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Wrap Up to the Series
Well, it is tempting to feel that this whole series was a massive waste of time. It certainly didn’t generate the kind of conversations I had hoped it would. For better or for worse, I still accomplished my own goal of thinking through the last three years of our journey here at Serenity Mountain Publishing and setting our sites on the next few years.
Looking at the Week 1 post, there are a few areas I have not touched on yet that can be easily and quickly covered.
Bookstores/Consignments: Most huge chain stores (Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million) will not touch self-published books. Unless you are really far down the road and seeing huge success, don’t waste your time. There is an application process, and you may wait a year for an answer. Make sure you are offering them a product they are confident they can sell. Sadly, the same lack of interest is pretty true of independent bookstores. They will probably only take your book on consignment, and the few that we tried ended up costing us money, even though some books did sell. There are usually set-up fees. You’ll be lucky to break even. The big exception to this is if you have a personal connection to a bookstore in your town or general area. Then you may find great support and can have a book event and may get your book featured face out (as opposed to spine out among the hordes on the shelves) as a featured local author. If you can pull that off, absolutely go for it. Otherwise, don’t spend lots of time courting bookstores.
Contests/Awards: This can be a very long conversation, but the main thought is that you want to be sure the contest is of some value and will look impressive on the cover of your book. I try to limit my attention to contests with entry fees under $100. There are lots of them. The Writer’s Digest annual contest for self-published and indie-published books offers feedback, and that’s great to have (even though I thought they nick-picked on odd things). Do awards on the cover matter? Would it matter to you if you were going to buy a book by an author you had never heard of? Keep that in mind when you decide to enter a contest. Do you stand a chance of winning? Don’t throw away entry fees. I KNOW that the awards on my book covers have helps make sales, especially the Mom’s Choice Award. That one is nice because it’s not really a contest where you are up against other books. You simply have to meet their standards to earn the honor of putting the award on your book. But I tell you, those entry fees and licensing fees cost a pretty penny, so don’t enter if you don’t think you can earn it. Research the contest. Does it look impressive? Is the cost fair? Make your calls from there.
Write a series for the biggest bang: It is a mantra you will see in every book about self-publishing out there (and hear from traditional publishers as well) – writing a series is the best way to earn a loyal fan base and make money. Even if you don’t write a series, you are going to have to write more than one book. I don’t even care about the genre thing. Just write and publish, and then do it again. By the end of 2016, I will have 6 children’s middle grade science fiction/fantasy books self-published and one adult paranormal/spiritual book plus a non-fiction children’s biography of Betty White published by an indie publisher. I have some picture books I need to send out too. I think being all over the place is fine, just write! Worry about the story and what you have to say, then get it on paper.
And that’s all I have to say about self-publishing. I’m sure there will be more here and there along the way, but that wraps up this series.
Now I’m on to more writing on “Slinky Steps Out” and editing for Pen-L and paperback and ebook proofs for “Max’s Wild Night” and spring break (well, at least the alarm clock won’t go off) in the week ahead.
Happy Spring, Y’all!
November may be a novel writing month for lots of aspiring and professional writers out there, but for me it is promote-my-book month…okay, and maybe some writing in there too. That’s not to say that I have anything against the NANOWRIMO trend, but with the holidays and fall book events November is not a great time for focusing specifically on writing 50,000 words for most authors I know. There is also a JANOWRIMO group. That sounds much more realistic!
I will be putting in my own mini-writing push the week of November 16th. Since I have a booth at the Arkansas Reading Association Literacy Conference in Little Rock on November 20th – 21st, I am taking that week to hide out in a time-share condo and finish my first draft of “Max’s Wild Night.” Some of those days are full of conference work and prep, but I should be able to put in at least four days of 6,000 – 7,000 word counts. That should get me at least close to that goal if not crossing the first draft finish line. Doing something like this last year was how I finished up “Vacation Hiro,” and that kind of isolation and writing seems to work best for me.
For this post it also seems appropriate to comment on the Veteran’s Day Holiday at least a bit. My family has a long and proud history of serving our country’s military, all the way back to the American Revolution. Yes, I qualify for DAR status and have family members who have devoted huge chunks of their time to supporting that group’s goals. Maybe I’ll get more involved someday since there is an active group here in Eureka Springs. My grandfather served in WWI, my father in WWII, and both of my nephews are currently on active duty and have served several tours overseas in nasty conflict areas. They have earned having their feet on American soil this year.
Patrick Errett Welch, WWII
If you know of a soldier who is struggling with PTSD, be sure to check out the work of my author friend Pamela Foster. What she has learned through caring for her husband can help families working their way through the same issues. Some of her books are hilarious, but others are serious and face the issue head-on. Highly recommend.
On Saturday, November 8, we took part in the Washington Country Pet Expo to support low cost vaccinations, micro-chipping, spay/neuter options, and pet adoptions from the local animal shelter.
“Leia” helped me man the booth, but she mostly wanted to see the cute animals that were everywhere.
We quickly realized that this event was a terrible fit for selling books. First, all of the cats and their people were brought in a side door and scooted back out that way. Great for the cats to avoid the crazy room full of anxious dogs, but terrible for us hoping to share our alien rescue cat books with them. Second, every “vendor” there was basically giving away services. The crowd did not come to buy. We had some lovely chats with the people there and had a great time dog watching, but that’s about it. Wrong choices like that happen when you are exploring new territory, so we just enjoyed the adventure. Consider the table fee a worthwhile donation to a great event, the day a fun time spent visiting with family, and move along with the month.
I created this especially for this event, and it certainly led to many conversations about the joys of rescuing animals from shelters and from the streets.
Our “granddoggie” came to be micro-chipped. Dottie is a rescue from Oklahoma and is beyond sweet.
This little doxie was ready to run the show for the booth the city set up. Woof, Woof!
Ziggy kept us entertained all afternoon at the booth for the Canine Design Studio. He even got a puppy tattoo! He was especially talented at sneaking out from under their table cloth to sniff passing puppy bottoms and then slinking back unseen. Silly Ziggy.
In the next two days, I will be putting together my quarterly newsletter so I can send it out before my trip to Little Rock. If you don’t subscribe to it, you should! I only put out four a year with maybe one or two extra quick ones if there is something extra special going on. You can subscribe in the sidebar here at my website. Easy peasy!
On the reading front, I am LOVING “A Snicker of Magic” by Natalie Lloyd. It is just purely delightful, and I highly recommend it. I’ll post more later once I have finished and done an amazon.com review. Readers who love a book should ALWAYS share that love on amazon.com!
I hope everyone across the country has warm coats ready to go. Here’s to hoping that you avoid the early snow and stay warm and cozy while the arctic blast whooshes its way through.
I’m thrilled to be taking part in the Kid Lit Blog Hop for Children’s Book Week!
There is not much dearer to my heart than books for kids. During my early marriage, my husband was always furious about how much money I spent on picture books when I went to teaching conferences, but we still have 90% of those books on the shelves or in the attic–waiting for the next generation of our family to enjoy them.
For this blog I thought I’d focus on middle grade books because it is a genre that is often confused, misunderstood, or blurred into the young adult group. It is also the genre of books that I currently publish with my Cats in the Mirror series. At the end of this post I’ll give you some recommendations of my own and those shared by friends and former students, but first let’s be clear on what I mean by middle grade books.
Middle grade book are specifically designed for elementary age students–around ages 8-11. The print is larger and easier to read, the vocabulary simpler, and the book itself is normally not very long. I limit myself to 35,000 words for my middle grade books. Middle grade readers will avoid a book simply because it looks too long.
Listening to agents and editors over the years, I’ve clarified that middle grade also focuses on main characters who are in elementary school and worrying about the problems that go with being that age. As with my books, the characters are often animals as well. If the characters in a book are worrying about puberty, boys, or middle school and high school issues, you have made the jump into the young adult genre. Middle grade genre is not the same as middle school age. That’s very confusing, but I don’t make the rules. Middle school (ages 10-13) is where kids begin to make that transition into reading longer, more complicated books, but not all of them will be ready. Those middle school years are often a mixed up time in more than what they are reading, but by 7th grade most kids are leaning toward vampires, shifters, and darker themes.
In general, middle grade books also tend to have themes that are lighter, funnier, and more upbeat–unless you want to win a Newbery Award. Then something awful has to happen or someone has to die. It’s rather like winning an Academy Award. Again, I don’t make the rules, but these are things you should be aware of when simply picking books off a list of award winners.
“The One And Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate is a perfect example. The print is large, the vocabulary is appropriate, but the subject matter is actually quite dark/depressing and includes discussions about horrible things that poachers do to gorillas. A large part of me thought the book didn’t need to go there. The story was wonderful and thought-provoking enough without a few sentences that made me cringe, even though I was already well aware of the horrors it mentions. Newbery Award winners are traditionally like this, so just use caution if your child is tender of heart. I’ve never heard quite as impressive a collective gasp as I did in the movie theater during “Bridge To Terebithia” when a certain horrible event occured. Clearly, they had not read the book. It’s an amazing story, but be ready to talk with your child or students about it.
Here are some of my favorites from days gone by that would qualify as middle grade, as well as recommendations from friends–trying to avoid the obvious ones that you can find on any published list:
It’s probably not terribly shocking that one of my favorite books was “Socks” by the outstanding Beverly Cleary. She is the epitome of a middle grade writer, and I would recommend all of her books. They are light and fun and reach elementary school kids perfectly. The Ramona series, everything with a mouse on a motorcycle, and “Henry and Ribsy” are delightful.
Not sure how I missed out on them since ballet was my life, but I didn’t learn about the shoe book series until I saw the movie “You’ve Got Mail.” My daughters loved them. I hate to draw lines, but I would say the series falls firmly into the girly section of things. Being from a different era, the shoe books don’t have all the trademarks of a current day middle grade book as far as vocabulary and print size, so it would be best for a stronger reader.
“Tangle of Knots” by Lisa Graff
“The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill” by Megan Blakemore
Big Honey Dog Mysteries by H. Y. Hanna
Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar
“Frindle” and anything else by Andrew Clements
“Castle in the Attic” and “Battle of the Castle” By Elizabeth Winthrop
Time Warp Trio Series by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Indian in the Cupboard Series by Lynne Reid Banks
“City of Orphans” by Avi
“Privateer’s Apprentice” by Susan Verrico,
“Liar & Spy” by Rebecca Stead,
“The Shadow Collector’s Apprentice” by Amy Gordon.
“The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster
“From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Koingsburg
“Charlotte’s Web,” “The Trumpet of the Swan, and ” Stuart Little” by E. B. White
Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Maniac McGee” by Jerry Spinelli
“Sarah Plain and Tall” by Patricia MacLachlan
“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Sleznick (slipping into the young adult genre)
Elsewhere Series by Jacqueline West
“The Hero’s Guide To Saving Your Kingdom” by Christopher Healy
The Keepers by Lain Tanner
Please feel free to post your own favorites in the comments section so everyone can find them!
PRIZES!!
I will be randomly selecting two winners from the comments on this post to receive free copies of both of my award-winning middle grade Cats in the Mirror books (either paperback or ebook). Last entries to be considered will be at midnight on May 18th. I don’t use a service for this because it will require you to share information you might not want to, so be sure to agree to follow the other comments on this blog or check back to see if you won.
Winners will be notified on May 19th.
You can also add both books to your “to read” library at Goodreads by clicking on their links here:
Many thanks go out to the friends and students who helped me compile the list of favorite books: Kim Piddington, Ruth Outland, Tori Ellithorpe, Lori Kilkelly, Janet Anderson, Leanne Raymond, and Michelle at Reading is Better Than Real Life.
And thanks to all of you for taking part in the Kid Lit Blog Hop!!
Are you a children’s book or teen literature blogger, an author, a publisher, or a publicist looking to share copies of a fabulous book? Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews are joining forces to provide you with the opportunity to take part in the Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop 2014, featuring links to giveaways for fabulous children/teen’s books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children’s Book Week?
I’m thrilled to have been tagged in the Writing Process Blog Hop by wonderful author Jan Morrill. You can connect with Jan at all of these links.
If you move quickly, you can even click here to get in on a free copy of her new Haiku collection at amazon.com.
As a part of this blog hop, my job is to answer some specific questions about my writing process and then pass the next blog stop on to another blogger. Here are my answers to the questions.
1) What am I working on?
I have several projects in the air right now. Book 3 in the Cats in the Mirror series is in the final stages of my own revisions/editing, and “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” will be heading to a professional editor sometime in the next week or so. The cover art is already complete, so it is down to more of the final touches and formatting/production process at this point. It is well on schedule to release in September of 2014, if not a bit sooner for fans of the series. While that book is with the editor, I will be refocusing on an adult book called “At The Corner Of Magnetic And Main” that is set here in Eureka Springs. An editor at Delacorte/Random House had been interested enough to want to read the full manuscript, but the time frame for that exclusive has run out. In April I’ll be talking with a couple of smaller houses to see if there is any interest from them. I also want to start work on adapting a picture book manuscript into a middle grade book. “The Brave, Frail, and Delicate Princess” has been in and out of my desk drawer for years, and that’s the direction it seems to be headed at the moment.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
If we stick with the books that are published, the middle grade Cats in the Mirror series, I would have to say that I’m not aware of any other alien cat books like them out there at any age level. Certainly alien cats are nothing new, but mine are based so specifically on my real cats and have photos of them throughout the books. I did quite a lot of research on what is available before I committed to self-publishing the series, and I think they are quite unique. The reader enters the world of the cat like in the Warriors books, but there is a whole science fiction element and the ultimate struggle that Kimba and Hiro face between loyalties to their loved humans and the obligation to their cat family.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I rarely sit down and decide “I’m going to write about book about X.” Over many years as a freelance writer, I just learned to jump on the ideas and subjects that come to me each day. My first book, “Why Kimba Saved The World,” evolved over a few years. The story ran around in my head and kept getting bigger and bigger. Living with Kimba provided ideas daily. Once during the process I just sat down for three hours and thought about “what ifs” for the story. That brought it to where it is now and developed her one story into a whole series of stories and characters. The idea of “Magnetic And Main” slapped me upside the head, and I had it outlined and the first scene written in 24 hours. Doing an adult book was not in my plan at the time, but you have to jump on those inspirations when they come. At least write them down. Writer’s block in not a problem for me. Having the time and energy to write everything I’d like to is the problem.
4) How does your writing process work?
I’m not big on serious outlining, but I do like to know where the story is going. I usually write in scenes, like a movie. I know X is going to happen, and I know X is going to happen, but I’m not always sure how all of that is going to end up at Y or the whys and motivations for it all. Once I have some framework done, I go back and fill in the pieces and adapt what now needs to be changed. With “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge,” I found I needed to make lots of adjustments because when it came right down to it the “why” for some of the characters didn’t end up being what I thought it would. I don’t think I’ve ever written anything straight through from start to finish. Even articles and short stories or contest essays are more a piecemeal process.
Getting that first draft down is like pulling teeth for me. As Dorothy Parker says: “I hate writing. I love having written.” I have to make myself sit down, and I time my writing sessions or set a word count/scene goal. For “Vacation Hiro” I actually went away on a retreat for several days. I knew exactly what was going to happen in the story, but getting it typed up was giving me trouble. I held up in a rental condo through our time share system for four days and just pounded it out–that good old 5,000-6,000 words a day. Then I was very happy because it was all there and ready to mess with. Revising and editing and making the story better is the reward, not to mention having the actual book in your hand to share with an excited reader.
Well, I hope you learned a little bit about me as a writer. Now I tag my friend Cat McMahon of Cat’s Stories. She has her writing fingers in several different pies.
Here’s a little bit about Cat:
Author of the Road Trip Photo Adventure Series, Cat McMahon is a wordsmith who enjoys outdoor discovery, culinary exploration, her cats, and making memories with her family; she lives in the craggy wilderness off the slopes of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest USA.
Here’s where you can find her!
Click here to see this book at amazon.com.
Click here for this book at amazon.com.
Today I am thrilled to support a delightful web site by Cat McMahon: Cat’s Stories. Click on the link below to see the guest blog I wrote for her site this week. I’ll post it here eventually, but for now visit her site and check out her wonderful stories about her cat Dodger as well.
The Branch School
You can only imagine that I was super excited to make my first author school visit a few days ago at The Branch School in Houston, Texas. As a general rule, independently published books are not as in-demand for school events, so I don’t spend a lot of time trying to arrange this type of visit. And Houston is a long way from our home in Arkansas. But I was on vacation in Houston, and I have worked for The Branch School as a librarian and substitute teacher in the past, so we all knew each other well. The cards all fell into place at the same time to make this visit work out perfectly.
Besides the chance to visit with old friends, I was thrilled to find the students interested and attentive. The school runs from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade, so we broke up my talks into four age groups. With the older kids I could talk about writing as a career and even options they have right now for publishing and blogging. I loved sharing the This Kid Reviews Books blog of twelve year old Erik as a wonderful example of ways to share their love of reading and writing right now. With the younger groups, we talked more about finding the inspiration for writing and just letting the ideas flow. Some students were already enjoying writing stories and putting together book projects, just like I did at their age. “Keep all of it,” I told them. “You never know what it can turn into.”
Talking with the middle school students in Melcher Hall at The Branch School.
Not every author school visit can be this great. There is certainly an added bonus to working with a private school where parents and students are super-vested in education and appreciate the benefits of books and reading. They were supportive in buying copies of both “Why Kimba Saved The World” and “Vacation Hiro,” but more than that everyone was just welcoming and polite and involved. It certainly makes me want to take the chance on doing more school visits when the match is right. The second graders even made me a special drawing inspired by Kimba, using their pinkies to make paint prints around the frame. Priceless!
Second grade class at The Branch School and the artwork they made for me.
Art work by The Branch School 2nd grade class. Kimba looks very cool.
Talking with kindergarten and first grade. I think I was talking about how tiny Kimba and Hiro were when we found them.
Today has been a hard writing day. It can be tough to stay inspired when it is just you and the computer (and sometimes Kimba) day after day. No matter how many great reviews you get, one snarky critic can break your heart. In the end, it’s about those smiling faces who think Kimba is hilarious and enjoy reading about her imagined adventures. That is what keeps me going when I just want to chuck it all. Hitting the wall today I thought, “I should write that school visit blog and look through the pictures again. That will get me back on track.” And it has.
Signing books for students at The Branch School.
I loved watching new and old friends fall in love with Kimba and Hiro, and their stories, and I look forward to sharing Book 3 with all of them in the fall. Thank you, Branch School, for letting me share my books with your families…and for keeping me inspired to write more.
Merry Christmas From Kimba
Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas from all of us here at Serenity Mountain Publishing. This has been an incredible year with seeing both “Why Kimba Saved The World” and “Vacation Hiro” heading out into the world. 2014 is ready and waiting, and “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” is up next, but I could not do any of it without my family and all of my new friends cheering me on. Thank you for being a part of this journey!
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year to each and every one of you!
Merry Christmas From Hiro
As I watch all the beautiful news footage in memory of Nelson Mandela, I have thought many times about sitting in the lounge at Alma College in 2004, talking to the then Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane. He possessed that same aura of dignity and grace and faith in the face of life’s challenges that millions have found so intriguing in his countryman Mandela, so I thought I would repost my interview with him from the now-closed website www.spirituality.com.
A life of service to God: The Archbishop of Cape Town
“All of life is lived in response to God’s call to us,” says Njongonkulu Ndungane, Angelican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, in a talk at Alma College, Michigan, in September 2004. He believes that God’s call is “one of unimaginable love and generosity, and in responding to His call, we realize that our destinies lie in His hands.” He continued, “In humility we realize we can do no better than to walk in His ways.”
Humility is certainly an appropriate term for Archbishop Ndugane, who jokes that the position of archbishop is not what he thought he would be doing with his life. In fact, after his 1996 appointment, when a phone call came in for “the Archbishop,” Ndungane would almost go off to find him–forgetting that was now his title. But to call someone “Your Grace” has never seemed more fitting. As he spoke about his life to the group at Alma College, and later as I talked to him alone in a quiet moment, it was clear Ndungane embodies a life focused on doing God’s work with dignity and peace.
Growing up in the heart of apartheid South Africa, Ndungane was one of six children in a family that struggled on the fringes of poverty. And although something was wrong, he didn’t have a clear grasp of the injustices of the legislation at the center of apartheid that restricted the freedom of black citizens. Then one day in 1960, he heard Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, leader of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) of Azania, speaking at a political rally. It changed his life forever.
Describing the event to the college group, Ndungane said, “My imagination was caught, my conscious aroused. I felt I had to stand up and be counted in the struggle for what I believed was right.” He became a political activist, but in 1963 was arrested for his involvement with the PAC and sentenced to three years in the infamous prison on Robben Island. It was there, in what he calls “hellish conditions,” that Ndungane discovered his personal relationship with God and experienced his call to serve in the priesthood.
“I was wrestling with God,” he told me. “And in the moments of wrestling with God in different circumstances, there comes a time when you suddenly have a peace of mind and you say that’s it. End of wrestling. I found inner peace, as if God had laid His hand on me.”
In the 1970s, after his release, Ndungane became an ordained priest and later traveled to England to study theology at King’s College London. While there, he experienced racial equality for the first time in his life. He was treated with dignity and respect and had the freedom to go where he wanted. When his studies were over, he was offered a parish in England. But he and his wife felt God was calling them to return to South Africa and support their country in the struggle out of apartheid.
“I must confess that we found the offer very tempting indeed as we were enjoying being treated like human beings,” he writes in his book, A World with a Human Face: A Voice from Africa. “We loathed the thought of going back to oppression, when we had attained freedom, appreciation and acceptance of our true humanity.”
In the end they were happy with their decision, realizing God would sustain them through the challenges ahead. But that doesn’t mean it was easy. “It was like taking a bear that has been free and putting him back into a cage,” he told the Alma College gathering.
Socially and politically, 1979 was a traumatic year for South Africa. After two students were shot in front of his church, Ndungane was responsible for the funeral service–attended by 10,000 angry young men. He was very frightened, but felt God was in control of the situation and led him to maintain peace. While the time of violence is past, South Africa still has a long way to go. Ndungane sees the role of the church as vital in helping to overcome the challenges. “Basically, it’s the recovery of our humanity,” he told me. “The whole question is of our understanding who we are and whose we are–that each one of us is created in God’s image with intrinsic worth and dignity and therefore meriting respect.”
When he prays for South Africa, the Archbishop told me that he begins with praise. “Praise to God–who in His mercies has been with us, is with us, and promises to be with us all the time. Every time I say my prayers, I thank God for what is to come in the assurance that He’ll show me the way. Whatever danger I’m in, He’ll be there as a shield. He is the God who takes me each step of the way, even if I may not know where I’m going.”
Ndungane describes God as a presence in us. “The books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, try to give us a picture of God–a God who cares, a God of compassion, a God whose love is of such a nature that it’s not asking what is in it for me. I describe God as God-the-Father in whom I anchor my life and God-the-Mother in whose arms I’m secure. That’s the kind of God I’ve experienced.”
In closing his speech at Alma College, Archbishop Ndungane shared this inspiring and comforting thought: “When life is tough–when it is hard to see the way ahead–remember that our God still calls us, and still speaks the same words that he did to Joshua–‘Be strong! Stand firm! Be fearless and undaunted, for, go where you may, Yahweh you God goes with you!'”
From www.spirituality.com, November, 2004
copyright by Meg Welch Dendler
I don’t “review” books in general, but when I read one that is worth telling everyone about I’m happy to give a shout-out. “The Living” by Matt de la Pena is most definitely one of those books. It is probably worth mentioning that I am not the target audience for this book, and it is not the type of book I normally choose to read. Matt sold me on himself, as a person, first, and that intrigued me to read something he wrote.
I ran across Matt de la Pena for the first time at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Missouri a few weeks ago. He was one of the keynote speakers. I had a manuscript critique scheduled at the same time (with his editor, interestingly enough), so I missed the first half of the talk. When I came back into the conference room, the whole place was laughing and fully engaged. That’s something unusual to find after the long morning they had already been through and right after lunch. It didn’t take me long to figure out why they were so entertained. He was interesting to listen to and told his stories in a delightful and humorous way. I knew I would have to check out his books right away.
The first few books Matt has written are YA stories focused on inner-city and low income kids facing challenges in their own communities. I love the fact that those books are out there, but I wasn’t sure how much I could connect with them–being near 50 and about as WASPy as one can get. But his new book, “The Living,” stepped outside of that and put his characters in a world I could relate to. Some of the language and phrasing threw me off a bit at first, but I got used to it quickly and just got lost in the story. It’s hard to say much of anything without giving away the fun of being shocked by events as they unfold. Let’s just say that I’m already terrified of cruise ships, and this story basically confirmed all my worst nightmares about what would happen if I ever set foot on one (except the part where I have to decide which of my daughters to save). The main character, Shy, is on edge and put through the wringer with literally end-of-the-world events and conspiracies. I anticipated some of the problems before they were revealed (not that this is a bad thing, to feel a step ahead of the characters), but I’m not so sure a YA audience would see some of it coming. Super fun!
I loved this book from beginning to end. Well, almost. I was highly disappointed in the ending because it didn’t actually end! And that’s the way any good writer should leave you feeling when there is another book to come. There’s a writer’s joke that you should chase your main character up a tree and then throw rocks at him for a while before you let him down. Poor Shy spends pretty much all of the story up that proverbial tree with huge boulders being flung at him. At the end, he’s up a different tree and you can only imagine that there are cannons aimed in his direction. I can’t wait to see how it all works out! The sequel, “The Hunted,” comes out until the fall of 2014.
What has been really fun is to tweet with Matt de la Pena along the way. Every time I have tweeted something about it, he has been quick to respond. That made the journey even more fun (@mattdelapena). I even have a new word (blanquita) to impress my daughter’s Venezuelan boyfriend at Thanksgiving. They never taught me that one in high school Spanish. Maybe he can explain the deep meaning of “Sancho” to me as well.
I highly recommend this book for YA readers, especially boys who have limited choices that don’t involve vampires or blood and guts. There is just enough boy/girl stuff to keep it interesting, but not so much that you couldn’t have it available in a classroom or school library.
Click here for the link to read about and purchase “The Living at amazon.com.
Click here to find out more about Matt de la Pena and his books. His web site is mattdelapena.com.