I joined three fellow Austin writers–Bethany Hegedus, Julie Lake, and Donna Bowman Bratton–last weekend for wonderful writing retreat at Donna’s family’s lake house in Kingsland, Texas.
It’s about an hour and twenty minutes northwest of Austin–a nice, sunny drive.
We settled in Friday night over homemade spaghetti and caught up on each other’s news.
Don’t Take Yourself Out of the Game by Diana Peterfreund. Peek: “If you’ve written and polished the book, what a bunch of writers think about its marketability is not important. Submitting it is the only way you can get a real answer.” Source: Saundra Mitchell.
How to Write When You’re Scared Spitless by Jean Sarauer from writetodone.
Shannon Delany is the first-time author of 13 to Life (St. Martin’s, 2010). From the promotional copy:
Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…
When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper,
Marianne Malone is the first-time author of The Sixty-Eight Rooms (Random House, 2010). From the promotional copy:
Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms.
Housed deep within the Art Institute of Chicago, they are a collection of sixty-eight exquisite – almost eerily realistic miniature rooms.
Continue Reading New Voice: Marianne Malone on The Sixty-Eight Rooms »
Francisco X. Stork on Francisco X. Stork:
“I was born in Monterrey, Mexico; to a single mother (I never met my biological father).
“When I was six my mother married a retired American citizen traveling through Mexico. Charlie Stork married my mother and, three years later, brought us to El Paso,
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has announced the winner of the inaugural Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction.
Established in 2008 to honor the wishes of young adult author Amelia Elizabeth Walden, the award allows for the sum of $5,000 to be presented annually to the author of a young adult title selected by the ALAN Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Committee as demonstrating a positive approach to life,
Much to my delight, Cynthia asked me to write something about the research I did for my latest historical novel for young readers, Anna Maria’s Gift (Random House, 2010). Delight because research is something I dearly love, especially of the past. To learn about the past and bring it alive with imagination is my passion.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Janice Shefelman on Researching Anna Maria’s Gift »
Ricki Thompson is the first-time author of City of Cannibals (Front Street, 2010). From the promotional copy:
“You will not show yourself to the boy.”
“Yes. I mean, I won’t, Father.”
“Or venture past your mother’s cross.”
He gripped his spoon as if it were a knife.
Continue Reading New Voice: Ricki Thompson on City of Cannibals »
Congratulations to 2010 debut author Lisa Railsback on the release of her debut novel, Betti on the High Wire (Dial, 2010)! From the promotional copy:
Ten-year-old Babo and the other “leftover kids” live on an abandoned circus camp in a war-torn country. Babo believes her circus-star parents will come back for her any day now,
Learn about Kimberly Willis Holt.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
Writing for different age groups wasn’t a calculated decision. It just happened. I never thought I’d write a picture book or a series for young readers.
When I created a scrapbook filled with the moments waiting for my nephew to be born,
Continue Reading Writing Across Formats: Kimberly Willis Holt »
