Friday Five -- Anne Greenwood Brown

Anne Greenwood Brown is the author of LIES BENEATH, published by Random House/Delacorte on June 12.  Anne is a whip-smart member of the Apocalypsies, and I've realized, looking at her novel playlist, that we listen to a lot of the same music.  Who knew merpeople and Tudors had so much in common?





THE FIVE:

1. What is your guiltiest pleasure?


My guiltiest pleasure is buying a “Medium Skim Latte, please” at a coffee shop drive-thru. Notice the verb. I am so in love with the luxury of buying a coffee while sitting in my car that sometimes I pay for it and drive off, leaving the coffee behind. It’s very embarrassing.

2. Who are your writing heroes?


My writing heroes are Markus Zusak for his word play, John Irving for his mastery of the absurd, Maggie Stiefvater for her lyricism, and Judy Blume for her flexible voice.

3.  What is your favorite word?


Well, judging by my first drafts, the word I must love best is “just” because I just can’t help myself. If my fingers had their way, “just” would show up in just about every sentence. But that’s probably not what you were asking. Here are some faves: cling, haphazard, semblance, and token. I just like the way they sound.

4.  What word do you like the least?


Nipple

5.  What other profession would you like to learn?


I would have loved to have been a movie star. I think that’s where writing comes in. Playing a role on screen and creating a character on the page are very similar creative processes, but as a writer you are not only the actor, but the script writer, director, make up artist, costumer, set design, and prop master.

I might have also liked to have been a party planner.

ABOUT LIES BENEATH:

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of merpeople obsessed with killing Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother’s death. To lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the lake, the mermaids charge Calder with the task of seducing the man’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Lily Hancock. “Get close to the daughter,” they tell him, “and you’ll get close to the family. Get close to the family, and you’ll get close to the man. Get him out on the water. We’ll take care of the rest.”
But Calder screws everything up by falling in love. Now he’s in the unenviable position of trying to love the girl while simultaneously plotting her father’s murder. Suffice it to say, his sisters aren’t pleased with his effort, and Calder’s running out of time (and excuses). 


ABOUT ANNE:

You can find Anne on her website.
On Twitter.
And on Facebook.

GILT playlist - The End

Everyone knows how Cat Howard's story end - or anyone with access to Wikipedia does.  But what about Kitty Tylney?  That, my friends, is a little more mysterious, and has to be left up to the imagination.  Not wanting to be too spoilery, but that last phrase is key.  Imagination is important.

However, so is this week's playlist song - Quelqu-un ma dit, by Carla Bruni.  Now, I don't go around listening to French music very often (I did, however, take four years of French in high school.  Totally useless, except for one trip to France straight out of college, when the ticketmaster at the Lyons train station looked at me after I used my best schoolgirl French to purchase tickets to Bordeaux and said, "Excuse me, but I do not understand English." Hmph.)  And I haven't put this song in here to appear more worldly-wise or cosmopolitan than I am (which is to say, not very.)  But I did see the movie 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, and the simple beauty of this song moved me.  And when I really listened to it, so did the lyrics, at least what little I could understand.  (There are ways to find the lyrics - and the translation - online, but I chose to come to my own conclusions).

My own version, based on what I heard, translated the chorus this way:

Someone told me that you loved me still....


It is possible, then.


Love opens up a whole realm of possibilities, does it not?  I chose to imagine that it does for Kitty, too.

Friday Five -- Diana Renn

I am very excited to introduce to you this week's Friday Five interviewee - Diana Renn, author of TOKYO HEIST, a new YA mystery/adventure published by Viking a couple of weeks ago.  I met Diana online through the Apocalypsies, and we quickly bonded as pub sisters.  She has an artistic eye, a vibrant imagination, and is a taiko drummer.  How cool is that?


THE FIVE:


1. What is your earliest memory?


My earliest memories all seem to involve books. Building houses out of my parents’ books. Sleeping with library books. Making my own little illustrated volumes. My uncle was a printer, and always kept me well-stocked with paper, all kinds of cast-off bits which I felt compelled to turn into books. I was a self-publishing force to be reckoned with by age five, churning out little illustrated chapbooks and foisting them upon anyone who crossed my path. The earliest had incredibly didactic titles, like “Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!” and “Time to Clean Up!” (Now, as a parent of a preschooler, maybe I’d actually find them useful – I think I’ll revisit them!)


2.  What would your super power be?


My super power would be similar to one imagined by Violet, the main character in Tokyo Heist. Violet is writing and drawing a graphic novel, and she invents an alter ego, Kimono Girl, a superhero who can fly into works of art. Inside the art, Kimono Girl can fully investigate the world of the painting, or spy on the outside world. I’d love to slip into art and books like that. Poke around for awhile. Though it might be hard not to tamper with anything.


3.  What single thing would improve the quality of your life?


Other than more hours in the day? A personal assistant. I am currently drowning in paper, correspondence, household errands, etc. I constantly feel stretched in many different directions. (Don’t we all?)


4.  Who are your writing heroes?


Anyone who balances writing with parenting and/or a day job and gets stuff done, whether they are published or not. I’m an avid follower of my friend Pat’s interview series called The Juggler Interviews. He does these in-depth interviews with people who juggle creative careers with family life and other demands. Many of them are playwrights and screenwriters, and have travel pressures on top of everything else. I’m humbled and inspired every time I read those interviews.


5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?


It’s one word. Believe. I write it on a post-it whenever I start a writing session. That single word reminds me to believe that I’ll get something done, even if it feels impossible. It also reminds me to believe in what I’m writing, and to trust the writing process. There’s work in the writing, for sure, but there’s a little magic in it. Here’s some uncanny proof. Last summer, while revising Tokyo Heist for my publisher, I decided I wanted the book to make the Indie Kids’ Next List. I read that seasonal list faithfully and love the bookseller recommendations. I crossed out “Summer 11” and replaced it with “12,” for 2012. And I knew making that list was a longshot – so many factors you cannot control -- but I wrote one word on that masthead. Believe. Astoundingly, my book did make the Indie Kids’ Next List for Summer 2012! That is one powerful word.

ABOUT TOKYO HEIST:


When sixteen-year-old Violet agrees to spend the summer with her father, an up-and-coming artist in Seattle, she has no idea what she's walking into. Her father’s newest clients, the Yamada family, are the victims of a high-profile art robbery: van Gogh sketches have been stolen from their home, and, until they can produce the corresponding painting, everyone's lives are in danger -- including Violet's and her father's.

Violet’s search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery thickens, Violet’s not sure whom she can trust. But she knows one thing: she has to solve the mystery -- before it’s too late.

You can order TOKYO HEIST here!

ABOUT DIANA:

You can find Diana on her website.
On the blog Sleuths Spies and Alibis.
On Twitter.
And on Facebook.

It's the End of the World...

As we know it.  And you can tell, because I have allowed myself to be videoed.  While singing.  I blame the Apocalypsies....

Friday Five -- Marissa Burt

Marissa Burt is a sister member of the 2012 debut collective called the Apocalypsies.  I only know Marissa online, but I know her to be kind and generous with her words and a keen supporter of other authors!  Her middle grade novel, STORYBOUND, was published by Harper Collins in April.


THE FIVE:


1.  Who are your real-life heroes?

My real-life heroes are always those people who demonstrate exemplary courage.  I’ve recently been reading about the life of William Wilberforce, the famous abolitionist, and I so respect people like him who weren’t daunted by the magnitude of the societal ills around them.  He could have been dissuaded by his own smallness; instead, he gave everything he had to the fight for justice.  Lately, I’m learning more about modern day slavery and human trafficking, and I just read a story of a woman who quit her job in her thirties and ended up establishing an orphanage in war-torn Sudan.  That combination of bravery and compassion is stunning.

2.  What intrigues you?

People’s stories.  Love of story is what makes me a book-lover and a fiction-writer, but I also find the accounts of real-life experiences to be captivating.  Biographies.  The quiet chapters of well-lived lives.  Dramatic, unbelievable, true tales.  All of it.  So intriguing.  

3.  What other profession would you like to learn?

I would love to be involved in the theatre.  I’ve done a few community theatre productions – both as an actor and as a backstage helper – and I loved my experiences!  I think this has to do with my obsession for living out the imaginary worlds I so love, and there’s something magical about the vitality and energy of creative people on stage.

4.  What profession would you never, ever want to have?

Tough question!  I would have to say anything to do with heights.  Whenever I see footage of people hanging from harnesses, washing skyscraper windows or operating cranes on towering structures, everything gets all tingly.  I’ll keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, thanks!

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

Just do it. We all have our tricks for encouraging creativity or brainstorming plot ideas, but the reality is that one’s capacity to write is directly related to the ability to sit down and crank the words out.  The surest way to writer’s block is to wait for the muse to strike.  Instead, I’ve found that forcing out those first few sentences – as horrible as they seem at the time – is the only sure way to a productive writing session.

ABOUT STORYBOUND:


When Una Fairchild stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, she thinks nothing of opening the cover and diving in. But instead of paging through a regular novel, Una suddenly finds herself Written In to the land of Story—a world filled with Heroes and Villains and fairy-tale characters.

But not everything in Story is as magical as it seems. Una must figure out why she has been Written In—and fast—before anyone else discovers her secret. Together with her new friend Peter and a talking cat named Sam, Una digs deep into Story's shadowy past. She quickly realizes that she is tied to the world in ways she never could have imagined—and it might be up to her to save it.

You can order STORYBOUND here.

ABOUT MARISSA:

You can find Marissa

On her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.

The Next One

A few days ago, I wrote a post asking for topic suggestions and readers came back with some very intriguing ideas!  But one has been echoed by Facebook messages, Twitter replies and interview questions, so I thought I'd address it here.

Anonymous commented: I want to know what your next book will be about!


Well, let me tell you, I am dying to talk about it.  I wrote the first draft of Book 2 last summer and fall, and struggled with it.  I think most published writers talk about the dreaded Sophomore book, the Book 2 curse, the horrible fear of being a one-hit wonder.

I was terrified that GILT was a fluke.  That I didn't know how to write a book.  That my agent and editor were deluded.  That I would let everyone down - agent, editor, myself, and (worst of all) readers.

But I wrote it.  And that first draft was not pretty.

However, I loved my character from the very beginning.  My husband teases me when I tell people this, but her voice just came to me. (Oh, so now you're hearing voices?)  It was a six-hour drive to see my family, everything was quiet in the car, the road curved around a river and bam!  The book started.  This girl was funny.  Snarky.  Self-assured but vulnerable.  So different from Kitty in GILT.  It was her voice that carried me through the first draft.  And her voice that made me able to sustain the revisions.

I have a couple of revisions left to go (a novel's path to publication is a long process!), so I am not yet ready to talk about this character.  I know I sound cagey, and I'd rather not be.  But I want to retain the freedom of writing this character without other voices intruding.  Without comments or suggestions.

Writing historical fiction based on real people naturally invites opposing opinions - we don't know what these people were really like!  This is what makes them so much fun to read and write about!  And I love it when people question my take on an historical character - was Catherine Howard really such a manipulative cow?  Was Katherine Tylney really so loyal? Because I don't know!  These are real people, but my characters are fictional!  I'm just not ready to face these questions yet about Book 2.  I need the book to be complete, to put the character to rest, and then I'll tell you all about it.

Promise.

Friday Five -- Joanne Levy

Joanne Levy is the author of SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE (quite possibly the best title of the year for a middle grade novel) and a Class of 2k12 sibling.  I have the great pleasure of being able to hear her wisdom and humor almost daily through 2k12 e-mails and I'm delighted to be able to share her here.

THE FIVE:

1.  What is your guiltiest pleasure? 

I have two – one reading and one food. Let’s start with the reading: J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books. They are SUCH a guilty pleasure because they’re kind of cheesy (hello, laughable character names, gratuitous product placements and really bad urban-speak) but they are very, very addictive. Seriously. They are like Crahck (if you’ve read them, you get that spelling joke) and I’ve read them more times than I care to admit. But they are my go-to comfort reads when I’m tired and worn out and just want to go to a happy place.  And now, my food guilty pleasure. Um, it is SO GROSS, that I am embarrassed to tell you, but I will, because I really like you and you deserve an honest answer. Okay, here goes: when my mom (a bona fide Jewish Grandmother, who is an AMAZING cook) makes soup, she always throws in some soup bones to make for a richer broth. When we were kids, our favorite thing was to get the bones from the cooked soup and scoop out the bone marrow and spread it onto bread like butter. OMG, it’s so good, but truly one of those disgusting things that you’re kind of ashamed of as a grown-up. But would still do, given the opportunity *calling Mom right now to beg her to make soup*.

2.  Who would play you in the film of your life?

Amy Adams - I think we even have the same nose and the red hair is a no brainer. And how cute is she, right?

3.  If you could edit your past, what would you change?

Probably nothing—every experience, even the stupid mistakes I’ve made or the times when it seemed like the universe was pooping on me, have made me who I am today, and I’m pretty okay with that.

4.  What one word do you think describes you best?

Funny. I hope. Oh, man, now I’m not sure. Can I change my answer? If so, please change it to ‘self-assured’. Thanks!

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

Just Do It. Get your butt in the chair and start writing, because you can’t edit a blank page.

ABOUT SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE:

From Goodreads: After she’s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel.

You can pre-order SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE here.

ABOUT JOANNE:

You can find Joanne at her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.
And on Goodreads.