Enter to win a copy of The Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas (Aladdin, 2010)! From the promotional copy:Griffin Penshine is always making wishes. But when a sinister old woman tricks her into accepting a box of eleven shiny Indian Head pennies from 1897, Griffin soon learns these are no ordinary pennies, but stolen wishes.
This box of labeled pennies comes with a horrible curse: People in possession of the stolen coins are Wish Stealers, who will never have their wishes granted.... In fact, the opposite of what they've wished for will happen. Griffin must find a way to return these stolen wishes and undo the curse if her own wishes are to come true.
But how can Griffin return wishes to strangers who might not even be alive? Her journey leads her to ancient alchemists, Macbeth's witches, and a chance to help people in ways she never imagined, but the temptation of the Wish Stealers' dark and compelling power is growing stronger. Can Griffin reverse the curse in time to save herself and the people she loves?
Tracy Trivas's rich and imaginative début novel introduces a talent as bright and sparkling as Griffin's pennies.
To enter, email me (scroll and click envelope) with your name and snail/street mail address and type "The Wish Stealers" in the subject line (Facebook, JacketFlap, MySpace, and Twitter readers are welcome to just privately message or comment me with the name in the header/post; I'll write you for contact information, if you win). Deadline: October 31. Sponsored by Simon & Schuster; U.S. entries only.
More News
Congratulations to Julie Gardner Berry and Sally Gardner on the launch of their Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys series (Grosset & Dunlap, 2010)! Number 1 The Rat Brain Fiasco and #2 Curse of the Bizaro Beetle are now available.Cynsational Blogger Tip: Ask first before blogging about a private and/or for-a-fee speech, workshop or other related event, online or off. Speakers set their rates with the understanding that they may give the talk again. Err on the side of courtesy and respecting other writers' ownership of their work.
Censorship and the Right to Read from Children's-YA Literature Resources. Note: this is a page on my main author site dedicated to free speech. What youth literature resources should I add? Write me, message me, or leave a comment at Cynsations at LiveJournal or MySpace.
Writers Need Cheerleaders by Laini Taylor from Grow Wings. Peek: "Writers need cheerleaders. Before feedback. Before editing. Before almost anything else but snack-making, we need to be convinced and reminded that we are good. Feedback of the critical sort, however constructive and wise, can be deadly if it comes too soon."
Speak Loudly: "...a group of teachers, librarians, bloggers, and authors who have come together to speak out against the censorship of media materials for teens. We’re a community of people raising their voices together." See also the Speak Loudly blog.
Leah Hultenschmidt is the new senior acquisitions editor for the Fire (YA) imprint at Sourcebooks. Source: Joy Preble from Joy's Novel Idea. Note: Find out what Leah's looking for in terms of YA novels.
Cover Stories: The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan from Melissa Walker. Peek: "I loved the girl's hair, and the water droplets effect, but the blue graphic didn't really convey anything about the story. Only the word 'mermaid' in the title hinted that it might be a fantasy."Saundra Mitchell on Banned Books from Mundie Moms. Peek: "Reading books that reflected my neighborhood took away my shame, and replaced it with possibility. Other people had seen terrible things, and lived in terrible places, but they got to leave. They learned to fly planes and write books and build buildings and every remarkable, possible thing. I wasn't limited by the place I lived. I was limited only by myself."
On Being a Young Author or Does Age Matter? by Kate Coursey, age 17, from Suzette Saxton at QueryTracker Peek: "There are advantages and disadvantages to being a young author, but in the end, it comes down to the writing, the characters, and whether or not you have the dedication to see a novel through to the finish."
The Drive-By Signing by April Henry. Peek: "...if you're smart and have the energy, you'll have found out whether the escort planned to give the stores a heads-up about your visit."
God Is in the Details by Patrick from QueryTracker.net. Peek: "Given just the right emphasis, a detail enters the reader's mind, delineates the boundaries of the characters' world, and then fades. The reader picks up the tension but never traces it to the puddle of condensation growing around the water pitcher or to the flickering fluorescent light behind the counter."
McMakin Literary Agency: a new agency, founded by Jordan McMakin, representing young adult and middle grade fiction. Peek: "Before opening McMakin Lit, Jordan worked in editorial at Penguin Group (USA) and Disney*Hyperion Books in New York City." Source: Austin SCBWI.
The Evolution of the Literary Agent by Jane Friedman from Writer's Digest. Peek: "Can publishers’ royalties and sales continue to support the agency business model? Is it allowable for an agent to find other ways to make money from clients, aside from selling books to publishers?" Note: not focused on children's-YA book agents, but some global considerations/trends still apply.
Magazine Markets for Children's Writers 2011 and Book Markets for Children's Writers 2011 (Institute of Children's Literature, 2010) are now available. From the promotional copy: "The 650+ magazines listed in Magazine Markets...published nearly 35,000 articles and stories last year alone. Of those submissions, nearly 7,500 were by previously unpublished authors and almost 11,000 were by writers new to that magazine. Book Markets...lists over 590 publishers that combined to produce more than 28,000 titles. Of those titles, nearly 2,400 were by previously unpublished authors, and more than 2,800 were by writers new to the publishing house."Secrets of Facebook by Darcy Pattison from PR Notes. Peek: "Unfortunately, Facebook is not forgiving. You make an ill-advised decision early–when you know so little about how it works–and you’re stuck. I’m keeping my two separate accounts; but I wish I’d know about the Lists so it was easier." See also Darcy on Villains Don't Always Wear Black.
Spell Check Will Fail You Every Time: Fun with Homophones from Tracy Marchini. Peek: "Before you send off that query letter or manuscript, I am sure that you are spell checking. However, there are still those dastardly words that will technically be spelled correctly, but the usage will be incorrect." Peek: "Tracy...is a freelance writer and professional manuscript critiquer. Before launching her own editorial service, she worked for Curtis Brown, Ltd. for four years."
NY-NJ-CT Bound
Attention New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut-based Teachers, Librarians, Booksellers and University Professors of YA Literature or Writing! I'm going to be spending some time in your area in early-to-mid February in conjunction with the launch of Blessed (PDF). If you'd like me to visit your school, library or school, write me at cynthia at cynthialeitichsmith dot com, and I'll refer you to the appropriate contact at Candlewick Press. Thanks!
More Personally
Tantalize - Cynthia Leitich Smith by Steven R. McEvoy from Book Reviews and More. Peek: "The story was great, with amazing twists in the plot. The surprises kept coming." See also Steven's review of Eternal.Interview with Ming Doyle: A Miasma of Paint, Pencil and Ink by Rondal Scott III from Fuel Your Illustration. Ming is the illustrator of the upcoming Tantalize: Kieren's Story, a graphic novel (Candlewick, Aug. 2011). Peek: "Kieren, the main character, may be a teenage werewolf, but he’s somewhat reluctant to face his hairy destiny and he’s wary of the dangers associated with the paranormal. He’s almost a detective before anything else..."
Spooky Events
"Beyond Feathers and Fangs: Crossing Borders in Realistic and Fantasy Fiction, with Cynthia Leitich Smith" at The 33rd Annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar - Kalamazoo Public Library. The seminar costs $40 (lower student rates are available) and is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m Nov. 5. Note: Maria Perez-Stable and Beth Amidon will also present a book talk, and additional speakers are Gillian Engberg, Booklist editor, and Debbie Reese, UIUC professor. See more on the speakers.
