Saturday Last and Next

Last Saturday's Teen Book Fest at the Central Library in Los Angeles was phenomenal.  I started the morning out chatting with Cornelia Funke in the green room (we had a green room!  And Cornelia Funke was in it!).  If you haven't visited her website yet, please click her name and do it now.  It's wonderful, clever, interesting-- all a reflection of the woman herself.  From the green room it was on to my first panel, moderating a discussion on Historical Fiction with Patricia McCormick (SOLD, NEVER FALL DOWN) and Elizabeth Ross (BELLE EPOQUE).  What charming, intelligent ladies.  It felt like a day at a literary spa with girlfriends.  Patricia shared the fascinating true story behind the her novel, while Elizabeth delighted us with images of 19th century France and the birth-of-the-Eiffel-Tower-as-metaphor (trust me, it works). 

After our well attended (thank you everyone!) panel, I sat in the audience for the Middle Grade Book Panel, featuring Barbara Brauner and James Iver Mattson (The OH MY GODMOTHER series), Kristen Kittscher (THE WIG IN THE WINDOW), Jenn Reese (ABOVE WORLD), Ned Vizzini (HOUSE OF SECRETS) and Cecil Castellucci (LAST DAY ON EARTH).  This panel
made me want to write for middle grade.  I'm drawn to YA because I think those are the books that shape the adult you become, but the panelists all seemed to agree Middle Grade readers are at an age when magic is still possible and self-confidence has yet to be shaken.  That would explain SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS and how a bunch of kids can just sail off and live on a island for days on end without their parents calling the cops or anybody crying for no good reason.  I dig that! (And thus date myself beyond even my extensive years!)

The afternoon found me on the Other Worlds Panel, with Cecil Castellucci , Tom Leveen (SICK), Gretchen McNeil (3:59), Mary E. Pearson (THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX), and Marlene Perez (DEAD IS JUST A DREAM).  It was like a mini-reunion of writers I've met this past year.  We had a blast talking about our books and the challenges of world-building.  All in all, the day was a success.  We're hoping it becomes a regular event, so please do keep checking back here and I'll let you know if we can do a repeat next year!

So, that was last Saturday.  NEXT Saturday you can find me at the Barnes and Noble in Manhattan Beach, CA from noon to 4pm for the- Inspiring Authors for Teen Girls Author Fair.  This event is a fundraiser in support of For Women Only whose education program, “Passport to Life: A College Bound Project” is an Education Program helps prepare young women aged18—24 to pursue their academic goals.  Come on down and say hello!

GRAVITY

Okay, so movie reviews aren't my usual thing.  Well, don't worry, this is not a movie review.  I'll go ahead and say SPOILER ALERT, which isn't really needed.  I don't give anything away, but if you want to see the movie without any inkling of what it's about (other than what I just gave away in the poster) then cease reading here and come back later.  For the most part, this is a genre discussion. 


Alfonso Cuaron's new movie GRAVITY came out this weekend.  I just saw it and I confess, as much as I love Cuaron (CHILDREN OF MEN, come on!), I was reluctant to see this one.  I take issue with Man versus Nature stories.  Ever since being forced to read "To Build a Fire" in grade school, I've shivered at the thought of the futility of man in the face of the great big insert-here (world, universe, everything).

So, a movie about two astronauts trying to survive in the vaccum of space?  Kind of awful.  I just think of Jack London's protagonist and those damned matches.  And then I think of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl" and those damned matches and it makes me want to stay home forever in footie pajamas by a warm fire with a cup of cocoa.

The thing is, Man versus Nature is such a stripped down format, but it's so darned effective.  It's just Man (or Woman or Child) with nothing more than the clothes on their back-- if they're lucky-- and maybe one or two not-so-impressive tools.  And then there's Nature, red in tooth and claw, with all of her glory suddenly gone not-so-glorious for said Man/Woman/Child.  What more do you need?  These stories are about tension, hope and hopelessness, and digging deep for the will to live.

It gives me a stomach ache.

So, SPOILER ALERT (again, not really, unless, etc.)

What's impressive about GRAVITY is the way the ante, which is already literally sky high, gets upped, and upped along the way.  "The Little Match Girl" and "To Build a Fire" are short stories.  They both have one villain, manifested in one simple way-- the cold gets colder.  In GRAVITY, there's more than one way to die.

So, I'm sitting in the theater with my stomach clenched and my feet flexing at the ankles, like I'm trying to pump the brakes from the passenger seat and I come out of the theater more stonyfaced than entertained (appreciative of the effects, the camera choices, my belief in Cuaron as one of the most talented, thoughtful directors of our time, yes) and it occurs to me:  I wrote ORLEANS.  And I've been told that its given some readers the same tension tummy.  And yes, it is in some respects a Man versus Nature story in which there are many ways to die.

What was I thinking?  So, this is my apology for making any of you guys feel oogie while reading ORLEANS.  Hopefully it will stay with you, the way Andersen's and London's stories did with me.  It's funny how what you read as a child influences what you write as an adult.  It's also interesting to create something I considered "fun!" (ORLEANS, to me, is dark, difficult, but a romp with a badass heroine aka "fun!") from a place of childhood fear.

Maybe I should write something set in space?  Truly, just the thought makes me cold.  Which probably means it's worth looking into.

Hey, don't forget, I'm at the Teen Book Fest on Saturday, 10/12/13 at the Central Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.  Come on by and say hello!

Meet the Author - Booktober 2013!

Can you believe it's almost October?  Time has flown, and that brings us to a whole new page on the calendar and a few new chances to meet in the real world.  This October, you'll find me at the following events:

 

 

Sat., 10/12/13 - Teen Book Fest – Los Angeles, CA
LA Public Library Central Branch, 630 W. 5th Street Los Angeles, CA 90071

  11 - 11:45 AM - "Historical Fiction" Panel - I'll be moderating a discussion with

• Patricia McCormick (NEVER FALL DOWN, SOLD)
• Elizabeth Ross (BELLE EPOQUE)

  2 - 2:45 PM - "Other Worlds" Panel

• Me!
• Cecil Castellucci (LAST DAY ON EARTH)
• Tom Leveen (SICK)
• Gretchen McNeil (3:59)
• Mary E. Pearson (THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX)
• Marlene Perez (DEAD IS JUST A DREAM)

Sat., 10/19/13, 12 - 4 PM - Inspiring Authors for Teen Girls Author Fair – Los Angeles, CA
Barnes and Noble, Manhattan Beach, 1800 Rosecrans Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266This event is a fundraiser in support of  For Women Only whose education program, “Passport to Life: A College Bound Project” is an Education Program helps prepare young women aged18—24 to pursue their academic goals.
 

Wed., 10/23/13, 6PM - 7PM - LitCrawl YA "Book and A Movie" - North Hollywood, CA
Republic of Pie, 11118 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood CA 91601
Join me and my fellow YA writers for this Los Angeles Review of Books hosted portion of the new, exciting LitCrawl as we team up our books with movie trailers, clips, and a reading from our latest novels.  Includes:
 

• Cecil Castellucci (LAST DAY ON EARTH)
• Gretchen McNeil (3:59)
• Jennifer Bosworth (STRUCK)
• Lauren Strasnick (THEN YOU WERE GONE)
• Sarah Skilton (BRUISED)

What's LitCrawl, you ask? 
 
"The nationwide phenomenon known as the Lit Crawl debuts in Los Angeles’ North Hollywood (NoHo) Arts District this fall on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Mark your calendars now!
Restaurants, bars and other hip NoHo venues will host an evening of thrilling readings with the best of L.A.’s writers in a sampling of some of the greatest ongoing readings series from throughout Los Angeles County. Multiple literary genres will be represented spanning fiction to poetry. It promises to be a magical, vibrant literary night for all!
Los Angeles is home to one of the largest, fastest growing, and most diverse literary scenes in the world. An incredible array of local reading series and literary organizations are expected to participate in the first Lit Crawl LA: NoHo Arts District for a uniquely Los Angeles literary night."--- www.litcrawl.org/la
 
Phew!  That's a lot.  And there will be more.  Look for a panel at Comikaze the first weekend in November.  But for now, 'nuff said.  See you out there!
 
 
 
 

March Madness - Interview with A.L. Davroe - 3/29/13

Just when you thought the blog madness was over, here's another stop on the ORLEANS blog tour!  Swing by A.L. Davroe's fantastic (as in fantasy, steampunk, paranormal awesomeness) blog today for an excellent interview.  I spilled my guts about the snags I hit writing ORLEANS, and I even learned a little something about myself!

Sorry for the tiny picture.  It's low res! 

Tonight we had a very cozy teen read night round table at the Central Library in LA (I love that place!).  Got to hobnob with some cool authors-- Chris Howard, Margaux Froley, Aaron Hartzler and the fabulous Cecil Castellucci, not to mention the librarian with the coolest boots, Mary McCoy!  (The boots are too cool to appear in this photo-- you'll have to use your imagination).  Teen Read Night is an awesome monthly event.  The next one is April 18th.  Check it out!

Next week, I'm down in Redondo Beach at Mysterious Galaxy.  Come on by and say hello!

MARCH MADNESS—Announcing the ORLEANS Blog Tour!

Folks, it's time for March Madness, YA-style. 

 

Last week I promised you details on the official 2013 ORLEANS Blog Tour.  I am delighted to announce the line up, as well as a few other fun events to celebrate the launch of my first speculative/SF novel, ORLEANS!  Mark your calendars-- it's going to be a blast!

WEB EVENTS:

Monday, February 25 - ORLEANS:  CARNIVALE - Young Adult Review Network

An ORLEANS short story to whet your appetite.  "Carnivale" takes place approximately nine months before the events in the novel. 

All March Long - Check out the ORLEANS Giveaway at Young Adult Book Central

 

2013 ORLEANS BLOG TOUR*
Date	Blog
Monday, March 4	The Compulsive Reader
Tuesday, March 5	The Story Siren
Wednesday, March 6	The OWL for YA
Thursday, March 7**	GreenBeanTeenQueen
Friday, March 8	I Read Banned Books
Monday, March 11	Poisoned Rationality
Tuesday, March 12	The Book Smugglers
Wednesday, March 13	Charlotte's Library
Thursday, March 14	Literary Escapism
Friday, March 15	Cari's Book Blog
Friday, March 29	A.L. Davroe

*The blog tour comes with GIVEAWAYS!  Who knows, you might win your very own DELTA RELIEF FUND PACKAGE—everything you need to navigate ORLEANS, at least from the comfort of your armchair!

**ORLEANS hits stores Thursday, March 7, 2013!

Tour Giveaway:  a signed ARC, fun-sized Snickers, a glowstick

and your very own blood type dog tag! 

 IN-PERSON EVENTS

Monday, March 25 – Dystopian YA Fiction Panel – Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA (details TBA)

Thursday, March 28, 6:30pm – LA Teen Author Reading Night – Central Library, Los Angeles Public Library.  Join me, MargauxFroley (Escape Theory), Aaron Hartzler (Rapture Practice), and our awesome host, Cecil Castellucci (The Year of the Beasts) as we read our work and answer your questions.

 

Squee!  I'm so excited!  This book was many years in the making and I couldn't be more thrilled to finally have it on shelves.  It's like throwing a debutante ball.  ORLEANS is coming out!

 

Stay tuned for updates. There's sure to be more to come!