Monday Muse: Akiko Shikata - Utusemi

Scene:
*Me watching Anime*
*This song comes on for the opening credits.*
O.O
...
...
...
:D *dies of squee*

Feature Friday: Mindy Raf

Mindy Raf is a writer, comedy performer, and musician based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and grew up in a suburb of Detroit right around here (visualize the bottom of your left thumb. Mindy has written for CollegeHumor, VH1, TNT, The Daily Comedy Network, and was a contributor to the My Parents Were Awesome anthology. She continues to perform stand-up and music across the country.

Website: MindyRaf.com/books

Twitter: @mindyraf

Facebook: http://facebook.com/mindyrafcomedy

Interview:
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Mindy:
Write, write, write. Don’t worry about what other people think about your writing or or what you think they think about your writing. Don’t be precious with your work. Share it, get feedback, blog it, get it out there. And if you’re wondering, “Am I writer?” Yes.  You ARE a writer if you write. I really do think it’s that simple.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Mindy:
That’s so hard. One?  Depends on when you ask me. Growing up I loved, and still love, Judy Blume. FOREVER, ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. You can’t go wrong with Judy Blume. I always have a new favorite book based on what I’m currently reading. I just finished ELEANOR & PARK so that’s my favorite book right now, but maybe the book I start today will be my new favorite. Clearly I have book commitment issues.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for The Symptoms of My Insanity?

Mindy:
SYMPTOMS is partly based on my own experiences as an adult with my mother being sick, and as a teenager dealing with a lot of unwanted attention from boys.  From the start though I had a general goal: write a relatable, funny story that also awakens a little girl power.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing The Symptoms of My Insanity?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Mindy:
The scenes between Izzy and her mom in the last half of the book were very tough for me to write. My mom passed away during revisions. Since Izzy’s relationship with her mom wasn’t parallel to my own, things got a little muddy as I was dealing with my own loss. Once I was able to recognize this through emotional trial and error, it became easier (and actually very cathartic) to separate and transform my own struggles to fit Izzy’s story.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in The Symptoms of My Insanity is your favorite and why?

Mindy:
Izzy was my favorite character to write. I had a lot of fun researching and writing as a major hypochondriac. I loved writing as Pam too, but I think Blake is my favorite overall. I really wanted readers to not see him as “bad” but more as a complicated, confused teenager who makes bad decisions. Blake’s character has come such a long way since my first draft, and I’m really happy with the results

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Mindy:
I got into writing YA through stand-up. I met my editor Jessica Garrison at one of my shows. She randomly caught my act, we chatted a bit after, and then she reached out to me about writing YA. At the time I was working pretty consistently as a comedy writer. Writing YA why actually a really natural transition. When I started writing SYMPTOMS my mom was diagnosed with a rare stomach cancer. I wrote draft one while she was recovering from her first major surgery. By the next round of revisions, I was saying goodbye. Throughout my journey as an author, I needed Izzy’s story  just as much as she needed my own. I hope those reading find they needed it too.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Mindy:
I’m working on another book, something new. No details ready to be revealed though, I’m superstitious that way. I’m also working on a stand-up show and a comedy music album.

A.L.:
What made you choose to write about a hypochondriac?

Mindy:
I remember free writing (long before Izzy) a cafeteria scene. A girl was telling a cute boy not to eat a cookie because the eggs might be raw and he would get salmonella. That cracked me up. (no pun, okay a little pun intended) It just seemed natural to me as I started writing as Izzy to make her a hypochondriac. Especially when I knew the story would go places that would really need that humor.

A.L.:
What's it like being a comedian?  Have you always known you were hilarious or did it just kind of get pointed out or do you actually try?

Mindy:
I never thought “I’m funny, I’m a comic,” but I was always cast in the comedic roles. I remember in drama class doing a very serious monologue and making people laugh and my teacher was like, “you found the funny!” And I was like, “No, I was just trying to emote.”  I would play original songs I wrote at a coffee house my freshmen year of college and after friends were like, “those songs were so funny!” I’m thinking, “wait, no,  those are my serious angst-ridden folk songs.”

A.L.:
As a comedian, it seems organic that you would write a humorous novel; but, do you think you'll ever write a serious novel?

Mindy:
SYMPTOMS is humorous, but it also takes on some serious subjects as well. I think it’s important for characters (and readers) to have humor to move through pain, or just move through life. So my goal is always to include both.

The Giveaway:
Mindy is giving away 1 signed ARC plus three signed bookmarks and a surprise swag item from the book trailer shoot!

The Symptoms of My Insanity: A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants only.
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Showers of Books Giveaway/Hop

Enter yourself in a chance to win THE SYMPTOMS OF MY INSANITY by Mindy Raf (HERE)

The Giveaway:
One lucky winner can choose one from any of these books.

Let the Sky Fall:  Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Mila 2.0: Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

Etiquette and Espionage: It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.

Mind Games: Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Clockwork Princess: Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.   

Requiem: They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

The Elite: The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Iléa.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.  

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.
 
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Monday Muse: Balkan Beat Box -- "Adir Adirim" (feat. Victoria Hanna)

I felt like I was putting up too much contemporary and American music lately. I actually listen to a lot of world music, so I figured I'd put up a piece from one of my favorite gypsy punk bands. Of course, Balkan Beat Box doesn't have a fun music video on YouTube for this piece...So, I found you all some belly dancers instead. I'm sure you're all crying about it. :D

Feature Friday: Chelsea Pitcher

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving  into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light.

Interview:
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Chelsea:
Don’t get into this business because you want money, fame, or critical acclaim. Do it because writing is what you love. Do it because it’s in your blood, your soul, your wiring, and if you ever try to stop, you aren’t satisfied. Because everything that comes after—the revising, editing, polishing, agent-searching, querying, subbing to editors, and revealing to the public—will test you. But if you truly love what you’re doing, you’ll be just fine.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Chelsea:
I have about a dozen favorites, so it’s hard to pick! But right at the top of the list is Holly Black’s TITHE. As someone who read a lot of faerie lore growing up, I felt she really did the mythology justice, while adding her own delightful twists. The teen characters are realistic and relatable, and the faeries are frightening and alluring at the same time. It’s pretty much fantastic!

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for The S-Word?

Chelsea:
I first started thinking about The S-Word at a time when the media was talking a lot about bullied teens taking their own lives. It was devastating to hear about, and I felt really powerless—What could I do? I started writing as a response to everything that was happening, and as a way of trying to understand. Why would an entire school stand by and watch someone’s life get destroyed? Why wouldn’t anyone step in? These are the kind of questions I wanted The S-Word to examine.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing The S-Word?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Chelsea:
There’s a scene toward the end of the book that wouldn’t be nearly what it is today without the brilliance of my editor. He pushed me to write the scene I was afraid to write. It scared me, emotionally, because to write that scene would be to put myself in it, to really feel the emotions, the fear, the chaos. But eventually, I came around. The fact that it unnerved me became proof that it was the scene I needed to write. When you’re scared, you know you’re getting close to the truth.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in The S-Word is your favorite and why?

Chelsea:
I had a great time writing Jesse. He’s the one that really surprised me. A lot of the characters have secrets, but Jesse’s was wholly unexpected. When he popped up in that first scene in the costume room, I thought, here’s a fun character who can add a bit to the mystery. But Jesse didn’t agree. He said, “Oh, honey, there’s so much more to me than that.” Who was I to disagree?

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Chelsea:
Oh, it’s a story as old as time: Girl starts writing as soon as she can pick up a pencil. Girl graduates to writing bad teen poetry (this period lasts a while). Girl tries her hand at short stories, finds herself too rambly. Why not write a novel?! she thinks. Years of unreadable dreck ensue. Girl tries to get published. Girl tries to get published. Girl tries to get published. Girl learns about editing, revising, and trusting others to critique her novel. Girl can take criticism! Her skin is thick as steel (except for when it isn’t). Girl stops fussing over the same old novel and writes something new. Girl gets agent. Girl gets book deal! Happy ending (or, as I like to think of it, beginning.)

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Chelsea:
I’m working on a story where the descendent of Morgan le Fey works as an amateur detective for the Weird Sisters in late twenty-first century Los Angeles. It’s a YA mystery with a neo-noirish vibe, like The S-Word, but it’s also an urban fantasy with elements of dystopian. (Sure, that’ll be easy to pitch.)

A.L.:
Was it hard getting into the harsh realities of high school?  Did you have a lot of experiences of your own to pull from or did you just make a lot of it up?

Chelsea:
I drew on personal experiences for some of it, but mostly I just looked around at what is happening in the world. Not just to teens, but to all people. Our entire society feeds off of making fun of people. Judges on American Idol-type shows get famous simply for being ruthless. Tabloids make millions ridiculing celebrities. Laws are constantly being passed (or proposed) to keep people with certain sexualities or genders from having equal rights. When I started to think about how, culturally, we place people into categories of “valuable” or “not-valuable,” it was easy to imagine how high school students would do the same. Scary. But easy.

A.L.:
What do you hope YA readers will gain from reading this novel?

Chelsea:
I think different people will take away different things, but the one message I truly want to impart is that you’re not alone. No matter what the situation, no matter how dark, dangerous, or disturbing your life is, there are people who understand. And there are people who will love and accept you for who you really are. It isn’t always easy to find them, but you will. I promise.

A.L.:
What's the best place to eat in Portland, OR?

Chelsea:
I’m a sucker for Thai food, and one of my favorite places is Thai Herbs in Multnomah Village. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve gone there and gobbled up their amazing salad rolls, yellow curry with tofu (LOVE tofu) and delicious Pad Thai. Okay, now I’m hungry…

The Giveaway:

Chelsea is giving away a signed ARC of THE S-WORD, three signed bookmarks, a keychain and a button pack (includes four different buttons with "positive S-Words" from the novel: Sweet, Sassy, Smart Cookie and Spy-Buddy.

The S-Word:  First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble. 

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants only.
 
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Monday Muse: Ed Sheernan "Lego House (Lego Version)"

Yay! It's Ron and Ed! And I love this song!

Feature Friday: Trisha Wolfe

Trisha Wolfe is the author of the YA Steampunk DESTINY'S FIRE (Omnific Publishing), the NA Historical/Supernatural ASTARTE'S WRATH, and the upcoming YA Utopian FIREBLOOD from Spencer Hill Press, October 2013. Her NA Dark Fantasy OF SILVER AND BEASTS, available May 2013.

She’s the creator of YA Bound, a promotional site for the Young Adult genre. Also a member of the SCWW and The Apocalypsies.  Check out her website for more on her books and bonus material. Follow her on Twitter @TrishWolfe

Guest Post:

Hi, all! Thanks so much to Amanda for inviting me on to her wonderful site, and to her readers for welcoming me here! I’m really excited to talk a little bit about the research and heartache that went into my Historical/Supernatural NA, Astarte’s Wrath. I have to admit, this novel was the hardest story I have ever written, and it’s the one I’m most proud of for accomplishing. Thanks for letting me blast my brain all over the page lol Enjoy!

The idea for Astarte’s Wrath came to me while writing Destiny’s Fire, my YA Steampunk novel. During DF, I had to do a lot of research to make sure I was on the right path, that I had the backstory well sorted—even though most of that research didn’t end up in the book. Then, once DF was out in the world, I had all this backstory information and research notes and a burning desire to tell a story from one of the Ancient Egyptian Kythan.

But, I quickly talked myself out of this crazy idea, because really, the book was impossible. With all the novels I had to focus on, contracted books and side projects with slated release dates, there was no way I could find the time to really focus on the research and story to do it justice. It just couldn’t be done.

Long(er) story short, I’m stubborn.

I just didn’t want to tell this story…I needed to. There was a part of me that had to write this novel, and no matter what book I was working on, in the back of my mind the characters from AW were talking to and poking me. So I did what any writer does to hush her characters: writes their story.

Only, when I first started, I immediately stopped. For every line I wrote, I would spend two hours researching. Again, it felt like I was writing the impossible novel; I wasn’t smart enough to write it, I wasn’t good enough at research to pull it off believably, I was just a YA fiction writer who made shit up—there was no way in hell that I could write a whole novel based on a real history and real people and spin it into something of mine. I just couldn’t do it. I cried. A lot.

I felt like a failure at around 10k words in. I had a good premise going, but the research was burying me. Trying to write a book about the oldest civilization known to man—well, let’s just say you could lose your life to research and never find your way out. It keeps going and going, it’s never-ending. But the moment I knew I could complete this impossible task was when the love story between Star and Xarion started developing. While these characters were falling hard for each other, I was falling hard for them. That burning desire resurfaced, the passion between them forcing me to overcome my fears of not being smart enough, good enough, and I hunkered down and forced myself to get over my fears.

I contacted professional historians, authors of historical novels who knew their shit, and filled two whole pink journals with research notes. Then I set to work layering the world and history around Star and Xarion’s story. By the time I got to “The End” I couldn’t see the screen to type. The tears wouldn’t stop. This was the most emotional story I’d ever written, the hardest story I’d ever tried to write, and the impossible book I once believed I’d never finish. I know not everyone will enjoy Star and Xarion’s story, but I am honored to have found the courage to tell it. It was pure heartache and struggle—theirs and mine—and a battle that cost me a lot of hair (no lie!). In short, it’s the greatest accomplishment of my author career thus far. I couldn’t be more proud of the end result.

Thank you guys for your time! I’d love to hear about a story you’ve either struggled with in the past, or that you’re battling with now. What is the hardest thing you’ve had to force yourself to accomplish?

The Giveaway:
Trisha is giving away signed bookmarks and an ebook of ASTARTE'S WRATH.

Astarte's Wrath: A tragic love story.

Two thousand years before Dez Harkly developed her secret powers, Guardian Astarte was vowed to protect by the binds enslaving her to the Egyptian pharaohs. Discover the prophecy that originated from a very different time, and spans generations to link two very different girls.

This is the beginning.

Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Actium, in the city of Alexandria, Star struggles with her guardian duties as her feelings for the newly named pharaoh of Egypt grow deeper. Not only is Caesarion her duty, he’s the son of Cleopatra, and he’s human. All of which makes their love forbidden.

But when a conspiracy linked to Caesar creeps into Alexandria, Star must choose between helping her fellow Kythan free themselves of their servitude, and protecting her charge—the last pharaoh—while Egypt burns around her.

New Adult/Mature YA: sexual content, drinking, drugs, violence, language, death, and other mature content intended for readers 17 and older. Astarte's Wrath is a companion novel to Destiny's Fire, but can be read as a standalone novel.

Read Goodreads Reviews.
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants only.
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Monday Muse: Thirty Seconds To Mars - Up In The Air (Lyric Video)

New 30 Seconds to Mars Song! Can't go wrong.

Feature Friday: Cat Winters

Cat Winters was born and raised in Southern California, near Disneyland, which may explain her love of haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. She received degrees in drama and English from the University of California, Irvine, and formerly worked in publishing.

Her debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds—a YA ghost tale set during the World War I era—is now available from Amulet Books/ABRAMS. She currently lives outside of Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at http://www.catwinters.com, http://twitter.com/catwinters, and http://facebook.com/catwintersbooks.

Interview:
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Cat:
Make sure you show your writing to someone who can give you honest, constructive feedback before you send it to agents and publishers. Whether you join a critique group, take workshop-style writing classes, or pair up with other authors, this step is crucial to making sure your story and characters work. Don’t rush your writing out the door.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Cat:
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I first read the novel at the age of nine and immediately fell in love with the unforgettable characters, the vivid Depression-era setting, and Scout’s amusing and honest voice. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read the book, but every time I do, I marvel at Lee’s ability to create a powerful piece of literature that’s both laugh-out-loud hilarious and utterly heartbreaking.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for In the Shadow of Blackbirds?

Cat:
The earliest seeds for this story were planted way back when I was twelve. I watched an episode of the TV show Ripley's Believe It or Not! and learned that during the World War I period, two girls in Cottingley, England, claimed to photograph fairies in the countryside. Adults who were devastated by the war wholeheartedly believed the photos were genuine. That struck me as a sad yet fascinating nugget of history.

It took nearly three decades, a couple manuscript attempts, and a conversation with my agent, Barbara Poelle, before the plot of In the Shadow of Blackbirds fell into place, but that show about those phony fairy photos and the widespread grief during the WWI time period is where everything first began. (picture)

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing In the Shadow of Blackbirds?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Cat:
Oh, definitely. At first the mystery at the center of the book wasn’t working well. My very first reader guessed the ending far too easily, so I went back and tinkered with that aspect quite a bit. The following readers, including my agent, had other problems: the ghost was too nice in his ghostly form, there was too much flashback, an entire family of secondary characters was getting in the way. I’m not afraid of tearing my books apart and revising them like mad, so I took that feedback and worked my hardest to get the manuscript to where it needed to be before going out on submission.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in In the Shadow of Blackbirds is your favorite and why?

Cat:
My protagonist, Mary Shelley Black (named after the author of Frankenstein but not related to her), is near and dear to my heart. She tried showing up in other manuscripts before I started writing In the Shadow of Blackbirds, and I knew her strength of spirit would be perfect for the tough time period I chose to write about. She’s not perfect—her temper is sometimes too short and she doesn’t always censor herself before she speaks—but she fights for the people she loves and truly wants to make the world a better place.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Cat:
My journey was a looooong one. I first discovered my love of writing during my early years of elementary school. After graduating from college, I worked for a publishing company in San Diego, and at night I wrote the first manuscript I would ever submit to an agent, a historical novel for adults. The good news: I did sign with an agent in 1998. The bad news: publishers didn’t think there would be a market for the novel, so it never sold.

I kept writing, switched agents, and still publishers passed on my work, unable to figure out how to market my genre-crossing stories. In 2009, I began writing In the Shadow of Blackbirds, my first attempt at YA fiction, which proved to be my lucky charm. The book sold to Amulet Books/ABRAMS in October 2011—seventeen years after I started seriously writing for publication. 

Looking back, I’m amazed I persevered for so long, but the encouragement of friends, family, and some wonderful people in the publishing industry kept me going.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Cat:
In the Shadow of Blackbirds is a standalone novel, and I don’t have any plans for a sequel at this time. However, I’m working on a new Gothic historical YA novel. Hopefully, I’ll get to share details about that project in the not-too-distant future.

A.L.:
In the Shadow of Blackbirds is a historic fiction novel, how did you go about preparing yourself to write something set in 1918?

Cat:
I dove into nonfiction books that covered everything from the 1918 Spanish influenza to near-death experiences, studied archival WWI letters, watched old newsreels and documentaries about the war and the flu, visited historic sites that appear in the novel, pored over historical photographs (ten of those photos appear in the novel), read poetry and literature from the time period, and even hunted down some hard-to-find silent films. I’ve shared several references and 1918 photos and movies at http://www.blackbirdsnovel.com.

A.L.:
Do YOU believe in the paranormal?  Have you ever had any experiences?

Cat:
I’ve been mesmerized by the idea of ghosts ever since I was a kid, and I’ve heard about so many real-life accounts of paranormal experiences and visited enough haunted historic sites to believe that ghosts might actually exist. I’ve never seen one with my own eyes, but I once had some fun ghostly images appear in my developed photographs during a trip to Maine. (Picture)

A.L.:
How did you want your non-believer character to react to her love coming back from the dead?  Do you feel like you executed it well?

Cat:
My Mary Shelley character loves science and logic, so for her to believe in something, she must have concrete proof. After she experiences her own brush with death, her first love, Stephen, a boy killed in war, gives her the proof she needs when he returns to her as a spirit. I hope I believably portrayed her move from skeptic to believer. My editor, Maggie Lehrman, and I really worked on that transition, because it’s such an essential part of the novel. Every character in the book is looking for something to believe in while the world crumbles around them. 

The Giveaway:
Cat will be giving away a signed copy of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS and some swag.

In The Shadow of Blackbirds:  In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.




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Monday Muse: Calvin Harris -- Sweet Nothing (Featuring Florence Welch)

It's April Fools Day! And you know what that means? Dancing, Fools! And, Dude, this song? I can dance to it and it has got FLO! There can be nothing wrong with this! *shakes her bum and tosses her hair*