Cinda Williams Chima - Writer

If You’d Like Me to Come to Your Town

2012-01-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

I often receive emails, comments and messages from readers asking why I don’t come to their town for an author visit. This especially happens after I post the itinerary for an upcoming tour or I list an event on my blog or Facebook. No matter where I’m going, it seems the people who want to see me are somewhere else.

“Why aren’t you coming to my town?” they ask.

The truth is--I’d LOVE to come to your town—really, I would. I love to get out from under my keyboard and get out and meet readers. But even an author who is lucky enough to be sent on tour doesn’t generally get to decide where she goes.

The publisher makes those decisions. My publicist will usually ask if I have any suggestions. If I’ve been hearing a lot from, say, Denver readers, I will mention it. Last time, I actually got on my Amazon author page and looked to see where my books were selling the most.

The publisher will also look at the size of the market, what book sales are like there, transportation costs, etc.

Beyond that, bookstores fill out request forms for authors they would like to host. Publicists quickly get to know which bookstores, libraries, and schools host awesome events that bring a great turnout. You will see certain bookstores hosting one event after another—because they’re so good at it. And when I have a great experience in a city or venue, I let my publisher know.

My tours have been ~ten days long, meaning 8 or 10 cities. Plus some weekend gigs during the weeks surrounding the release. For efficiency and cost reasons, my tours usually focus on one region of the country. We try to switch around year to year.

Finally, if I’m aware of an event that would be the perfect place to showcase my book, I will ask my publisher to consider sending me. Sometimes my travel is sponsored by the bookfest/conference itself. For example, this year I’ve been to Dragon*Con, The World Fantasy Con, and several bookfests, including Books by the Banks in Cincinnati, The Buckeye Bookfair, in Wooster, OH, the Montgomery County, TX Bookfest, and the Spartanburg Teen Reading Festival in South Carolina. I will be at the TBF Live! Bookfest in Rochester, NY in May.

Cons and bookfests are a great place for readers to meet many authors at once. And it’s a great place for an author to introduce her books to potential readers.

Is there anything you can do to make it more likely an author will come to your town? Well, first, move to a major market. Sorry, but it’s true. Publicists want the most bang for their buck, so they will send authors where the most people are. If you don’t live in a large town, maybe there’s one within driving distance. Some times, ya gotta hit the road.

Tell the author you would love to see her, of course. Also let her know if you know of an awesome venue in your town, such as a bookfest or a great bookstore. Offer to make a pitch/introduction. It often means more coming from a reader than from an author.

Speaking of, support your local bookstores. If they close their doors, there’s no venue to host an author appearance. Get to know bookstore owners, librarians, and teachers. Join your community library’s teen board. Ask if they ever host author visits. Tell them you would like to see your favorite author in person. If an in-person visit isn’t possible, perhaps a Skype visit can be arranged.

Many authors are willing to do school visits. Generally, the school pays a stipend and travel expenses. Often schools join forces to reduce the cost. Even a small market can snag an author visit if it’s in conjunction with a paid school visit. I’ve visited very small towns in southern Ohio and rural Illinois where librarians and teachers ganged up together and hosted me. Often librarians and teachers can access grant money to pay for author visits. Remember--one person on a mission can be very powerful. I have had visits happen because of one determined teen.

What if your favorite author comes to your town? Do everything you can to get the word out. Encourage your friends to go, if they like to read. Attend the event yourself. Support the venue (and the author) by buying books. If the author has a great experience in your town, she will be eager to return. And it’s likely that publisher will send other authors your way, too. For example, I’ve been to Oceanside, CA twice because I’ve had great experiences there. I’m returning to TBF Live! This year because they rock.

There’s nothing worse than finding out your favorite author came to a town nearby and you missed it. Most authors have events listings on their websites, post upcoming events on Facebook and Twitter, or mail have email lists to notify readers. Follow your favorite authors and you won’t be disappointed.

If you want to receive messages from me about upcoming events and other announcements, you can join my Google Group on the front page of my website here or on my blog here

You’ll find a listing of my upcoming events here.

You can find out more about scheduling events with me on my website here.http://cindachima.com/Visit/Visit.htm

When Readers Hate Your Books

2012-01-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

I often get emails from people who like my books. It’s still a thrill, even with six books in print. Hey, I say to myself, this person isn’t even related to me—in fact, he lives three states away—and he likes my book!

Anyone who takes the time to thank an author deserves a special place in heaven. We are needy people with fragile egos (well, most of us) and sometimes that email from a fan is just what we need to keep going when the muse is slacking and the words won’t come; when we find our books on the clearance table and our agents don't return your calls. Opportunities for humiliation are legion. Kind words are treasured up against those days.

My favorite emails are from those who tell me my books made them into pleasure readers. How cool is that? Because for me the notion of going through life without books is horrifying. Because books changed my life.

Sometimes readers will write to alert me to errors in a book. For example, "I’ve noticed that Leesha has different colored eyes in each book. What gives?" Or—“what’s up with the two Christmases in one year?” If the error is serious enough, my publisher can correct it when the book goes back to print.

Readers email comments about what they especially liked (Han is SO hot!) or concrete suggestions about what I could have done differently, e.g. Why did you kill off my favorite character? (or, conversely, why didn’t you kill off more people?) Or, Raisa should dump Nightwalker.

They’ll tell me that the love scene at the end of the book should have been a lot longer. Or that I should have put in some dragons.

While I can't go back and change the book in print, specific feedback might give me guidance for future books. Of course, some people tell me just what they think should happen in that next book.

But sometimes I get emails from people who basically say, I read your latest book and it sucked. Or--I liked your old series but I don't like your new series. Or--I read your new series and liked it, but when I went back and read your old series, it sucked.

It would be easier if they at least agreed on which books suck and which don’t.

I’m not talking about reviews. Negative reviews can be painful, but at least they serve a purpose. Reviews are intended to help readers find books they might like and avoid the ones they won’t. A public service of sorts.

I'm never sure what I'm supposed to do with this sort of big-bore, non-specific negative feedback. I don’t expect everyone to like my books, but this is like telling someone her child is ugly and stupid, too.

I mean, it’s not like there’s gonna be a do-over.

Should I say I'm sorry? Promise never to write a crappy book again? Get all defensive and tell them that if they think it's easy to write a book, mr. smarty-pants, they should try it themselves? Look them up on Goodreads to see if they give everyone one-star reviews? Google the sender's name to try to figure out it’s really Harold Gallagher from third grade who always hated you?

Hit delete, eat chocolate and drink hard liquor?

Anyone?

Montgomery County Book Festival, The Woodlands, TX

2012-01-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

Hope you'll join me, Kristen Cast, and six other awesome authors at the 2012 Montgomery County Book Festival on January 21 in the Houston area. The festival is FREE and open to the public. The fest features author presentations, book sales, and autographing.

You'll find all of the information here!

I've Joined the Twitterverse

2011-11-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

For some time, I’ve been under pressure to Tweet. It’s apparently not enough to Facebook, blog, webpage, and email.

I resisted. I’m a fantasy writer. 140 characters is too small a space to turn around in.

The Twitterati persisted. “It’s really quick and really fun and really viral,” they said.

Really? I thought. Let’s just see who’s on there.

When I looked into it several years ago, it seemed like Twitter Literary was mostly librarians, language arts teachers, agents, editors, and writers avoiding their deadlines. Not so many teenagers, save the odd book blogger.

“My audience isn’t on Twitter,” I said smugly. And put it into the old, “one day you’ll have time for this” file. Which usually means, “I’ll adopt this just as everyone else is departing for the next techstination.”

Facebook was like that. By the time I was on Facebook, your grandmother was pestering you with friend requests.

While I dawdled, the Twittervirus sent its tentacles into every corner of my life. The cool writers became @libbabray, @sarahdessen, @realjohngreen, @neilhimself--even @SalmanRushdie--while I languished in digital darkness.

I’d sit on author panels while everyone else—including my fellow panelists—tweeted away. I’d say something—anything—and hear people in the audience tapping on tiny keyboards. And I wondered—are they tweeting what I just said, or are they just checking email?

So I’m at the World Fantasy Con, where @neilhimself is the guest of honor, and I’m hanging with awesome writers like @hollyblack, @cindypon, @malindalo, @kehealey, and @gregvaneekhout, and the topic of Twitter comes up. And I’m all, “That’s it, I’m going to do it, I’m going to get on Twitter.”

“You already are,” @cindypon says.

“No, I’m not,” I say.

“You have 80 followers,” @cindypon says. “@cindachima, I’ve been tweeting you all during the con.”

“Have not.”

“Have. @hollyblack has, too.”

Huh, I think. Maybe at some point in the past, in a frenzy of social networking guilt, I signed up.

“Um. Have I ever Tweeted?” I ask humbly.

“No,” @cindypon said.

“Oh, no,” I say. “You must think I’m stuck-up. Or I have nothing to say!”

“We just figured you were squatting on the site to keep anyone else from taking it.”

“Right. That’s exactly what I was doing. But now I’m really going to Tweet. And follow some people. And maybe create some tiny urls.”

I try every email and password I’ve ever used, and I cannot get into the @cindachima account. I keep trying until they lock me out.

I send a trouble ticket to Twitter. No dice. Unless I have the email address or password, I cannot access the account.

For over a week, every time an old password surfaces in my mental files, I hurry back to Twitter and try to get in. No luck.

Well, I think. I can always set up the @realcindachima account. And then tweet to whoever stole my @cindachima account. I’ll just give them a good scolding in 140 characters or less.

Then my agent emails me. He’s in LA, visiting with our film agent.

Oh, by the way, Vince saw that @cindachima was available on Twitter, and he snagged it for you a while ago. Do you want it?

Oh.

So now I’m in. I’ve set up my profile, and I’m following a few people (always seems stalkerish, but I guess being followed is a good thing in Twitterworld. I’ve Tweeted, re-Tweeted, and created a tiny URL.

Hey! Where did everybody go?

I tweet @cindachima.

Now Autumn Burns

2011-11-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

“Now Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods
And day by day the dead leaves fall and melt.”—William Allingham

“Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.”—Faith Baldwin

“Why is it always fire?”—Han Alister, The Crimson Crown

On Sunday, it was blustery and warm, so we decided to take a hike, reasoning, as we do on every fine autumn day, that it might be the last of the season.

We drove up to North Chagrin Reservation, one of the Cleveland Metroparks, to join a walk along Beechnut Fox Trail with Mindy, a Metroparks naturalist.

Along the way, we saw wooly aphids clinging to a tree—bits of fluff that wriggle in an uncanny, rather creepy fashion.

Mindy pointed out “hickory drops,” parasitic wildflowers that grow on hickory roots. And we spotted a large, rather obscene burl on one tree.

After the organized walk, we decided to hike further on our own. Mindy suggested the Sylvan and Overlook Trails, which wind through A.B. Williams Woods, a first-growth forest named for the region’s first naturalist.

We scuffed through beech leaves, threading our way between towering red oaks, past the ruins of a nature center struck by lightning decades ago. We spotted a doe grazing along the trail. She didn’t seem particularly worried by our presence.

As dusk grayed the greens and browns of the autumn woods, the trail angled along a peninsula overlooking a deep ravine.

We looked down, and saw flames—like an angry, infected wound in the dark flesh of the woods.

We stared, open-mouthed for a long moment. The flames swept outward in a large circle, driven by the fitful winds. It mostly grazed on the leaf litter on the forest floor, occasionally sending sparks into the treetops.

Possibilities stumbled through my mind. Was it some kind of bonfire, or circle of bonfires? Druids? Wizards? Underage drinkers?

I pulled out my cellphone and called the Nature Center.

“Hi. Um, we were just on the autumn hike. And now we’re on the Sylvan Trail and there’s a big fire.”

I explained it all to Tracy, the other naturalist, and she called Ranger Dispatch. We hiked back to the trailhead to meet the ranger. Meanwhile, Mindy hiked down to where we had spotted the fire.

All the way back along the trail, the ranger kept saying, “How much farther is it?” and “Do you think it’ll go out on its own?”

When he saw it, he said, “I’ll go call the fire department.”

My husband and I hung out with Mindy at the top of the ravine, waiting for reinforcements, feeling helpless since we had no water, no foam--nothing to put it out with. When the wind died, the flames would crouch low, dying in the sodden leaves at the bottom of the creekbed. When the wind picked up, the flames would roar up the ravine. It expanded significantly while we watched.

A panicked squirrel raced past me, and I kept thinking of the forest fire in Bambi.

Soon, we heard sirens all around us, and Mindy updated the firefighters via her cell phone. We saw emergency lights flashing on Chagrin River Road, across the ravine. But nobody could figure out how to bring any equipment close enough to work the fire.

And then, blessedly, the wind died. By now it was full dark.

Eventually, we saw flashlights, and heard the crackle of radios as fire fighters worked their way through the woods toward us.

“Are you all right?” they called.

“We’re fine,” we said. “We’re glad you’re here.”

It didn’t take long for the Willoughby Eastlake firefighters to smother the flames on our side of the ravine. They were still working the fire along Chagrin River Road when we left. The firefighters loaned us a flashlight so we could find our way back to the trail.

The firefighters suspected arson. There had been several suspicious fires in the reservation.

How We Celebrate Hallowe'en Around Here--The Pumpkin Roll

2011-11-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

After I moved to this quirky town, the natives told me about certain seasonal rituals. The spring Bacchanalia is known as Blossom Time—a three-day party that happens every Memorial Day weekend.

That first Memorial Day, I found out that this town knows how to throw a party.

The fall ritual is known as The Pumpkin Roll, and it happens—well—it’s a secret.

“What do you mean, it’s a secret?” I asked, instantly intrigued.

“Well,” my informant said, “It’s unsanctioned.”

“Unsanctioned? Why? What is it? Who does it?” I persisted.

She leaned closer. “On a secret night around Hallowe’en time, the junior and senior classes at the high school bring hundreds of pumpkins to the top of Grove Hill, smash them on the roadway, and then slide down on the pumpkin guts.”

“They do not!” I said.

“They do. It makes a huge mess.”

“That’s awful,” I said, thinking, That’s awesome! “Um. Where do they get the pumpkins?”

“They steal them. They call it ‘pumpkining.’ Around here, you have to watch your pumpkins.”

I needed the down-low, so I got online.

According to Wikipedia, the tradition began in 1909 as a “dump and run,” but has evolved into a more elaborate event, beginning with a party in a barn. In 2005, a record 22,000 pumpkins were smashed on the hill, which made me wonder who counted them. Police interference has had little effect over the years, though students caught stealing pumpkins are arrested. There’s considerable underage drinking, numerous injuries, but there have been only three deaths.

It sounded like sort of a local “running of the bulls.” Planned by teenagers.

I am amazed, delighted, and appalled, all at once. How could such an event keep happening, at a time when helicopter parents drive their children to the bus stop?

Me, I was determined to be on scene for the roll.

As the trees turned to red and gold, I noticed that the local greenhouse offered “Pumpkin insurance.” If you bought a pumpkin from them, and it was stolen, they would replace it. Once.

At the annual October cleanup, the ladies on the Beautification Committee were already complaining about stolen pumpkins.

“They stole them right off my porch,” one woman said. “That’s twice now. I’m not buying more.”

“That’s terrible,” I said. “Um. When’s the pumpkin roll?”

They stared at me. “It’s a secret,” they said.

“How can I find out? I—ah—want to know when it’s safe to put my pumpkins out again.”

“Maybe you could ask somebody at the high school,” they say, edging away from me.

When I left for San Diego for the World Fantasy Convention, I warned my husband, “Keep an eye out for the pumpkin roll.”

“When is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

Naturally, the pumpkin roll happened while I was in San Diego. There was a photo in the local paper. Somebody tipped the media, obviously.

So I’m down at the salon and Hannah is cutting my hair and I mention the pumpkin roll.

“I was there!” she said. “It was awesome, because nobody got hurt this year. I always go and try and look out for the kids.”

“Have you…actually participated?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said. “When I was in high school. I got pretty badly hurt.”

“What?!”

“I was walking back up the hill, and these guys were coming down and wiped me out and I hit my head on the pavement and they had to take me away in an ambulance,” Hannah said cheerfully.

“And this is…a fond memory for you?” I ask cautiously.

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “I was the only one sober. Doesn’t it just figure?”

It does.

Meet me at Buckeye Bookfair in Wooster, OH This Weekend!

2011-11-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

Buckeye Bookfair
November 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Fisher auditorium
OARDC/OSU Campus
Wooster, OH
www.buckeyebookfair.com

Hope you can come out for my last Gray Wolf Throne event before I buckle down and get me some writing done.

Decaffeinated

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

My father was a truck driver—he drove thousands of miles during his driving career—maybe millions.

He knew that the road can be a scary, unpredictable place—a mental and physical minefield. He developed strong opinions about road food. There were truck stops and cafes he frequented, because he knew the food was good and the coffee was hot and black and served up in bottomless cups. He drove and drank coffee and smoked unfiltered Chesterfields, in an ongoing duel between nicotine and caffeine.

Me, I don’t use nicotine—but I’m like my father in other ways. Caffeine is important to me—especially when I’m on the road, and time changes and exhaustion require a boost from my drug of choice. I’m not someone to swill down energy drinks or stimulant pills—I prefer my caffeine delivered in coffee, iced tea, or Coke Zero. Diet Pepsi in a pinch.

To be precise—I mean fresh, high quality coffee with real cream or milk (no sugar,) brewed (non instant) unsweetened iced tea, and Coke Zero in a bottle (no fountain drinks, please.) When I’m in a hotel, I like a little refrigerator to keep my Coke Zero in.And I'd love to pour it into a real glass.

Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.

Well, in at least one hotel I stayed in, it seems you can special-order a glass.

I hate those hotel mini-bars that are designed to keep you from putting any of your own stuff into them. In case you don’t get it, they usually carry strident warning signs—“Don’t even think of putting any of YOUR stuff in here. And if you touch any of OUR stuff, you WILL BE CHARGED.”

You know they know what you want—that’s why they have that sign. And typically all the food in the mini-bar is laden with sugar, salt, and fat, and the beverages are too expensive.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Some hotels have figured it out.

I love having a coffee maker in my room—it allows me to take a caffeine hit before I meet the public—which is good for both me and the public. But sometimes you’re better off doing without.

I don’t care for Styrofoam cups—I can’t help but imagine the foam dissolving into my coffee, creating a chemical cocktail. And I despise those little condiment packs with the powdered creamer. Read the ingredients sometime if you want to make your heart go pitter-pat. Stir that into your coffee and the grayish scum result is hardly appealing.

Many in-room coffee-makers brew a cup at a time while producing a mountain of packaging debris.

Want to heat up your coffee? You have to make another cup. They know it’s annoying—that’s why they have the little sign.

Does that remind you at all of this?

There seems to be a decaffeination trend in the Denver and San Francisco airports. Last time I was there, all the coolers in the gift shops and newsstands contained bottled water and fruit juice.

Maybe it’s part of some kind of health initiative, but I noticed that the Ghirardelli and ice cream and deep fried food vendors were all still there.

Never mind that the fruit juice is full of sugar and calories that I don’t need. I had to walk from shop to shop to shop to finally locate pop in bottles.

As if life on the road isn’t hard enough!

Sign Up Here for Email Updates About Me and My Books!

2011-10-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

I often hear from readers who've missed some critical bit of news--for example, that I'm visiting their town. Or I've just signed a deal for two more Heir books. Or that there are actually FOUR books in the Seven Realms series instead of three. Or there's an opportunity to win free books or other swag.
And people ask me: Couldn't you email me when your next book comes out?

Well, I have trouble keeping track of family birthdays, so you know I'm unreliable when it comes to notifying thousands of people.
GoogleGroups to the rescue! If you'd like to receive occasional updates (I'm thinking 3 or 4 times a month) about author events, honors, new releases, movie rumors--whatever--you can sign up for my Google mailing list.
See the sign-up box on the upper right!

New Interview and Fantasy Writing Workshop

2011-10-11T13:55:00.000-04:00

Here I'm interviewed by Bill Kenower of Author Magazine at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA.

FANTASY WRITING WORKSHOP
CHAGRIN FALLS LIBRARY
October 20, 2011 6-8 p.m.

There's still time to sign up for a free fantasy writing workshop at the Chagrin Falls Library.
More info is here.

Back Home Again--But More Events To Come in October!

2011-09-30T10:18:00.000-04:00

Well, the official Gray Wolf Throne tour is history. The laundry is in the hamper, and the suitcase is back in the closet for now.

I had great intentions of blogging/posting every day, but some of that foundered on the rocks of reality. Many nights I returned to the hotel at 10 p.m., sat down at the computer, and immediately fell asleep in my chair.

It was wonderful to see so many of my online friends in person. Thank you to everyone who turned out along the way—you rock!! You’ll find photos of many of the events on my website here (scroll down to past events.) Thanks to the Webmaster for getting everything posted up so promptly!

I have some exciting events coming up in October—from local gigs in Ohio to appearances in Spartanburg, SC and the San Diego area. Hope to see you at one of these!

Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library
Magic on the Page: Writing Young Adult Fantasy
Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7 p.m.
3512 Darrow Road Stow, OH 44224
330-688-3295

OELMA Annual Conference
Ohio Educational Library Media Association
October 13-14, 2011
Columbus, OH Convention Center
http://www.oelma.org/Conference.htm

Spartanburg Teen Reading Festival
Teencentric 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
http://www.infodepot.org/zTeen/SCPLteencentric.asp

Cuyahoga County Library Chagrin Falls Branch
Writing Workshop: Worldbuilding, Elements of Fantasy Writing
October 20, 2011, 6-8 p.m.
100 East Orange Street
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022-2799
phone 440-247-3556

Books by the Banks Bookfest
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Duke Energy Convention Center
http://booksbythebanks.org/

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Oceanside, CA
Author Reading and Signing Event
With Cinda Williams Chima, Garth Nix, and Sean Williams
Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 6-8 p.m.
El Camino North Shopping Center
2615 Vista Way
Oceanside, CA 92054
760-529-0106

Diversity in YA Signing Event
with Cindy Pon, Holly Black, Malinda Lo, Greg van Eekhout, Paolo Bacigalupi and Karen Healey
Thursday, October 27, 2011, 7 p.m.
The Poway Library
13137 Poway Rd.
Poway, CA 92064
858-513-2900
Library website: http://sdcl.org/locations_PW.html
Diversity in YA Website http://www.diversityinya.com/

World Fantasy Convention
October 27-31, 2011
Town and Country Resort and Convention Center
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108
http://www.wfc2011.org/html/mainmenu.html

ON TOUR IN WICHITA!!

2011-09-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

HOST: WATERMARK BOOKS & CAFE
WHEN: Monday, September 19, 6 p.m.
WHERE: 471 E. Douglas Av., Wichita, KS
CONTACT: (316) 682-1181

I am on the ground in Wichita. I've already taken a walk along the river, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with book-lovers here.

The Revised Website: Take A Walk Around!

2011-09-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

In collusion with the Webmaster, I’ve been making changes to my author website, based on reader feedback. I’ve added lots of new content, geared to the kinds of questions I usually get. Hopefully this will make it easier to find answers to questions, whether you are an interested reader, or you’re working on a book report or school project.

I hope you’ll like what you see. Let’s take a look!

Reminder: you may need to refresh your screen in order to see the changes.

· Books pages: Now that I have two series going, I’ve organized content about them under two buttons: Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles. That should make it easier to find information about the series you’re currently reading. You’ll see information on the fourth book in the Seven Realms series, due to come out in fall, 2012!

Anthologies/Nonfiction: I’ve added a page specific to Anthologies/Nonfiction to showcase my shorter work. And taken down the links to my nutrition articles.

Contact Page: reorganized with links to content that will help you find the information you’re looking for

FAQ: The FAQ pages has been reorganized and the questions grouped and linked so you can actually find the answer, if it’s there.

Signings and Appearances: Want to know where I’ll be? Questions about inviting me to your school or library? You’ll find all the information here.

Help for Writers: Expanded, including a FAQ for Writers page. Many of the questions I get are about the writing process, publishing, etc. Hopefully this will be a resource for my present and future competitors.

Teachers/Librarians/Students: I also get many questions related to book reports, school projects, academic competitions, and the like. I’ve posted a new section including FAQ for School Projects, discussion guides for the Heir Chronicles, and an extended bio for those for whom the brief bio just isn’t enough!

I hope you like the changes—as always, let me know

Today I'm Interviewed on YA Fantasy Guide!

2011-09-14T20:04:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm guesting over at YA Fantasy Guide, where I discuss books, writing, and where I find inspiration!

It's Seven Realms Week at Emily's Reading Room!

2011-09-12T17:47:00.000-04:00

Emily is collaborating with the Provo City Library to sponsor contests and events to celebrate my upcoming appearance at the library Tuesday, September 20, 2011. Download avatars and show your support for the warring factions in the Fells—the wizards, the clans, or the queen’s guard.

They will be giving away TWO signed sets of the Seven Realms books.

Want details? Get them at Emily's Reading Room.

After 9/11: First Night Akron 12/31/2001

2011-09-11T12:06:00.000-04:00

The bubble machine on the stage spun out clouds of bubbles that descended gently on the crowd. And the bubbles were actually freezing in the breathless cold. They would break, and collapse, but spiral down, like deflated balloons of spun sugar, to be collected on the palm and shrivel and disappear at the touch of a warm breath. By now, the strollers were gone, but school-age children who were up too late were laughing and chasing after them, and twirling to make themselves dizzy, and feeling like they were getting away with something. We all, all were getting away with something on that night.

At New Year’s my Cleveland area family joined the First Night celebration in Akron, one of many held around the country. There was a question as to whether people would actually turn out to greet the new year, given the terrible events so fresh and present in our common mind. It was a time for people to hide in their houses, to stay close by the hearth and bar the door against the terror outside. Yet we went out among the hardy people who braved the cold darkness, and the late hour, and anthrax, and car bombs and the memory of September 11 to gather together to welcome in a new year.

There were venues all over downtown, with music, and dance, and drama, and storytelling, ice sculpture and juggling and magic. The four of us walked and rode busses, joined the crowds collecting on the corners and the bus stops. People were swathed in hoods and scarves and parkas and gloves, babies riding around in little bubbles, their strollers covered over with plastic to keep out the cold. Music and light spilled from doorways into the night. We saw a blues band, and an Irish folk band, and sandcastle builders, Fret Daddies with flying fingers and other builders of dreams.

Men walked around with crowns of balloons on their heads, and women with illuminated roses in their hands, and people of both sexes and all ages with necklaces and bracelets and wands of light, blowing horns and generally making noise.

Towards the end of the evening we arrived at E.J. Thomas Hall and climbed the long, winding staircases in time to hear the University of Akron steel drum band play Auld Lang Zyne, a world music commemoration of things passing away. And, finally, close to midnight, we walked down to Canal Park, where fireworks were to be launched. The time and the countdown were displayed one wall of the stadium. We looked up at the time and temperature sign on the Beacon Journal, and it was 12 degrees, and then 11, doing a frigid countdown of its own. Music blasted from the amplifiers, and I swayed to the music and sang old rock and roll songs and embarrassed my children, which is a parent’s privilege and only revenge.

There were politicians and speeches. Akron congratulated itself for buying fire trucks and ambulances for the New York City Fire Department. More money raised per capita than any other city, the speakers announced, and the crowd cheered.

It is easy to understand why the Druids built bonfires to their gods in the cold, dark midwinter, despairing that the sun has gone and will never come again. For I despair also, when the lighted space of days is measured in just a few hours, and the night is a long mystery. That is when the cold leaks into bones and souls and the demons crowd around, just outside the circle of firelight. The ground is brittle and breaking underfoot, frozen ash, and it is beyond imagination that life and hope could push through it once more. It is then that we need the Midwinter revels.

I am not a sucker for the forced and desperate merriment of New Year’s Eve, or forced and desperate patriotism, but I am easily seduced by magic, and it was a magical night.

And we counted down together, and the light show began, shimmering showers of silver and gold and red and green and blue, lop sided and symmetrical, whistling rockets and Roman candles, a meteor shower to end the year. We thrust our collective fists of light into the winter darkness. The light will come again. We are not afraid of the dark, we shouted. We are not afraid.

Meet Me at Elyria Public Library Saturday, September 10!

2011-09-09T06:28:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'll be at the Elyria Public Library West River Branch for a presentation, book sale, and signing. Hope you can come out.

Elyria Public Library West River Branch
Magic on the Page: Writing Young Adult Fantasy
Saturday, September 10, 1 p.m.
1194 West River Rd.
North Elyria, Ohio 44035
440-324-2270
http://www.elyria.lib.oh.us/locations.html

Out in the Blogosphere

2011-09-07T15:43:00.000-04:00

@Your Library (the campaign for libraries) has posted my op-ed piece on the value of libraries here.

The awesome Cindy Pon has interviewed me over at The Enchanted Inkpot here.

Today I’m also guest posting over at GreenBeanTeenQueen on the topic of Magic. Here's a taste!

Magic 101

Magic is the element that distinguishes fantasy from other types of fiction. But what is magic? And how much of it do you need to call your work a fantasy? What are the keys to developing a coherent magical system of your own?

First and foremost, remember that there are more similarities than differences between fantasy fiction and other genres. Successful fantasy fiction has to nail the other elements common to fiction—character, setting, and plot. It doesn’t matter how spectacular your magical fireworks—they won’t save a lame story starring one-dimensional characters. Well-written fantasy should be accessible even to those who don’t generally seek it out.

Magic is a term used for the supernatural—events and beings outside of natural law as we understand it. As far as we know, people cannot turn invisible (though I understand they’re working on that.) As far as we know, people cannot fly without benefit of airplanes, helicopters, and the like. As far as we know, people cannot predict the future.

A well-conceived magical system will enhance your story and provide endless options for complicating your characters’ lives. A poorly-conceived system will give you fits through the entire story arc and cause readers to lose confidence. So it makes sense to take some time and do it right up front.

Questions to Consider in Magical Worldbuilding

Read the rest here!

Dragon*Con 2011

2011-09-06T23:01:00.000-04:00

Dragon*Con 2011 is over—but the memories will linger for a long, long time.

For the uninitiated, Dragon*Con is a kind of Mardis Gras for creatives, geeks, gamers, role players, artists, writers, musicians, costumers, bikers, and other misfits. Every Labor Day weekend, a counter-cultural tidal wave rolls over downtown Atlanta and it’s get on the bus or get out of the way.

This was the 25^th Anniversary of Dragon*Con—but my first visit. Last Labor Day weekend, I was in the Atlanta area for the Decatur Bookfest, and I kept hearing rumors about what was going down in the city. I talked to a couple of writers who were doing both events. And I thought—hmm. Would I fit in there? Would Dragon*Con be a good gig for me?

And so I completed an extensive online form and qualified to be a guest of the con. I managed to get a room at the Sheraton—one of the headquarters hotels. I wanted to make the most of my visit, and so I volunteered for several fan tracks—the Writer’s Track, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Track, and the YA Lit track.

Be careful what you wish for. I ended up on 6 panels, with a reading and signing to boot. As my agent said, “Have fun working like a farm animal.”

My first glimpse of the Dragon hordes was outside the Sheraton hotel, where a line snaked miles down the street in the Atlanta heat—waiting for registration. There was a line like that at each and every headquarters hotel.

In the entrance of the hotel, I met Arkeda, a World of Warcraft character, who gave me a quest. When I fulfilled it, she gave me silver and a heartstone—to lead me back home. I palmed the heartstone, glad I had a talisman in case I lost my way.

Most of the action took place in a trio of hotels connected by walkway umbilical cords—the Hyatt, the Marriott, and the Hilton. Hotel lobbies and common areas became stages on which costumed performers flaunted their brilliant plumage.

It’s all about context. There were so few “civilians” that before long those of us who were out of costume began to wish for the anonymity of headgear. As my son said, “For the first time in my life I felt like I wasn’t nerdy enough.”

I encountered a middle-aged couple in the corridor of the hotel. “Are you one of those ‘dragon people’?” they asked nervously.

“Yes, I am,” I said.

My son met me there, to help me schlep books around, and to be my guide to popular culture.

Here are a few photos from around the con.

And here are some of my panels.

We went to the dealer’s room, where there were more than seven booths selling corsets! No wonder every other person had one on—even some of the men.

Ah, Dragon*Con—the place where highly diverse people can find their posses.

The Seven Realms Book Trailer!

2011-09-02T09:57:00.000-04:00

Right here, right now!! The awesome Seven Realms trailer featuring original music by James Rotondi. Hope you love it as much as I do! View it here.

Are You an Ohio Teen? Vote for Your Favorite Book NOW at www.bcbookaward.info/teens!

2011-09-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

Five awesome books have been nominated for the Buckeye Book Award, including The Exiled Queen!!!

This award is unique, because the award winner is nominated and then chosen by teens themselves. To vote, ask your language arts teacher or librarian how to vote in class or go to the Buckeye Teen Book Award Website from September 1 to November 10!

Vote For Your Favorite NOW at

www.bcbookaward.info/teens

Worldbuilding--It's More Than A Map

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

Today I'm guest blogging over at The Story Siren. on the topic of World Building.

The term “worldbuilding” is often associated with fantasy fiction, because fantasy writers have so many options when it comes to setting.

Yet all novelists engage in worldbuilding, even for stories set in the so-called “real world.” My Heir Chronicles contemporary fantasy series is set in Ohio. Yes, there’s less ‘splainin’ to do about a contemporary Midwestern world, but I can’t assume that all of my readers have been here. And even if they have, it’s detail and specificity that will bring them back.

Also accuracy. If you get something wrong in a real-world setting, you will receive emails. Any reader who spots an error will be thrown completely out of the story and spend the rest of the book looking for the next mistake. Whether you write contemporary real-world fiction or epic fantasy, the reader must have confidence that you know what you’re doing.

Although I’ve been to most of the settings used in The Heir Chronicles, I still spent time researching so I could get it right. In one of the scenes in The Warrior Heir, the warrior Jack Swift and his Aunt Linda take refuge in St. Margaret’s Church, a real church next to Westminster Abbey in London. I’ve been to St. Margaret’s, but I couldn’t remember whether or not there were pews in there. I spent considerable time on the church website and travel sites, trying to find an interior view of the church.

World-building goes beyond landscape to social and cultural elements. Seph McCauley, one of the characters in The Wizard Heir, is Catholic. I don’t happen to be Catholic, so I did some fact-checking with my Catholic friends.

By now, you’re saying to yourself, “Maybe I’ll write high fantasy set in a made-up world. I won’t have to do any research and I won’t get any emails.”

Sorry, but no. Epic fantasy writers have to work much harder to put the reader in a world they’ve never been to and entice them to stay. It’s even more challenging because, like as not, the writer has never been there, either. The old adage, “Write what you know,” doesn’t work here.

Or does it? How do you go about creating a world that the reader believes in? You mingle the familiar and the fantastic.

Now coast on over to The Story Siren to read the rest!

Interview on Around Noon WCPN Radio

2011-08-31T20:57:00.000-04:00

I was invited to do an interview about The Gray Wolf Throne and other things on Around Noon, a local arts and culture program on WCPN radio.

Here I am, ready for the broadcast!

And here I am with Dan Paoletta, the host of the show.

If you'd like to listen, you'll find the on-demand show here.

Here's How to Find The Gray Wolf Throne on NOOK

2011-08-30T12:55:00.000-04:00

The Gray Wolf Throne is available on Nook, but you won't find it easily on the B&N site, especially if you search under my name. The Nook version is not listed on the search page, as is the case with my other books. If you click on the GWT title, it will take you to the book page, and you'll see the Nook version there.

Or if you search the site with "The Gray Wolf Throne" you will go directly to the book page and see the Nook version here.

If you want to go directly to the Nook version, go here.

And I'm sorry for the trouble. I know what it's like to be book-hungry.

Release Day! The Flag is Up! I'll Be at the Learned Owl Tonight

2011-08-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

One of the many things I love about being an author today is that I don’t have to spend release day alone, wondering if anyone knows the book is out, if they can find it in the stores, and—if they are reading it—how they are liking it.

Writing is a solitary business. Before I ever had a book published, one of the most difficult things to do was to keep at it—to keep getting up at 4 a.m. and falling asleep with my face on the keyboard. To give up so many simple pleasures—gardening, weaving, sewing, reading, genealogy, television—and give over that time to writing.

It’s difficult to make those bargains when you know that nobody is waiting for your book. Nobody will miss it if it’s never published. Nobody is pushing you to finish. You’ve made no promises to anyone except yourself—and those are the hardest promises to keep.

I’ve been communicating with so many of you all year long, waiting for this day, hoping that when it came, the book would be worth the wait.

And so, thank you for all of the emails, messages, comments and posts. Thank you for letting me know that you are out there.

It's Not About the Idea

2011-08-29T09:54:00.000-04:00

The BLOG TOUR begins! Today I travel all the way to the UK, where I'm guesting with Thea and Ana, The Book Smugglers.

It’s Not About the Idea
I often hear from young writers despairing because they can’t come up with a totally new and unique idea. All the good ideas are taken, they say.
Here’s a secret: it’s not about the idea. It’s about the execution. Really, it is. All writers stand on the shoulders of other writers. Fantasy tropes persist because they work so well in story.
Wise old wizard mentor, anyone? Think Merlin. Think Gandalf. Think Dumbledore. Think Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Vampires keep coming back (ha!) because they’re scary and primitive and hot. Stephenie Meyer achieved extraordinary success with a new take on an old premise. Though she was pilloried by some for departing from vampiric convention, resulting in hilarious debates about whether “real” vampires could be “sparkly” or go out in the daylight.
Who made the vampire rules?
J.K. Rowling was not the first author to write about wizards. It was what she did with the premise that made her books so successful. Fortunately for us, there’s no copyright on wizardry.
There, now. Pressure’s off about the idea. Pressure’s on about the execution.
So how do you make a story your own?
On to The Book Smugglers for the rest.

In Case You Missed It--There IS a Fourth Seven Realms Book Coming!

2011-08-25T12:38:00.000-04:00

It’s come to my attention that some people still think the Seven Realms series is a trilogy.

The confusion is understandable, because it was originally meant to be a trilogy, and it still says “trilogy” several places on my website (me and the webmaster are putting our heads together over that.)

“Why did it end that way?” some readers have asked, after finishing advance copies of The Gray Wolf Throne. “But we still don’t know what happened to Han and Raisa!”

If the story seems unfinished, it’s because it is. The fact is, I ran out of room in book 3. I just couldn’t fit everything into three reasonably-sized books. (I think you’ll agree that the books aren’t skimpy as is.) My editor kept saying, “Maybe you need four books,” and I kept saying, “No, no, no, I know I can do it in three.” But I was on page 576 and nothing was resolved.

So there is a fourth book—I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s written and already turned in and in the editing process, and I’ll be announcing the title on tour. I can’t wait for you to read it. I love the ending, and hope you will, too.

Some of you will say, “Yay! Four books!” Some of you will say, “Grrr. Now I have to wait another year to see what happens!”

Bottom line—too big of a story, too little space. It ain't over yet.

Oops--Alpharetta Date is September 1 2011 and New Event Near San Diego

2011-08-23T10:40:00.000-04:00

Barnes & Noble, Alpharetta, GA
Author Appearance and Signing
Thursday, September 1, 7 p.m.
Mansell Crossings Shopping Center
7660 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 200
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Also, I'm thrilled to be involved with the Diversity in YA Tour, which will be holding an event near San Diego in conjunction with the World Fantasy Con.

Diversity in YA Signing Event
with Cindy Pon, Holly Black, Malinda Lo, Greg van Eekhout, Paolo Bacigalupi and Karen Healey
Thursday, October 27, 2011, 7 p.m.
The Poway Library
13137 Poway Rd.
Poway, CA 92064
(858) 513-2900
Library website: http://sdcl.org/locations_PW.html
Diversity in YA Website http://www.diversityinya.com/

A Few More Tour Events!! Oceanside, CA, Atlanta, Oregon, Vancouver, BC

2011-08-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Here's an update on events around the release of The Gray Wolf Throne.

Alpharetta, GA,

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m.,

Mansell Crossings Shopping Center,

7660 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA 30022

Hood River, OR

Hood River Library

Sunday, September 25, 2 p.m.,

502 State St

Hood River, OR 97031

Lake Forest Park, WA

Third Place Books

Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 7 pm

Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE

Lake Forest Park WA 98155, 206-366-3314

Vancouver, BC Area

Chapters Booksellers,

Wednesday, September 28, 7 pm.

20015 Langley By-Pass, Unit 115,

Langley, British Columbia, V3A 8R6

Canada

(604) 514-8663

Oceanside, CA

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 (tentative)

2615 Vista Way

Oceanside, CA 92054

In My Mailbox

2011-08-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

Guess what came today!! So excited!!

Garden Report

2011-08-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

I do believe we’re living in the rainforest here. We are currently ~17 inches above normal for the year in rainfall. Over 3.5 inches came down on two different days in the past month.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a cloudburst AND hail. Here are a couple of photos of our new lake.

Hail in the Rose Garden

Lake on the Patio

On the bright side, it’s a great year to get a garden going. I planted my vegetable garden late, because it was so wet in the spring. Here’s how it looked right after planting.

I was worried, because midsummer is usually hot and dry around here, and I was afraid it would wither away. Au contraire. Here’s how it looked today.

Does anyone have any great recipes for cucumbers and baby eggplant?

I've Heard of Devouring Books, But...

2011-08-13T11:33:00.000-04:00

Would you call this--Dog-Eared?

This was sent to me by a fan whose puppy developed a taste for fantasy fiction while they were on vacation. Yum!! Hope the rest of the book was as tasty as the cover!

I'll Be At Dragon*Con September 2-5 in Atlanta, GA!!

2011-08-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

I‘m excited to be attending Dragon*Con this year as a featured guest author.

What is Dragon*Con? The website describes it as “the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!” I’m a newbie, but it looks fantastic to me.

They’ll be offering workshops , fan tracks , gaming , autograph sessions, readings, the annual Dragon*Con parade, costume contests, live performances, and wrestling (?) There'll be many celebrity guests, including Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies.

The con is held in several downtown Atlanta hotels. The full schedule isn’t posted yet, but you’ll find lots of info in the Progress Report available here

I just got my schedule and I’m on some awesome panels!

-------------------

Title: Reading: Cinda Williams Chima

Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: Roswell - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: Dragon*Autographs

Time: Fri 04:00 pm Location: M301 - M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: Fan Works

Description: Fan fiction and fan art in YA.

Time: Fri 10:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: The Darkness- What is Appropriate for Teens?

Description: Are there some subjects which are deemed "too dark" for teens? What subjects are better for adults than teens? How is writing for adults different?

Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: Switching...YA to Adult or vice versa

Description: Differences in writing YA and adult works...does some of one creep in to the other?

Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Greenbriar - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: The Why and How of YA

Description: The YA market is booming. Is it right for you? Panelists discuss the differences in YA, Middle Grade and adult fiction.

Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: Online Interactions

Description: How do kids and teens use technology to interact with books and authors today? Do they expect more as they turn the last page of that novel?

Time: Sun 01:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

-------------------

Title: Alternative Sexualities

Description: GBLT in YA.

Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

If You Want a Signed Copy of The Gray Wolf Throne

2011-07-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Since I posted my tour schedule, I’ve received several inquiries about how to obtain signed copies of The Gray Wolf Throne.

If you’re near any of my tour cities, I would love to see you in person! I’m willing to sign Nook covers, Kindles, etc, too. But if you’re unable to attend an event, it is still possible to obtain signed copies. You should be able to arrange to order a personalized signed copy from any of the bookstore venues on the tour as long as you contact them ahead of time. Bookstores often ask authors to sign stock, so there may be non-personalized signed copies available after the visit. Contact the bookstore to see.

The launch event is at my hometown bookstore, The Learned Owl, in Hudson, OH, on August 30, 2011. Visit their website for more information. Information about the Owl is also posted on my website.

Signed copies of my books can always be ordered from the Owl. If you contact them prior to the release date for GWT, they will be happy to take your order for a signed GWT, or any of my other books. I will sign them at the launch event and they will get them out to you right away.

Ohio Writers!

2011-07-27T22:48:00.000-04:00

I'm Teaching Writing Workshops

At Context Con

Fri-Sat, August 26-27^th,2011

The Doubletree Hotel

Columbus, OH

Just a reminder that I’ll be teaching writing workshops and participating in signings and panels at Context Speculative Fiction Convention this year.

It IS a bargain--$45 (through August 15) to sign up for the Con and $25 per two-hour workshop. And, who knows? I may have some early copies of The Gray Wolf Throne on hand.

Here’s the low-down:

Release Your Inner Teen:

Writing Fiction for the Young Adult Market
(Friday, August 26th, 8pm-10pm)
Everyone agrees -- young adult fiction is booming. Many writers of adult fiction are interested in exploring the opportunities in writing for teens. But teen readers are among the most demanding readers of all. In this hands-on session, a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fantasy discusses techniques for winning the teen reader.$25, 2 hours. 19 seats remain.

Engaging the Wary:

Winning and Keeping the Impatient Reader
(Saturday, August 27th, 3pm-5pm)
These days there is a lot of competition for readers' time from video games, movies, and television. This creates new demands for writers. This session explores strategies for launching with a compelling opening and using voice, character, conflict, action, pacing, mystery and narrative tension to keep the reader turning the page. $25, 2 hours. 20 seats remain.

There are other workshops and panels available as well. Get all the info here

Hotel info is here.

The Gray Wolf Throne Tour

2011-07-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

It’s not all finalized, but I thought I would give you a preview of where I’ll be this fall as I travel the country for the launch of The Gray Wolf Throne, the third book in the Seven Realms series.

Here’s a map of the tour to date.

View The Gray Wolf Throne Tour in a larger map

It includes a launch at The Learned Owl, an indie bookstore in Hudson Ohio, a national tour beginning with an event September 19 at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS, and some special events, including Dragon*Con in Atlanta, where I’ll be a guest author, the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego, where I’ll be a panelist, Books by the Banks in Cincinnati, and the Buckeye Bookfair in Wooster, OH. Before it’s over, I’ll have visited nine states and hopefully met many of you!

You can find a list of all public events on my website here.

and I’ll be updating my Google map of the tour

as new information comes in.

Why Snorkeling is Like Riding a Bike Down a Volcano

2011-07-16T03:37:00.000-04:00

I’m fortunate enough to be in Maui on vacation. Two of the cool things I’ve done here are riding a bike down the Haneakala Volcano, and snorkeling along the northeast coast.

At first glance, it would seem that these two activities have absolutely nothing in common, not even altitude. And, yet, they are more alike than I ever imagined.

1. They both require peculiar headgear

2. They both result in mega bad hair days

3. Both may involve getting wet

4. Both may result in road rash.

5. Both can be a little scary at times

6. They’re both totally awesome

A Kirkus Star for The Gray Wolf Throne!

2011-07-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

(Insert giddy dancing here)

In part, Kirkus said,

Chima navigates with graceful ease through multiple viewpoints and intricately realized settings united only by a subtle current of magic. Every character is both likable and flawed, written with such clear-eyed compassion that it impossible not to sympathize with all their competing goals.

Indispensible for those already committed to the series; those who aren’t should go back to the beginning and start.

Look for it in the July 15, 2011 Edition!

Or, read the full review here!

Finding Feedback

2011-07-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

Young Writer Writes:

I write poetry and some stories, and I have been told a few of them are really good. Is there some place you recommend I send them to get a professional opinion? Someone you trust that won't claim them as their own? If you have any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.

Finding good feedback is one of the greatest challenges for all writers—but especially for young writers. First and foremost, I recommend that writers of all ages who would like to improve their craft seek out a local or online critique group before they ever send it out into the world. Take your work as far as you can on your own. That will allow you to make the most of professional feedback.

Feedback from a critique group is different from what you can get from your friends, your Mom, or the next door neighbor. The best critique comes from other writers who are as serious about craft as you are. It’s a reciprocal thing—you read their work, they read yours—everybody benefits.

You can find several previous posts on critique on my livejournal blog.

When you are ready for a professional opinion on your work, the biggest problem isn’t having your work ripped off. It’s the risk of being scammed. There are lots of so-called vanity presses, writing consultants, sketchy contests and bogus anthologies who are ready to take your money. It’s difficult to make money with short stories and poems—especially as an unknown. But you shouldn’t be paying for the privilege of being published.

It may occur to you to send your work to your favorite author for evaluation. While many authors find ways to mentor others— through blogs, websites, school visits, and workshops, most cannot take on the task of reading and evaluating your work.

One way to access professional feedback on your work for a nominal sum is through a writing workshop or conference. There may be workshops in your area through a community college, writing organization, or arts program. Often, writing conferences offer one-on-one consultations with an agent, writer, or editor for a fee. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a national organization whose affiliates often sponsor regional writing conferences.

A legitimate writing contest can be a way to see how your work measures up against other submissions. But, again—beware! Some contests have high entrance fees or are fronts for vanity anthologies.

InkPop is a networking site for writers and readers sponsored by Harper-Collins which provides an opportunity to have your work evaluated by Harper-Collins editors.

TeenInk sponsors a number of contests for teen writers.

And here’s a site with a list of teen writing contests.

Another way to get feedback on your work is to submit it for publication. Be aware, however, that book and magazine editors are not in the business of mentoring writers. If your work is accepted by a legitimate publication, you will get lots of feedback! In other words, it will be edited. If it is rejected, it is usually through a form letter that doesn’t tell you what is wrong or how to fix it. Most writers—myself included—have a whole file folder full of those.

There are markets that specifically seek teen writers. Here are some links to get you started.

Teen Ink is an online and print magazine written exclusively by teens 13-17.

This is a Google directory search for resources for young writers and a site that lists best websites for young writers.

Again, do your due diligence in checking out any of these opportunities, and Good luck!

Obsessive Gardening

2011-06-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

I’ve been gardening obsessively ever since I moved into the stone cottage by the falls. What took me twenty years to accomplish at my old house I seem to be determined to install during one relentlessly rainy spring and summer. It’s like I want to get to where I’ve been in order to settle in.

And yet, I’m not trying to recreate my old garden in this new place. It’s different—different exposure, different microclimate, different soil. Back at my old place, it was all clay and shale. Twenty years of digging out rocks, and I still couldn’t sink a shovel without hitting one.

Here, the soil is rich and dark, like chocolate cake. Don Burlibaugh down at the Historical Society says my neighborhood used to be a swamp—“full of cougars, bears, and malaria.” Maybe so, but, it left behind a fine layer of topsoil. My next door neighbor says she used to grow tomatoes as big as pumpkins.

Every place I’ve lived, I’ve tried to grow blueberries—and failed. Here, I will try again, in acidic swamp soil. I plant my eight bushes, and hope, and compete with the birds for the occasional berry.

I have more room to play. Where my vegetable garden at my old house cowered on the east side of the house, here I have a large plot rototilled in the sunny back yard. Watermelon? Why not? Cantaloupe, too. Carrots and beets, though I’m the only one who’ll eat them. I’m trying different things.

So out goes the barberry and arborvitae, the pachysandra and English ivy. In goes the perennial border, the woodland garden, the herb garden. All the plants I love—roses, peonies, iris, Lenten rose, hydrangeas, salvia, poppies, trillium, and jack in the pulpit. And some new acquaintances—like Solomon’s seal and summersweet. I ruffle the beds with hostas and plant a climber next to the fence.

The owners of the local greenhouse smile and rub their hands together when they see me coming, knowing they can make another payment on the boat.

The physical labor is a good counterpoint to the cerebral work of writing. It frees the mind. My shovel bites into the dirt, and my mind tangles and untangles story.

“When?” my husband asks. “When can we sit on the porch and drink adult beverages?”

“Soon,” I say. “Soon.”

The Gray Wolf Throne: First Chapter Posted!

2011-06-21T14:28:00.000-04:00

"In the Borderlands," the first chapter of The Gray Wolf Throne is now posted on my website. I hope you'll check it out!

The Gray Wolf Throne debuts August 30, 2011.

Defecation Days

2011-06-03T00:41:00.000-04:00

Ever have those days when you feel like you’re being, well, crapped on? No, I mean, literally.

Today we visited the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in Albuquerque. As we were crossing the parking lot, I noticed that a large painted turtle was crawling under the wheels of a car. I picked it up, meaning to set it down in the grass alongside the parking lot. And it peed on me. Really peed. I mean—it gushed all over my camera and my hand in the few minutes it took to carry him to the roadside. I’m sayin’ that turtle must’ve been hollow with the entire inside filled with turtle pee.

My husband found this totally amusing until I asked for his handkerchief to wipe off my camera.

No good deed goes unpunished.

And then later we went to the Albuquerque Biopark (zoo.) At the lori display, this very engaging lorikeet hung on the front of the cage, seeming eager to get my attention. I came closer. He stuck his tongue out at me. Intrigued, I came even closer. Then he projectile pooped on me.

I didn’t even know such a thing was possible.

After that, I was paranoid. I’m thinking kamikaze hummers.

Pugnacious peacocks.

Spitting giraffes.

It’s a jungle out there.

I'm Teaching Writing Workshops at Context Con in Columbus!

2011-05-31T23:39:00.000-04:00

Friday--Saturday, August 26-27^th

The Doubletree Hotel

I often hear from writers seeking advice/mentorship on craft. I don’t often teach writing workshops outside of a school setting, but I WILL be teaching at Context Speculative Fiction Convention this year, and hope you’ll check it out. It IS a bargain--$45 to sign up for the Con and $25 per two-hour workshop.

Here’s the low-down:

Release Your Inner Teen:

Engaging the Wary:

There are other workshops and panels available as well. Get all the info here

Hope to see some of you there!

R.I.P. Apollo 4/1992-May 25, 2011

2011-05-27T20:08:00.000-04:00

We will miss your voice, which so often echoed our own.

Today I'm Guesting with Mindy McGinnis at Writer, Writer Pants on Fire

2011-05-18T17:30:00.000-04:00

See my interview with Mindy here I boldly answer questions about writing and the publishing process.

Come See Me in Houston Tomorrow Night!

2011-05-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

Author Reading and Signing
Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 6 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Champions
5303 FM 1960 West
Houston, TX