Misere: An Autumn Tale One question blog tour

Miserere: An Autumn Tale

(Night Shade Books www.nightshadebooks.com / July 1, 2011)

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen’s hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven’s frontline of defense between Earth and Hell.


When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn’t so easy to escape. In the end, she will force him once more to choose between losing Rachael or opening the Hell Gates so the Fallen's hordes may overrun Earth, their last obstacle before reaching Heaven's Gates.


Read the first four chapters of Miserere FREE here:
Raised in a small town, Teresa Frohock learned to escape to other worlds through the fiction collection of her local library. She eventually moved away from Reidsville and lived in Virginia and South Carolina before returning to North Carolina, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.


Teresa has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying. Miserere: An Autumn Tale is her debut novel.

Teresa can be found most often at her blog and web site (http://www.teresafrohock.com/). Every now and then, she heads over to Tumblr and sends out Dark Thoughts http://teresafrohock.tumblr.com/, links to movies and reviews that catch her eye. You can also follow Teresa on Twitter (http://twitter.com/TeresaFrohock ) and join her author page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teresa-Frohock/134892453223242).




Magan asks: "If you could give a copy of MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE to any person or being (dead, alive, fictional character, etc) to have them read and discuss, who would you give it to and why?"


Wow, Magan, I really had to think about this one.

I think it would be Guillermo del Toro. I really believe he would get what I’m doing with my characters and monsters in Miserere.

I love del Toro’s works, especially Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone. He placed so many layers in those movies, so many small touches that most people would miss. In Labyrinth, I loved the way the faun became younger and more vibrant with each ensuing scene, the shapes del Toro hid within other shapes, and the way Ofelia’s personality changed each time she emerged from a tunnel. Likewise, in The Devil’s Backbone, I appreciated the way he had the characters move cautiously around the bomb in the courtyard juxtaposed with the careful way they moved through relationships and situations primed to explode.

He puts such soul into his stories.

I wanted to have monsters, but I didn’t want James Cameron/Peter Jackson flash and glamour. The most prominent of my monsters is the demon that accompanies Catarina, Cerberus. Rather than a fanged demon oozing in pustules, he is a seductive manipulator. He never pushes, but he knows just when to nudge Catarina in the right direction.

However, I keep Cerberus and the other demons in the background; I didn’t want the monsters to overwhelm the story. I wanted a story with a soul and I think del Toro would get that.

The next interview in the blog tour will be at Lost for Words http://www.lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/where I will be talking about which character from MISERERE I would most want to have at my back if I was ever in a street brawl.

Fangirl Friday

The Fangirl Interviews Debut Author Sara J. Henry

Sara J. Henry has been a soil scientist, sports editor, magazine writer, newspaper editor, correspondence writing school instructor, freelance writer, magazine editor, book editor, bicycle mechanic, copyeditor, and webmaster – in roughly that order. She now lives on a dirt road in southern Vermont with at least one too many dogs, and spends a few months each year in her home state of Tennessee. Learning to Swim is her first novel, with a sequel to come. Her agent is the wonderful Barney Karpfinger.

The Fangirl found Sara the best way a girl could find an author...through blogging.  I was following Steph Bowe's blog and found Sara through there.  I read about her debut novel and became even more intrigued as I learned about her journey through the publishing world and how she has helped other people along the way.

MV:   For those who haven't heard of your novel LEARNING TO SWIM, can you tell them what it's about?

SH:  I can't rattle this off as easily as I should, but it's about a woman who sees a small boy being thrown off a ferry and dives into a huge, cold lake to rescue him - and discovers he speaks only French and won’t tell her what happened to him. One reviewer describes the main character, Troy, as “an athletic, fiercely independent young woman who, like crime-fiction author Gillian Flynn’s feisty females, is capable of making delightfully acerbic observations.” – a description I love. Author Michael Robotham called her “an everywoman hero who women will admire and men will want to meet.” Not bad, either.

MV:   How did you get the inspiration for this novel? Did you ever deal with pitfalls or writer's block and how did you overcome that?

SH:  I was driving near Lake Champlain, an enormous lake that separates Vermont and New York. At one point it's more than a dozen miles wide, with two ferries that run simultaneously, in opposite directions, and I envisioned a woman standing on one ferry and seeing a child fall from the other, and diving in to rescue him. Then I had to write an entire book around that one scene.



The pitfall was that the original middle of my book was really bad - a virtual dumping ground. Because I had no idea how to rewrite, the novel lived in a drawer (actually a computer file) for a very long time. I’d occasionally take it out and gaze at it, then put it away again. I had trouble imagining the characters doing anything than what they were doing. Finally I orchestrated a five-week house swap to Sydney, Australia, and conveniently broke my foot just before I went, so I had five weeks of limited mobility in a country where I knew almost no one – a perfect scenario for learning to rewrite.

MV:  What was the querying process like for you? How did you deal with the querying and submissions to editors process?

SH:  This part, unlike the painful process of learning to rewrite, was easy. The first agent I queried made suggestions I thought would erase what made this book work, which made me feel just contrary enough to query the top agents I could find. Then requests started rolling in, and offers came fast. I met with he-would-would-become-my-agent, who was perfect for me, and made my decision.



My agent, Barney Karpfinger, sent out the manuscript to editors and kept me abreast of comments and who was interested and who wasn’t. Then I talked with editors, made my (agonizingly difficult) decision, and bob’s your uncle – a book deal was born.

MV:  You're pretty prominent on a lot of the social media sites (Blogger, Twitter, etc), do you think that has helped you as an author?

SH:  Absolutely. Tweeting and blogging are an outlet for odd bits and pieces of writing in my head – and for my quirky sense of humor – that otherwise would just clutter up my brain. And it’s a social outlet: it’s hanging out at the water cooler at work. I've met some cool people and gained some staunch supporters this way. It’s also a fun, fast way to keep up with friends.



MV:  You've been a mentor for young authors (like Steph Bowe); how do you go about approaching young authors or help them on their publishing journey?

SH:  Of the three teenagers I’ve worked with, two I met through their blogs, and the third was referred to me by an agent friend. When I stumbled across Steph’s blog, it was obvious she was immensely talented, with a natural, distinct voice. When she asked for beta readers for a novel I volunteered. I got chills as I read it – with that lovely feeling I imagine agents get when they discover a real talent.

With Steph it was basically read manuscript, make suggestions, introduce to agents, exchange a mad number of emails during the agent selection process wherein I try not to tell her what to do. All via email with about a 14-hour time difference between us and me wondering if – at age 15 – she was ready for this. I also entered her into a Secret Agent contest I’d mentioned – she was away from internet access at the time, the sign-up time was 2 am in Australia, and I figured she could withdraw if she wanted to, but she ended up signing with that agent. Her first novel’s out now, and once in a while she'll ask a question about publishing or I'll take a look at a new manuscript. But she is astoundingly mature and businesslike, far more than many adult writers I know. With the other two, I read their work and make comments (although one, Weronika Janczuk, has recently become a literary agent and made her first two sales – at age 18). Yeah, these kids are amazing. Here’s the blub Steph gave me:

“If The Usual Suspects and a Jodi Picoult novel had a lovechild, it would be Learning To Swim - a thought-provoking, evocative, and thrilling read.”

MV:  Why the middle initial instead of just being Sara Henry?


SH:  My dad took me to open a bank account when I was six, and we put the name Sara J. Henry on the account. And with the exception of two years when I was a sports editor and experimented with being just Sara Henry - I've been Sara J. Henry ever since. It also helps differentiate me from other writing Sarah Henrys. And Sarah Henry in Calgary who makes cakes. Beautiful, amazing cakes.

MV:   Do you have a playlist for LEARNING TO SWIM?

SH:  What's a playlist? (I'm abysmally musically ignorant - it's on my list of things to work on.)

MV:  If LEARNING TO SWIM was to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

SH:  I like readers to be able to envision Troy as they want - and honestly, I could see a number of actresses portraying her perfectly, because it's a matter of spirit more than a specific appearance. But when I wrote Philippe, I envisioned Christian Bale as he played the father in the sci-fi movie Equilibrium. Jameson I could see played by actors as diverse as Mark Ruffalo or Robson Green from Touching Evil – it’s a role that would need someone who could play understated. Paul, of course, could be any slight, charming dark-haired six-year-old boy who speaks French.

MV:   Favorite book, movie, and TV show?

Favorite book - that's impossible to answer, but I've always loved Brat Farrar, by Josephine Tey.

Favorite movie - might be About a Boy.

TV show - the only one I regularly watch is Survivor, which I both love and hate, and fantasize about being on. I think I’d either be one of the first off or last off.

MV:  Words to live by?

SH:  Carpe diem - seize the day.

The Fangirl interviews: Medeia Sharif

Medeia Sharif is a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and she presently calls beautiful Miami Beach her home.  She received her master’s degree in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University.  Not only does she write, but she’s a high school English teacher.  BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. is her first novel.  You can find her on the web at http://www.sharifwrites.com.

I found Medeia the best way one can find an author...she commented on one of my blog posts.  (Yes, if you comment on my blog, usually I go back and figure out who you are and usually will follow back).  I was immediately intrigued with Medeia's debut novel and was excited to see an author who is writing with a multi-cultural aspect.  I knew she was the perfect addition for a Fangirl Friday segment.

Magan:  For those who haven't heard of your debut novel, BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER, can you tell them what it's about?

Medeia:  Fifteen-year-old Almira Abdul is fasting for Ramadan for the first time ever, but the month does not move smoothly at all. She has her first major crush, treads on her best friend’s toes, butts heads with a new archenemy, and has a strict old-world grandfather who drives her crazy. Her will is tested in more ways than one during the holy month.

Magan:   How did you get the idea for this novel?

Medeia:  My first inkling of the novel centered on a middle grade boy celebrating Ramadan but Almira, a high school female voice, later came to mind. She was so vibrant and funny that I had to write her story.

Magan:   Was there any music or a playlist that inspired this novel?

Medeia:  I don’t have any set playlist, but when I write I listen mainly to alternative bands like The Bravery, The Killers and Interpol. My musical tastes don’t necessarily match the tone of what I’m writing.

Magan:   Did you find any times when you were stuck in your writing and how did you get through them?

Medeia:  What I do is continue writing and then eventually I have an ah-ha moment, either by myself or through a critiquer, to improve a difficult scene. That means I have to go back and do a major rewrite for the scene and then minor tweaks to link the revisions to the rest of the manuscript. My problem usually involves low tension scenes. Even though I outline, I might still arrive at a new chapter and realize it’s tepid and needs more conflict. I return to it later after I’ve had time to think things through.

Magan:  With a multi-cultural project like BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER, did you have trouble finding an agent or a publisher?

Medeia:  I had a previous agented, but unsold, multi-cultural manuscript before BRE. Before and after that particular manuscript I wrote non-multi-cultural novels. I’ve received more attention from agents—i.e. more requests for partials and fulls—with my multi-cultural work. I believe the realism attracts people and fills a gap in publishing.

Magan:   Did you take anything from your own personal experiences when writing this novel?

Medeia:  As one reader of BRE said, “This is your world.” I needed to tap into my familial and cultural knowledge to write the novel. I’m also familiar with the first and second generation immigrant experience. BRE isn’t autobiographical, but my experiences have colored my work.

Magan:  What is the best advice you've gotten along your writing journey?

Medeia:  Although they would praise my voice and dialogue, agents and editors urged me to work on plot, which used to be my weakness. I worked on creating multiple layers of conflict in a manuscript. When I’m reading I love seeing those layers unfold. Writing them involves coordination and planning, but I have fun in the process. So the best advice was to work on plot.

Magan:  Was there ever a time you felt like giving up and if so how did you get through that?

Medeia:  I’ve never given up. I wrote my first novel when I was eighteen. I amassed a huge pile of rejections for it. I wrote another novel after that, and I had the same thing with numerous rejects. And I wrote another and another. I didn’t stop. I was experimenting with different styles and genres, as well as receiving and using feedback. Even if I wasn’t getting published, I still enjoyed writing and the scary-exciting thrill of querying. I’m in my thirties now, so you can see that this was a looong process.

Magan:   If BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. was to be made into a movie, who would you like play the main characters?

Medeia:  I’m going to take a stab at this, but not a good one since I don’t keep abreast with current entertainment.

Almira: Summer Bishil

Lisa: Selena Gomez

Shakira: Alia Shawkat

Peter: Zac Efron

I’m not sure if these are good matches, so don’t ever put me in a casting chair.

Magan:   Famous words to live by? (Whether your own or someone else’s)

Medeia:  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.

–Helen Keller

The Friday Five

So...most of you have been waiting for my vlog and wondering why I haven't been around much.  So, since I didn't check my e-mail early enough to post my Fangirl Friday interview, here is my Friday Five for what I've been up to these past two weeks.  And to say I'm sorry for not being around, so I'll make it up with a great interview and some interesting posts next week!

1.)  In case you didn't know I moved to the other side of town.  We went from a 1000 sq foot slab house to a 3000 sq ft home with three bathrooms and a finished basement.  I'm still hunting through boxes to find stuff and a bunch of empty boxes are sitting where my couch should be.  When I do, I'll be blogging from there instead of on the floor near my fire place.

2.)  I'm in a wedding this weekend.  One girl dropped out at the last minute, so my pregnant butt hoped down to David's bridal and got a dress.  There are alot more things that go on in a wedding for a bridesmaid than I realized and because of it I've been very, very busy when not at work.

3.)  I'm working on line edits for the second draft of HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN.  Once those line edits are done, I'll plug them into my manuscript and hopefully get it sent off to beta readers.  A few are doing Nano, but they'll have time in December and I'm meeting with my lovely (PUBLISHED) critique partner next Wednesday.  (Her first novella is coming out soon.  I would post the cover, but it's erotica...soooo...)

4.)  I'm looking at a new position in my company.  Yes, let's add more to my plate!  There is a department that I've wanted to get into since I started with the company and now a position is finally open that I'm qualified for.  If I get this position, I'm going to give something awesome away...I just don't know what yet.

5.)  I'm half way through my pregnancy!  Yeah!  It seems like only 4 and a half months ago I was out playing volleyball and going out afterwards...now I go to bed at 9:00 every night and really enjoy pineapple.  I do have a little bit more energy and I'm not getting sick all of the time, but I'm still tired.  There is a lot of preparation one needs to do before having a baby and frankly it's exhausting!

So yeah, I'm sorry, I have a lot of excuses, but next week I will make it up to you with: a preview of HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN, An interview with Jill Wheeler, and maybe I may even get my vlog working!

Till then happy Friday and have a great Halloween weekend!

Fangirl Friday

Interview with Epic Award winning author:  Laurie Larsen

Laurie Larsen is an Epic award winning author and has several books published under name including a young adult novel and inspirational romance.  By day she is a project manager and by night she turns into a cheering baseball mom and romance novelist.  I am so happy to have Laurie do an interview on my blog, not just because she is a great writer, but also a friend and a fellow RWA member.

Magan: Can you tell us a little bit about your published novels and what you are currently working on?

Laurie:  Sure, I’d love to. I’ve had five novels published. The first one was back in 2000 so I guess I’ve been doing this for a decade now! Hard to believe. Anyway, I achieved my dream of becoming a published author with a contemporary romance called Whispers of the Heart and I’ve never stopped writing. I’m hooked. J Subsequent books include a women’s fiction called Momentary Lapse, a mainstream fiction called Legacy of Lies, an inspirational romance called Preacher Man and my Young Adult romance, The Chronicles of Casey V. Currently, I’m working on editing and polishing two contemporary romance manuscripts that I’ve written and haven’t sold yet, so those are my top priority right now.


Magan:   How did you get into writing and how does your writing schedule work along with having a full-time job and busy children?

Laurie:  I always wrote – from the horse stories I’d write in notebooks when I was a kid, to my first ill-fated attempt at a novel when I first graduated from college. But my first try at actually writing a book with the goal of publication happened when I was on a long business trip to Atlanta, Georgia in August, 1998. I found myself with a free weekend without knowing anyone in town and no plans. I jumped on the MARTA train and stopped at the Margaret Mitchell House to do some sightseeing. For the uninformed, she was the author of Gone With the Wind, and this cluttered, tiny apartment that I toured was where she wrote about 75% of her blockbuster debut novel. I learned that it took her ten years to write that book, and during that time, she worked a full time job, got married, dealt with injuries and illnesses – in other words, life went on. And yet, she kept writing through it all. She stuck with it, and when she finished – look what a literary treasure the world has because of it. When I left the tour that day, I cancelled all my other sightseeing plans. I went straight back to the hotel and spent the rest of the weekend and every evening that week working on my own literary treasure! Eighteen months later my first novel, Whispers of the Heart was published. I dedicated it: “To MM: my inspiration.” I’m not trying to suggest that Whispers is anywhere near the quality of GWTW! But that’s my story for how I became a serious writer. The full-time career and busy children are just part of what I have to work my writing schedule around. Like Margaret, life goes on and I have to keep moving forward.

Magan:   You’ve been very open about the obstacles you have faced on the road to publication and find an agent, on your website, what advice can you give to writers that are facing the same challenges?

Laurie:  I populate my website’s journal with my own trials and tribulations to help other writers rest assured that they’re not alone in facing the issues involved with this crazy business. My advice is: keep moving forward. Set goals, re-evaluate them at each setback, and keep moving forward. Another thing I’d offer is that your goal may be different than other writers’ goals. And that’s okay. At the end of the day, each writer has to be satisfied and comfortable with the decisions she’s made about her own career.

Magan:   What are the benefits to having your books published with a small printing press?

Laurie:   There are many benefits I enjoy from being a small press author. Creative flexibility is probably the first. Small presses don’t have the strict guidelines that major presses tend to, so it gives the author the chance to flex their creative muscles and sell stories that may not fit into the big houses due to word count, subject matter, level of sensuality or whatever. Another advantage for me is the lack of pressure to put books out on a timeline. Since I have a very demanding day job it would be difficult for me to be expected to write 2-3 books a year. With a small press, I believe they welcome very prolific authors who can publish multiple books a year, but there’s no expectation that if you don’t, there’s no room for you in their stable of authors.

Magan:  Your books are all over the board, in terms of genre, what is your favorite of the genres and what attracts you to it?

Laurie:   I know! I’m not sure how it happened that each of my published books belong to a different genre. I guess it’s because I don’t consider myself pigeon-holed into just one type of story. I go by the story idea that lands in my head at that particular time. I like not having to limit myself to only one genre. As for my favorite, I don’t really have one. My next two completed manuscripts are category-length contemporary romance, and my new idea for my next book falls into the inspirational realm.

Magan:   If you had to pick someone to play the main character and love interest in your YA novel CHRONICLES OF CASEY V who would you choose to play them? Or do you have any other actors or famous people that you envision when you write your novels?

Laurie:   Great question! The love interest in Chronicles of Casey V is a hunky 17-year old hunk named Zander, and I could picture a young, teen-aged Zac Efron playing him. Or maybe an Americanized Dan Radcliffe – but he’d have to learn to drop the British accent. J One of my yet-unpublished romances has a Latin hunk as the love interest and I wrote the whole book with a picture of Mario Lopez taped to my monitor. J I started writing it when he was starring on Dancing with the Stars so he was constantly in my mind.

Magan:   So you’ve won an award? How did that happen? Where you nominated? What did it feel like to win the EPIC award?

Laurie:  Yes! This spring Preacher Man won the 2010 EPIC e-book Award for the Spiritual and/or Metaphysical Romance category. The EPIC e-book awards celebrate excellence in electronically published books. Entries can be submitted by either the author, the editor or the publisher and I entered Preacher Man. When I received notification that I was a finalist I made the instant decision to attend the awards ceremony in New Orleans. I had the time of my life! It was my own red carpet moment. Not only did I love New Orleans and have a great time there, and meet some great people at the EPIC conference, but the moment when they announced my name as the winner is one of the true mountaintop experiences of my writing career. I’ll never forget it.

Magan:  What is the best advice that you’ve been given as a writer, mother, friend, RWA member, or just as a female in general?

Laurie:  One of my favorite quotes is “Bloom Where You Are Planted.” It means a lot to me. It tells me several things that I try to remember: first of all, be happy in the here and now. Don’t waste your life wishing for things that you don’t have, but think you want. Also, it tells me to make a difference in whatever I’m doing – bloom. Don’t just survive. Put yourself on the line to actually make things better than if you hadn’t put out the effort.

Magan:   Favorite book, movie, and food?

Laurie:  I’m a huge Harry Potter fan so I’d say that series is among some of my favorite books in the world, although my favorite author of all time is southern epic fiction writer Pat Conroy. Favorite movie is a tough one – I love the Chevy Chase Vacation movies for a good laugh, and I love While You Were Sleeping for true romance and happily ever after. Favorite food is chocolate. I can’t seem to live without it, even though my body wishes I could.

Magan:  Famous last words?
 
Laurie:  Just thanks very much for inviting me over to your blog to visit today. I’d like to extend the invitation to all your readers to visit my website: http://www.authorlaurielarsen.com/ . Come in, stay awhile, browse around. I have several contests running right now, one involving reading and one involving writing so there should be something there for everyone. Enjoy the remaining days of summer, everyone!

WIP Wednesday

So…I feel like I’ve been lagging in the blog department lately and I apologize. Between morning sickness (which is really all day sickness), editing, work, and getting packed up to try and move…well…I’ve been a very busy girl.


So here is just a quick update on the blog and my WIP.

Two more Fangirl Friday interviews are coming up:

Friday the 13th will be with Epic award winning author Laurie Larsen

Friday the 20th will be with agent Weronika Janczuk of D4EO Literary agency

(Are you an author? Do you have a story to tell? Want to be interview for my Fangirl Friday? Send me a note at magan.vernon@gmail.com).

In other blog news, I am looking for YOUR story. That’s right I want guest posts. Do you have the ultimate geek to glam story? Advice for punching bags or even just want to talk to me about writing? Send me a line at magan.vernon@gmail.com and we will have some virtual tea and discuss!)

And finally for the WIP update:

My goal this month, with my RWA group, was to edit 100 pages of MY PAPER HEART and I’m a whole 5th of the way through that, WOO *victory dance* Let’s just say it’s not YA anymore and I should have maybe not been so afraid of writing sexual tension because it’s pretty vital to the story now. I’ve talked to another agent, but I’m afraid to query her, just yet. Hopefully by this fall I will be completely confident to send my baby out into the wild again. (Not the one in my tummy! My manuscript!)

XoXo,

The punching bag

Fangirl Friday

Interview with DUFF writer:   Kody Keplinger

As the girl who always felt like the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) in high school, when I heard about this book I could not pass up an interview with this amazing author!  I'm so excited for this book to come out this fall and will be waiting like a Star Wars fan to get my first copy!  *note I will not camp out infront of Barnes and Noble, because I think that's illegal in this county.

Kody was born and raised in rural western Kentucky, where she attended high school and began writing her first long pieces of fiction. Kody wrote THE DUFF during her senior year at McLean County High School.

Kody is now nineteen and attending Ithaca College in New York where she's majoring in writing and finishing her second novel to be published by Poppy in Fall 2011.
She loves books, converse tennis shoes, New York City, and popular TV teen dramas. When she isn't writing, she's spending time with her friends and, most likely, doing piles and piles of homework she has neglected.
Kody is a contributor to the writing blog YA Highway and a member of the contemporary, realistic YA fiction group The Contemps, set to launch in mid August 2010.
You can also follow Kody on Twitter.




Mrs. Vee:  For those people that dont know, can you describe what your debut novel THE DUFF is about and what was your inspiration for the book?

Kody:  THE DUFF is about a 17 year old girl who discoers she may be the DUFF (desiganted ugly fat friend) of her group of friends and, to distract herself from her family troubles and newfound self esteem problems, she decides to have an enemies-with-benefits relationship with her school's most notorious womanizer.

I was inspired to write THE DUFF during my senior year of high school. That's when I first heard the word "duff." The actual idea of writing a book called THE DUFF was just a joke at first, but then the plot - the characters really - just hit me! I had to write the book, and I had to tell this story.

Mrs. Vee:   Do you relate to your main character and what was your life like as a teenager? (Okay so I believe you actually are still one, but you've had a few good years in to give your perspective.)


Kody:  I do relate to Bianca - the main character in THE DUFF. Is she based on me? No. But I definitely have things in common with her. I have thigns in common with all my characters - if I didn't, it would be hard to write about them, really. But my ultimate goal is to write characters EVERY girl can relate to. Hopefully, I succeeded!
I am still a teenager, and to be honest? My life in high school (i'm in college now) was tragically boring. I know, that isn't what anyone wants to hear, but I think that's the truth of most teenagers. I lived in a small town and I didn't have a car. My life consited of school, lots of TV, the occasional trip to town with my friends, and, well, writing. I didn't go to any good parties - no one in my town did, I"m pretty sure - and I definitely wasn't the most popular girl in school. Far less exciting than the teen movies make it look. But, aside from her enemies-with-benefits story, I think Bianca has the same kind of small-town ordinary life.

That said, my ordinary, boring life wasn't without drama or angst. Ugh, there was far too much of it even! High school was one of the best and worst times of my life in unison. I think a lot of us feel that way. Some days sucked and I never would repeat those, but others . . . other times, I miss it. So I write about it.

Mrs. Vee:   What do you want readers to take away from this book? What advice can you give to other teenage girls that might feel like the DUFF?

Kody:  I want people to put THE DUFF down with a smile on their face. That's the most important part. But I also hope girls finishe reading the book and realize that every girl has felt like a duff at some point. We all feel unattractive at some point. I don't really have advice to give. Heck, some days I still need the advice! But just a little post-high-school wisdom: We all feel like the weak link sometimes, but we're also the strongest at others.

Mrs. Vee: What are the best and worst things about being a young novelist?

Kody:  The best part is getting to write the stories I have always wanted to tell. This is my dream job - SERIOUSLY what I have always wanted.

The worst part is the nerves! I"m so nervous about what others will think about my book. But I think all writers have that.

Mrs. Vee:   You were born and raised in Kentucky and took the leap to go to to school in New York. What made you take a big jump in going to school that far away? How has it been adjusting to life in New York?

Kody:  Well, to start with, I go to school in upstate New York. For those of you who don't know, outside of NYC, its' NOTHING like the city. Ithaca, where i go to school, isn't too different from small town Kentucky. Though, to be fair, I do visit NYC a lot, and it's my favorite place in the world.

As far as making the choice to leave - it was never a choice. I've known since I was a little kid that I wanted to o to college far away. I wanted to break out and be different. I wanted to see more of the world than I ever had. So I applied to colleges far from home. Ithaca was a great fit for me! It was never a choice to go to New York, but that just happened to be where I belonged - forgive the cheesiness.

Adjusting was easy. I've always had an easy time going from place to place. And Ithaca just . . . fit. I'm a person meant to travel and be in new places. New York is only the first on my visit.

Mrs. Vee:  Did you have any pitfalls in writing THE DUFF or your new WIP? How did you deal with those pitfalls and what advice can you give to other aspiring writers?

Kody:  The worst part for me is writer's block. It hits me every so often and in the weirdest places - like "How do I write this scene where the characters wallk up this flight of stairs?" Things so silly! But that's the hardest part. I mostly just force myself through and assure myself that I can go back to those hard parts later.

My advice? Just. Keep. Writing. Don't give up. Don't doubt yourself. Those things dont' help anyone. Just keep writing.

Mrs. Vee:  Will you be doing a book tour to promote THE DUFF? Or do you have any other book promotions in place?

Kody:  I"m not totally sure yet. I'll be doing some promo, I know. For example, I'll be at Anderson's Bookshop's Young Adult Literature Conference in Chicogo. But aside from that, not sure yet. I'll announce events on my blog when I can.

Mrs. Vee:   I saw that movies rights were picked up for THE DUFF, who would be your dream cast?

Kody:  So funny you asked! I actually JUST picked my perfect Wesley.

Okay, first, two picks for Bianca. Either Ellen Page or Mae Whitman. Both are awesome.

For Wesley, the love interest, I'm going to say Jeremy Sumpter from Friday Night Lights. He just . . . has the look. I don't know how to put it beyond that.

Mrs. Vee:   Favorite book, movie, food?



Kody:  Oh, so hard!

Book - PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Movie - CRUEL INTENTIONS

Food - Speghetti

Mrs. Vee:  Famous last words?

Kody:  Peace, dude!

Project Castro

The most platonic obsession in the history of obsessions...

So I like doing interviews and I like Jason Castro, so it made me think...

About Jason Castro singing and me running my fingers through his dreadlocks..

*Ahem*

I mean, uhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Anyway...

Project Castro has begun.  My goal is to somehow get an interview with Jason Castro that may or may not involve him singing.  (I would LOVE for that even if it is through Skype).  So Project Castro will follow me as I try and get an interview with Jason Castro and maybe a song or some dread lock feeling.

So day 1:  Project Castro

If you have any way to contact the dread locked wonder boy then you should really let me know...  If you do then I will bake you a cake or something fun!

**Note I am a married woman and have no interest on doing anything with Jason Castro other than hearing him sing and feel his dreadlocks.  Thus it's the most platonic obsession.

Fangirl Friday

INTERVIEW WITH KIERSTEN WHITE AUTHOR OF PARANORMALCY

Okay, if it isn't obvious I have been Fangirling over Kiersten White and this novel for a long time.  Well, I finally got the courage to ask Kiersten to do an interview for my Fangirl Friday segment.  She said YES and now I'm Fangirled out beyond Fangirlisim!

Mrs. Vee:  For those who aren’t huge fan girls of PARANORMALCY; can you tell everyone a little bit about the story and what inspired it?

Kiersten:  Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I started writing Paranormalcy on a whim--I wanted to write something with a little more fantasy than I'd been previously writing, and I wanted to try out a first person point-of-view. I had the idea for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, and three weeks later I had a complete novel. It was one of those ideas that takes hold of you and won't shut up or get out of your brain until it's had its say!

Mrs. Vee:  Evie is not like the normal protagonist that we have been seeing in paranormal romance with her kick-butt profession and arsenal of pink weaponry. How did you come up with Evie’s character and if someone were to play her in a movie, who would it be?

Kiersten:  Evie sprang into my head fully formed. Once I got her voice, the rest just sort of filled itself in. I love her view of the world--how she can be such a girly girl and then drop kick a rabid gremlin down the hall. She's a delightful contradiction.


For someone to play her in a movie, ideally she'd need to be blonde with very, very light eyes, but more importantly she'd need to be able to play the full range of emotions that we see in Evie. I loved what my editor said about her, something along the lines of "She's so tough and funny, and at the same time one of the most genuinely vulnerable characters I've ever read." As confident as Evie comes across with her quips and actions, she really is a teenage girl with some serious issues.

A few actresses I wouldn't mind are AnnaSophia Robb (probably my first choice), Dakota Fanning, and Diana Agron (Quinn from Glee--she is awesome at being tough and vulnerable at the same time).

Mrs. Vee:  Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to publication? You have said that you were picked out of the slush pile, but how did you decide who to query? Did you send out a lot of queries and how did you deal with rejection?

Kiersten:  Ha. Ah, querying. Good times, those. I knew no one, had no connections whatsoever. I queried 45 agents with a manuscript (which wasn't Paranormalcy) before signing with Michelle Wolfson. Once I got past the first five agents that I knew about from blogs, I just used Agent Query and queried everyone who a) accepted email queries and b) represented YA with paranormal/sci-fi elements. When Michelle asked for a partial, I researched her more and liked everything I found. She got back to me incredibly fast about the full with an offer of representation, I felt like we connected really well, and that was that.



However. There were 45 queries and three-and-a-half months between when I started querying and when I found Michelle. And those months were miserable. And disappointing. I was going a little nuts with frustration; then I had a medical emergency that required immediate surgery so that I wouldn't, you know, die. After that I was a little bit calmer about things. (Although I did kind of expect an agent to pop up and offer me representation the next week, since the universe totally owed me at that point. Alas, it'd take another month-and-a-half before the universe made good.)

Here are the things you need in order to survive querying: 1) Chocolate. 2) Good, supportive friends who are also writers and therefore understand what a frustrating, horrible process it can be. 3) Chocolate. 4) Perspective--your writing may not be ready yet, but that doesn't mean it won't be someday. 5) Chocolate. And finally, 6) another manuscript to be working on in the meantime in case things don't work out with this one.

Also, did I mention chocolate?

Mrs. Vee: Are you like Evie (aside from the paranormal attributes of course) and what were you like as a teenager?

Kiersten:  I don't think I'm much like Evie. I mean, obviously we share a similar sarcastic sense of humor, and we both try to remain positive in the face of obstacles. However, I think she's far braver than I am, and has a much stronger personality than I do. If I'd faced similar things in my life (not having a family, etc.), I think I'd have been much more messed up by it all. And I totally wouldn't have been strong enough to break up with an enchanting, controlling faerie boyfriend like Reth as a fifteen-year-old. Good thing I didn't know any faeries back then.


As a teenager I was, shockingly enough, sarcastic. I was a bit of a nerd and had a reputation for having, shall we say, strong opinions. (Okay, fine, I was the only feminist in my entire high school.) I was very boy crazy but didn't date much aside from a boyfriend or two; boys may have been a little intimidated by me. I was also deeply lonely and suffered from insomnia. It was an interesting period of my life, one that was both wonderful and terrible and that I'm very glad I never have to go back to, but at the same time very glad I went through.


So, probably a lot like how most of you were as teenagers.

Mrs. Vee:  You have touched on some pretty controversial subjects on your blog (religion and infertility); what do you say to those people that may criticize you for talking about these subjects?

Kiersten:  You know, I haven't really been criticized for it. I did have a friend question my tone while talking about infertility. I think she thought I was making light of it. But in the past two years of trying I've had one ectopic pregnancy and two miscarriages, and the way I see it, I can either let the anger and the sorrow turn me into a bitter ball of pain, or I can try my hardest to find humor in this strange, dark place. I prefer to find the humor. And it's important to me to express that and let other women know it's okay to talk about--that they aren't alone, and it does suck, and it's alright to acknowledge that however you want. It doesn't have to be some big secret, because when we keep it secret, that mess of emotions somehow translates into shame. And that's something that should never be added to the pain inherent in infertility.


As far as religion, I don't think that blogs are a forum for discussing doctrine. In fact, there's not really a forum I ever enjoy doing that in because it inevitably turns into He said, He said, with everyone quoting the same scriptures to prove their very different points, and really, it just makes me tired. But I'm also aware that there are a lot of misconceptions about my particular brand of Christianity, and I figure my silly blog is a safe place for people to ask any questions they might have. I don't take offense and I don't expect others to, either.

So I don't mind opening up about those topics every once in a while; it's a nice change of pace from my usual nonsense.

Mrs. Vee:  Being a complete fan girl of yours; who do you fan girl over? Or is there any book you just can’t wait to get your hands on?

Kiersten:  I fangirl over SO MANY authors. I fangirl John Green all the time, and swoon over Neil Gaiman something fierce. I also worship Laini Taylor, who I think is probably the most talented writer in YA right now--and she's an absolutely delightful person to boot. I also fangirl over my writing partners, Natalie Whipple who is wonderful, Carrie Harris, and Stephanie Perkins. I can't wait for Steph's book, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, to come out this December. It's delicious. If I listed all of the authors I fangirl, this interview would never end. Oh! Markus Zusak. And oh! E. Lockhart. And oh! Yeah. I'll stop.

Mrs. Vee:  Favorite book, movie, TV Show and famous last words?

Kiersten White:  My own last words would probably be, "Fine, kill me, because I can't pick just one favorite book even if it means my life." I love the movies Penelope and The Fellowship of the Rings, I think Arrested Development was the funniest show ever made, and that it should be criminal Pushing Daisies was canceled.


Thanks, Magan!

You can find out more about Kiersten by checking out her blog Kiersten Writes and check out her debut novel PARANORMALCY that will be in a store near you August 31st

Writerly Wednesday

Hey baby wanna edit my manuscript? #editorpickuplines

Interview with Freelancing Editing Rockstar:  Rachel Johnson

Rachel Johnson is a professional and freelance editor who holds a Bachelor's degree in publishing studies from Illinois State University. She works for Pearson Education in the math department as an assistant editor. She has several years of experience in editing fiction, nonfiction, and technical writing; both online and in print. Rachel currently lives with her boyfriend in Evanston, Illinois.

Mrs. Vee:  How did you get into editing? What kind of professional or educational training do you have?

Rachel:  I first became interested in editing when I was a sophomore in high school. I had a teacher in English who stressed the importance of grammar and structure in writing, and also shared her love of marking in red pen with the class. I thought, wow, I'm not the only one! I hadn't really thought about critiquing as a profession because honestly, I didn't know that one could make a career out of editing professionally. So, I focused my last years of high school on English and English literature. While applying to colleges, I saw that Illinois State University offered a concentration within their English department called "Publishing Studies." I couldn't have been more excited. ISU is one of the few colleges in the country that offers publishing as an undergraduate concentration. So, I completed the four year program and graduated in May of 2009 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Publishing Studies.'

Mrs. Vee:  How did freelancing come about?

Rachel:  In college, friends and classmates often approached me to review their papers before they turned them in. This is what sparked my interest in freelancing. I thought, how cool, you can not only help someone find happiness with their work, but you can also get paid to read a wide variety of genres. So, I decided that I would offer my freelancing services to anyone I met who was in need. I'm still somewhat new to it, but it's a nice addition to my professional experience.

Mrs. Vee:  Did you always want to be an editor?

Rachel:  I've wanted to be an editor as long as I can remember. Granted when I was little I wanted to be a veterinarian...but even in elementary school I've loved reading and writing. That's the foundation to a good editor, you have to love the literary arts. During my years at ISU I gained a great deal of love and respect for publishing not only as a business, but as an art. Also, when I saw the movie 13 Going on 30 that sealed the deal for me. Jennifer Garner's character was an editor and she got to wear really cute clothes to work. I was sold.

Mrs. Vee:  What kind of services do you offer with your editing, how much does it cost, and what kind of work do you edit?

Rachel:  The most basic service that I like to provide is proofreading. This means that I review your manuscript or article for conventions, grammar, spelling, and consistency. I don't touch the content, but only fix the glaring errors. However, if the author needs a bit more help, I can copy edit, which means digging deeper to review questions of style, rewriting parts of the manuscript that may not be as strong, and ultimately helping the author get to a point that they are confident and happy with their work. Copy editing is much more intensive than proofreading is, and requires a lot more communication between the author and the editor. I charge hourly, so proofreading is less expensive. My rate ranges from $10-13 an hour, depending on the manuscript. I will edit anything; fiction or nonfiction manuscripts, articles, technical writing. It's all good.

Mrs. Vee: What is the biggest mistake that you see people use when editing their work?

Rachel:  Tenses are a big issue with most writers. It can sometimes be difficult to word things the way you are hearing them in your head without switching tenses. You just have to be very aware of what tense you are writing in from your very first word and make a conscious effort to stay within that tense.

Mrs. Vee:  Where do you see your career taking you within the next 5-10 years?

Rachel:  Within the next 5-10 years I would like to still be editing. I'd love to get into literary publishing or magazines. I wouldn't mind being a freelance editor, as long as the work was steady. Freelancing is great because it gives you the option to work where ever you need to be, at your pace.

Mrs. Vee:  How do people get a hold of you to discuss editing their work?

Rachel:  I am very reachable. Facebook or email is the best way to reach me... how dorky! But it's true. I'm always open to take on new projects or to answer questions. I'm also a big on text messaging. It's a sickness, really.

Mrs. Vee:  What books do you usually like to read and is that the same for what you like to edit?

Rachel:  I love to read. Chuck Palahniuk and Ernest Hemingway are my two favorite authors. I tend to lean towards darker stories and realistic fiction. I do like the occasional creative nonfiction book too. Recently I read an excellent book about the 1999 Columbine massacre titled Columbine by Dave Cullen. Then, I had to go back and read Jodie Picoult's fiction take Nineteen Minutes. I like to edit all sorts of things though, I'm an equal opportunity editor. I like to keep my mind open to new genres and types of work.

Mrs. Vee:  Favorite book, movie, TV show?

Rachel:  My favorite book is probably Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk or Night by Elie Wiesel. I was honored to meet him my senior year of college...I almost died. It was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. I like stupid movies that make me laugh...the two that I could watch over and over again are How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Zoolander. As far as TV goes, I watch a lot of South Park and Curb Your Enthusiasm. My boyfriend and I also like to take in the occasional Man vs. Food marathon (over dinner, mostly) and I would never turn off an episode of America's Next Top Model. Everything I like is a guilty pleasure, haha.

Mrs. Vee:  Famous last words?

Rachel:  My dad always told me, no matter where you go, there you are. I try to remember this every day. Also, don't be afraid to not know something. Ask someone. Learn something.

**On a side note.  Rachel did edit my manuscript and because of it I have had multiple requests from agents!  She is pretty much a rockstar and may have been my roommate in college...  Ok so yes, yes she was my roommate which makes her even more of a rockstar.

Circa Sophomore year of college (literally about 4 years ago.  We thought we were hot and we literally were since our dorm didn't have air conditioning!)

Interview with Author/Agent: Mandy Hubbard

Mandy Hubbard is the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and five other to-be-published novels for teens. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. She is currently living happily ever after with her husband and young daughter in Enumclaw, Washington.

Mrs. Vee:  In the NY times best seller "Prada & Predjiduce," you've created the character of Callie, who is headstrong with a knack for science. How did you come up with her character?

Mandy:  *Ahem*, P&P is most definitley not an NYT bestseller. That's still on the to do list. ;-)

(So...I went out and bought a few more copies and may be giving some away soon :)

Callie was a really, really hard character, actually-- I tried everything with her. The girl she is now is a product of many revision requests.

Mrs. Vee:  In your novels you have strong female protagonists that lead your stories. What came first the story or the characters and how did you come up with each?

Mandy:  The story/concept always comes first with me, and then I choose a character which will create the most conflict. For instance, with YOU WISH, I knew the story would be funny and flirty and goofy in an over the top, vaguely disney movie style way. So I created a character who could be the polar opposite of that-- dark, sarcastic, and cynical.

Mrs. Vee:  Besides your own lead female characters, who are your favorite literary character and what do you like about them?

Mandy:  I like strong, intense, but flawed characters. The heroine in GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols is a good example.

Mrs. Vee:  How much of your own life experiences, and yourself, do you put into your novels? Is there any research that you had to do for your novels and how did you go about doing that research?

Mandy:  I put small aspects of my personality into my books, sure, but 99% of the character is fiction.

On research, P&P was very intensely research oriented. I watched movies, played on google, read books, etc. Remind me never to write a historical again!


Mrs. Vee:  How did the author/agent thing come about? Did you fall into it or how did you start agenting?

Mandy:  I became very involved with the submissions of my own work and eventually ended up scoring an internship with a great literary agency. The rest is history.


Mrs. Vee:  Is the world of agenting like mean girls with the newer agents being envious and fearful of older agents or is it more of a community in which you all help eachother out?

Mandy:  VERY community oriented! The veteran agents have been incredibly helpful for me. I had to call one up in the middle of an auction to find out how to handle an unusual situtation.

Mrs. Vee:  Why should aspiring authors, like Magan, query a newer agent, like you, and what are you really looking for in new authors?

Mandy:  Mary Kole, of Andrea Brown Literary, explained this far better than I could: http://kidlit.com/2010/06/02/newer-vs-established-agents/

As far as what I'm looking for? Spectacular writing.And authors who are willing to work hard and revise.

Mrs. Vee:  As an agent and author I'm sure that you have seen your fair share of rejections or had to dole them out. How do you deal with rejection and what is your advice for others on how to deal with it?

Mandy:  Everyone handles them differently, and you should do what works for you. As far as me, I just focused on the next thing-- firing off another query letter, working on a new project, etc.

Mrs. Vee:  Since we are all anxiously awaiting the release of YOU WISH, (comes out August 5th, four days after my birthday, just saying it would be a great gift,) what can you tell us about the novel? If you got to cast the character in a movie, who would you case in the leading roles? (This includes the Ken doll!)

Mandy:  I kind of think Zac Efron would be a hilarious Ken doll. And for Kayla, I'd love Emma Roberts. Maybe Taylor Momsen for Nicole, the bff. As for Ben? Not a clue. ;-)

Mrs. Vee:  You and I have talked before about our mutual love for Glee, Gossip Girl, and Simone Elkeles "A Perfect Chemistry." What attracts you to these shows and novel and is this something us writers should take note on?

Mandy:  For me, they're either heavily focused on romance, or its pure frothy fun. I love both. :-) Still dying to find that spectacular, intense romance in the slush pile, like Elkeles' PERFECT CHEMISTRY.


Mrs. Vee: Since I tend to get a little fan girl everytime that I talk to you, is there anyone you've talked to that you admit you get a little fan girl for?

Mandy:  Oh, sure, I am fangirly for a ton of authors, though they tend to be authors I actually know. Becuase when I love a book, I usually just email the author and talk to them. Love Jennifer Echols, Lauren Barnholdt, Elizabeth Scott.... I could go on.

Mrs. Vee:  Are you planning on doing any book tours or signings especially in the midwest? (Just saying I may know a writer who knows a good place for gelato and would love to meet you).

Mandy:  Hee, not any time soon! Maybe if my books do spectacularly well....

Mrs. Vee:  Favorite food, book, movie

Mandy:  Food: Pasta
Book: NO WAY can I say just one. We'll name of OF the many: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Movie: Empire Records

Mrs. Vee:   Any famous last words or advice?
Mandy:  A published author is an amateur who didn't quit. Don't quit.

For more information on Mandy as an author or an agent, check out her website http://www.mandyhubbard.com/

Hiatus

As you may have noticed, the blog has been absent for awhile as well as my Twitter and Facebook.

For those of you that don't know The T-Rex and I are FINALLY getting hitched on the 15th.

(Note The soon to be hubby is not a T-Rex, but when you say his first and middle name really quickly it kind of sounds like that.)

Aside from getting married I also had a very important job interview in the state of Washington that would be the absolute highlight of my career.  If I get the job I will say what it involved and if I don't I probably still will.  All I can say is that it does combine my degree in Political Science and my love of writing and communications.

Then, of course, the icing on the cake being that the BFFF spilled wine on my laptop during our girl's weekend and well the laptop isn't functioning like it should.  Thus writing and social networking has also kind of come to a close with that.

I should be back after the 17th and before the honeymoon to humor you with wedding tales.

Regards,

The future Mrs. Vee.

Interview with Aussie Teen Author: Steph Bowe.

Magan: As a published author how does your life differ from the typical
teenager? Or doesn't it?

Steph: My life's different in that there's a lot of work I have to do - writing and the business aspect of being an author. So I spend a lot more time on my own than other people my age do.


Magan: I know you got to school by correspondence right now, but has that been something that you've always done or why did you leave a regular school?

Steph: I started doing school by correspondence about four years ago, because regular school environment didn't suit me - it wasn't flexible enough for me to pursue my dreams as a writer.


Magan: Has the experience that you had in school helped your writing at all. If so, how? Or if not what did help your writing?

Every single part of my life has helped and continues to help me as a writer... Everything inpires me, and even negative experiences help.

Magan: As the non-typical australiann teenager (and one of my favorite little magical writer stories) do you find that people treat you differently now
that you're a published author or have things not changed?

I meet a lot of people who are a bit resentful I've gotten published so young, and a lot of people who are really happy for me. But my life is mostly the same as before.


Magan: What is writing to you? Is it your escape, just a fun hobby, or
something that a vampire from beyond made you do or he'd kill you and your family?

Now, writing feels like a job more than anything! But I like to think of it as a vice... Something that's done under the cover of darkness, something non-writers don't get. It feels slightly illegal, making something out of nothing. It's like stealing reality.


Magan: Besides writing is there anything else that you like to do that is unique or may be perceived as weird by anyone not as cool as you?

Honestly, I barely have time for anything else!


Magan: How would you tell other girls your age (or even us insecure twenty somethings) to deal with all the pressure and drama that gets thrown their way?

Know that everyone else is just as insecure and experiencing self-doubt as much as you are. Stay true to yourself, be your own person, ignore their crap!

Magan: Famous last words?

My own or someone else's? I don't mine yet. It's funny you ask that, because one of the characters in Girl Saves Boy is obsessed with last words...

Magan: And just for fun a fab five: Favorite book, movie, food, TV show, and music artist?
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell. Hot Fuzz. Cake. Supernatural. The Killers.

Steph Bowe is a sixteen-year-old YA author represented by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown. Her debut novel, Girl Saves Boy, will be published by Text Publishing in Australia & New Zealand in September 2010 and by Egmont USA in America in 2011. She blogs about reading & writing YA fiction at Hey! Teenager of the Year and lives in Victoria, Australia.

Check her out at

http://heyteenager.blogspot.com/

Interview with Cell phone novel phenom Matt Reeves

18 year old Matthew Reeves resides in the beautiful state of California along with his family and cat. Always game for a good conversation or story, you can usually find him talking, writing, imagining or something that falls in between. Having started writing at 14, he has a strong affection for the written word and hopes to be able to share with people the same joy he has received from reading the works of others. A big fan of Japanese animation, Manga, and fiction, he hopes to somehow bring over the creativity currently thriving overseas to American shores.

Magan : So for those people who don't know what cell phone novels are can you describe them a bit more?

Matt: Sure. The simple answer is that they are novels written on a cell phone or written in a style that can be easily read on a cell phone. The more complex answer is that they are written in a specific style of writing that is usually done in a first person POV and is defined by it's simplistic and minimalistic approach to storytelling.

Magan: Since we kind of met through text novel...Why cell novels? How did you discover them and what drew you to them?

Matt: Ah, well, it was really by accident to be honest. I hadn't even heard of the things before. As I recall, it was night time and I was googling random information on some Japanese novels I was interested in reading. I somehow came across an article about Japanese Cell Phone Novels. I think it was the article on the New York Times website. I then googled the term and began reading more. I was pretty interested in the concept and the idea of how unpublished authors could get a chance to stand out using this unique new platform.
I'm not sure if I found out about TextNovel.com through google or if I saw one of Mr. Soper's replies to one of the articles. Either way, I visited TextNovel and realized that the idea had come to the English speaking world as well.

Magan: Do you think it's something that's going to become popular in America or how would you compare it to the Japanese cell phone novels?

Matt: I absolutely believe that Cell Phone Novels have the 'pottential' to become popular in the Western world, but whether they will fall's on the newly launched websites and the early adoptors who join. It also relies on the news media. If you google for articles about Cell Phone Novel's, you'll see there is almost no mention of the fact that the trend has begun to come over to the West. This lack of information and recognition makes it harder for it to gain popularity or traction. So do I think they will? I certainly hope so, and I think there is good reason to believe they will.

Matt: As to how American Cell Phone Novel's compare to their Japanese counterpart...
They are both starting out very similarly. When Cell Phone Novels started out in Japan, they were unheard of and grew out of the already existing idea of writing a 'blog novel'. Just as English language Cell Phone Novels are proving to be a grassroots supported format, so were the original Japanese novels.

Magan: How do you feel about the lack of readership with cell phone novels in America right now and what are you doing to sort of ‘fight for’ the trend?

Matt: The fact is, that right now there is an illiteracy epidemic hitting America. Young people across the country are falling out of love with reading and beginning to associate it with things that are un-enjoyable to them. These young men and women are then becoming adults and continuing to dislike books in their later years and subsequently putting more strain on the publishing industry. As I remember, there is a statistic that say's that nearly half of all American's don't read a single book in a year's time. This is definitely something to be concerned with. So my feelings regarding Cell Phone Novels also stretch forth into the other area's of literacy as well. I feel that books as a whole are in dire need of a revival. I believe that Cell Phone Novels could be a part of that revival. The fact that they aren't popular yet should come as no surprise to anyone. After all, the trend only recently came over several years ago, and it still isn't widely known. It's going to take a strong grassroots movement along with the push of different websites and hopefully a willing publisher to help bring the format into the spotlight.
As for me, all I can do is write my stories and try to provide some of my ideas and thoughts for the format as a whole to the websites trying to bring it out.

Magan: Have people’s opinions changed now that you have one of the most read cell phone novels in America?

Matt: While my story has been viewed enough to make it one of the most read of its kind in English, the fact is that there are not that many people reading the novels period. I have seen a few comments left by people who were excited by the new style, and I have also seen people who disliked it. So while I think it's possible that there are people who have had their opinions changed for the better, I also think there are people who have merely had their opinions validated. But as with any genre or writing style, different people have different tastes. So to be blunt, I don't think my story has been read enough to be able to tell if it has significantly changed anything.

Magan: Where do you go from here? Are you currently seeking representation for your work?

Matt: Where do I go? Forward. It's the only place to go.
As the novel is still being written, I have not sought any representation for it. I would think I'd need it to be finished before an agent or publisher would take interest. Of course, I'm not against representation, so if anyone is interested, I'd love to hear from them. I am however hoping to gain representation for some of my other novel's that I have written in private. These however, are not written in the Cell Phone Novel style. Hopefully you'll be seeing one of them eventually in a bookstore near you.

Magan: Do you have any famous last words or anything else that you would like to share?

Matt: Beside's writing novels, I am working on a possible Manga project with an artist, though it is still in the very early creation process.
As for some quotes, here are just a few of my favorites that help to inspire me each day:
"Move forward. You've got a good strong pair of legs. You should get up and use them." ~ Edward Elric (from the Anime Fullmetal Alchemist)
"Everybody get's knocked down, how quick are you gonna get back up?" ~ from the song 'Ali in the Jungle' by The Hours
"I have not failed 10,000 times, I have simply been succesful in having found 10,000 ways it won't work." ~ Thomas Edison
"...Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~ Luke 11:9


You can find Matt Reeves on text novel or as my Twitter BFF Mattreeves17!

You can also find his cell phone novel "Once upon a Christmas wish" at
http://www.textnovel.com/story/Once-Upon-A-Christmas-Wish.../2395/

Interview with singer James Maples

Here starts my first attempt at an interview for my blog. I love geek to glam stories and knew my first one had to be someone that I know personally. James and I grew up together and performed in school plays and sang loudly in 8th grade choir. Currently James is living in Rockford and will be appearing on this season's America's Got Talent! You can also find him on Facebook or Twitter, and I must say that he is pretty fab!

Q1 : Did you always want to do music? What has inspired you to continue to pursue it?

A: I have always wanted to do music. I have been doing music since I was 10. I have been very inspired recently by Gaga. I've met many artists in the past two years, but she tops the cake. The main reason she inspires me so much is because at first they thought she just wanted attention, but then people started to be really impressed by her song writing. I love that she is able to have fun with it and it makes me able to have more fun with my music. Just seeing Gaga performing live and turning songs like "Poker Face" into a ballad and just her realness. I want to be like her and to make me and not have the studio make me.

Q2: What kept you motivated throughout high school and college? I know you tried out twice for American Idol, but how and why America's Got Talent?

A: I did American Idol when I was 16. They told me to come back. I was "too young" then again in 2009. I got quite a bit of media from Fox News. That is how I got my producer. America's Got Talent was something I thought I would try. Out of 9,000 people (half singers) I was casted! I figured I could be more "me" w/AGT. AI is very scripted. There is a lot the public does not know about American Idol.
Q3: What is easier after you found out those things about Idol to move on?
A:I was so sad when I was 16. I thought my dream was over. It was when I went to college; I knew I had what it takes. I then started developing a fan base. But I’m so glad AI was successful in 09. I got a producer from it! I’m in the studio working on demos to give 2 labels and I have a Fox audition for Glee. Needless to say, I'm glad that Idol did not work out. It's 80 % acting 20% talent (the 20% usually end up in the final four).

Q4: I heart Glee; I've actually even blogged about the show. Can you relate to any of the characters on the show? What made you decide to audition for Glee?

A: Well I had the string to pull an audition. Yes I can relate to pretty much all the characters. I was an underdog in high school. The arts were never appreciated, but…I knew I had to follow my dreams and heart. Look at me now. I’m doing it and most of my class is either homeless, pregnant, drop outs, or partying all night and acting like they are in school still.

Q5: Tell me a little bit what high school was like for you?

A: I wasn't popular freshman and sophomore year and junior and senior year I wasn't popular but I didn't talk to everyone. When I look back, I don't want to say that I was fake, but I wasn't being the real me I was always trying to be with the popular kids and I only felt like myself when I was in theatre. I did get teased a lot and it sucks that I had to be something other than myself and in the end I wasn't being myself and I regret it a lot looking back. I think I could have done more with chorus and solos, but I was too afraid to get out of the shadows.

Q1: And how does that experience help you with your music now?

A: It definitely helps me with my writing now. I mean I came from a small town where I was an underdog and I’m not going to let my high school past hold me back from what I want to do. I’m not apologizing for anything because it would be more like apologizing for the truth.
Overall don't be afraid: Bring out your weirdness and bring out your uniqueness. Bring something new to the table! When I auditioned for America's Got Talent I told them about this weird high pitched noise that I used to do when I was nervous and then I showed them the noise, and the judges loved it! So be yourself and don't hide it!