Monday, June 24, 2013

Melissa Marr

Introducing Melissa Marr:


Melissa grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college lit for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing. Wicked Lovely, the first novel, was simultaneously released in the US and UK by HarperCollins in 2007 (with translation rights also sold in twenty-seven countries). It debuted as a NY Times Bestseller. Critical responses both here and abroad have been positive. Ink Exchange, the second novel, released in late April 2008 in North America. Currently, Melissa lives in the DC area, writes full time, and still believes in faeries and ghosts.


13 Questions for YA Authors
  1. Coke, Pepsi, Coffee, or Tea?
Depends on the options & reason. When I write, I drink coffee, Mt Dew, & Tea (Assam usually). On an average day, I drink a milder black tea or orange juice with powdered caffeine. I don’t drink Coke without cherry syrup to pour into it, & I hate Pepsi.

  1. Do you prefer print books or an ereader? If ereader, what type?
Depends on where I’m reading. If I’m traveling, I use my iPad so I don’t have to pack piles of books, but at home I prefer paper. I like the feel of it, the sound of pages turning, and the smell of books (old and new ones). However, ereaders are great for instant gratification and for trips.

  1. PC or MAC?
My desk computer is a PC, and my laptop is a MacBook Air. Right now, I prefer the laptop, but over the years, I’ve happily used both. The Mac always feels less buggy, though, and I don’t worry about viruses or crashes like I have with a lot of my PCs. The PCs, though, usually have keyboards I like much better.

  1. Plotter or Pantser?
I write without outline when I am working solo, but my co-authored books start with outlines. For me, the joy of writing is in figuring it out. If I plot or outline, I then have less incentive to actually write the book. Co-authoring is different in that I alternate chapters with the co-author, so the incentive is that if I do my work, I get to read the other author’s chapter. It’s really a question of what tricks I need to use to bribe myself.

  1. What comes first- the character or the plot?
Character and plot are intermixed so much that I don’t think they CAN exist separately. Plot is the result of characters’ goals and flaws.

  1. How much world building do you do?
I have no idea how to answer this. All stories require worldbuilding, including contemporary ones, but as a primarily fantasy and folklore author, worldbuilding is essential.

  1. How do you come up with the names of your characters?

I use baby books, online baby name sites, and/or the social security index for the year of the character’s birth to narrow in on names. Then, I whittle them down. Every name is ultimately chosen due to its meaning.

  1. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what and who?
It’s completely impossible to answer what & who! Every book—other than my co-authored books—requires a playlist. I have character playlists, series playlists, and general writing playlists that vary according to the mood I’m seeking.

  1. Where’s your favorite place to write? Do you need complete silence or can you work anywhere?
I can write most anywhere these days. I PREFER to write at home or somewhere remote and silent (I do a lot of retreats), but I also work in hotels, airports, and planes these days. With my first book, I wrote at playgrounds, swimming pools, and in the car while I was waiting on my kids to finish lessons. The one place I can’t write is in a cafĂ© or restaurant. I need to be somewhere without people pacing around and yammering. Kids’ voices don’t distract me, but crowds of adults moving around make me crazy.

10)   Who are your favorite authors?

Dead? William Faulkner, Christina Rossetti, Thomas Hardy, & Kate Chopin. Live? Neil Gaiman.

11)   Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

I’ll go with a “what” not a “who” because I don’t think one person could have that kind of impact of me. My biggest influences are folklore & travel.

12)   Why do you prefer to write for teens?

Actually, I write for all ages. I have my second adult novel (THE ARRIVALS) out in July 2013, my first kid novel (LOKI’S WOLVES) in May 2013, and my first picture book is due out in 2015. Most of my books are YA, but I don’t set out to write for an age, simply to tell a story. The story—and characters—determine which editor and publisher buys it, but the story is first.

13)   If you could go anywhere, and money was no object, where would you go?

Space. I’d like to see the planet from outside, but that’s way outside of my budget. On planet, my biggest weakness is Scotland. I’ve gone there four of the last six years, but in general, I like travel. I retreat to the desert and the beach most years, and I keep a cabin in the mountains. Some people buy stuff, and clothes, and go out a lot. I shop at thrift stores and eat at home. That way, I can allocate the bulk of the not-for-bills money on travel for the family. My daughter went to China, and my oldest son went on a Marine Science class at sea. They both go snowboarding, hiking, etc. Travel is a family addiction.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Jennifer Estep

Introducing Jennifer Estep:
I’m a Southern gal through and through. Sassy, sarcastic, and just a tad crazy. I spent my formative years doing the usual kid things – playing, hanging out with my friends, and making up wild stories in my head. It’s the last one that’s gotten me into trouble. I don’t remember the first book I read. Or the second. Or even the third. But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with books and reading. Fairy tales, fantasies, adventure stories, mysteries, romances, westerns. As a kid, I read every book that I could get my hands on.
My mom, bless her, encouraged this obsession by taking me to the library every week. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. Most folks think penicillin, indoor plumbing, and the Internet are the world’s best inventions. Not me. The greatest thing ever created was a library. Indoor plumbing is a close second, though. The more I read, the more I thought about writing my own stories. I penned a few poems and short stories over the years, mainly for class assignments. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I wanted to write books for a living. In college, I majored in English because of my love of books. But what can you do with an English degree? I didn’t know. One semester, I got a job with the college newspaper and discovered you could write stories and make a respectable living. Since that light-bulb moment, I’ve earned a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism, and a master’s degree in professional communications. Currently, I’m an award-winning features page designer for a daily newspaper. Now, after many, many years of toil and trouble, I’ve achieved my dream of being a bona fide, published, fiction author. I plan to keep on keeping on – writing, dreaming, making up wild stories in my head. And getting myself into trouble.
Jennifer has two books coming out soon...
Spartan Frost (Mythos Academy #4.5). An e-story from Logan Quinn’s point of view.
On sale 6/25/13.
Kiss of Venom (Elemental Assassin #8.5). An e-story from Owen Grayson’s point of view.
On sale 7/22/13.
See more at Jennifer Estep

13 Questions for YA Authors

      1)      Coke, Pepsi, Coffee, or Tea?

JE: Pepsi


2)      Do you prefer print books or an ereader? If ereader, what type?

JE: Print books


3)      PC or MAC?

JE: PC


4)      Plotter or Pantser?

JE: Panster


5)      What comes first- the character or the plot?

JE: It just depends. Sometimes, I’ll have an idea for a character that I think would be fun to write about, and I’ll build a story around that character. Other times, the idea for the plot comes to me first, and then I think about the characters that would fit well into the story.


6)      How much world building do you do?

JE: I write urban fantasy for adults and young adults, so I do world building in terms of coming up with a magic system, powers for my various characters, how those powers can be used in various situations, and the city/town/etc. where the characters live/work/etc., among other things.


7)      How do you come up with the names of your characters?

JE: If the name is for a major character in the book, like the heroine, then I will go online and do some research into various names and what they mean until I find one that I think will be a good fit for a particular character. But if it’s for a minor character, or a character that I know won’t be in the book for very long, then sometimes, I’ll just use the first name that pops into my head.


8)      Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what and who?

JE: I do not listen to music while I write. I find that I end up tuning out the music and that I can concentrate better if it’s not playing to start with.


9)      Where’s your favorite place to write? Do you need complete silence or can you work anywhere?

JE: I write in my office. I do prefer to write in complete silence.


10)   Who are your favorite authors?

JE: Some of my favorite authors include Ian Fleming, Robert Parker, Lisa Kleypas, Robin McKinley, and Donald Westlake/Richard Stark, among many, many others.


11)   Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

JE: I would say my mom. When I was a kid, she would take me to the library every single week, which is how I fell in love with books in the first place. So I think that her taking me to the library all those times is one of the main reasons that I eventually decided to write my own books and tell the stories that I wanted to tell.


12)   Why do you prefer to write for teens?

JE: I write urban fantasy for adults and young adults, and I enjoy writing for both audiences. One of the things that appeals to me about writing a young adult series with my Mythos Academy books is being able to tell more of a coming-of-age story with a heroine who’s trying to figure out who she wants to be and what she wants her place in the world to be. It’s been a fun challenge writing a young adult series and trying to capture that young adult voice.

13)   If you could go anywhere, and money was no object, where would you go?
     JE: I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska, so that would be my pick.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Shannon Delaney

Introducing Shannon Delaney: 

Shannon Delany has written stories since she was a child. She began writing in earnest when her grandmother fell unexpectedly ill during a family vacation. In 2008 her greatly abbreviated version of 13 to Life (written in just five weeks) won the grand prize in the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world through Textnovel.com.
Shannon was thrilled when St. Martin’s Press offered her a contract for a series about her 13 to Life characters. She expanded on the cell phone novel version, adding the subplots and characters she didn’t have time to during the contest. As paranormal as werewolves seem, the grief Shannon used to build Jess’s character is something she personally experienced with the loss of her own mother. Focusing on Jess and Pietr’s story of loss, love, and dramatic and dangerous changes, Shannon came to better grips with her own struggle. The resulting novel earned her blurbs from authors she respects most.
Shannon's newest series, Weather Witch (again through St. Martin's Press), will begin to release June 25, 2013.
Previously a teacher and now a farmer raising heritage livestock, Shannon lives and writes in Upstate New York and enjoys traveling to talk to people about most anything. She is a member of RWA and SCBWI and has spoken at numerous book stores and hosted many workshops as well as speaking at the RT Booklovers Convention 2010, TBF Live in Rochester 2011, the NAIBA Trunke Show 2011, the Empire State Book Festival 2011, NoobieCon 2011, RWA 2011, Unmask the Writer Within 2011, YA Fest 2012, PAYA 2012, Bangor Book Festival 2012, the 2012 YALSA Symposium, MOSCBWI Fall 2012, and other events.
13 Questions for YA Authors

1) Coke, Pepsi, Coffee, or Tea?
Shannon) Fancy coffee (gimme the works!) or cherry coke.

2)Do you prefer print books or an ereader? If ereader, what type?
Shannon) Print--they smell better and I can flip through pages and ruffle them against my fingers when I'm thinking aout the book.  I'm very sensory-oriented so ereaders don't engage me as much.

3) PC or MAC?
Shannon) MAC (ironically as I'm typing this on a PC...I'm so conflicted!  ;)  ).

4) Plotter or Pantser (in other words do you plan things out before you write or figure things out as you go along).
Shannon) Ugh.  This is such a tough one!  I'm a mix now.  I used to be a pantser (and mainly still am) but now I spend a little more time on my plot's stages.  I plan more of it before writing than I used to.

5) What comes first- the character or the plot?
Shannon)  The character--the character always comes first...Because I'm so visual they often show up in a daydream-like vision for me and I chase down their story by following them and asking them questions.  Yes, yes I do sore of interview my characters.  In my head.  Yeah, crazy, right? They show me what they want (or sometimes what they can) and I fill in the blanks and try to figure out their truth.  Some of them are very troublesome and don't reveal much-- some start out shy or evasive.  Pietr was especially difficult.  and that's why, no matter how many fans asked me to, I never wrote from his point of view).

6) How much world building do you do?
Shannon)  It depends on the book. With the 13 TO LIFE series there wasn't much world building to do because it was meant to be a typical small town America contemporary setting. I wanted readers to feel that they could turn a corner in their own small town and bump into Jessie or Pietr or Max. I like to think of the 13 TO LIFE series as our world with a paranormal veneer. The WEATHER WITCH series is much different because it's a somewhat historical setting with dark underpinnings and paranormal situations. I call it "stormpunk" instead of "steampunk." Because of the history involved (which I selectively use and mess with as fiction authors should feel free to do) there was more research, more planning and more backstory.

7) How do you come up with the names of your characters?
Shannon)  Pietr was easy. He was a werewolf, hence, "Peter and the wolf." Because I wanted him to be of Eastern European extraction (and I like the "growl without the vowel" at the end of his name) I tweaked the spelling to give a foreign feel. Max also had something behind his name (as did their sister). Max's full name is spelled very specifically and reflects a hapless historical monarch who dies at the hands of his own people (Max's story was originally going to end much differently--and then he sort of spoke up). And, if you know your Russian history, Catherine the Great was quite the leader! So she was the inspiration for their sister's name. Jess was because of some girls named Jessica I've known, and Amy was very much because of what they say in the books about it being like the French word for "friend." Most times my character names don't reflect people I've known and frequently I use BehindTheName.com to find names I think might suit a character (while hiding meaning in their background). As the 13 TO LIFE characters mention, "What's in  a name?" Thank you, Shakespeare.


8)Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what and who?
Shannon)  Not so much anymore... I usually have a playlist I listen to before doing my writing (especially if there's a mood or pace I need to drop into quickly) but then it needs to be the sound of the voices in my head telling the story, I guess. That's the thing about most authors, I think. It's only recently we've started talking about our process--go back a hundred or more years and if we said some of this stuff people would have freaked out and tossed us into asylums. It can sound pretty weird if you aren't a writer or other type of artist.

9) What's your favorite place to write? Do you need complete silence or can you work anywhere?
Shannon) In the early stages of the story ideas sort of ambush me and I write anywhere and everywhere. It's when I'm refining the situations and words and making it into a presentable form that I need quiet. 

10) Who are your favorite authors?
Shannon)  Mercedes Lackey, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, Jim Butcher, Eloisa James. Remember that when I was growing up they didn't really have YA so I tend to read adult stuff more often than YA. But for cool YA, check out Ann Aguirre's ENCLAVE. I loved that. And Molly Cochran's LEGACY.

11) Who was the biggest influence on your writing?
Shannon) My parents and my 4th grade teacher. They encouraged me to be creative and explore my talents. My father was diverse in his own forms of artistic expression, so I blame--erm--THANK him. It explains why my attention span is so--SQUIRREL! Ahem, sorry. Short. My attention span is short.

12) Why do you prefer to write for teens?
Shannon) Because I never really grew up? That's a good question. I think part of me got stunted during my teenage years. I was bullied pretty viciously. I was smart, I was overweight, and I was shy so I was a perfect victim for the kids who had issues at home. They messed with me enough that part of me has remained a teenager: I'm curious, I'm full of energy, I know my potential is still unreached; new people, places, relationships and situations fascinate me and I occasionally laugh when I probably shouldn't. So I think I understand the teenage experience and I really just love teenagers--they have so much potential and so much passion! They're raw power! Really, I respect teens and believe we undervalue them in our society so I like to write them into seemingly impossible adventures where they can discover something powerful about themselves and evolve to claim that power and overcome the story's Big Bad.

13) If you could go anywhere, and money was no object, where would you go?
Shannon) I would take a lengthy tour of Europe and (since money is no object) I'd stop in the orphanages there that I've read about to help them remodel their rooms so they are friendlier for the children living there. And I'd hold and rock (not sing to--no one deserves that torture!) every baby they have. I'm a sap like that.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Leanna Renee Heiber


Introducing Leanna Renee Hieber:
Leanna Renee Hieber grew up in rural Ohio, graduated from Miami University with a BFA in Theater and a focus in the Victorian Era.  She began her theatrical career with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and began adapting works of 19th Century literature for the stage. Her one-act plays have been published, awarded and produced around the country. Her fiction career began with Dark Nest, which won the 2009 Prism Award for best novella.
Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, landed on Barnes & Noble's bestseller lists, was named a favourite of 2009 by 14 book blogs, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award (Young Adult category) and is in development as a musical theatre production with Broadway talent on board. The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess, prequel in the Strangely Beautiful series, won the 2012 Prism Award (Best Fantasy). This currently out of print series will be reissued by 2014.
Her currently in print books include: Darker Still, Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart, A Midwinter Fantasy (an anthology).

13 Questions for YA Authors
1)      Coke, Pepsi, Coffee, or Tea?

Coffee and tea! All the time!

2)      Do you prefer print books or an ereader? If ereader, what type?

Print books please. I write books set in the Victorian Era and so while I have an eReader, and do buy and download books on it (just a basic Sony reader), I prefer it the old fashioned way.

3)      PC or MAC?

PC

4)      Plotter or Pantser?

100 percent certifiable Pantser. And I don't write in order either, I skip around writing chapters and then put it all together.

5)      What comes first- the character or the plot?

Characters and setting, atmosphere is key or I can't write the world.

6)      How much world building do you do?

As much as I can and the world continues to unfold as I write. Since I write series fiction its a constantly developing process. I try to create interesting characters who continue to surprise and intrigue me, and see the world through their eyes.

7)      How do you come up with the names of your characters?

Some just fall into place in my mind as suited to the characters, others I go through names I have compiled by walking through graveyards and gathering interesting first and last names.

8)      Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what and who?

Yes, classical music and movie soundtracks. I love Philip Glass soundtracks.

9)      Where’s your favorite place to write? Do you need complete silence or can you work anywhere?

If the atmosphere isn't too loud or distracting I can write anywhere, and I need to be able to do so as I'm traveling often and always on deadline. As long as I've a cup of tea or coffee and some relatively relaxing / consistent music, I'm good to go. If I have absolute control over the room, I like to have candles lit as it evokes a tie to the historical time in which I am writing.

10)   Who are your favorite authors?

Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Charlotte Bronte, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and J. K. Rowling.

11)   Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

Edgar Allan Poe and J. K. Rowling, equally.

12)   Why do you prefer to write for teens?

I write for adult and for teens, I just love writing stories for any age, all of it is exciting to me. A good story is a good story no matter the age of the characters.

13)   If you could go anywhere, and money was no object, where would you go?

I'd take my family all around the world and research all kinds of different historical sites I could use in my books. I'd particularly enjoy river cruises about Europe.

I'm always tweeting at http://twitter.com/leannarenee , on FB at http://facebook.com/lrhieber , I'm blogging my latest novel (the finale in my Magic Most Foul YA series) at http://leannareneebooks.blogspot.com and all my books and more information can be found at http://leannareneehieber.com

Friday, June 7, 2013

Coming Soon

South Norfolk Memorial Library’s
Teen Blog Blast
http:sonoonthego.blogspot.com
 Come chat with us and meet the following authors:
 
6/10 Leanna Renee Hieber  

 
 

 6/17  Shannon Delany
 










6/21 Jennifer Estep
 
 
 




 











    6/24    Melissa Marr






 







6/28    Jeri Smith-Ready


















 
   7/1   Karen Bynum 
 
7/8   Mari Mancusi