new low-res MFA: U of Tampa

The University of Tampa is joining the ranks of institutions offering low-residency MFA creative writing programs. With its first residency just around the corner—January 5-14—I’m pleased to share this Q&A with the director, Jeff Parker. 

Jeff, thanks for joining us. Congratulations on your recent appointment to Director of The University of Tampa low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program. Maybe you can start by sharing a bit of your own background and what drew you to the Tampa program. 
Sure. I'd been Director of the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Toronto, which reserves its second year exclusively for one-on-one mentorships between each student and a mentor. I'd also spent the better part of the last decade organizing parties for writers in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Lisbon, Portugal, in which we bring North Americans together with writers from abroad. In short, I saw in the Tampa program an opportunity to bring these two kinds of things together. So I left my cushy teaching job at UToronto and came down here to do a lot of work and see if we could make something bang-up.

I see the first residency is scheduled for January 5-14; what can incoming students expect during this inaugural residency and those that follow? 
Well, for a taste, they can expect a reading and craft talk from George Saunders, and they can expect Francine Prose giving her awesome Chekhov lectures. They can expect a program including trips to Zora Neale Hurston's place in Eatonville and Jack Kerouac's last house in St. Petersburg. They can expect to be part of the first cohort in a very unique program. It will be the smallest group there will ever be. We're expecting 20, so about six or seven each from fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. To be on the ground floor...

For the four terms in between residencies, how will students work from home? Can you tell us a bit more about the one-on-one mentoring and what Tampa has set up as goals for these project semesters? 
The main goal we have for the students is that they get better. Students will work with mentors however best suits the two of them. This is what it's really all about, this experience, and it's the heart of the program. We'll spend a lot of time during the residency getting the two together to come up with a plan, knowing in advance that plans and writing don't always will out. 

What makes the Tampa program unique? Why should prospective low-res students consider your program?
The most important thing for me is getting faculty who are among the most interesting writers working today and who also have reputations as great teachers. Also, our program will bring in writers from all over the world: Canada, Europe, Russia, Portugal, South America, Africa--you name it. We intend down the line to hold optional residencies abroad as well, but not simply as study abroad components, as part of larger programs that immerse our students in the cultural and literary scene abroad. It's part of a larger emphasis on writers getting up and doing things with their work. We're working on so many aspects of the program right now, and defining as we go.

What are your plans for the upcoming AWP conference? What presence will Tampa have in Chicago?
We're working with the University of Tampa Press on a book about literary mentors, which might sound kind of boring but when you start collecting the little writings and scraps from letters and photos that we've been getting, it's a riot and something like a tribute to what we're trying to do. We'll probably have a reception for the book and hand them out at the booth. Other than that we'll just kind of be there with the UT Press and Tampa Review to talk with anyone about the program if they want to talk about it.

Finally, where might students find more information about the program and what are the application deadlines for the January residency? 
Deadline for the first residency in January is Nov. 1. All the info is on the website: http://www.ut.edu/mfacw. Or anyone can email me directly utmfacw@gmail.com.

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Q&A with author Kristin Bair O’Keeffe

Please welcome Kristin Bair O’Keeffe for today’s author Q&A! Kristin’s debut novel Thirsty (Swallow Press, 2009) tells the story of one woman’s unusual journey through an abusive marriage, set against the backdrop of a Pittsburgh steel community at the turn of the twentieth century. Her work has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Poets & Writers Magazine, San Diego Family Magazine, The Baltimore Review, The Gettysburg Review, and many other publications. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago and has been teaching writing for almost fifteen years. Kristin lives in Shanghai, China, with her husband and daughter.

Welcome, Kristin! At its heart, what is this story really about?
You know, when I give the “elevator pitch” for Thirsty, I say, “It’s the story of one woman’s unusual journey through an abusive marriage, set against the backdrop of a Pittsburgh steel community at the turn of the twentieth century.” But at the heart of it, Thirsty is an intense family saga that explores how being the victim of domestic violence is passed down in families from mother to daughter and how f’ing hard it is to break that cycle.

Is it true that a poem you wrote in 1987 was the inspiration for Thirsty? Tell us a little about this.
Before I wrote fiction, I wrote poetry. In fact, I was rather obsessed by it. (Spent a good part of my adolescence reading Sara Teasdale’s work—angst, heartbreak, kissing, romance, etc.—perfect stuff for a preteen girl hitting puberty.) In 1987 as an undergraduate at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, I wrote and published “Crumbling Steeples,” a poem about how the crash of Pittsburgh’s steel industry affected its steel communities (and in particular, my grandfather). After I wrote it, I thought I was done writing about Pittsburgh and steel. But around the same time, this woman started floating around in my head (the woman who eventually became Klara). I didn’t see her clearly for a number of years, but she was always there, giving me small glimpses of her life and her struggles.

When I started graduate school in 1992, I took a creative nonfiction workshop in which one of our first assignments was to choose a topic to research. Still driven by my experiences as a kid in my grandparents’ steel community—Clairton, Pennsylvania—I chose the steel industry in Pittsburgh. That’s when Klara and the setting of Thirsty began to take shape.

You grew up in Pennsylvania and now live in Shanghai. How does travel and culture influence your work?
As a writer, I’m deeply inspired by place. Certain towns, geographic nooks and crannies, countries…places where as soon as I step a single toe for the very first time, I feel something. A kind of magical, mystical roaring in my soul. A roaring so insistent that once it starts, the only way for me to quiet it is to write about the place that triggered it.

Pittsburgh, the setting of Thirsty, was the first place to inspire me. I grew up there, in the shadows of the mills along the Monongahela River, and from an early age I was hooked.

After that it was a 588,000-acre ranch in New Mexico.

And now, China.

Something good happens on the page for me when I’m nudged (pushed/shoved) out of my comfort zone, plunked down into a culture about which I know little or nothing, and get to discover a place that encourages (forces) me to reexamine who I am and how I define myself in the world.

You also write non-fiction and are quite the freelancer. How do you balance your various writing interests?
There’s an optimistic assumption in your question that I do a good job of balancing my writing interests (thanks for that). Some days, that’s true. Other days, I’ve got less balance than an egg trying to stand up on one end.

To have more good days than off-balance egg days, I try to work on my fiction (at present, my second novel) early, early in the morning before my daughter wakes up. I’m a much happier (or as my husband puts it, much less grumpy) person if I can squeeze an hour or two of writing in before the sun rises. There’s nothing better than waking up, rolling out of bed, and working while in the creative state of mind I call “Writerhead.” That’s when I do my strongest work.

During the afternoons when I have childcare help, I work on essays and articles. One of my balancing strategies is to write nonfiction only about the things I’m passionate about: place, travel, nature, weird stuff in China, mamahood, writing, and a few other bits and pieces. If someone asks me to write a piece about, say, child-friendly restaurants in Shanghai, I shake my head and say, “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not the writer for you.”

What can you tell us about your experiences with writing workshops?
As an undergrad at Indiana University (Bloomington) and a grad student at Columbia College in Chicago, I spent a lot of time in writing workshops. Some terrific; some god-awful. I’ve also been teaching writing workshops at the college level for the past fifteen years. Overall, I’m a big believer in the benefits of being in a workshop with a good teacher. A strong workshop can (and should) help you recognize and connect to your own voice, help you discover the driving thread of your story, and provide you with loads of helpful feedback. But while I do believe that there are times in a writer’s life when she should be in a workshop with a built-in, constant audience, I also believe there are times when she should be hunkered down on her own in a private space. Before diving in to a workshop, it’s important to figure out where you are in your process and your writing path.

Where can readers learn more about you and your work?
Visit Thirsty’s website at http://www.thirstythenovel.com/ and my blog “My Beautiful, Far-Flung Life” at http://kristinbairokeeffeblog.com/. You can also follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kbairokeeffe and friend me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Kristin.Bair.OKeeffe.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Q&A. Be sure to come back next Wednesday for the Q&A with Bella Mahaya Carter.

Also, check back in for Friday’s blog as I have a lot of great writing news to share. Until then….

Q&A with author Tim King

For today’s Q&A, I am pleased to introduce Tim King, author of From the Ashes of Courage. Shall we begin?

Hi, Tim. What can you tell us about From the Ashes of Courage?
It's the story of Gail, a 29-year-old woman, an independent, successful professional with her own business, has worked hard to make a career for herself, and she loves what she does. And she's also about to turn 30. In fact, she's been so successful that she's stopped growing and starts to wonder whether life has anything more for her. So she gets together with a colleague and friend, whom she had met in college; she moves back to the Boston area; and they start a new business together. She's trying to recapture the excitement she once felt years before.

Her new business partner, in turn, sets Gail up on a blind date. And through a bizarre coincidence, the kind that's too crazy for anyone to have made up—except that I actually did make it up—her blind date turns out to be her ex-husband.

Of course, that's when her life really gets interesting.

At its heart, what is this story really about?
It's about love without strings, which is a theme that pops up over and over again for me. This was also a major theme in my romantic memoir, and it's been a major theme in my life.

That is, when I decided to marry my wife, I knew that I needed to do so freely. I don't love her only if she does or says certain things, for example. And some days we fight, or we get angry with each other, and I swear I absolutely can't stand her! But I still love her, because that's what our relationship is built on.

I try to teach the same thing to my daughters. We will never disown them, no matter who they are or what they do, because they're family. And I always do my best to support them—even though it sometimes seems not nearly enough. I want them to have that stability to build a life on.

How is it you came to write inspirational romance?
Part of it started with Gilmore Girls, by Amy Sherman-Palladino, which is one of my all-time favorite TV programs. And you can probably see some of her storytelling style in my stories (even though they're in a different medium).

Actually, the Missus recently reminded me of this, indirectly, because she told me how funny From the Ashes of Courage is. (She's just now reading it for the first time, believe it or not, because she simply didn't have time during the book's beta-reading phase.) She also mentioned to me that someone at work was telling her how funny my romantic memoir was. I didn't intend either of these to be romantic comedy, but I'll take it! I knew that Gilmore Girls (a TV "dramedy") had seriously inspired and informed my style, and I assume that some of the humorous aspects of that style may have leaked through. (Or maybe it's just that romance is funny.)

The other part is that I've always wanted to write stories that say something, rather than just being a fun escape from reality, and I've always loved the character complexities in TV romances. So when I first decided I wanted to write a novel, it was an inspirational romance, which I never finished, because I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Up until that point, I had not even read any romance novels—I loved TV dramas and science-fiction novels, but most of my reading had been dominated by non-fiction. So I actually had to learn about how to write fiction, and about the romance genre and how I fit into it, and how I don't always fit.

On your website, you talk a little about ‘life-expanding stories.’ For our readers today, what does this term encompass?
I use the term "life-expanding" to try to describe the stories I enjoy most, that affect me most and stick with me as the best I've ever read. They have realistic characters embroiled in interwoven conflicts, and they inspire the reader toward hope. In an effective story, this happens through metaphor—sometimes a metaphor that's personal to the reader and that the author could not have foreseen—rather than through didacticism. Like an uplifting parable.

They don't always have literary merit: I tend not to care so much about literary merit, because fancy words don't move me; stories do. They aren't always top sellers: 90% of everything on the best-seller list is crap, a corollary of Sturgeon's Law. They aren't always romances, because they don't always have love stories, and other genres can include all those elements. And not all romances are life-expanding. (For example, I enjoy Janet Evanovich's work, and the Love Boat, too. Call them guilty pleasures.)

A simple example, a tale that I've heard in different contexts (though I can't find a reference to the original story): A wife and her husband were having difficulties seeing eye to eye in bed. He liked to move quickly from foreplay to the old rough and tumble, whereas she preferred a more leisurely approach. They finally went to Milton Erickson [or so the story goes] for marital counseling, who told them a story. "You remind me of some of my friends," he said. "She's a gourmet cook, who loves to prepare and serve seven-course meals. But he's a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, digs right into the main course. But he used to get indigestion sometimes from eating too fast. When he told his doctor, the doc told him that in order to have good digestion and to really appreciate his wife's cooking, he should savor each part of the meal, pay close attention to the different pleasures each course gives. Then he would finish satisfied and fulfilled." Weeks later, Dr. Erickson got a thank-you note from the couple. Apparently, their dinners were better, too.

Stories are a powerful tool to open our minds to new possibilities and help us move our lives forward. And that's what I seek to do with my stories.

You also write non-fiction. How do you balance your various writing interests?
Poorly. (How's that for an answer?)

Actually, most of the non-fiction I write now is simply blogged. But I still have to balance blogging and marketing with working on my next novel.

I work best when I'm working on one project at a time. (I suspect everyone does, whether they admit it or not.) So I have a non-fiction project or three that I'd like to work on, but I haven't been progressing on them. Rather, I just collect ideas for them when those ideas occur to me. I hope to flesh out those ideas when I'm writing later books.

I'm actually struggling with marketing & blogging on the one hand, and progressing on my next Ardor Point novel on the other hand. The one tends to distract from the other. So I'm trying to make progress in blocks of a day or two each, swapping off from one to the other and back again. But that's not really working either, because I'm always behind on everything. There's always more work to do than the time available in which to do it. :-)

Where can readers learn more about you and your work?
My blog blog.JTimothyKing.com is probably the place you want to look first, because I post links to free ebooks or special discounts there, as well as discussions about books that I'm reading and inspirations for books I'm writing.

Thanks, Tim!
So glad to be here. Thank you.

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Thanks for stopping by for the Q&A. Next week will feature author Kristin Bair O’Keeffe.

Before I forget, I want to congratulate “MelJPrincess!” Your name has been selected for the February book draw. Mel, send me an email with your postal address and we’ll get a signed book out to you asap!

I’ll be doing another draw for a signed copy of stains: early poems; the draw will take place at the end of April in honor of National Poetry Month!

Take care and see you Friday.

Q&A with author Dawn Paul

I am pleased to introduce Dawn Paul as today’s Q&A guest. Dawn is a writer and editor and is here to tell us a little bit about her latest book, The Country of Loneliness. Please join me in welcoming Dawn Paul.


Hi Dawn. You started writing The Country of Loneliness as a memoir. Can you tell us how and why you made the switch from non-fiction to fiction?
My original intent was to write about my life with my father, to remember it as accurately as possible. I wasn’t even thinking of writing a book. The book began when I tried to imagine my father’s life, when I realized how little I knew about him, how little we had talked when he was alive. That’s when the writing became fiction, became the story of a daughter imagining her father’s life. It was a wonderful freedom—I no longer had to slavishly render facts that did little to tell the real story, the metaphorical reality.

What were some of the particular challenges you came across when writing Loneliness?
The biggest emotional challenge was writing from anger and loss. It weighed me down. The book did not transform into anything good or hopeful until several drafts. Until then, I was anchored to old grudges and childhood fears. The other, more manageable challenge was trying to accurately portray small-town New England life during the Great Depression. I read several historical books, looked at a lot of photos and watched the movie Seabiscuit, to get a sense of what it felt like to be living in the midst of those times, when there was so little hope. I’ve heard from some readers that I did show the times well.

What did you learn about yourself through this process? What did you learn about yourself as a writer?
I learned, once again, that writing is transformative. Writing the book changed my perception of myself, my father, and our relationship. And the book is, in the end, about how imagination can transform a relationship, a life. That is, in part at least, what I want readers to find in the book—an appreciation for fiction, for imagination, for the real work they can do. As a writer, I learned to stay with the story. There were so many times I wanted to put the manuscript away and work on something more pleasant and easy. And sometimes I did that. In fact, I wrote a collection of short stories in the middle of writing Loneliness. But I always made myself go back to it.

You have a solid publication history with short fiction. How did writing The Country of Loneliness compare to your process for writing shorter works? Was it more freeing or more challenging to write on such personal subject matter?
I have never taken years to write a short fiction piece. I have never written so many drafts or imposed so many different structures on a shorter piece. I never got to the point in writing Loneliness where in working with it became a “technical” process of revision. It was always gut-work. It was very challenging for me to write something that is personal and that readers will definitely perceive as personal. It was so much harder for me to decide when the book became art and not just me, whereas with a short story, I know that from the start.

You've been a resident writer with the Ragdale Foundation, Vermont Studio Center and the Spring Creek Project. How have these experiences enhanced your career? Why were they valuable to you?
If writing is central to your life it is so necessary to have a time and place where all you have to do is eat, sleep and write. It is an amazing experience, to live within your work and not have to leave it to go to a job, pay the electric bill, mow the lawn… I wrote the first draft of Loneliness at VSC—drove home with a hand-written manuscript in the back seat. I brought a “final” draft to Ragdale and made it a book. The pages covered the floor in my studio for a solid week. Residency time is so rich and valuable. I am grateful to VSC, Ragdale and Spring Creek (which I went to after finishing Loneliness).

In addition to being published by a small press, you are also editor of Corvid Press. What makes small press publishers so appealing to writers?
The small presses will publish a book because they love it, because they think it needs to be out in the world. For writers who write what they must write, it is crucial that there are publishers willing to take on a book knowing it will not be a lucrative bestseller. Most of the interesting, challenging and quirky books out there right now are published by small presses. Small presses are keeping literature alive.

What events do you have coming up?
I’m reading at Montserrat College of Art, where I teach writing, on February 18.

How can readers learn more about you and your work?
Go to the Marick Press website http://www.marickpress.com/ and while you’re there, check out the other Marick writers.

Thanks, Dawn!

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And… thank you, dear reader. I hope you continue to enjoy the weekly author Q&As featured on this blog.

Come on back this Friday for some writing news and possibly some reviews…

By the way, if you are at all associated with a low-res MFA program, be sure to check out the blog post below.

Thanks for visiting!

Q&A with author Carren Strock

For today’s author Q&A I am pleased to introduce Carren Strock. In her latest book, A Writer's Journey: What to Know Before, During, and After Writing a Book, Carren shares some of her wisdom and experience in the must-know details of publishing.

Carren, can you tell us about your latest book, A Writer's Journey: What to Know Before, During, and After Writing a Book?
My hopes are that this book will empower and inspire the inner writer in each of us. The nuts and bolts of how to organize, discipline yourself, improve your writing, find an agent, get your book published, and then market it, are all there. The chapters, peppered with anecdotal experiences, simple exercises, and key concepts, will serve as a road map for the reader. My perspective is down-to-earth and to the point. I traveled this path to becoming a published writer and you can too.

The book was inspired by a class you were teaching, was it not? Can you tell us how the project progressed from a seed of an idea to the book on the shelves today?
While I had written a few small pieces, and, occasionally, had one published, joining the International Women’s Writing Guild was the turning point in my writing life. It was in that positive environment, that I began to believe that I could actually write a book. And I did. My first book, Married Women Who Love Women, sold at auction to a major publishing house. And last year the second edition was released.

Based on my journey from neophyte writer to successfully published author and marketer, I decided to share what I had learned along the way. Women came to my workshops with lots of questions and I realized their questions fell into three catagories: “What to Know Before, During and After Writing a Book.” Every year I had more information to share and eventually not enough class time in which to share it. That was when I realized, “I have so much information. Why not put it all into a book?” and thus was born my latest book, A Writer’s Journey, What to Know Before, During, and After Writing a Book.

What do you hope this book will offer emerging writers?
I was told, while in college, that some people were writers and others were not and that I was not a writer. I believed the English professor who said that and my secret dream of being a writer was crushed. It took me fifteen years to pick up a pen after hearing those negative words. I hope to let everyone who has a dream of writing know that their dream is possible and can be a reality.

You've said that joining the International Women's Writing Guild was the turning point in your career. What can you tell us about your involvement with the Guild and why it was so influential in your writing career?
I would describe the guild, especially the summer conference that it offers, as a place where you are surrounded by positive energy. Just imagine yourself in a place where the words "no," "you can't" and "impossible" don't exist. The guild was created for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. It supports the joyful camaraderie that comes from shared interests of a woman's writing community.

If you could share one tip today for emerging writers, something they should know before writing a book, what would it be?
Writing is hard work. The major part of writing is rewriting, but you're in good company. Every writer starts the same way - with a blank page. Also, the writer who is persistent is the one who succeeds.

Where can readers learn more about you and your work?
My website is http://www.carrenstrock.com/. My book, A Writer's Journey: What to Know Before, During and After Writing a Book, can be purchased through any of the on-line bookstores or directly through me on my website. My first book, Married Women Who Love Women, is also available through any of the on-line bookstores. I am available to speak to groups for the cost of travel and accommodations alone, in those situations where an honorarium would create a hardship for the group and its members.

Thanks, Carren!

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And, dear reader, thank you for visiting the blog. This Friday, I’ll be sharing some writing news and upcoming events.

See you next time...

Q&A with poet Andreas Gripp

For today’s Q&A, I am pleased to introduce Andreas Gripp, a London ON poet. Andreas is the author of eleven books of poetry and eight chapbooks. His poetry has also been published in a number of literary magazines and anthologies, including Ascent Aspirations, Literary Review of Canada, Carousel, and The Toronto Quarterly. For more information, be sure to visit his website, www.andreasgripp.com.

At 175 pages, Anathema is your largest collection to date. How did you know it was time to put together a collection of new and selected poems?

Well I wanted reader favourites (plus my own favourites) to be easily found in one collection, and after 10 books, I suppose it was time for a "greatest hits" so to speak. In addition, I found myself constantly going back and revising poems, finding little flaws in earlier versions published in previous books, and thought it might be swell to revise them to my satisfaction, include my best ones that were just fine, and add a few new offerings to make the book feel fresh.

I also wanted to take the opportunity to "reboot" my poetry career and have something "new" for people reading my work for perhaps the very first time. These are the poems that "define" my first decade as a poet and I'd be content if I suddenly passed away and this was the surviving legacy.

Care to give a brief taste of what we'll find inside Anathema?

Readers will find an assortment of poems on loneliness and loss, relationships-that-end-badly, verses on love as well as a love-that-can-never-be-for-whatever-reason, discovering the divinity in nature, finding solace in death, as well as some bizarre, offbeat characters and a poetic perspective on some societal issues -- much of which written in a metered, lyrical narrative.

Do you write every day? Do you have a 'schedule' or other habits to keep the muse working?

That's the worst thing a poet can do, in my opinion. If I force myself to write a poem or do it because it's on my "schedule of things to do," then it becomes a mechanical exercise. There are already way too many poems in the world (a great deal of which seem "recycled") -- we can't keep up with them all! Less is more (which may make me appear hypocritical because of the amount of books and chapbooks I've released), and I prefer to allow an idea for a poem to come to me. Sometimes it's just a word that needs expanding, or a vignette that needs to be told.

Most of my poems are about other people (fictional bits inspired by some episode of reality) so this makes it easier, perhaps, for me to have lots to write about. Were I to write about my own dull life (which I'm afraid too many poets do in relation to themselves), I'd run out of ideas in a hurry.

In terms of managing my creative time, if I have a good block to allot for writing, I might sit in front of a white screen for a bit and see if anything has inspired me... if nothing, then I'll do something else.

Your work has been included in a number of international journals. What are some of your favorite journals to read and why?

Well actually, the majority of my individual poems published have appeared in more obscure anthologies than journals as I don't send out my work that often, really -- the whole process is too tedious.

In terms of what I read in relation to journals, I find a lot of them to be pretentious and don't read too many on a regular basis (this particularly applies to the government-funded CanLit contingent). However, there are times when I'll read through some literary magazines like Poetry (based in Chicago) as I find the quality is better than most (and at least they have some validity to be snobbish). Within Canada, Ascent Aspirations (out of B.C.) is pretty decent and you'll find a variety of voices and styles inside its pages -- very reader-friendly I'd say. ARC (based in Ottawa) has its moments.

Your work has received some very positive reviews. What sort of challenges do you encounter when playing the dual role of poet and publicist?

Promoting one's work is a "necessary evil" it seems -- many writers (including me) would rather just write and do some easy-to-get-to readings. Although it is much easier nowadays to publicize your work with all of the online networking available, there's also a lot more competition. Everybody and their grandmother has a book out it seems, and the challenge for me and any writer really is to present their work as something different, words that haven't been said before.

It would be simpler, of course, to have a contract with a bigger publisher and have them book my reading dates, author signings, etc... but I'm forced to do the promotional end myself which means I don't have the clout of a big press behind me or a revered imprint on the spine of my books which guarantees a review in the Globe & Mail or an invitation to Harbourfront. I'm grateful though, that those who've embraced my work, though the numbers be relatively small, are nonetheless very supportive and vocal, and that has kept me going.

Since you often participate in group readings, would you like to share any of your upcoming appearances so readers know where to see you live and in person?

At the moment, sorry to say, there's nothing else scheduled this winter. I don't like driving out-of-town between December and March (been caught in blizzards before and they're extremely unnerving to be stuck in), but when spring arrives, hopefully I'll have some gigs lined up. Since I'm more of a regional poet and don't like travelling, I'd likely stick to another London, Ontario event or do the Hamilton-Oakville-Toronto corridor. I'd also like to read in Sarnia as it's closeby and has a pretty neat scene by the looks of it. I wish there was something happening in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area...

What's next for you?
I've been writing some new poems and I'm gradually putting together my next book manuscript, tentatively titled The Fall. It might be fitting for it to come out next fall, we'll see. I also have another haiku chapbook I'd like to release in 2010. I keep saying I'll go on an indefinite hiatus but that never seems to happen...


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Remember to visit http://www.andreasgripp.com/ for more information, or to order Anathema.
There are more author Q&As in the works, so be sure to bookmark the blog and visit often.

Thanks for stopping by!

open call: author interviews

With the new year just around the corner, I’m making plans for my author Q&A schedule. Usually once each week I feature authors from all genres and styles in an effort to share some literary love on this blog. From poetry to paranormal, academics to avant-garde, there’s something wonderful about sharing news of recent and upcoming publications with the blog readers.

So, this is your opportunity; if you have a new or forthcoming publication, event, or other publicly engaging experience to share, let’s chat. I’m opening the doors to add authors to my 2010 interview schedule and would love to feature a few new voices.

Simply email me at lori @ loriamay.com [no spaces] with your publication details, link to your website(s), and your availability for an interview. I generally conduct my Q&As via email, so it doesn’t matter where you’re located in the world. If you have a new publication on the way, we can make it happen.

Thanks!

successful ‘wheat’ & upcoming meets

The first thing I must mention is that this week’s Q&A will appear on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday, since the new release of our guest – Melissa Senate – debuts on November 17th. Be sure to come back on Tuesday for the full interview with Melissa as she talks about The Secret of Joy.

Next, I must extend some congrats. Winter Wheat 2009: The Mid-American Review Festival of Writing was a smash hit with some truly incredible events. The sessions were top-notch, the Student Center venue at Bowling Green State University was perfect, and it was fantastic to meet so many wonderful writers. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your festival this year!

There are two great events I wanted to mention today. This Friday I’ll be reading at The Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale MI as part of the Poetic Travelers series hosted by Tonja Bagwell. The event begins at 6:30pm and features two poets: me and Zikla Joseph, author of the Mayapple Press chapbook, Lands I Live In. If you’re in the Ferndale area, come on over for a free night of poetic joy.

Also, I am pleased to announce a full-day workshop taking place on Saturday, January 16 on Whidbey Island WA. I’ll be leading the discussion and workshop, “Writing Your Way: Your Path to Publication” for the Whidbey Island Writers Association. This workshop is a fundraiser for WIWA activities so I hope you’ll join in and support this fantastic literary organization if you can. More details are forthcoming and will be posted on my website.

I’m keeping it short today as the to-do list is begging for my attention. Remember to come back on Tuesday for the Q&A with Melissa Senate.

Thanks for stopping by!

launch of Poets’ Quarterly!

This post comes late in the day, but what a day it’s been. Today is the launch of Poets’ Quarterly, an online journal featuring reviews of new poetry books and interviews with poets.

Issue I, Volume I is now live and online so I do hope you will find your way over to http://www.poetsquarterly.com/ to have a look at all the wonderful content provided by the contributors. There are 24 reviews and interviews, showcasing the poetic works of Diana M. Raab, Kara Candito, Ken Meisel, Derick Burleson, and many more.

For those of you interested in submitting reviews or conducting interviews, please do have a look at the Submission Guidelines. Poets’ Quarterly publishes – you guessed it – quarterly and the next deadline is in December, in preparation for the January issue. If you are an author or publisher seeking reviews, check the website for details. Reviewers are notified of assignment availabilities.

I’m really pleased with the launch issue and hope you enjoy it, share the link and visit the website for each new issue. If you have any questions, let me know at info@poetsquarterly.com if your questions are not answered at http://www.poetsquarterly.com/.

Thanks to all the contributors for putting together a great first issue!

Q&A with author Cindy Gerard

I recently had the opportunity to interview author Cindy Gerard for The Big Thrill, a monthly zine published by International Thriller Writers. Below is an excerpt of my Q&A.

Cindy Gerard is a multiple New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of action/adventure romantic suspense novels. Along with numerous industry award nominations, Cindy is the recipient of The National Reader's Choice Award and Romance Writers of America's coveted Rita Award. Cindy lives in the Midwest with her husband, Tom, a very spoiled dog, two equally spoiled cats and several fat and happy quarter horses.

Cindy was happy to talk about Feel The Heat, her latest book in an ongoing series.

Tell us about Feel The Heat.
FTH is an espionage thriller that runs full throttle from the moment a national security threat is detected at NSA and launches the Black Ops Inc team into a race against the clock to avert a catastrophic disaster. The story takes us from D.C. to Medellin, Colombia and back to D.C. as our BOI hero, Raphael Mendoza, and our heroine, DIA officer B.J. Chase, lay it all on the line for the greater good. The action is fast paced, the romance is hot and the settings exotic as Rafe and B.J. must infiltrate the inner sanctum of a Colombian drug cartel believed to be financing the attack on the US power infrastructure. Did I mention lots of action? :o)

What was your inspiration behind The Men of Black Ops, Inc?
I have such admiration and gratitude for our military warriors and their families for all they sacrifice and put on the line for us every day. I wanted to write something to honor those heroics and explore the bonds these men and women make during their service as well as write compelling, action packed reads. But I was also curious about what happened to our Special Operations warrior when they parted ways with the military. My research revealed that many of them chose law enforcement post military and many more continue to use their special skills as private contractors and fight the war on terror as civilians. Black Ops. Inc. was born from that. The BOIs are not mercenaries. They don’t hire out to the highest bidder. Instead, they fight on for everything that originally called them to service.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this novel, the fourth in the series?
It’s always a challenge to come up with a new, fresh and gripping story line as well as integrate a compelling romantic relationship between the main protagonists. FEEL THE HEAT has such a complex and action orientated story line that it proved difficult to interject the emotional conflict readers expect in my books. Having said that, however, I’m very pleased with the end result. Both B.J. Chase and Rafe Mendoza were amazing characters to write – I found them to be one of my most intriguing couples yet.

What are your future plans for the series?
I just finished book 5 in the series, RISK NO SECRETS featuring Wyatt – Papa Bear – Savage, yet another action packed, edge of your seat thriller set in Sal Salvador, El Salvador. SECRETS will be released in June 2010. After that – who knows what BOI will show up in the next adventure?

How do you keep writing fresh, fun, and interesting for your own needs?
I try to always learn something new when I tack a fresh project. Whether it’s better acquainting myself with a new and exotic locale as a back drop for a story or simply creating characters and story lines that interest me. I figure, if the story can’t hold my attention, it’s sure not going to hold a reader’s attention. And I love to explore certain personality types, figure out what makes them tick, what makes them dysfunctional and then set about fixing them :o)

You have an incredible trailer on your website, www.cindygerard.com. How did you make it happen?
I knew I wanted something short, powerful and impactful for the video to showcase SHOW NO MERCY, the kick off book for the Black Ops Inc series. So I toyed with the basic bullet points, then pared them down to a very few, laid them out in the rhythm I wanted and with the help of my webperson, fine-tuned it into what you see now. And I’m glad you like it! It turned out to be everything I had hoped for.

Tell us about your contributions to the blog, Riding With The Top Down.
I’m so honored to have been invited to ‘ride in the convertible’ with the rest of the talented authors on the Topdown blog. We try to keep things interesting over there and mix it up by tackling any and all subjects (except politics and religion :o). I’ve written about everything from ‘hair’ issues to weight to movie and tv show reviews to motivation to feng shui. We laugh a lot but we’re also serious at times and offer thought provoking pieces. Mostly, though, we just have fun – and since there are 10 contributors and we’re pretty prolific, we give away a LOT of books!

What are you working on now?
I’m just off deadline and getting ready to talk new contract with my publisher so I’m working on my house. :o) As in cleaning. Things get a bit dicey around here during the last month of a deadline. I don’t often see daylight or the world outside of my office during that last long haul. Now it’s time to play catch-up on all those little things that turned into a great, long ‘to do’ list. As for my next writing project … all I can say is, there are great things in the wind and I’m really excited to dive back in to the deep water…

Thanks, Cindy!

Be sure to visit Cindy’s website for the latest news, info, and release updates. And be sure to read more of The Big Thrill for additional author interviews and news.

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On Friday, I’ll be sharing details regarding some newly scheduled upcoming events. I also plan on sharing some thoughts on craft and writing development.

As always, thanks for reading!

Q&A with author Angela Henry

I’m pleased to present today’s Q&A feature. Angela Henry is the author of Diva’s Last Curtain Call, Tangled Roots, and The Company You Keep. She has a great website (with a gorgeous design!) at http://www.amgelahenry.com/ so be sure to check that out after you read what Angela has to say about her work. Without further ado…

Hi Angela. Can you tell us about Diva’s Last Curtain Call?
Hi Lori! Diva's Last Curtain Call is the 3rd book in my Kendra Clayton mystery series. In this outing, Kendra's self-absorbed, spoiled, actress wannabe, younger sister, Allegra, is in town to try interview aging, reclusive, legendary actress Vivianne DeArmond for the TV show Hollywood Vibe. When Vivianne ends up dead, with a letter opener in her back, Allegra is the prime suspect and Kendra has to find the real killer to clear her sister's name.

Okay, but what’s it really about?
It's really about how family can drive you completely crazy but they're still your family and you have to be there for them in times of crisis. Or something like that. ; )

What inspired you to write the Kendra Clayton mystery series?
I've been a lifelong lover of mysteries, especially small town Agatha Christie like murder mysteries where secrets lurk behind every closed door. But there aren't many that feature African-American sleuths in a small town setting. So I decided to write one myself.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a proposal for a supernatural YA novel, getting ready to publish Schooled in Murder, the 4th book in my Kendra series, and trying not to drive myself and my agent crazy while waiting to hear about a new project of mine that has been on submission for the past few months.

Tell us a bit about your journey as an author.
My journey has been a series of ups and downs. I've written short stories since I was in high school. But I didn't attempt a novel until I was in my late twenties. It took me four years to write it. But I did manage to get an agent within a few months of finishing it. Unfortunately, she was unable to sell it and we eventually parted ways. I was unable to get a new agent and started submitting directly to publishers, which worked. BET Books, a division of Black Entertainment Television, picked up the book in 2004 and I also signed with a new agent. A year later, BET Books was acquired by Harlequin and renamed Kimani Press. I wrote three books for them before they changed direction and stopped doing mysteries. So, I'm in a regrouping/reinvention phase right now.

What advice do you have for emerging authors?
Don't give up! Keep writing and honing your skills. Educate yourself about the publishing business because it is indeed a business and you really need to know how things work.

How does social media and technology play a role in how you connect with readers?
It plays a big part in connecting with readers. When MySpace was still all the rage, I was able to connect with a lot of readers, reviewers, and fellow writers and not just in the states but all over the globe. There's nothing cooler than finding new authors to read or getting an email from a reader or a bookseller who found out about my books on MySpace. I haven't signed up for Twitter but I'm going to. I also think social media is a great way for writers to see what's going on the publishing world. Many publishers, editors, and agents blog or are on Twitter and it's fun to see what titles they are working on and acquiring. Writers who are just starting out really need to check out all the agents and editors who are blogging. There is wealth of info on those blogs.

How can readers learn more about you and your books?
My website http://www.angelahenry.com/.

Thanks, Angela. I appreciate you taking the time to talk about your latest news!
Thanks for having me, Lori!

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Stay tuned for more later this week regarding my trip to Kentucky, The Ambassador Poetry Project launch party news, and info about the book release party for stains: early poems. Remember to click to follow the blog to make sure you’re entered into this month’s random drawing for a signed copy of one of my titles!

Happy reading….

Q&A with author Jennie Nash

One of the benefits of socializing on sites such as shewrites.com is getting to know other writers. It wasn’t that long ago I had the pleasure of meeting Jennie Nash, author of The Only True Genius in the Family. Naturally, I recruited her for an interview and am pleased to share this Q&A with you today. Please join me in welcoming Jennie Nash!

Hi Jennie. Can you tell us about The Only True Genius in the Family?
It’s a story about three generations of artists and the concept of whether or not talent is inherited. There is a famous landscape photographer, a prodigy painter, and a mother in the middle who is having a crisis of faith about her ability to make art. In the opening sentence, the famous photographer dies, and the book is very much about what his legacy will be, both in a traditional public sense and in a private sense for his progeny. The characters in the book are constantly creating – sweeping photographs of majestic mountains, paintings of the sea, commercial photos of high end chocolate, the perfect roasted chicken – and they struggle with what it means to succeed, creatively speaking.

Okay. But what’s it really about?
A woman in search of her creative voice, the resentment a daughter has for her father, the jealousy a mother feels for her child – how, in other words, your family can really mess with your creative impulse.

What sources of inspiration led you to write this novel?
I was originally inspired by a magazine article about the 12-year-old prodigy painter from Russia known as Petit Picasso. Her paintings were being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars – and all I kept thinking about was her mother. What would it be like to be the mother? I did quite a lot of research on prodigies and genius, and was particularly moved by the Joan Aconcella book, Twenty Eight Artists and Two Saints. (Aconcella is the dance critic for The New Yorker, and is something of a genius herself.) One thing I learned was how much the people around very talented people tend to suffer – especially if they have the impulse to create themselves. I began to visualize my characters, and very quickly ended up with three generations of artists who each had very different ideas about the source of creativity.

That’s the “technical” answer. The personal answer –and really, the one that is by far more important -- is that The Only True Genius in the Family was the second novel in a two-book deal. The novel that came before it, The Last Beach Bungalow, was my first novel, but it was my fourth book. I had made a genre switch, and I wrote for three years not knowing if I could even finish a work of fiction, let alone sell it. The agent I had worked with on my non-fiction was not interested in representing my fiction, which was another big worry. So getting a new agent, and then getting the two-book deal on the first novel was just a huge vote of confidence. I had an editor who was waiting to publish whatever I wrote next, and was paying me in advance, to do so. Talk about being given permission. I felt absolutely validated as a writer, completely “legitimate,” and free – for a blessed short time – of any doubt about what I was doing or my ability to do it. I know what it’s like not to feel that; every artist does. And so The Only True Genius in the Family is, simply, a story about that – about a woman coming out of the darkness of creative doubt and into the light of creative sureness. At its heart, it’s a story about my getting to write the story.

What can you tell us about The Last Beach Bungalow?
It’s the story of a breast cancer survivor coming up on her five year cancer-free anniversary and not knowing why she survived – not knowing what the point of surviving really was. She falls in love with a quirky old house, because she thinks that it will give her life -- and her marriage -- the meaning it lacks. You know the way an old house feels – comfortable, and lived in, and resonant with story? That’s what she’s after. The house in question is being sold in a contest by a recent widow who has lived her whole adult life within its walls. The widow wants someone to buy her house who will cherish it the way she has because she, too, is looking for an external validation that her life had meaning. In the end, both women find what they need, but not in the way they expect.

I’m a breast cancer survivor – ten years now, actually – and I was very interested in what happens after you make it. I wrote about the illness part of the story (in a memoir called The Victoria’s Secret Catalog Never Stops Coming and Other Lessons I Learned From Breast Cancer) but that wasn’t the whole story, in my mind. The Last Beach Bungalow was the continuation of the story – and I loved wrestling with these questions in fiction rather than non-fiction. I loved creating drama and imagining possibilities. I was tired of writing about my own life, and was ready to break free.

Tell us a bit about your journey as an author.
I always knew I wanted to be a writer. My dad was a professor and a writer, and I loved the sounds of his typewriter and the quiet in his study. When I was in fourth grade I had some poems published in a school book – mimeographed pages, a cardboard cover – and I was just completely taken with the whole concept of my words underneath my name and other people being able to read it.

I had my first piece published the summer before I went to college, in the Wellesley alumnae magazine, which was the institution where I was headed. I was an English major and I wrote an honors’ thesis that was a collection of narrative essays. I thought that the next step was to go to graduate school, but I had a very wise advisor. He refused to write me a recommendation. He said he thought I would hate it. He said he thought I should go to New York and try to make it as a writer.

I followed his advice – but only halfway. I think what he thought I should do was go and really dig in and write a meaty book. I went to New York and got a job as an assistant editor at Random House, and then I got a job as a magazine editor, and then I began writing for magazines. I was too scared to really just write. I published a memoir (about getting married) at age 25, but honestly, it wasn’t a very good book. I wrote the breast cancer memoir, which I am very proud of and which allowed me to reach a large number of readers, but I followed it with another memoir (about parenthood) that wasn’t very good, either. I didn’t trust my voice, didn’t know what I wanted to say. I was writing out of fear – fear that I would be known as “cancer girl,” fear that I better write another book fast. The Last Beach Bungalow was very healing because I allowed myself to go back to cancer as a topic, and I allowed myself the freedom to write fiction, and I allowed myself the time I needed to get it right. It was a big risk for me, and it paid off. It was a thrill to land that two-book deal.

I have just finished my third novel for the same editor who bought my first two (see below for details), and I feel incredibly grateful for her trust and support. I know that she wants me to succeed, and that she is doing everything she can possibly do to help me build an audience and a career. It’s everything a writer could ask for.

What advice do you have for writers starting out?
Make sure you have something to say and give yourself permission to say it. These things sound very simple, but of course they’re not. It took me about 25 years to finally get it.

I also like the advice Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) gives, which is to forgive yourself – for your false starts and wasted pages; for wanting to be a writer in the first place; and if you’re lucky enough to achieve it, for your success. Being a writer takes a lot of self-forgiveness.

As for practical matters, I’m something of an evangelist for Twyla Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit. Tharp teaches you how to do it – how to actually live a creative life. It’s all well and good to have a story to tell or a facility for putting words together on a page – or both – but you have to also know how to pin down an idea, how to organize your day, how to open your mind to inspiration.

How has social media and technology changed the way you connect with readers?
Social media has made me realize that it’s my job to reach out to readers, to answer their questions, to pique their interest. It’s not something I squeeze in when I’m not writing; it’s an important undertaking in its own right—and becoming even more so. Readers no longer want their favorite writers to be unreachable. They want to interact with them, learn about their creative process, know something of their lives. I’m desperately trying to learn how to be an effective blogger and twitter-er while still being a good writer – oh, and a good wife and mother, too! I feel like I’m scrambling to figure it all out, but I also know that I’m hardly alone in the struggle.

You’re also a fan of meeting readers at book clubs. Care to share some experiences?
I love visiting book clubs, both in person and virtually. It’s just such a thrill to be in a roomful of people – usually woman, in my case – who have shared the experience of reading my work. I feel very humbled by it, because people see things in my work that I never knew was there. My oldest daughter’s AP English class read The Only True Genius in the Family this year, and it was an amazing experience. I walked away being simultaneously humbled and boosted up – humbled by their ability to analyze text and boosted up because I was able to clearly see what my subconscious had wrought! They kept saying things like, “I loved how you brought back the light/lightning motif in the storm scene,” and I would be thinking, There’s a light/lightning motif? Really? I couldn’t wait to get out of there to go check out all the places where I had mentioned light and lightning.

What title(s) can we look forward to next?
I just finished my third novel, which is called The Threadbare Heart. It’s a love story inspired by something that happened to my mother on her first weekend at Wellesley College in 1956. There’s also a mother-daughter component to this book – an intergenerational disagreement about what love is, and how you get it and hold onto it and what it means when it’s gone. It’s due out from Berkley Books in May 2010.

I feel the stirrings of my fourth novel, but they haven’t yet taken shape.

How can readers learn more about you and your writing?
Visit me at http://www.jennienash.com/. Write me emails at jennie.nash@verizon.net. Invite me to visit their book clubs.

Thanks, Jennie! I appreciate you taking the time to talk about The Only True Genius in the Family and your latest news.

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There are more great interviews with authors around the corner. I look forward to the many insider tips, personal stories, and successes upcoming authors will share. Too, if you have any suggestions for the author Q&A – or any other aspect of this blog – feel free to let me know your thoughts. I always welcome mail from readers!

Thanks for joining in today. Until next time…

Q&A with author Kiersten White

You’ve already met Kiersten White from her guest blog postings here, during the past couple of weeks. Now, without further ado, I am pleased to share my interview with Kiersten so you can get to know a bit more about her and her writing.

Hi Kiersten. Can you tell us about Paranormalcy?
Paranormalcy was one of those ideas that strikes out of nowhere and possesses you until you finish. Those always end up being my favorite books--the thrill ride of discovering where it's going.

As far as the story itself, it sometimes takes me longer to come up with a working blurb for a book than to write the book itself, so I'll just plagiarize myself:

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, faeries, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.

Of course that thumbnail description leaves out the super-cute love interest, the crazy faerie ex, a prophecy of death and destruction, and her killer wardrobe. Summaries are the bane of my existence.

Okay, but what’s it really about?
Good question. I think at its heart Paranormalcy is about isolation and the deep loneliness that comes with trying to figure out where we belong in a very confused world.

What can you tell us about the Sight series?
Hot boys. REALLY hot boys.

Oh, you mean plot-wise? Sight is my YA action/suspense series. Some women have abilities--powerful abilities. And these abilities attract the notice of powerful corporations who will stop at nothing to use them.

Also, hot boys.

Right now I've got two finished books in this series, Flash and Instinct, that are waiting for edits. I hope to someday sell them so that I can keep writing this world because it's ever so much fun and really satisfies my need to write action. And kissing scenes.

You’re very prolific. How do you choose which project to work on?
Generally the project chooses me. I've had to really focus though, because in the past I tried to juggle all of my finished drafts and keep writing new stuff. I realized I needed to buckle down and take one at a time. So now I try to alternate between editing existing manuscripts and writing new stuff for fun. Right now I'm working on a ghost story; when I finally finish that, I'll probably go back to editing Flash or Instinct.

Unless some sneaky, shiny new idea creeps in and demands my attention. I'm always a fan of following inspiration.

Tell us a bit about your journey as an author.
After my daughter was born I found myself very, very bored. So I wrote my first book, a middle grade novel. It took me over a year. I queried on and off for it for about a year (I'd query one agent at a time--ha!). Then I started writing Flash and completely forgot about it. Poor middle grade novel; it wasn't your fault you were boring. I queried for about three months with Flash, at which point I found my fabulous agent, Michelle Wolfson. I was so excited about it I wrote Instinct in about two weeks. Then Flash went on submission and to distract myself I wrote Paranormalcy.

Sadly, editors passed on Flash because the MC was too old (apparently eighteen is the new eighty!). But that gave me the chance to really buckle down and whip Paranormalcy into shape. In a way it's good--I know that Paranormalcy is a stronger book than Flash. Plus I now have plenty of time to really look at Flash and figure out how to make it a better book.

Right now I'm at that fun, fun stage where I try not to check my email obsessively for news on the Paranormalcy sub.

I've struggled with self-doubt and frustration along the way, but I'm very lucky to have great writer friends, a wonderful agent, and a hot husband. After all, someone has to inspire all of those hot guys I write about.

What have you learned about the publishing industry that may help other writers starting out?
It is sloooooooooow. Slow and sometimes infuriatingly nonsensical. If you pin all of your hopes and happiness on any one thing, you will be disappointed. Getting an agent doesn't magically make everything easier. I suspect neither will getting a book deal, although I'd really like to find out just to make sure.

The point is, write because you love it. Write stories that engage your mind and delight you. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get published--it's a great goal. But don't let it ruin writing for you.

Aside from that, find out everything you can. There are so many great resources for beginning writers. You've already found Lori, so you're well on your way, but I also recommend Nathan Bransford's blog. Read as much as you can on the process of querying beforehand so you don't waste your time.

Additionally, fewer and fewer editors have time to really edit these days, so make sure your manuscript is in the best possible shape before sending it out. I wish I had done another good edit on Flash, but I made sure that Paranormalcy is as pretty as I could make it.

How does social media and technology play a role in how you connect with readers?
I've found such an exciting, supportive community through blogging. Up until now I used it as a way to connect with other writers (I've found all of my critique partners online), but I love what writers like Maureen Johnson and John Green do with their blogs and videos. I think if you can really connect with readers and help them feel like they have a relationship with you, you've got them for life. You can't understimate the value of blogs and online communities in word-of-mouth advertising.

Also, blogs, Twitter, and all that ilk are hands-down the best way to waste time I have ever found. Besides Bejeweled 2.

What’s the one question you want me to ask, that I didn’t, and what’s your response?
"Kiersten, is it true that the ghost in your WIP is named Lori?"

Why yes, Lori, it is! How cool is that?
*Lori’s note: aha! Very cool. ;)

How can readers learn more about you and your writing projects?
I blog like a maniac at kierstenwrites.blogspot.com. You'll learn more than you ever knew you wanted to know! I also twitter under KierstenWhite (creative, I know!). Most of my tweets, however, consist of me whining about my kids throwing up. You've been warned.

Thanks, Kiersten. I appreciate you taking the time to talk about your latest news!
Thanks for the blog space, Lori!

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Don’t forget to visit Kiersten’s blog at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/ where you’ll find much more info and entertainment. Also, check back on Friday for a guest blog from writer Jude Hardin.

Until next time… happy reading!

Q&A with author Abby McDonald

Please join me in welcoming today’s guest author. Abby McDonald has authored novels for both adults and the YA market, with titles such as Sophomore Switch and The Popularity Rules. She’s worked hard to develop a following and will not only share what’s new for her in the coming months, but also share tips on how writers can stay in the game.

Hi Abby. Can you tell us about The Popularity Rules?
Here's the official blurb: All's fair in love, war and popularity...Kat Elliot is no social butterfly. She's spent her life rebelling against phony schmoozing - and it's led her nowhere. Just as she's ready to give up her dreams and admit defeat, in steps Lauren Anderville. One-time allies against their school bullies, Lauren and Kat had been inseparable. Then one year Lauren returned from summer camp blonde, bubbly, and suddenly popular, and Kat was left to face the world alone.Ten years later, Lauren's back. She wants to make amends by teaching Kat the secret to her success: The Popularity Rules. A decades-old rulebook, its secrets transformed Lauren that fateful summer. And so, tempted by Lauren's promises of glitzy parties and the job she's always dreamed about, Kat reluctantly submits to a total makeover - only to find that life with the in-crowd might have something going for it after all.But while Lauren has sacrificed everything to get ahead, is Kat really ready to accept that popularity is the only prize that counts?

Okay. But what’s it really about?
Many things! It touches on social hierarchies, modern feminism, the every-day compromises we make to our beliefs and ideology, the allure (and truth) of the make-over myth... But, to me, the heart of this book has always been female friendship, specifically, those deep, intense relationships we have in our teens/youth which - however they turn out- affect all the interactions we have after in a profound way. Whenever I got talking to a female friend, they would always mention one of these, and how the end of it shaped the way they see and trust other woman. I wanted to take two women whose teenage friendship had pretty much determined the course of their lives, and highlight how unresolved their emotional issues were; how much they still needed each other, despite what they told themselves.

You’ve already had considerable success with YA. Why the move toward adult novels?
The move actually went the other way: I was writing adult lit for about 3 years before I was inspired to branch out into YA. I thought that the kind of books I love to write (commercial, pop-culture influenced, strong female characters) would work for a teen audience too, and it's been a lot of fun switching between the age groups. My teen books are much lighter, and more fast-paced, so it's a different challenge: making things immediate, and vivid, in a shorter format. With my adult books, the hard work comes with creating more complex relationships and layers to the characters, creating subplots and subtext that make the story rewarding over 100k, 120k words.

Congratulations on your success with Sophomore Switch. It received such great reviews. What was your inspiration in writing it?
Thanks! It actually came to me in a flash-- or rather, a traffic jam. I'd been working on another Oxford-based YA for a while without much success: editors loved the setting, but thought the murder mystery elements were too dark. So, I was joking along with a friend about the lightest, fluffiest Oxford-based concept I could think of, and the framework of Sophomore Switch was born. Of course, being me, I couldn't help but slip in deeper themes about feminism and identity along the way, but it's that balance that readers seem to enjoy, so I'm pleased with how it worked out.

Tell us a bit about your journey as an author.
Long and twisted, like most writers... A lot of people assume that because I'm relatively young, my career has been an overnight success for me, but the reality is far less glamorous. I wrote my first novel at 19 (an adult chick-lit book), signed with an agent, and embarked on years of rewrites and near-misses before finally putting it aside. It was disheartening at the time, but it served as a kind of apprenticeship for me: teaching me not just about the workings of the industry, but also the skills of editing and how to construct a plot. When it came to my next novels, I was much better equipped, and I like to think that I've grown a lot as a writer since that first attempt.

What advice do you have for writers starting out?
Perseverance and practice. It can be incredibly frustrating to work on a book for so long that is ultimately rejected, but sometimes you have to look past the goal of publication and remember that all the writing you do is valuable in the long term. So much of the industry is luck and timing, and factors out of your control. For example, that first book of mine not only coincided with a deadly slump in the chick-lit market, but also revolved around a blogging premise, so, once it was no longer a 'hot topic', it was essentially useless-- if I only judged it in terms of publication. But, I learned so much from the process, and hardened myself against rejection, which served me well when it came to my next adult book The Popularity Rules. When I think of all the chances I had to quit, and just walk away, I can't even count them. The saying is an old one, but so true: the only difference between a published author and an unpublished one, is that the published one didn't give up.

How does social media and technology enhance the way you connect with readers?
Since I'm based in England, it's pretty much been my only way of connecting with readers so far. Because teens are so web-based, I set up a dedicated website for the book at sophomoreswitch.com, with fun additional content like social network profiles, playlists, and a form for email. I also blog, and try to be prompt getting back to every reader who writes me (I love fan mail!), and I'm a big fan of twitter, which is a way of connecting on a more every-day level.

What else can readers expect from you in the near future?
A lot! In September, Sophomore Switch will be published in the UK (as Life Swap), and The Popularity Rules hits shelves. Then I'm busy writing for a while, before a hectic 2010: Sophomore Switch paperback in Feb (with a cute new cover), my next YA Boys, Bears & A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots published in April, and my next adult book, The Good Girl's Guide to Deception out in May.

How can readers learn more about you and your books?
My website abbymcdonald.com is a good base, and then I blog at poptext.org, and tweet at twitter.com/abbymcdonald.

Thanks, Abby! I appreciate you taking the time to talk about your latest news and upcoming releases.


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Be sure to visit Abby at her website to learn more about her work.

Until next time….

Guest Blog: Querying Grief

Kiersten White, a fabulous YA author who blogs at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/, was kind enough to share this previous post of hers with us today. Please welcome our guest blogger and make Kiersten feel at home!

The Five Stages of Querying Grief
By Kiersten White

Stage One: Denial
This can't be happening to me! Novel is so good! I was supposed to get an agent within days of sending out that first query! There must be some sort of mistake--it's already been three weeks. Sure, everyone else has to go through a long, drawn-out querying process, but not me! There's going to be a request for a full in my inbox RIGHT NOW, I just know it.

Stage Two: Anger
What?!? [Insert Author Name Here] got an agent on her first try! And my book is at least as good as hers! And WHY won't anyone get back to me? I personalized and everything! Don't they understand I'm checking my email every twenty minutes? I HATE THIS! QUERYING IS THE WORST THING EVER! JUST READ MY FREAKING BOOK ALREADY!

Stage Three: Bargaining
Okay. It's okay. If I can just get a request for a full, if an agent will just read the whole thing, I'll be happy. No matter what, I'll be happy then. No? A partial. Just read a partial, I swear then I'll be happy, I won't complain or freak out or want to give up. Just a partial? No? Just respond. Anything. Just respond, and I'll be okay, really, I promise. Just a response? Please?

Stage Four: Depression
It's been three weeks. This is it. No one is going to want Novel. They'll never read it, so they'll never know how much fun it is, how well-written it is, how much potential I have as a writer. I'll never get an agent, which means I'll never get published, and there's nothing I can do about it. I suck. I suck, I suck, I suck I suck I suck. And the worst part is that I don't suck, but it doesn't matter, because no one will ever know. I'm never going to be an author. It's over. I'm going to bed. And I'm not getting up again.

Stage Five: Acceptance
Well, it is what it is. I’ve put in the work, I’ll keep at it, and I know I'll be published someday. Maybe an agent will fall in love with Novel. Maybe not. It's more luck than anything else at this point, and I can accept that. Either way, I'll keep writing, and someday, someone will represent me. In the meantime, I’ve got this shiny new idea over here just begging to be written…Of course, eventually you will make it out of this cycle. But that leads us to the stages of agented submission grief and there’s like 87 of them. One step at a time, right?

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Thanks to Kiersten for sharing this post with us today. Please check out her blog at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/ for more wisdom and wit.

Until next time… happy reading!

Q&A with Lydia R. LeRoy-Williams

I recently met Lydia on SheWrites.com and knew I simply had to interview her and share it with you here on the blog. So, as a special author Q&A during my busy month of much-ado-about-August, I present writer Lydia R. LeRoy-Williams.

You’re a mom, a wife, and a writer. How do you manage to make time for writing?
This is a constant struggle. When days go by and I have not written anything, I feel as though a piece of me has been neglected so it is important to get writing time in.

The other night I worked on a piece, on my laptop, while my daughter was in the bath. Sure, I got a few water drops and bubbles on my screen but it was worth it. I have to MAKE the time, even if it is only at ten minutes intervals.

Also, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything if it weren’t for my husband, who's completely supportive, or my mom, who's there when I need some quiet writing time.

In the perfect world, what would your writing day be like?
That is an interesting question and I am going to take this question and run with it without borders.

I would have a quiet room or office of my own that overlooked the Oregon Coast, (this would require me to move) it’s an inspiring place for me. My space would be Shabby Chic, with candles lit everywhere and a fireplace. I would have a sofa with lots of pillows and throws, as well as a desk. There would have to be a fridge with water and champagne (when I want to feel glamorous) and snacks, for the comfort of it.

My day would start around 9 o’clock (need my sleep) and work until lunch. Spend that with my family and then get back to it. I would write until I knew what I wanted to start with the next day rather than write until I was blocked.

Quite honestly, I think the environment in which I write is what I have dreamt of. Usually I write where there is a moment of quiet i.e. bathroom, bed, car. It would be brilliant if I had that quiet, private, inspirational space, of my own. Virginia Woolf was right when she said every woman needs a room of her own.

You write fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Tell us about your writing.
Poetry was my start. My first poem, that I remember, was titled: ‘Boys.’
Boys are toys/they’re sometimes joys/but be careful/or you could be/a toy to a boy.

I have continued to write poetry, some have been published. I began writing fiction during school. When given an assignment in school all the other kids would sigh with distaste. I, on the other hand, would be so excited to sit down and write.

I decided that I wanted to be a screenwriter when I was in my early twenties. I had a mentor at that time who taught me amazing things in regards to writing. He encouraged me to write the screenplay. I did, I even finished it, knowing it was terrible.

After that reality set in (that screenwriting was not my area of expertise), I decided to try my hand at a novel. This felt more like me. I have also, throughout the years, written some essays and articles; a few, I have had published.

What have you written that you are most proud of?
I would have to say, surprisingly, that my screenplay is what I am the most proud of because I continued, stayed with it, and gave it all I had at the time. When later, after sharing it with my mentor and my family, I was informed how raw and imperfect it was, I was sad, but I was so proud that I had finished it! I worked on it every single day, come rain or shine.

Think of all your favorite authors and books. What book do you wish you had written?
My absolute favorite book is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I admire Plath as a writer because she wrote out her guts, no matter what anyone else thought. Her writing was her life, wrong or right, no one could accuse her of not putting her soul into what she did.

I want to be that kind of writer. With all the responsibilities that one may have, one must give their souls to their work, pour it out, lay it down, raw and with honesty.

What are you working on now?
I am always doing poetry, it’s in my blood. My current work in progress is my first novel. I have been working on it for too long and my main goal is to finish it. I am also working on articles for a new online magazine that I will be freelancing for. I have recently started a blog and have been working on that as well. In addition, I love to journal.

How do you stay connected with other writers?
I have recently been involved with online groups, which has proved to be outstanding and extremely motivating. My favorite online community is www.SheWrites.com.

If you could commit to one thing, in the next year, to benefit your writing life what would it be?
To get back to Wellspring House in Massachusetts. I was able to spend a full week there in October 2008. It was the best experience I have had in regards to my personal writing growth. I would also make sure to finish my novel!

What are you reading right now?
I’m currently reading: The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, Mommywood by Tori Spelling, and Jodi Picoult’s My Sisters Keeper.

What books are on your to-be-read pile?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, Time and Again by Jack Finney, I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb, Everyone is Beautiful and The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center.

How can readers learn more about you and your writing?
Well, I have a blog (it is very new so be kind) http://lydiawilliamswritenow.blogspot.com/ as well as my profile on www.SheWrites.com. I am also on Twitter: lydiaruth77

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Be sure to visit Lydia on one (or more) of her web links above. And be sure to come back Monday for another guest blog from author Kiersten White.

Until next time….