Marly's Ghost by David Levithan, illustrated by Brian Selznick

Until very recently, my favorite book of all time was the 1959 Newbery Medal book, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton Mifflin, 1958). I still love it, and I will always love it.

But now, I have a new favorite: Marly's Ghost by David Levithan, illustrated by Brian Selznick (Dial, 2005). I first read the novel some months ago and have been waiting impatiently until just before Valentine's Day to highlight it.

From the promotional copy: "When Ben’s girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over. What could possibly matter now when Marly is gone? So when Valentine's Day approaches, it makes sense that this day that was once so meaningful to Ben leaves him feeling bitter and hollow. But then Marly shows up—or at least her ghost does--along with three others spirits. Now Ben must take a painful journey through Valentine's Days past, present, and future, and what he discovers will change him forever."

I read so many wonderful books. What is it about this novel? What for me puts it above the rest?

It's always a deeply personal equation--what the reader brings to the story, what the story brings to the reader.

I appreciate a great ghost story. I also love contemporary retellings of classics. I am oddly enchanted by Dickens in general and A Christmas Carol (1843) in particular. And I'm an optimistic romantic.

David's writing is top notch, his "remix" approach is delightful, and Brian's illustrations are a reminder of why he is one of our most acclaimed illustrators.

But more specifically, David has somehow evoked for me what love is and magically translated it into story. The result is healing, inspiring, and, yes, a little bit spooky.

Happy (Almost) Valentine's Day!

Spooky Notes

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton Mifflin, 1958). From the promotional copy: "Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1867. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit's friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty. Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Award-winning novel portrays a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love."

Author Interview: Deborah LeBlanc on the Horror Writers Assocation

Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a business owner, a licensed death-scene investigator, and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah's unique experiences, enthusiasm, and high-energy level make her a much sought after speaker at writers' conferences across the nation. She also takes her passion for literacy and a powerful ability to motivate to high schools around the country.

She is the president of the Horror Writers Association, president of the Writers' Guild of Acadiana, president of Mystery Writers of America's Southwest Chapter, and an active member of Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc.

In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign designed to encourage more people to read.

Her most recent novels are: Family Inheritance, Grave Intent, A House Divided, and Morbid Curiosity. Deborah's next release, Water Witch, is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves in December 2008.

Congratulations on the release of Morbid Curiosity (Dorchester, 2007)! Could you tell us about the book and what inspired it?

Morbid Curiosity is about a set of sixteen-year-old twin girls whose lives are turned upside down after their father dies and their mother is committed to a hospital after she attempts suicide. Without parents, the girls are eventually shipped off to Mississippi to live with grandparents they hardly know, and it's there they decide to take control of their lives by way of Chaos Magic. The one thing they don't count on conjuring up, though, is their own death sentence.

The inspiration for this story came while I was doing research on shamans for another book. I found a link on a website marked "sigils," and curiosity sent me clicking away. The information I discovered on sigils and Chaos Magic blew me away. The intense measures that many practitioners (most of them teens) use to "charge" and "feed" their sigils is nothing short of horrifying. Some claim to have gone so far as committing murder. I couldn't not do a story on that.

If you could go back in time to your beginning writer self, what advice would you give her?

My immediate advice would be, "Run, Forest, run!" LOL...

In all seriousness, from an "outsider's" perspective, writing looks like the easiest job in the world. In truth, it's one of the toughest. It requires a lot of self-discipline, determination, and an unrelenting commitment to continuously improving your craft. Aside from that, there are tons of nay-sayers out there waiting to tell you why it's impossible to get published.

My advice to "her" now would be the same advice I gave "her" back then: "Quit worrying about what everyone says. Just tell a great story in the best way possible. If you do that, the rest will take care of itself...period."

What advice do you have for fellow writers on the subject of writing horror specifically?

My advice would be to really consider the aspect of fear and what causes it. To me, horror isn't just about blood, guts, and gore. It's about getting into a reader/viewer's psyche and touching their core phobias, their hidden and unspoken fears.

How do you balance your writing life with the responsibilities of being an author?

It's not that difficult for me to balance writing and all the things that go along with it, like promotions. What gets tough is balancing writing and all that goes along with it along with life in general. You know, like sleeping, making time to put gas in your car, maintaining relationships, going to the bathroom, etc.

You're the president of the Horror Writers Association. When was the group established, and what is its purpose?

HWA was incorporated in March 1987, and its core purpose is to encourage public interest in Horror and Dark Fantasy literature. Our aim is to foster an appreciation of good Horror and Dark Fantasy literature, both for pleasure and information, thus broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of the general public and the members of the organization.

Could you describe the membership and who is eligible to join?

There are three classes of membership within HWA; Active, Affiliate, and Associate.

Active members must be professional writers in the field of Horror or Dark Fantasy. The definition of "professional writers" can be found on our website under membership requirements.

Affiliate members include writers in the field of Horror or Dark Fantasy who have not yet met the definition of "professional." Any person who professes a serious professional interest in horror fiction is eligible to become an affiliate member of HWA. Once again, the definition of "serious professional interest" can be found on HWA's website under membership requirements.

Associate members include individuals working as professionals other than writers in the field of Horror or Dark Fantasy. Those other professions consist of: illustrators; literary agents; booksellers; and anthologists. Also, any institution with a legitimate interest in Horror or Dark Fantasy literature, such as high schools, colleges, universities, libraries, broadcasting organizations, film producers, publishers, and similar institutions, or an individual associated with such an institution, is eligible to become an associate member of HWA.

What opportunities are available to members?

Whether you're an aspiring writer working toward your all-important first pro-level sale or a seasoned novelist with a dozen books to your credit, HWA can help further your career through networking, mentoring, information trading, and promotional resources.

If you're a producer, publisher, editor, or agent, you'll find our networking resources invaluable for finding dedicated, productive writers to add to your stable. And if you're a librarian or bookseller, you'll have an inside track on talented writers, hot new books, and likely award winners.

How do children's and young adult authors fit into the mix?

They fit into the mix in the same way they do in any national and/or international writing organization. They're a vital part of the whole. They're nurturing our future adult readers.

Could you tell us about On Writing Horror: A Handbook of the Horror Writers Association edited by Mort Castle (Writer's Digest, 2006)?

In the second edition of On Writing Horror, greats like Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum, and many others tell you everything you need to know to successfully write and publish horror novels and short stories.

It includes exclusive information and guidance from 58 of the biggest names in horror writing, things like:

• The art of crafting visceral violence, from Jack Ketchum;

• Why horror classics like Dracula, The Exorcist, and Hell House are as scary as ever, from Robert Weinberg;

• Tips for avoiding one of the biggest death knells in horror writing--predicable clichés--from Ramsey Campbell;

• How to use character and setting to stretch the limits of credibility, from Mort Castle.

What new directions do you anticipate?

In my opinion, HWA is on a path that will lead to significant growth. We're constantly looking for ways to improve and increase member benefits, enhance our professionalism, and strengthen our presence in the publishing world.

Spooky News, Links & Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Razorbill, 2007)(excerpt)! From the promotional copy:

"Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.

"The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

"After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

"Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever..."

Learn more about Richelle, read her LJ (Even Redheads Get the Blues), and take this quiz to find out if your school is a vampire academy. Also look for Book #2, Frost Bite, on sale April 2008.

Four copies will be given away! To enter, write me with your name and address by Midnight CST Tonight! Please type "Vampire Academy" in the subject line. Good luck!

More News & Links

Tips for Teen Writers from Cassandra Clare. Here's a sneak peek: "I can only say what works for me or what I've observed, and in this post I'll talk about what I remember about being a teenage writer and what was helpful for me." Learn more about The Mortal Instruments. Visit Cassandra at MySpace!

The Superbowl of Authorial Intrusions - Cynthia Leitich Smith from L. K. Madigan at Drenched in Words. Note: I'm still blushing from the flattering introduction. Thanks so much!

When I'm Not Writing...

I caught myself saying that I didn't work this weekend and did a double-take at what "not working" means to me. On a weekend that I "didn't work," I answered questions for a fairly extensive author interview, did about six hours of online correspondence, cross-posted four blog entries to three of my blogs, pre-formatted three more entries, packaged up a couple of books for giveaways, autographed and packaged up three sets of bookmarks (also giveaways), and spent about six hours pouring through line edits on Eternal. GLS and I also met to go over the status of our revision for a short story to appear in an anthology from CC and HB.

But I didn't just work! GLS and I also took a field trip to...

in Bastrop. It's off Highway 71. Totally do-able as a short trip from Austin or if you're already on 71. Ten life-sized dinosaur statues (painted) are perched along a nature trail. "These statues range in size from the 6-foot long Velociraptor to the 40-foot long T-Rex." The plan is to add more steadily over time. Other highlights include a playground, fossil dig, picnic area, and gift store. Weather permitting, I recommend taking your kids or inner kid to check it out.

As long as we were in the neighborhood, we decided to have lunch afterward and take a peek at the relatively new Hyatt Lost Pines Resort. It's a ranch-style (horses!), destination hotel with a spa, shopping, and several restaurants, including Stories Fine Dining Establishment, which celebrates the literary history of Bastrop.

We went to the Firewheel Cafe, which has gorgeous stained-glass windows of Texas wildflowers, and split both the Shrimp and Green Chili Quesadilla (Chipolte aoili and roasted tomato salsa) and a Cedar Creek Wrap (smoked turkey breast, crisp bacon, black forest ham, smoked cheddar, herb spread, and kettle chips).

We were impressed by the resort and plan to return for a weekend getaway as soon as we get a chance.

The hands-down highlight of the weekend though was dinner at GB and MH's lovely home in near East Austin. D&JG also were guests. The menu:

Nibbles

-black pepper almonds

Starter

-salad with green olive dressing

Main Course

-bacon wrapped pork loin with rosemary

-roasted cauliflower and leeks

-black truffle mac 'n cheese

Dessert

-brown sugar ice cream with spiced walnuts

Writing in the Desert

When Greg first showed me the information about the American Intellectual Property Association Mid-Winter Institute scheduled to take place Jan. 23 to Jan. 26 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, my first thought was writing retreat.

Okay, that's a lie. My first thoughts were: pretty! spa! But writing retreat was a very close third.

While he spent his days in classes, I worked on the Tantalize graphic novel adaptation and a brand new YA Gothic fantasy manuscript.

Getting out of one's daily setting can be extremely inspirational. I don't remember when I've ever had a more productive few days of first-draft writing.

On the graphic novel, I basically started a chart of with each scene, Kieren's involvement in it (as he's the POV character), the timeline, and descriptive details/fantasy elements to keep in mind. On the new prose novel manuscript, it's more of a standard summary. I've never outlined a novel before writing it. I'm by no means married to the plan, but it's worth a try.

I tend to write with noise in the background, so I also watched (or at least had playing) "Groundhog Day," which is an excellent character-arc study; "The Nanny Diaries," which is a much-softened retelling of the book that inspired it; and "Nancy Drew," which mostly served to remind me how much I once enjoyed the books and how annoyed I still am at myself for selling them at that long-ago garage sale. The movie is cute and campy and bigger on revisiting the Nancy phenomenon/tradition than the mystery. I wasn't playing close attention, but I think it might have been better if they'd gone with a more realistic approach.

More globally, I greatly enjoyed the scenery, the hotel and all it had to offer. We attended two of the AIPLA receptions and were thrilled to run into our friend Chen, with whom Greg clerked during law school and who also played the violin at our wedding as her gift to us. We had dinner together on our third night.

The grounds, especially the gardens, are otherworldly--"39 acres at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Considered one of the most spectacular resorts in the world, the Biltmore features 738 guest accommodations, including 78 one- and two-bedroom villas, eight swimming pools, seven tennis courts, an 18-hole putting course, and a full-service European spa, salon, and fitness center." The place is a must-visit from fans of arts-and-crafts architecture.

I pre-booked a spa appointment on our second day, electing to have the eighty-minute hot stone massage. It was fairly fantastic, especially when the little river stones were put between my usually squished toes. For the next several days, my body felt great--Gumby flexible and Krypton powered.

For the most part, we dined at The Biltmore Grill, which is fairly casual, and Wright's at The Biltmore, which is their highest-end restaurant (see dining room above).

At the Grill, I recommend (for breakfast) the smoked Virginia ham and cheddar cheese omelet, (for lunch) the turkey club, and (for dinner) the Baja shrimp Cesar salad.

Wright's is open for dinner only, and reservations are recommended. For dinner, my appetizer choices would be the ahi tasting, featuring spicy, sweet, and smoky ahi tuna tartare with purple Tolleson chips, and blue crab and heirloom tomatoes with surfing goat feta cheese and a Chardonnay vinaigrette. For the main course, I very much enjoyed the prawns with broccoli and risotto.

Several activities were made available to spouses and guests of conference attendees, including a river raft tour and a shopping day trip. For the most part, I elected to write instead, but I did enjoy the glass-making class on the last day. I'm the proud creator of a wine stopper (actually, of an ornamental piece of glass on the wine stopper).

I also read of course--mostly on the plane--finishing The Truth about Truman School by Dori Hilestad Butler (Albert Whitman, 2008), which is making me wonder a lot more about cyber-bullying, and The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2008), which is one of the best apocalypse stories ever (and I have a particular affection for the genre). I'm ordering the previous companion book, Life As We Knew It (Harcourt, 2006).

I leave you with Greg's report on the trip (do click, if nothing else for the hysterical photo) and one last memory--cool desert nights, warm glowing fire pits! I'm adding at least one of those to my landscaping wish list!

Tiffany Trent's By Venom's Sweet Sting and "Angel: After the Fall"

Congratulations to Tiffany Trent on the release of By Venom's Sweet Sting (Hallowmere Book 2)(Mirrorstone, 2007)! From the promotional copy: "Are Corrine and her friends strong enough to take on the Fey? Following the destruction of Falston, Corrine and her schoolmates embark for Scotland to chase Rory and the stolen rathstone. On the moors of Kenmore, tensions mount between the friends as a new love interest comes into Corrine's life. In the layers of lies and secrets, who can she trust? In this exciting sequel to In the Serpent's Coils, Tiffany Trent delivers a larger-then-life battle between the Fey that readers will never forget." Visit Tiffany at MySpace, read her LJ, and learn more about Hallowmere. Read a Cynsations interview with Tiffany.

I've tardy posting a cheer for "Angel: After the Fall," a new comic series from IDW Publishing that offers "season six," picking up where the TV show left off. I honestly found myself confused by the first couple of installments, but of course that's how I was supposed to feel. Issue #3 leaves me hooked and wondering whether our much-adored Fred is truly and forever gone. And while I appreciated Texan Amy Acker's impressive range as an actor, I'm not especially an Illyria enthusiast.

Eternal: the Cut-and-Paste Report

I'm pleased to report that I'm working on final line edits for Eternal, which will be the second book in the Tantalize universe and will be likewise published by Candlewick Press.

I'd turned in the second big revision just after Thanksgiving and had been awaiting my editor's reaction.

She'd asked me, among other things, to further develop one of the main characters, to push back the start point, and to give the alternating point-of-view characters more of a unifying mission early in the story.

The upshot was a lot of new scenes, a lot of deleting, a lot of moving text around. It was fascinating because the process of revision began like it normally does. I panicked at my perception of the magnitude of the task, set a heavy object on the letter, and backed away slowly.

Then, only a couple of days later, I found myself in a frenzy. Normally, revision epiphanies come to me in a slow series of sparks. This was more like standing in the middle of an inferno.

I had so many ideas that the word processing itself got in the way. It was too distant, too slippery, when I knew--just knew--what to do with these flesh-and-bone fictional people.

So I abandoned my typical writing spots--the sleeping porch and sun porch--for the dining room table where I could spread out with scissors and tape and literally cut, literally pasted, which slowed me down just enough to think. Something about physically holding onto the pieces of the story grounded me and provided a certain reassurance that I could do it, that it was all there. Or, at least, that it eventually would be.

So what's was the result? My editor's reaction included words like "bloody," "astonishing," "wonderful," "amazing" and "gulp," which are certainly encouraging. But I'm still smoothing!

Spooky News & Links

Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, "a novel-in-verse that gives new meaning to the words 'undying love,'" answers interview questions and reader questions at the YA Authors Cafe. Surf by with questions and/or confetti!

Congratulations VCFA Scholarship Winners and Graduates

Congratulations to the recent winners of scholarships and awards at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults! Here's a special cheer for my former advisees--Rebecca Van Slyke, winner of the Candlewick scholarship in picture book writing, and Marianna Baer, winner of the Houghton Mifflin scholarship in novel writing!

Congratulations also to the "dedications" graduating class! And again, here's a special cheer for my former advisees--Frances Lee Hall and Julianna Berry!

See the Jan. 12 to Jan. 19 online journal entry of winter writer-in-residence Jane Yolen.

More News

A conversation with Austin YA novelist Jennifer Ziegler from the Austin American Statesman.

BCCB--2007 Blue Ribbons

Spooky blue ribbon books from The Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books include Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (Front Street, 2006) and Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Delacorte, 2007). See the whole list! Note: Prom Dates from Hell is the January giveaway at the Tantalize Fans Unite! group at MySpace.

Pura Belpre Author Marisa Montes and Illustrator Yuyi Morales on Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Congratulations to Pura Belpre honor author Marisa Montes and winning illustrator Yuyi Morales, both celebrated for Los Gatos Black on Halloween (Henry Holt, 2006)!

In a September 2006 interview at Cynsations, Marisa said, "In the late 1990s, my mentor, Barbara Steiner, sent me a Halloween postcard that had a fun, spooky four-line poem on the front. I pinned it up on my "inspiration" bulletin broad that hangs on the wall to the left of my computer in my office. I pin a lot of things to that board: favorite souvenirs from our travels around the world, meaningful fortune cookie fortunes, motivational blurbs on bookmarks, comics, postcards, special photos. I'd had the Halloween postcard up for a couple of years, and I'd reread the poem periodically. I really like the meter, the bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump rhythm of it. And it spoke of pumpkins and witches and black cats--all the Halloween things I'm so fond of.

"One day, when I was sniffing around for inspiration, I reread the poem."

In a September 2006 interview at Cynsations, Yuyi said, "...I did quite some research for clothing, because I wanted to bring to my work a taste of colonial Mexico. Many of the dead in the book come out their graves after hundreds of years and still wearing the clothes that distinguished such a controversial period."

Printz Honor Winner A. M. Jenkins on Repossessed

Congratulations to fellow Texas and Gothic fantasy author A. M. Jenkins, winner of an ALA Printz honor for Repossessed (HarperCollins, 2007)!

In an August 2007 interview at Cynsations, she said: "I spend quite a bit of time in the car because my kids have to be dropped off at different schools, so I think a lot about things like whether there's really a Satan, and what's the point of having a hell, and whether I should stop and get a Milky Way at the Texaco."

Note: please feel free to share the above link to the A. M. Jenkins interview with others interested in the ALA awards and/or young adult literature.

Prom Dates from Hell

The January giveaway at the Tantalize Fans Unite! group at MySpace is two copies of Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Random House, 2007)(excerpt).

From the promotional copy: "Maggie Quinn knew high school was hell, but even she thinks the smell of brimstone was a little out of the ordinary. When she's the only one to see that something supernatural is stalking the school's ruling clique, it's up to Maggie to channel her inner Nancy Drew and ferret out the origin of the ancient evil, before all Hell breaks loose at the Senior Prom."

The companion book, Hell Week, will be published in August 2008.

Roaring for Blogs: Lion Award

Thank you to author Jo Knowles for presenting Cynsations with a Lion Award. According to the Shameless Lions Writing Circle, the award highlights "those people who have blogs we love, can't live without, where we think the writing is good and powerful." Award recipients then give the award to five other bloggers.

In the spirit of the program, my award-winners are: Anneographies (highlighting picture book biographies, day by day on the subjects' birthdays); readergirlz ("celebrating gutsy girlz in life and lit"); The Planet Esme Plan (a book a day anyone?); Poetry for Children (from uber expert Sylvia Vardell); and The Brown Bookshelf Blog (new on the scene and "showcasing the best and brightest voices in African-American Children’s Literature, with a special emphasis on new authors and books that are 'flying under the radar.'")

Read Cynsations interviews with Jo, Anne, Esme, and Sylvia!

Happy New Year

"What is a vampire's favorite food?"
"Nectarines!"
--joke inside my "popper" at Christmas dinner

Many blessings to you and yours in 2008! Ah, this is not at all spooky season, yet I adore it. I'm feeling especially retrospective as my birthday was on New Year's Eve, and it was a landmark birthday at that.

Beyond that, our tree shimmers and a wreath hangs on our front door. We'll keep it up until after Twelfth Night.

Toward the end of my busiest travel-writing-teaching year ever, I've had just a few opportunities to get together with pals. GLS and I dined with GB & M at Gumbo's, with FH and BY at Chez Nous, and AB joined us for Christmas dinner. We lunched with LL at Green Pastures and JZ at Hyde Park Bar & Grill. We also enjoyed a happy hour at HH's downtown condo with FH, BY, and VJ.

At home, GLS has been having great fun with the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. He served ham and his famous shrimp potato salad for Christmas Eve dinner, followed by bacon-fried rice on Christmas day. For my birthday, the menu was steamed lobster tails and claws, broccoli with mushrooms, and mushroom rice pilaf.

Spooky Link

Ghost Photographs from the Ghost Research Society. Source: author Suzanne Harper.

Not-So-Spooky Link

Leaving Santa behind: A child's belief in St. Nick is an essential ecstasy. So is the moment the truth comes by Kerry Madden from The L.A. Times. Read a Cynsations interview with Kerry.

Spooky News & Links

Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book 1, by Kathleen Duey (Atheneum, 2007): a recommendation by Greg Leitich Smith from GregLSBlog. Here's a sneak peek: "Duey skillfully uses Sadima's story to illuminate Hahp's, creating characters that are expertly drawn and a fantasy world that is textured and real." Read the whole recommendation and a Cynsations interview with Kathleen.

"Spiderwick Chronicles meets up with SexySassySmartTV" at YouTube. Catch a short interview with Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. Now learn about the movie and the next Spiderwick series, also at YouTube. Visit The Spiderwick Chronicles, and read a Cynsations interview with Holly. Source: Melissa (subscribe to her blog at MySpace). Note: plan to see the "The Spiderwick Chronicles" movie on opening weekend! Coming February 2008!

Reminder to vampire fiction fans: don't miss Heather Brewer's fang-tastic new series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod (Dutton, 2007-). Check out this trailer, read an interview with Heather by Little Willow at Slayground, and visit Heather at MySpace!
The Graphic Novels Guy from Buzz, Balls & Hype by M. J. Rose.

Attention writers: if you haven't already, take a look at this writer montage from YouTube! Source: Tanya Lee Stone. Note: just for fun!

More Personally

From Publisher's Lunch, new deals for Dec. 14: "Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize, a graphic novel adaptation of the author's prose romantic suspense novel Tantalize, retelling the story from the werewolf's point of view, to Deb Wayshak at Candlewick, for publication in 2009, by Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown (World English)." Note: I first learned to read by myself with the comic format (and have continued to enjoy it since), and the early drafts of Tantalize were written from Kieren's POV, so writing this book feels like coming full-circle as a reader and with this story. I'm thrilled!

In addition, Listening Library will be releasing an audio edition of Tantalize in 2008! Note: The book will be read by Kim Mai Guest, whose audio credits include Wait for Me by An Na, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, and Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.

Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith by Sarah Aronson at Through the Tollbooth. This interview highlights my own writing process; however, it's also very much about the author's life more globally. I answer questions about blogging, creating a Web presence, the five keys to success now, our greatest obstacle, and promotion. Here's a sneak peek: "I have found that it helps to celebrate every victory no matter how small. You finished your draft? Celebrate! You received a personal rejection letter? Celebrate! Your workshop leader says your story arc is stronger? An agent asks for the whole manuscript? You've sold your first book? Your fiftieth? Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!" Thanks to Jo Knowles, Debbi Michiko Florence, and Elizabeth O. Dulemba (congratulations, Elizabeth!) for related posts! Read a Cynsations interview with Sarah Aronson of Through the Tollbooth.

Reminder: I'll be chatting at Faerie Drink Forums from Jan. 1 to Jan. 8. See complete list of authors and schedule.

The December giveaway at the Tantalize Fans Unite! group at MySpace is two gift certificates for Italian dinners and two copies of The Far Sweet Thing by Libba Bray (Delacorte, Dec. 16 2007). Read a Cynsations interview with Libba. Visit me at MySpace!

Congratulations to the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at The University of Kansas in Lawrence on its 60th anniversary! I'm a 1991 graduate in news/editorial and public relations. Note: I'm also a 1994 graduate of The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor.

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm in 2007! Happy Holidays!

Candlewick to Release Tantalize Graphic Novel

From Publisher's Lunch, new deals for Dec. 14: "Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize, a graphic novel adaptation of the author's prose romantic suspense novel Tantalize, retelling the story from the werewolf's point of view, to Deb Wayshak at Candlewick, for publication in 2009, by Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown (World English)."

I first learned to read by myself with the comic format (and have continued to enjoy it since), and the early drafts of Tantalize were written from Kieren's POV, so writing this book feels like coming full-circle as a reader and with this story. I'm thrilled!

Listening Library to Release Tantalize on Audio

Listening Library/Random House will be releasing an audio edition of Tantalize in 2008!

The book will be read by actress Kim Mai Guest, whose audio credits include Wait for Me by An Na, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, and Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.

Author Interview: Laurie Faria Stolarz on Project 17

Laurie Faria Stolarz on Laurie Faria Stolarz: "I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. I am currently working on Deadly Little Secret, the first book in the Touch series (Hyperion, fall 2008), also for young adults." Visit Laurie's LJ and MySpace page!

We last spoke in August 2006 in conjunction with the publication of Bleed (Hyperion, 2006). Could you update us on your writing life over the last year?

I've been busying myself this past year with the marketing of Bleed, the editing of Project 17, and the writing of Deadly Little Secret--the first book in the Touch series, a new suspenseful series of books I'm working on.

Congratulations on the release of Project 17 (Hyperion, 2007)! What was your initial inspiration for writing this novel?

Thanks! I'm really excited about it. I wanted to do a companion book to Bleed, using one of my Bleed characters. Around the time I was thinking up ideas for a new project, the newspapers in my area were flooded with stories surrounding the controversial tear down of Danvers State Hospital, an abandoned mental hospital 30 minutes north of Boston.

Many people were against tearing it down because it's considered an historical landmark, built in 1878. Developers wanted to use the land to build luxury apartments and condos. In the end, it's the developers who won, and two-thirds of the hospital was torn down. People are now living in the new developments.

Growing up, the hospital, which has a very dark history, was finally shut down in 1992 due to budget cuts and overcrowding. Rumored to be haunted, it became a notorious hot spot for break-ins and dares.

Coincidentally, in Bleed, one of my characters, Derik LaPointe, breaks in to the hospital to go exploring. This is how the initial idea for Project 17 sparked. I thought, why not have Derik break in with a group of teens, on the eve of the demolition, to spend the night and film a movie? There are six teens that break in--all with their own motivations and agendas, and what they end up finding is far beyond anything they could ever imagine.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

Once the story idea and sample pages were accepted by the publisher, I started to delve into the research--visiting the hospital, talking to former patients and staff, and reading and viewing everything I could get my hands on concerning the hospital. I got completely haunted by the research, so much so that I started keeping myself awake at night.

I couldn't get it out of my mind, particularly after I visited the place from a writer's perspective--how was I going to write an entire novel that takes place here?

The hospital itself had always been a source of scares growing up, with its Gothic spires and castle-like architecture, but nowhere near as scary as when I started to really get into the individual stories of those connected to the place.

After a while, though, for better or for worse, I started to numb up a bit to everything I was researching, including hours of audio and visual footage. That numbness enabled me to take a step back and write the book.

I don't scare easily, but there's some serious creepiness here. What advice do you have for writers seeking to scare spooky-story readers like me?

Try writing about something that genuinely terrifies you. Project 17 is scary because I was scared--because I was so haunted writing it.

As one of your regular readers, I would've been eager to grab your latest in any case. But after seeing your book trailer, I was especially intrigued. Could you share with us the story behind the trailer?

Mike Dijital, an urban explorer, created it for me. He has a wide array of visual (and audio) footage of Danvers State that you can view (and play) from his website: www.dijitalphotography.com.

The footage on the trailer is his, and it's all authentic, taken from Danvers State during one of his urban explorations. Mike was a great resource to me when I was writing the novel.

The novel is a work of fiction, but I wanted to be as true as I possibly could to the setting, and that's where he stepped in. When I first approached him to ask questions about the premises, he told me I could ask him anything; he visited the place so often he'd know if an empty Coke can was turned over from one visit to the next.

How do you balance your life as a writer with the responsibilities (speaking, promotion, etc.) of being an author?

I am very self-disciplined. I have to be. I have a lot to balance with writing, marketing, and family. When I'm on deadline, I write ten pages per week with no exceptions. I also set time aside each week for marketing and business. It all needs to get done, after all. Because I have a family, I spend a lot of time working at night and during my kids' nap times.

I'm busy, but I'm lucky. I have a lot to be grateful for.

What can your fans look forward to next?

Deadly Little Secret, the first book in the Touch series is about a mysterious boy who has a very dark past and a very special power. Ben Carter, 17, has the ability to touch a person or object and sense something from him/it. Sometimes this touch power is a blessing; most of the time it's a curse, especially when he's unable to control it. The main character, Camelia Hammond, 16, falls for Ben--hard--despite his dangerous past and despite how much she also fears him.

The novel is loaded with suspense, drama, romance, and mystery. Deadly Little Secret is slated for a fall 2008 release.

Spooky News & Links

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (Delacorte, Dec. 26, 2007). From the promotional copy: "It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

"The Order--the mysterious group her mother was once part of--is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for."

Visit Libba's LJ.

Wrath by Gail Giles from The Seven Sins of YA Literature: Presented at ALA PreConference June 2007, Washington, D.C. Here's a sneak peek: "Anger rules the teen years. It's normal and in my opinion it's important. Some teens can climb the steep hill from childhood to adulthood with grace, dignity and poise. My best friend did. I certainly did not. I chewed and stomped and clawed and knuckled my way through every single minute." Gail offers the texts of several additional speeches of interest, including: The Key to Unlocking Mystery and Suspense; Keeping You on the Edge of Your Seat; Reaching Reluctant Readers; Stereotypes in YA Fiction; Getting Out of Your Own Way; Taking Risks; and Why Teens Need Edgy Fiction.

Check out the pumpkin photos at David LaRochelle's site. David is the author of Absolutely, Positively Not (Scholastic, 2005).

Mystery Writing Lessons from Kristi Holl.

More Personally

Cheers to Ms. Dorsey's English 9 class in Oxford, NY! I hope you're enjoying the read-aloud of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007) and that you like the autographed bookmarks! Keep reading!

Attention, JacketFlap subscribers! Oddly, my last news-and-links post doesn't seem to have been snagged by the system. But highlights include the opportunity to bid for manuscript critiques by such luminaries as Julie Larios and Martine Leavitt.

Spooky News & Links

Hunger Mountain's Holiday Fundraising Auction begins Dec. 1 at Ebay. From between Dec. 1 to Dec. 8, bid on manuscript critiques with notable authors, custom signed new books, and limited edition letterpress broadsides. Find out more about Hunger Mountain, The Vermont College Journal of Arts and Letters. Youth literature authors offering manuscript critiques include Martine Leavitt and Julie Larios. Martine was a 2006 National Book Award Finalist in Young People's Literature for Keturah and Lord Death (Front Street). Julie's Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Harcourt) was a 2006 Boston Globe-Hornbook Award Honor Book in fiction and poetry. Read a Cynsations interview with Julie.

Sea Princess Azuri: official site in celebration of the books by Erica Reis (TOKYOPOP, 2006 and 2007). Erica is originally from Austin and now lives in Illinois.

Are you a YA reader? Don't miss the December giveaway books at TeensReadToo! Good luck with your entries.

More Personally

Congratulations to the winners of the 2007 Scariest Story Contest, sponsored by the Valley Morning Star of Harlingen, Texas! Thanks too Loreen at the Star for all of her efforts and cheers to my co-sponsors, children's authors Alexis O'Neil, Janet Wong, April Halprin Wayland, Julie Lake, Jeri C. Ferris, Joan Bransfield Graham, Merrily Kutner, Barbara Bietz, and publishing company Lee & Low.