp tongued and strong willed and exactly the OPPOSITE of what a lady should be in Regency London...but that's what I loved so much about her. As if that weren't enough, Alex, along with her BFFs Vivi and Ella get themselves tangled up in a dangerous mystery! The Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed and the girls team up to help his son, the brooding and undeniably handsome Gavin, to uncover the truth about his death. As the mystery unravels, Alex and Gavin grow closer, and Alex finds herself losing her heart. But her girls are there to the end...to make sure everything goes her way.

Emily: can I just say again this book sounds AWESOME!

What special precautions did you have to do in setting a mystery in Regency London?
Honestly, I couldn't imagine writing a book set outside of Regency London...there's something about that time period that I just can't get enough of. Jane Austen, stunning dresses, the ballrooms rich with the scent of wax and perfume, the dreamy men in cravats and leather boots, I mean, is it possible to remain unmoved in the face of the Regency? Not for me.

I spent most of my life reading books either from or about the Regency, so the history came pretty easily for me, but whenever I had a question, thanks to the magic of the Internet and some remarkable nonfiction authors who came long before me, answers were never too far away. I did spend some incredible time in the New York Public Library reading the Times of London from the Spring and Summer of 1815, which turned up WAY more fascinating story ideas than I could ever use...many of which will make an appearance in future books, I hope!

Emily: I love the Regency time as well, Sarah. And you make researching it sound like so much fun. I feel like I want to pull out a magnifying glass and dig through old dusty archives. I might be getting some ideas for a future book...

Can you share about your publication journey? Was THE SEASON your first completed novel? How did it come to be published, etc.

THE SEASON had a somewhat roundabout publication journey...I had been working on an adult romance novel for a while, really more tinkering than actually working...when a friend suggested I try my hand at a YA historical. I ended up submitting a proposal and sample chapters to my fantastic editor at Scholastic...and she called me a few weeks later to tell me they wanted to acquire it! Then, of course, I had to finish the book! And honestly, it was the most fun thing I've ever done in my life. Spending hours and days in the heads of characters you created yourself is a pretty awesome way to spend your free time!

Emily: agreed! Hopefully we'll get to see tons more books from you in the future as well.

What did you do to celebrate when you found out Orchard Books was going to publish your novel?

Well, first I called my mom...which I'm sure most new writers do! Then, I bought my dog a new toy and a giant treat and made my husband take me out to dinner, during which I pinched myself until I bruised. There is NOTHING better than the call. NOTHING. Except maybe a cupcake from Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery on the Lower East Side of New
York City. :)

Emily: I can't wait to get the call. Especially if it's closely related to a cupcake. Yum.

And last, but certainly not least. I see you are a Project Runway fan. Who do you think is going to win this season?

My money's on Kenley. I hate to admit that, because she totally irritates me and I can't bear her silly laugh and her obnoxious comments...but I think she's so talented and I confess, I kindof covet a Kenley wardrobe. Minus the weird hair ornaments. I can't wait for
Wednesday!!

Emily: very interesting choice. I would not have guessed this. I like Kenley's quirky, yet 50s style, too. However, that flower dress she created screamed "out" to me. My money is on Leanne. But then again, I hardly ever pick the right reality show contestant to win. On any show.

Sarah, thanks again for stopping by and sharing with us. And I wish you tons of success on your book. To everyone else, make sure to check it out in March 2009. And if you want to know more about Sarah, she has a great blog: http://macleanspace.blogspot.com/

--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent

A2A Chat: Interview with J.E. MacLeod

Tip of the Day: It's Teen Read Week! Stop by all week for our Interviewabration.

For Teen Read Week, we'll be interviewing authors whose books debut in 2009. We have some awesome books to look forward to reading. First up, I'm happy to introduce J.E. MacLeod, aka Janet Gurtler, whose novel Waiting to Score comes out in 2009.


15-year-old Zack Chase is a smart, talented hockey player who knows how to score on the ice. Hockey's in his blood. He's not so sure he wants to follow his late father's footsteps to become a professional hockey player. But Zack's Mom is determined he'll make it to the pros, no matter what.
When Zack and his Mom move to a new town, incidents on ice and off force Zack to dig deep to find out who he really is--and what he really wants. Is it Jane, the hockey hating Goth girl he's wildly intrigued with? Or an easier, sure thing?

I asked Janet five questions about her writing and herself:

You're part of the debut new fiction line with your publisher, WestSide. What's been the biggest benefit of being in the first catalogue at a publishing house?

Being picked to be part of the new line at Westside is so exciting. All the publicity and promotion about the new line will include mention of the launch books. Like mine! I loved seeing my book cover in Publisher’s Weekly and on Cynthia Leitch Smith’s awesome Cynsations blog. I hope we get even more exposure as our launch dates get closer!!

Our publishing house obviously has to put a lot of focus on the launch books. It’s in their best interest for us to do well!

Why do you use a pen name?

There are a couple of reasons why I use a pen name. The first is to protect my husband’s family. My married name is very unique and his Mom and Dad are both quite religious while my books are rather edgy. I don’t want to cause any upset feelings.

Second, MacLeod is my maiden name and since I got married late, I’m still pretty fond of it!! It was also (obviously) my last name when I was a teenager. And since I’m writing about teens it makes sense in a weird sort of way to use my “teenager name.”

The J.E. is supposed to be gender neutral or ambiguous. I write both boy and girl POV’s. Waiting to Score is a boy POV.

Did you play a sport as a teenager, like hockey? Were you a dedicated player?

I played sports, just not very well. I was kind of a klutz; well I guess I still am. And believe it or not girls didn’t really play hockey when I was a teen. I have two brothers though and they both played hockey, so I spent lots of time in hockey rinks. We even had a skating rink in our back yard one year. Truthfully I was more rebel teen than jock. I was busy being moody and dark and getting awful home perms.

Do you think you'll continue writing realistic YA fiction, or does one of your works in progress branch out into something completely different?

I absolutely love realistic YA fiction. I love the edge and the angst. I love a good YA that makes me think and feel and cry.

I have already written a couple of other gritty stories. Remnants of my wounded teenage soul? Or maybe just damage from all those perms?J

I do like to write other genres, too though. I started out writing romance, I’ve written children’s picture books and middle grade. Right now I’m writing a YA paranormal, kind of a Hero’s meets Alias plot. Very intricate and different from the way I usually write.

What do you plan to do the day your book comes out?

Wow! That’s a great question. I haven’t gone to that day in my mind yet. J I know I plan on having a launch party in my hometown, but that probably won’t be the exact day the book releases. So. Hmm. I know the fabulous Lisa and a few other YA authors made a vlog commemorating their day. Which is a great idea, but I don’t really know how to do a vlog. But I must do something special, right?

Okay. I’m making it official right now. On the day my book comes out I will go to Cheesecake Café and order a slice of their decadent chocolate cake. I don’t drink anymore so this is the edible equivalent to having a glass of champagne. Heck. I’ll even take my husband and my son with me and share!

I am so down with that cheesecake. Thanks for talking with me, Janet. Waiting To Score launches in February 2009 from Westside Books.

-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer

Under the influence, so to speak

Tip of the Day: Next week is Teen Read week! To celebrate here at Author2Author, we’re interviewing five debut authors with books coming out in 2009. Come back next week and join us for a ton of fun!

So, my agent and her clients are now doing a blog. It’s called A Crowe’s Nest because her last name is, you know, Crowe. Isn’t that fun?

Anyway, for a post that will go up later this month (the 23rd to be exact), I’ve been working on a list of five books that have helped me become the writer I am today. Oy. What an exercise! You should try it some time and see what you come up with! Because we’re not talking five favorite books. We’re talking five books that have influenced you and your writing.

The thing is, I feel like every book influences my writing in some way, big or small. I don’t feel like I was born with a ton of talent for this writing thing. Some, maybe. But mostly, I read as much as I can and try to learn from it.

In almost every on-line interview I’ve done, I’m asked why I write in verse and if all of my books will be in verse. Here’s the thing - I’ve only written two books in verse, one of which is out there for everyone to read and another which will be out there in a few short months. I had written a handful of novels NOT in verse that never went anywhere. So, no, not all of my books are written in verse. And in the future they will not all be in verse. Verse only works in certain types of stories, and I will use it when it suits the story.

But I think I may be slightly better at writing in verse than writing in prose. Which might seem weird to some people. But lots of description and details is just not my thing. I’m working on it. Man am I working on it! And I think I’m getting better at it. I hope so anyway.

So what’s my point? I so admire books with great description and details. Like Sarah Dessen’s books, for example. She creates such vivid characters and pictures with her words. I am in awe. Are my current books anything like Sarah’s? No, not really. And yet, she’s on my list of five. Because one of her books was one of the first YA books I read and every time I read one of her books, she makes me want to be a better writer.

As I was making my list, I had a few thoughts, which is really the point of my post today. First, we do the best we can with what we have, and work to our strengths. Secondly, we read other books and admire the abilities of other authors to do that which we may not do so well, and strive to do better. And finally, we give thanks that there are all kinds of books for all kinds of readers. Because hey, if there’s a teen out there who isn’t particularly fond of Sarah Dessen’s books (ha!), who knows, maybe she'll like mine.

Is there one book that pops into your brain as you think about books that have influenced your writing?

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I’m Pubbed