Hiatus

As of today, I'm going on a blogger hiatus.  Deborah Wiles had an interesting post about "face time," a while back that was quite insightful, and it got me thinking about how much time I spend staring at this screen.  While I'm not ready to write long-hand yet, I think I could decrease my screen time a bit, and connect some more with the faces around me.  

Yes, connecting is good.

I don't know when I'll be back, but when I do, I'll have more interviews!   

Interview Friday

More interviews are in the works.  Stay tuned!  I'm substitute teaching today so, unfortunately, that means no time for a substitute post of any substance.

Have a good Friday all!

Wednesday

Dig up
every bit
of the possible
and then plant all your seeds
there
in the yet-to-be-named.


Wait
because this is the only way to see

New Ground

It is the only way
To grow.

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Farrar Straus and Giroux

(Frances Foster Books)

April 2008

Ages 9-12

I was drawn to Diamond Willow because of its creative structure. The novel is told in a series of concrete poems shaped like diamonds. Diamond Willow is a type of wood that grows in the northern woods, and is polished to be used for walking sticks and lamps and the like. The distinctly shaped scars create something striking and singular, much like this story, which is an ode to Alaska and sled dogs and the diamond willow.

Willow is growing up. She wants to be understood and trusted to do adult things. When her parents allow her to drive the family's prized sled dog, Roxie, to her grandparents' house, disaster strikes.

When she enlists her best friend (who has lately been paying more attention to a certain boy than Willow) in a plan to help the injured Roxie, they fight to survive the elements.

And then there are the animals in the forest, reincarnated ancestors, who watch over and protect Willow. Their contributions, in prose form, are the only departure from the diamond poems.

All this would have been enough for me to put the book down and say, "That was really good." Then Frost puts in such an unexpected plot twist I had to set the book down to thoroughly savor the surprise. Wow. And this book has been out since last April! I think it should have received more attention than it did. I highly recommend this novel--added bonus--you can read it in an evening. A pithy, sparkly read.

Interview Interlude

I'm sorry to say, there is no interview today. In an attempt to offer an inferior substitute post, here are a few things that currently interest me. Got the idea from Kara Lareau.

1. Cute summer shoes and where to get them.
2. Picture books and learning to write them.
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. American Idol (though not as interested as I've been in the past, for some reason)
5. The shift from soup to salad for my lunch (It's spring!)
6. Allison Krauss
7. my son, who I caught perusing the "Parenting Teens" book I've been reading.
8. Learning to control the particular brain chemistry that causes inspiration (Why not? Doesn't it seem like you should be able to?)
9. The plot structure of Helen Frost novels (The Braid, Diamond Willow)
10. bike riding (It's spring!)
11. The fragility of the brain.
12. Economic Bailouts. Can't live with'em, can't live without'em. The economy doesn't usually interest me beyond my own wallet, but I'm worried enough to be quite interested at the moment. Banks: okay. Everyone else? Not so sure. Of course I want the automobile industry to surivive and thrive, but where do we draw the line then? And where is the money really coming from? Who is really bailing us out? And how will we ever pay it back?

What's knocking around in your head lately?

Ellie McDoodle!!

Ruth Barshaw has up and been nominated for a 2010 Beverly Cleary award! What wonderful, prestigious recognition. Read more about the whole thing on Ruth's blog. Wouldn't it be great if she won?

An Agent Interview: Erin Murphy

The Erin Murphy Literary Agency is one of the most successful around, and it’s not even located in New York City! Indeed, I’ve heard the words “Dream Agent” bandied about among authors seeking representation from this Arizona native. She also happens to be one of the nicest people on the planet. Welcome Erin! And thanks for being the first agent interview in my series.

Lori: With all the changes happening in the industry right now, do you think writers should still be submitting to houses without an agent?

Erin: Well, I think agents have become especially important in that we do have our fingers on the pulse and know what editors are looking for and what they just can't take to acquisitions right now--and we also help our clients put aside their long-shot, narrow-readership manuscripts in these hard times and present only the very best work to editors.
But if an unagented writer has a good connection with an editor via a critique or a conference or the like, and has a good manuscript that is ready to go, I don't think she should pass up the opportunity. Don't have an attitude of throwing whatever you've got and seeing what sticks--save some opportunities for later if you need to--but make good use of what you have.


Lori: Aside from honing one’s skills to the level required for the market, how important is it to develop a platform of sorts before attempting publication?
Erin: This depends entirely on the project. Here's a great link to an interview in which a publicist talks about playing to your strengths when promoting a manuscript:

http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/01/publicist-interview-jennifer-taber-of.html

As Jennifer Taber says, you simply focus on what you're good at and develop opportunities there. If you have a platform and it matches with your book, that's terrific. If you write nonfiction, it can even be key. But for fiction, it's not required.
Here's a good example: My client Susan Vaught published a book called TRIGGER, about a kid who tried to kill himself with a gun, but survived. It's a powerful piece of fiction just as fiction, and has gotten plenty of buzz among book reviewers and such for that, and Susan was already a published author when it came out, with connections among booksellers and librarians. On its own, that would have been enough.

But Susan is also a neuropsychologist specializing in head injury issues, and can speak with authority about the issue of suicide and suicide prevention. With that platform, she was able to reach into some areas that another author might not have reached--psychology magazines and journals, teachers who take a special interest in suicide prevention, radio programs focusing on mental health issues, and so on. So she was able to come at this from both angles, and I think it benefited the book.


Lori: That makes a lot of sense. Since you consider clients only that you’ve attended conferences with, or on referral, would you tell us about any upcoming appearances?

Erin: I attended five conferences last year! I usually try to limit it to two. At this point I'm scheduled for only one, a fall conference with the Central Ohio SCBWI (a new chapter whose website should be up soon here: http://www.coscbwi.org/). I've sworn to do no conferences this spring at all--my reading pile has been out of control. And at this point, I've signed a few new clients in the last several months, so I'm finding it much easier to pass on submissions than usual, as well--I've referred several writers to other agents who have signed them, which says something about the quality of work I'm saying no to at the moment. I'd say it would be smart, if you have an avenue for querying me, to hold off until well into the spring at this point, if you want to catch me in a good mood!

Lori: Do you ever represent authors who write exclusively for the picture book market?

Erin: Yes. But I have a good number of picture book authors, and they tend to be fairly prolific, so it's rare I sign new ones.

Lori: The dreaded market trend question: What kinds of projects are you looking for right now that you believe can be sold relatively easily in this tight time?

Erin: I'm really sorry to say something entirely unhelpful: Terrifically strong writing that absolutely blows me away. Truly, that's what it takes. When I visited editors in New York last fall, I was told over and over again that they're looking for "sure things and award winners." If only we could predict in either category!

Lori: Please tell us a little about your upcoming publications in 2009.

Erin: I have lots of new things by well-loved authors, which of course is always exciting--two new YA novels by Janette Rallison, MY FAIR GODMOTHER and JUST ONE WISH, each breaking a little into new territory and together marking her best work to date, I think; the debut of a new series by R.L. LaFevers, the author of THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS, called NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST, a chapter book aimed at adventure-loving boys; THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK, the first of a new series by Laura Resau, author of RED GLASS, marrying her international sensibility and magical realism with a slightly more commercial approach; and Susan Vaught and her first-time-writer son, JB Redmond, have a meaty new fantasy, OATHBREAKER, coming out in two parts, starting with ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE in June. Perfect for die-hard fantasy fans.


I'm also very excited about some authors making their debuts in 2009. Lisa Glatt and Suzanne Greenburg have an adorable young middle grade novel called ABIGAIL IRIS: THE ONE AND ONLY coming out in March; another Abigail Iris book is in the works, too. Penny Blubaugh's magical YA novel SERENDIPITY MARKET is out this month as well. Lewis Harris has a really fun middle-grade novel called A TASTE FOR RED coming out in June--this features a girl named Stephanie who insists on being called Svetlana and believes she is a vampire. A bookseller who read it in advance said it was Buffy meets Nancy Drew.

I’m especially looking forward to seeing a spring picture book, THE HAT THAT WORE CLARA B., illustrated by Frank Morrison. The author, Melanie Turner-Denstaedt, passed away last year and did not get to see her first book release, but she did see Frank's sketches. The publication will be a bittersweet event.

Lori: What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

Erin: Depending on the weather, kayaking on the local lake, hiking in the woods with the dogs, or knitting while watching a movie or listening to an audiobook.

Lori: Do you prefer dessert or hors d’oeuvres?

Erin: Dessert! But not too sweet.
Lori: Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Erin: Absolutely without a doubt dark.

Lori: Describe a typical day in your life.

Erin: A typical workday starts around 7 a.m., with reading and responding to email, catching up on blogs and Facebook, and generally staring into my laptop for a couple of hours with the TV on in the background, vaguely catching up on news or whatever TV show has my attention at the moment. Usually on the couch, with sleeping dogs and cats sprawled around me.

Then I move into my sunny home office and start the "where did the day go" blur--making calls, going over royalty statements, reading partial manuscripts to respond to queries, talking or emailing with clients about their works in progress or where their attention should fall next or how to interpret what editors are saying about their manuscript on submission, handling one crisis or another, negotiating deals, sending manuscripts to editors via email, trying not to trip over the pile of submissions I moved to the floor so I can't avoid it, and somewhere in there, stopping for lunch or yoga or a walk or moving laundry from washer to dryer. Once a week I go to lunch with a friend and get reminded there's a real world out there. Once every six weeks or so I have a "reading week," when clients know not to call or email unless it's an emergency, and I give the vast majority of my focus to reading their manuscripts. (I spend more time on the couch that week.)
At about 5:10 p.m., my husband's car pulls into the driveway, one of my dogs presses her head down on my laptop and closes it, and I shut the door on the workday.

Lori: Thank you so much for stopping by today, Erin. It was a pleasure. I should add that Erin Murphy is the agent of my writing buddy, the inimitable Ruth McNally Barshaw, author of the Ellie McDoodle Series (and the artist who provided the sketch for this post--thanks!) Erin recently sold the third installment of the Ellie series to Bloomsbury. Yay!

Shred

Lately, my husband and I have been talking about exercising together. My mother and sister recommended I check out the Jillian Michaels SHRED workout they just started doing. Jillian is a trainer on, The Biggest Loser television program. We get the work-out in our On Demand menu.

The idea is you are constantly multi-tasking: working your upper body with weights while doing lunges, that type of thing. This alternates with some pretty intense, high impact cardio.

So, I'm thinking, my sixtyish year old parents do this routine every other day. It must not be THAT intense. Maybe it would be the appropriate portal back to the world of fitness for me.

Oh, how wrong wrong wrong I was.

I dragged my poor husband out of bed on Sunday morning. "We're going to get FIT!"
We did the workout. My husband, having had knee surgery this past fall, was smart and stopped short of injury.

But I did the whole thing. There are three ladies leading these moves. There's our militant leader, Jillian, and two others demonstrating "lower" and "higher" ability.

I'm still in my thirties! I think to myself. Doesn't that make me high ability?

No No No No NO.


At certain points, I wanted to curl up and expire, and Jillian would say,

"I know you want to die right now! But DON'T stop!"

Okay, Jillian.

Six thousand four hundred ninety two crunches, jumping jacks, lunges, push-ups and Hail Mary cries later, I honestly felt great.

"Wow," I said to my husband. "This is a GREAT workout! I feel GREAT!"

"Good," he said. "Can we go upstairs now?"

I thought it was pretty good for someone who's been letting things like opening rejection letters pass for a workout regimen. In fact, I was downright thrilled with myself. Hey, I'm not so old after all!

I took a long, hot shower. Nice.

Then, as I tried in vain to get out of the bathtub, an urgent message surged from my quadriceps. Loosely translated: "We are very angry with you."

It is Thursday, and I am just now walking normally.

My mother called the other day to tell me Dad hurt his leg doing the Jillian Michaels workout. "You know, Lori, it dawned on me, I'm sixty years old. Your father and I probably shouldn't be doing quite so much jumping up and down."

I love my parents.

It actually is a good workout, if you ease into it a bit more.

As for my husband and I, we'll be looking at Debbie Diesen's Wednesday Workout Reviews to find a supplement to the jump-till-you-croak-insanity that is SHRED.

And keep a "shred" of our dignity in the process.

My Dog is Airborne

We're having gusts up to fifty miles per hour here in my little midwest town. I'm posting to inform you that for the second time in her, so far, short yet meaningful life,

My shitzu has blown off the deck.

She's fine, just a little surprised. I mean she was kind of close to the edge, but not that close. I wish I had a picture. Imagine a scene out of the Wizard of Oz, for when our dear little Molly hit the grass, squinting and making a valiant attempt to stay on all fours against the elements, I'm quite certain I heard her whisper, "We are not in Kansas anymore."

Perhaps I'll hire her out as a stunt dog.

An Interview with: Janet Taylor Lisle

This week’s author is highly acclaimed Newbery Honor and Scott O'Dell award winning author, Janet Lisle. Her latest book is HIGHWAY CATS (you can see my review here). Welcome Janet!

Lori: Where are you from?

Janet: I'm a New Englander with deep roots in Rhode Island. My home is in a small, rural town, on the coast. I love the fields, ponds, beaches and woods surrounding my house and many of my stories contain passages that describe real places I walk every day. Near my home are ocean coves where rum-runners like those in my book BLACK DUCK once landed on moonless nights. The magical garden featured in THE LOST FLOWER CHILDREN is off my side porch. The forest that provides the scene for my novel about how wars start, FOREST, is just down the road.



Lori: Tell us a little bit about your writing process.


Janet: I wrote my first books with a pencil, pages that I then typed up on an electric typewriter before mailing them to my editor. I work entirely on computer now. Otherwise the process is the same. Writing is like fishing: first comes the small tug of an idea, then a cautious reeling in, a stronger pull from the water and then a big fight (usually about mid-way through) where the story tries to get away and you have to play it with cunning and patience. Finally, if you're lucky, you land a creature that isn't at all what you thought it would be, but you're so relieved the fight is over that you don't care.

Lori: Do you listen to music while you write?

Janet: I love music, and sing in several choruses. But I don't listen to it while I write. It tends to drown out the voices of my characters. Also, I like to read my work out loud from time to time to hear how it sounds. Words, sentences, even whole chapters, make music of their own.

Lori: Do you ever work on more than one book at a time?

Janet: No. Once I'm into a story, I can't think of anything else.



Lori: Tell us about the play adapted from your novel AFTERNOON OF THE ELVES.
Janet: AFTERNOON OF THE ELVES was optioned by a children's theater company and written as a script for stage so quickly that I didn't have time to participate. I would have liked to. It's been a big success and I like the play a lot, but I find it both sadder and less magical than my story. I'm basically an "awe and wonder" writer, someone interested in the power of imagination. It's why I love writing for children. They're more in touch with this side of themselves than adults. In the play, Sara-Kate's backyard elves are no longer real by the end. They've become a way to describe Sara-Kate's terrible social problems. In the book, I leave room for my readers to imagine what they please about the elves. Personally, I've always believed that, within the scope of the story, the elf village is awesomely and powerfully alive. This is what gives the story its imaginative depth.

Lori: What do you like to read?

Janet: My favorite books growing up were J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT, and his RING TRILOGY. I loved his invention of an alter world complete with history, geography, moral code, and even a literature. The writing in those books, with its over-elaborate, mock heroic tone, isn't the best, I see now, but I still admire the sweep of Tolkien's imagination, and the sinister creep of evil that shadows his plots.

Lori: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

Janet: At the moment, I'm writing a history of my town for the local historical society. The town is one of the oldest in America. This fall, I've been researching what happened to the Indians who lived here first, back in the 17th Century. There's a mystery about where they went. Were they simply killed or deported, or did they gradually blend in with the newer inhabitants? I may use these ideas in a fictional book later.

Lori: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your writing life?

Fiction is a kind of writing that's best done on a full tank of ideas and emotion. I need time between books to fill up. For me, the best stories have meanings that go deeper than the surface narrative. It isn't enough that characters are "well developed", as the critics often say. Or that a story is deftly plotted or a fast, exciting read. Ambiguity, voice, the uneasy thrill of teetering at the edge of reality, are things I've learned to treasure in novels written for adults, and I work to bring them to my stories for children and young adults. This doesn't make me the most popular writer out there, but for those who care to look, there are special sights to be seen.

Lori: Thank you so much for dropping by. Your books are worth the wait! (Janet has a wonderful, informative website with more interviews here).