ASK THE EXPERT INTERVEW WITH CHRISTINA FROM THE STORY SIREN, GIVIEAWAY OF STARTERS, A TOUCH OF POWER, AND FRACTURE, AND Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

Today I'm participating in a Random Act of Kindness Blitz, have a fabulous interview to share with you, and three books to give away.

First, I'll announce the winner of WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND. I've got a surprise. Simon Pulse just sent me another book, so there's two winners. Yay!

The winners are VIVIEN and RACHNA!

Congrats! E-mail me your addresses so I can send you your book.

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.  

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!


To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I'm picking Shannon O'Donnell who is a great friend who is always willing to share advice on blogging and her publishing contacts with me so I can try to get you guys more ARCs. And when I needed an extra beta read, she immediately offered to do it without me asking.

Shannon, for my RAOK gift, I'm sending you a $20.00 gift certificate to Amazon because I know you love to buy books. 

I really appreciate Shannon who blogs  at Book Dreaming. If you have a minute, please stop in and tell her how awesome she is!

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)
Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Now onto my interview.

Today I’m excited to interview Christina who blogs with Kristi at The Story Siren. If you’ve never read their blog, you’re really missing out because they have a fantastic book review blog. Kristi, whose blog this is, has done so much to promote middle grade and YA books, including starting her debut author challenge where bloggers commit to reviewing at least 12 debut books. I love their blog and recommend you check it out here.

Hi Christina. Thanks so much for joining us.

1.  Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your school, and what you like to read. 

My school is Avilla Elementary School in Indiana (same town as Kristi). Next year I will be going into East Noble Middle School in Kendallville. I like to read recommended books because even if I don’t think it will be good and someone recommends it, I will give it a shot. I like a variety of books, but most of the books on my bookshelf are paranormal or within that genre. I’m 12 and I like to talk a lot. My friends and I are obsessed with The Hunger Games. We all have the little figurines of the tributes. I’m trying to get all twenty-four tributes. J

2.  My daughter's pretty obsessed with The Hunger Games too. And all the books I read are from recommendations of friends or book review bloggers like Kristi and you. Before you started blogging, how did you find out about the books you read? What about new books coming out? 

I first started finding out about books at my library because every summer they have a summer reading program. Since I was going into 6^th grade, they considered me a “teen reader.” Most of the books in the lists were series, so I got into teen books through summer reading. My mom has an Amazon.com account and for book recommendations, books in series come up, so that’s how I find out about books coming out.

3.  You sound like an advanced reader so I can see you being drawn to teen vs. middle grade books. Tell us how you got to know Kristi and started blogging with her. 

Well, my Grandma posted the link to her blog on my Facebook page so I decided to check it out. Then I found out she lived in the same town as me, which I thought was cool. I wrote her a letter and she wrote back, asking if I would like to be a guest blogger on The Story Siren. I wasn’t sure how to respond because it was a big opportunity. We started sharing emails and we arranged to meet at the library in our town. I decided then that I would like to be a guest blogger and I read some of the books she gave me and wrote reviews. I still haven’t read all the books she’s given me, but I plan to. Plus, I knew that if I didn’t become a guest blogger, I’d regret it. So, when I write a review I email them to her and she posts them up. J

4.  Wow! You have an awesome grandma. And I can totally relate to the feeling of not wanting to miss an opportunity. That's how I felt when Casey posted that she was looking for a blog partner. It's such a great opportunity that I'm glad you didn't pass it up. Me too. 

How has blogging changed what you read, if at all? What books are you waiting to be released? 

Oh man! Blogging has changed my life so much and the books I read. Before I started blogging, I didn’t read that much. I started to actually take an interest in reading books in the summer of 2011. I read 16 books that summer. At that time I thought that was a lot, but now that I think about it, it’s not a lot compared to what I’ve read now. Now, most of the books I read I usually find on blogs, or I admin on a page on Facebook called “Confessions of a Bookaholic” and if I need a book to read or can’t decide what book to read, I’ll ask the people who like it and they give me really great recommendations.

             

The two books that I don’t think I can wait much longer for are Insurgent by Veronica Roth and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, and both come out next month!! I also can’t wait until Clockwork Princess too, but that a loooong ways away.

5.  I've had a similar experience since I started blogging. I always read a lot but now what I read is governed a lot by who I'm interviewing here or what I want to give away. And I just got Insurgent from the library. Do you buy most of your book, receive ARCS, or get them at the library? How often do you go to a bookstore? 

I buy, well my mom buys me books quite often, but my bookshelves have become fuller because of Kristi. She’s sent about 30 books and I appreciate that so much. So most of the books I own have been given to me from Kristi. I used to go to the library a lot, like 3 times a week, but now I never go. I go to a bookstore maybe every Sunday. It all depends because my grandma will take me to Barnes and Noble sometimes after church on Sundays, but not every Sunday because their books are EXPENSIVE!!!

6.  I'd love to have Kristi send me some books. She has such good taste in books. And I don't go to the library as much either. I do miss that. I know you must read some blogs because you found Kristi and The Story Siren. Which ones do you read regularly? Do you read any teen book blogs, author blogs, or author or publisher websites? Become a fan of an author on Facebook? Why? 

I have a couple blogs that I keep up on everyday because I sign up to get e-mails of their posts. So, I look at a Mortal Instruments Series blog (catch the theme? I love those book!) I also look at the YA Sisterhood. I like a lot of blogs and authors on Facebook. I like Willow Cross, Michelle Warren, and Lauren Kate.

7.  Have any of your teachers recommended any blogs or websites to your class or to you? 

No, not really. They don’t really do that, but I think they should because we have so much technology. My school corporation just gave kindergarten through first grade iPod touches, the second through fourth graders get iPads, and fifth grade through high school get laptops. I think they should recommend blogs to my class though.

8. Wow! That's awesome that your school gives kids all that technology. I wonder if your language arts teachers in middle school will start suggesting blogs or websites for you to check out. You'll be able to recommend some to your teacher, including your own blog. I bet they'll be impressed.

Are there things your favorite authors could do that would make you more likely to visit their website, their blog, or become a fan on Facebook? 

Oh yes! If the second book came out less than a year from the first one!! I know they can’t do that but there have been some books that I have read and they just leave you hanging and you’re like “What?!?! I need the second book now!” and it doesn’t come out for like two years. If I’ve read their book and I love it, then I’ll definitely get on their blog and follow them and like them on Facebook.

9.  That's great to know that you'll check out the author's blog and Facebook page. Most of the kids I've interviewed wouldn't do that. Have any authors visited your school? Who? Is there anything you’d recommend that an author do to make their presentation more interesting to you and other kids at your school?

No, I wish though. The kids at my school don’t read as much as I do and when I tell them how fast I read a book, they stare at me like I’m an alien. J They should make a book trailer for their book, which most books do have those, and show it at their presentation. Then, maybe then more kids would read it. J

Don't worry, you're not weird. You're really cool. And I found my daughter and her friends really started getting excited about books in middle school and now high school. So there's hope your friends will catch up to you. Thanks Christina for sharing all your advice. 

Next here are the books I'm going to give away today. If you click on the title, you can read the description from Goodreads.

First I'm giving away Lissa Price's debut book STARTERS.

Lissa Price has created an amazingly unique dystopian world filled with mystery and hard choices. This world has only kids under 20 years old and who have no rights and people 60 and older who live to such long lives that they do all the work because everyone else has died. And the fact that the people older than 60 can rent a teenager’s body is one of things that makes the story so different.

Callie is such a great character—very independent yet vulnerable in her fierce protectiveness of her younger brother Tyler. And it’s because of her love for Tyler and her desire to save him that she decides to let someone rent her body. As creepy as the idea of renting your body is, it was fascinating seeing all the secrets and mysteries Callie uncovers while she let an elder rent her body.  I couldn’t put the book down. It was so full of twists and mysteries I wanted to figure out. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Second up is TOUCH OF POWER by Maria Snyder. I’m a huge fan of Maria Snyder and was so excited when I won Touch of Power. Avry is a strong, compassionate main character who has been living on the run alone. When she’s kidnapped by Kerrick and his band of helpers Loren, Quan, Flea, and Belen, they want her to heal Prince Ryne. But there’s a problem. She hates him and refuses to cooperate. 

It was fascinating watching her relationships change with her captors as they journey across the Nine Mountains to where Prince Ryne is hidden. The world Maria Snyder creates is rich and there are many mysteries uncovered, including Avry’s relationship to her family, who is good in the fifteen kingdoms, why she hates Prince Ryne, and who Kerrick really is. This is another one that I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel.

And the last book is FRACTURE by debut author Megan Miranda.

This was an interesting mix of contemporary with perhaps a slight paranormal ability. I found this to be a really fast read. Delaney falls into icy pond while walking with her best friend Decker. He pulls her out but not before she dies. And she stays dead for eleven minutes. When she comes too, everyone is amazed that she shows no effects of being brain dead. And they try to go back to normal.

But Delaney knows something's different. She now can sense death. And she meets Troy, a 19-year-old boy who also survived a coma. I enjoyed watching Delaney take charge of her life in ways she hadn't before as she tries to come to terms with what it means to come back from death and figure out where Troy and Decker fit into her life.

So there will be three winners. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment on Christina's interview by midnight on May 28th. If you have a preference on what book you'd like, leave that in the comment too. I’ll announce the winner on May 30th. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome.

Want to win a fabulous YA mystery with a touch of paranormal or an awesome new middle grade mystery series? Enter my giveaway for Kim Harrington's new books. There's going to be 3 winners. The link is at the top of the blog.

Here's what's coming up next.  On Wednesday, I'm participating in debut author Misty Provencher's blog tour for her debut book CORNERSTONE and giving away two copies of her books. Then next Monday I'm interviewing debut author Marissa Burt and giving away an ARC of her middle grade fantasy STORYBOUND. Wednesday next week I'll be interviewing  Stephanie Guerra and giving away an ARC of  her YA book TORN.

And in June I have two awesome interviews you won't want to miss. On June 4th I'm helping Elana Johnson celebrate the release of SURRENDER. It's one of the most awesome second books in a series that I've read. I'm giving away my ARC (only because I bought a book for my daughter and me. She loves it too and would not let me give it away otherwise). On June 11th I'm interviewing debut author Jennifer Bosworth and giving away an ARC of STRUCK, another awesome book.

And don't forget our Tuesday Tips tomorrow and Casey's Agent Spotlights on Thursdays.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

Agent Spotlight: Sara Sciuto

This week's Agent Spotlight features Sara Sciuto of Foreword Literary.
Status: 5/22/2020 Update: Ms. Sciuto is no longer a literary agent. She provides consulting and editorial services at Sara Sciuto Literary Services.
About: “Sara is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and also completed literature coursework at NYU. Her first industry experience was working on film and foreign rights with Taryn Fagerness Agency. From there she joined Full Circle Literary where she specialized in children’s literature and was there for over three years before joining Foreword Literary.
“Sara is actively building her list with a focus on middle grade and young adult fiction; in particular, contemporary, historical, gothic/thriller/horror, sci-fi, mystery/suspense, fantasy and other speculative fiction. For YA she’s especially drawn to literary voices with commercial appeal (i.e. no chick-lit, please). For MG, her tastes are broader and she seeks everything from provoking historical to fun/silly adventure projects. She has a particular soft spot for gritty narratives, anything with international or regional locales, period settings, and anything with artistic themes.
“Sara is also looking for standout picture books, especially those with a quirky or humorous narrative; and welcomes author/illustrators, as well as conceptual or art-driven projects. She’s also considering select adult nonfiction in the areas of craft, design, how-to, lifestyle, and pop culture. For children’s nonfiction, she’s open to a wider range of both narrative and prescriptive projects. Currently, she is NOT considering any adult fiction (all genres).
“To learn more about Sara, you can follow her on Twitter and Tumblr.” (Link)
About the Agency:
“Foreword Literary is a full-service, hybrid literary agency based in the Silicon Valley with offices throughout the country. We blend the tried-and-true methods of traditional publishing with the brash new opportunities engendered by digital publishing, emerging technologies, and an evolving author-agent relationship.
“Foreword manages a wide variety of clients, from bestsellers to debut authors, working with fiction and non-fiction for children and adults worldwide. We combine technical efficiency with outside-the-covers creative thinking so that each individual client’s career is specifically fine-tuned for them.
“We are not an agency that sells a book and then washes our hands of the project. We realize that our ongoing success directly results from that of our clients, so we remain at their side to cultivate and strategize throughout the many lives of each book, both before and after the initial sale. Innovations, such as our FastForeword publishing program, help bridge the gaps between books, growing and maintaining the author’s fan base without lag.
“The partners launched Foreword following tenures at established agencies, bringing with them experience in writing, teaching, professional editing, book marketing, blogging and social media, running high-tech companies, and marketing new technologies. A boutique, collaborative agency, Foreword provides each client with the expertise and forward vision of the group.
“We pride ourselves on our flexibility and passion for progression in an ever-changing publishing environment. We believe that the agency of the future will not just react to change but will actively create change, pushing markets and advancing formats to provide authors with the best possible outlets for their art.
“Foreword Literary, Inc. Moving Publishing Forward” (Link)
Web Presence:
Foreward Literary website.
Foreward Literary blog.
Twitter.
Tumblr.
Query Tracker.  
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Children’s picture books through young adult; select non-fiction.
From Her Bio (as of 8/2014):
“Sara is actively building her list with a focus on middle grade and young adult fiction; in particular, contemporary, historical, gothic/thriller/horror, sci-fi, mystery/suspense, fantasy and other speculative fiction. For YA she’s especially drawn to literary voices with commercial appeal (i.e. no chick-lit, please). For MG, her tastes are broader and she seeks everything from provoking historical to fun/silly adventure projects. She has a particular soft spot for gritty narratives, anything with international or regional locales, period settings, and anything with artistic themes.
“Sara is also looking for standout picture books, especially those with a quirky or humorous narrative; and welcomes author/illustrators, as well as conceptual or art-driven projects. She’s also considering select adult nonfiction in the areas of craft, design, how-to, lifestyle, and pop culture. For children’s nonfiction, she’s open to a wider range of both narrative and prescriptive projects.” (Link)
From her Tumblr (as of 8/2014):
“I’d love to find: A gritty dystopia, like SHIP BREAKER. A story with an experimental narrative structure, reminiscent of FEED. A utilitarian dystopia (I’m pretty sure I just made that term up, but if it makes sense to you I’d like to see your work! Hint: MATCHED, DIVERGENT). Something creepy, or that utilizes mixed media, or both as in MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. A gritty contemporary. A dystopian thriller. Anything with international locales or period settings (think flappers or ‘Mad Men’). Anything with artistic themes. Anything set in the Deep South (from sweet contemporary to dark paranormal). A character-driven historical MG, like MOON OVER MANIFEST. A quirky or humorous picture book. Especially from an author/illustrator. A unique character-driven picture book.” (Link)
From an Interview (02/2012):
“…it’s usually tough to win me over with high fantasy. I’m also being really selective with paranormal—if it doesn’t have a truly unique concept, I likely won’t be interested. I’ll really go nuts for a good dystopian thriller, anything with steampunk elements, a utilitarian dystopia, or a dark paranormal (especially if it’s set in the Deep South). Please note that I’m currently not considering any adult fiction, fantasy or otherwise.” (Link)
From a Blog Post (06/2011):
“A paranormal warning: I'll likely be passing if I see the words ‘vampire’ or ‘werewolf’; and if you're writing about angels/immortals/demons there needs to be another element (e.g. dystopia, à la ANGEL BURN) or a really unique twist. Better yet, it’s a creature or phenomena that I’ve never seen before. For contemporary stories I steer away from teen or relationship drama (i.e. teen chick-lit)—I prefer contemporary stories with some grit or quirkiness to them.” (Link)
What She Isn't Looking For:
Adult fiction (all genres) (Link).
Quotables:
“Write what you love! You’ll produce your best work that way—if you write for yourself and not for the marketplace. You’ve heard it before, ‘don’t write to the trends’, but really, don’t do it. It makes it difficult for your project to stand out and places yet another hurdle before you to overcome (on the already tough enough road to publication!). And don’t give up!” (Link)
Editorial Agent?
“We're very active during the revision process before sending a project to editors; we're your advocate during and after publication, and offer professional guidance for the lifetime of your author career. I'm a very hands-on agent and--perhaps, because I'm a newer agent with a bit more time to gamble with--I'll often take on projects that need some editorial work if I have a strong connection to the idea or the author. It doesn't always pay off, but it's worthwhile when it does.” (Link)
Clients:
Dev Petty, otherwise unknown.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
“Send a query letter + the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted directly in the body of an email. For picture books, paste the full manuscript text in the email body. For non-fiction, include a proposal with one sample chapter. Include ‘Query’ somewhere in the subject line, as well as ‘Sara Sciuto’, if you’d like me to be the one to read your query.”
See the Foreword Literary website and Ms. Sciuto’s Query Me page for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
“My biggest pet peeve is queries that are too long--especially when I have to read for five minutes only to figure out that it's adult fiction (which I don't represent!). This isn't the place for a full plot synopsis; I'm only looking to see if this is a project I would generally be interested in or not, and then I want to start straight in on the sample pages. Shoot for brevity and clarity--one sentence introducing the project, a three- to five-sentence description, brief author bio/relevant publishing history, and closing paragraph, is ideal.
“I also don't like to see a query that hasn't been personalized in any way. Queries should be addressed (in subject line or greeting) to a specific agent, or at least the agency, so we know you’ve actually considered our guidelines and interests.” (Link)
Response Times:
Ms. Sciuto’s usual response time is 2-4 weeks for queries and 6-8 weeks for requested material. She often provides personal feedback on partials and fulls. (Link)
What's the Buzz?
Sara Sciuto joined Foreword Literary as their kidlit specialist in March of 2014 after three years with Full Circle Literary. She is actively building her list. You can find her at conferences throughout the year as well as on Twitter and Tumblr.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
Interview with Sara Sciuto at Stacey O’Neale’s site (02/2012).
Interview with an Agent: Sara Sciuto at Mother. Write. (Repeat.) (06/2011).
Interview with Agent Sara Sciuto at YA Fantasy Guide (link currently broken –08/2011).
Selected Blog/Tumblr Posts:
Tales from the Slushpile (Plus an Easy 4-Step Query Tip!) (05/2014).
Query Me (static page).
My Query Response Policy (11/2011).
Around the Web:
Foreword Literary thread at AbsoluteWrite.
See the “Conferences” page on the Foreword Literary website for upcoming conferences and events.
Subscription to the Foreword Literary Newsletter can be found here.
You can find Ms. Sciuto’s conference calendar on her Tumblr, Mental Slush. She also posts query stats occasionally.
Guest Editor Sara Sciuto answers a picture book question at DearEditor.com (03/8/13).
Introducing Sara Sciuto, article with query tips in the SCBWI-LA Kite Tales (Page 21, Spring 2012).
Contact:
Please see the Foreword Literary website and Ms. Sciuto’s Tumblr for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/30/2020.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 5/15/12.
Comment: Latest update is to confirm Ms. Sciuto is no longer a literary agent and to remove all links.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's and/or teen fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

KIM HARRINGTON INTERVIEW AND PERCEPTION AND TWO SLEUTH OR DARE GIVEAWAYS & LAURA PAULING'S A SPY LIKE ME BLOG SERIES

I have lots to share with you today. (Sorry in advance for the font changes in the post but Blogger is doing something weird today. Sound familiar?) Before I begin my awesome interview with Kim Harrington, I have a bunch of winners to announce. Yay!

The winner of ELLIE MCDOODLE: BEST FRIENDS FUR-EVER IS:

DEB MARSHALL!

The winner of ELLIE MCDOODLE: MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IS: 

LINDA A.!

The winner of CINDER is:

SHERI LARSEN!

The winner of A MILLION SUNS is:

ROSALYN!

The winner of THE DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is:

ASHLEY! 

And the winner of THE DOWNSIDE OF BEING CHARLIE is:

ALISON K. HERTZ! 

Congrats to all the winners. I'm so happy to pass on my books. E-mail me your addresses so I can send you your books. Some of you I've already contacted but for those of you who didn't leave your e-mail address, please e-mail me within 48 hours or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m excited to interview Kim Harrington. She was one of the first debut authors I interviewed last year when I started blogging.  When I saw that she has a new middle grade series Sleuth or Dare coming out on May 1, 2012, I knew I wanted to interview her again. And as an unexpected bonus, Kim’s publisher sent me an ARC of PERCEPTION, the second book in her YA Clarity series, that was released February 29th.

Kim is a fantastic writer. I loved both the mystery in PERCEPTION and Clare’s emotional growth. Each chapter ended with me dying to know more. And in PARTNERS IN CRIME, the first book in the Sleuth or Dare series, we meet Darcy and Norah, two great middle graders who create a detective agency from a school project. 

Here’s a description of PERCEPTION from Goodreads:

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

And here’s a blurb about PARTNERS IN CRIME from Goodreads:

When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it's a perfect fit.

But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it's up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search. Unfortunately, there's someone else out there who doesn't want the two detectives stirring up any trouble. . . .

With the help of hidden clues, spy gadgets, and trusted friends, can Darcy and Norah crack the case in time?

Finally, here’s the blurb about SLEEPOVER STAKEOUT from Goodreads:

Norah and Darcy's detective agency, Partners in Crime, is taking on a new and chilling case. The girls' classmate, Maya, is hearing strange, crackling voices coming over the baby monitor while she's babysitting late at night. Maya is worried someone might be in danger.

To help investigate, Norah and Darcy join her for a sleepover stakeout. In between eating snacks and watching TV, the girls are on high alert for anything suspicious. Soon, they stumble upon a mysterious secret they never could have imagined -- but Norah and Darcy clash over how to interpret the new clues.

Can the girls get past their differences to see their way to the truth?

Hi Kim. Thanks so much for joining us.

1. You have had a busy year since your debut as an author last year. PERCEPTION was released and you have three books in the Sleuth or Dare series coming out in the next few months. Wow! Tell us a bit about how that happened.

Well, it seems like a lot all at once but due to publishing schedules they were really written quite far apart. Clarity was written in 2008, published in 2011. Perception was written in 2009, published in 2012. My 2013 book was written in 2010. So the only books I wrote in 2011 were the three Sleuth or Dare books. Still…busy! :)

2. Yeah, you've definitely been busy both writing and publishing-wise. Let’s talk about PERCEPTION first. Your first chapter is one of the best I’ve ever read with all the drama that made me dying to know more. Then you torture us in a good way by going back two weeks earlier in the next chapter, but did it so masterfully that we don’t mind. Why did you decide to write the story that way? Please share any tips you have on the important first few pages of a story. 

 

That was actually my editor’s idea! I had a flash forward opening at the beginning of Clarity, so my editor suggested I open Perception the same way. And it really works, so I’m glad she suggested it. Since I write mystery/thrillers, I always try to grab the readers right away in the opening pages.

3. What a great suggestion by your editor. Because it worked so well at grabbing me. Besides PERCEPTION being a great mystery, you also have a lot of character development for Clare. Tell us a bit about the inner challenges she grapples with and how you’ve plotted this out through your series.

In the first book, Clare is reluctant to get involved in the investigation and only does because she has a big personal reason to do so. She also is not completely comfortable with her psychic gift and sometimes wishes she was just like all the other girls. In book two, she really goes on a journey. Solving the mystery of the first book awakened this feeling inside of her that maybe this curse she has isn’t so bad after all, and maybe she’s meant for more than just doing readings for tourists. She develops a lot of self-confidence and learns some lessons on friendship as well.

4. Those are two of the things I really enjoyed about Clare in this book. Her willingness to help and all she learned about herself. What were some of the challenges in writing the second book in this series? What did you learn about writing a series from writing this one?

Well first you have to think about the readers—some may have read the first book and some may not have. You have to insert enough backstory to ground the reader but not too much. Just in case someone reads book two first, you want to try your best not to spoil book one. The biggest challenge, though, is that a first book sets expectations. A sequel must surpass them. The mystery has to be creepier. The romance hotter. The conflict more heart-wrenching. All the stakes need to be higher. I worked hard to make this happen and hope I succeeded.

5. You did such a good job with all of that Kim. And the backstory which is hard to get right, you had the perfect balance. You’ve definitely established yourself as a mystery writer with both the Clarity and Sleuth or Dare series. Can you give us some tips on plotting out a mystery?

The hardest part is making sure all the pieces of the mystery fit into place and finding the right balance between predictable and completely unforeseeable. I don’t want the villain to be someone from left field that the reader never could have figured out. But I don’t want the solution to be too obvious, either. Somewhere in between. I want them to have figured some of it out (because I think that’s satisfying as a reader) but I don’t want them to figure everything out. And that’s tough to do.

6. Let’s move onto talking about PARTNERS IN CRIME. What were some of the differences in writing a middle grade versus a YA book?

I found it very challenging. The characters can’t just hop in a car and drive where they want to go, some may not have cell phones, and certainly there’s more parental involvement. So you have to realistically figure that in when the kids are solving the mystery. Also, coming up with the plots was a challenge. I didn’t want to write a ‘who stole the ____’ mystery, but I also couldn’t have a serial killer leaving a trail of bodies through town. There had to be something in between. So I worked hard to craft plots that were age-appropriate yet also edgy, intriguing, and complex.

7. Yes, I think you hit on a lot of challenges in middle grade stories, especially ones that aren't fantasies, where the characters can go off on their own. I love Darcy and Norah, the two main characters. They are both smart but very different people. Tell us a bit about how you developed them as characters.

I knew from the start that I wanted them to be nerds and proud of it. Because I’ve always been a nerd and when I was that age I would’ve loved to read a series where nerds are the heroes. (Velma was always my favorite of the Scooby Doo Gang!) But, even though Darcy and Norah are best friends and have brains in common, I wanted them to be opposites in many ways, too. I wanted them to bring out the best in each other. 

8. Darcy uses a lot of techno techniques for finding clues. How did you come up with some of them and what research did you do to decide on them or do you have a detective background?

Some of them I got from simple Internet research or brainstorming. But, strangely, I also got a few ideas from the SkyMall catalog. You know, that magazine on planes that sells a random variety of weird items. Interestingly, they have A LOT of spy gear.

9. Oh my God Kim, that's so funny about the SkyMall catalog. I've thought about this answer more than once and laughed. See guys, read those magazines on the plane for inspiration. Tell us what you’ve learning about marketing for your debut book and how that’s influencing your marketing plans now. Is it any different for your YA versus your middle grade series?

In my debut year, I did a lot of self-promotion—blogging, contests, giveaways, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Tumblr, co-marketing groups, interviews, blog series, bookmarks, bookplates, library visits, signings, live chats. Basically anything I could think of, I tried. But I’ve learned that no one knows what works and what doesn’t, and the only things that can make a huge difference are things out of your control. So from now on I’m going to focus on what I find fun and interesting! I love Twitter, so that’s where I spend most of my time.

10. That's good to know it's okay to focus on what you like. What are you working on now?

After the Sleuth or Dare series, I have a standalone YA coming in January 2013 called The Dead and Buried. I’m very excited about it!

Thanks so much Kim for sharing all your great advice. You can find Kim at her blog, website, facebook, and twitter.

Scholastic, Kim's Publisher, has been incredibly generous here. They've sent me two  ARCs of both PARTNERS IN CRIME books and an ARC of PERCEPTION. So they'll be three winners today. One winner will get the ARC of PERCEPTION and two people will get the first two books in Kim's PARTNERS IN CRIME series.

To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on May 28th. I’ll announce the winner on May 30th. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome.

If you mention this contest on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook, please let me know in the comments and I’ll give you an extra entry.

Don't forget to enter my two other contests listed at the top of the blog.

Before I wrap this up, I want to shout out about one of our followers, Laura Pauling

. 

In celebration of the official release of A Spy Like Me, Laura Pauling is hosting a three-week blog series: A Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. Woot! Woot!

Authors galore, guest posts and book giveaways almost every day!

Gemma Halliday, Cindy M. Hogan, Elizabeth Spann Craig,
Nova Ren Suma, Elisa Ludwig, and Anne R. Allen....Just to name a few!

And here's why she's celebrating!

Stripping your date down to his underwear has never been so dangerous.

After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must sneak, deceive and spy to save her family and friends and figure out if Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

Head on over to Laura’s blog for the start of the Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. You won’t want to miss this sizzling series as we head into summer. Stock up on some great thrilling reads! If you dare…

Congrats Laura! So excited for you! Hope you'll all stop over at Laura's blog and congratulate her and check out her blog series.

Here's what's coming up. Next Monday I'm interviewing Christina, a 6th grader who blogs with Kristi at the awesome THE STORY SIREN and giving away a few newly released YA books. She's so mature you'd think she's in high school so I know you'll enjoy her interview. On Wednesday next week, I'm participating in Misty Provencher's blog tour for her debut book CORNERSTONE and giving away two copies of her books. 

And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Agent Spotlights on Thursdays.

Hope to see you on Monday!

Tip Tuesday #126

Tip Tuesday features writers' tips on craft, research, querying, blogging, marketing, inspiration, and more. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

The winner of last week's tip giveaway is... Megan! Congrats Megan. Send me your address and I'll forward it to Sharon. 

Today I have a tip from Charmaine Hammond, author of two books including On Toby's Terms (in development for a major motion picture!) and Toby the Pet Therapy Dog & His Hospital Friends. Please visit her author website as well as her resource site, How To Sell and Market Your Book.  Here's her tip!

You can TALK your book or TYPE your book. I discovered that my books were much richer, emotive and engaging when I TALKED the writing. I purchased Dragonspeak Software which types into a word document as you talk. This made the process of writing easier and more enjoyable for me.

~Charmaine Hammond, Professionals Speaker, Author, & Radio Host

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK GIVEAWAY HOP

Today I'm excited to participate in the Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer, KidLitFrenzy,  Classic Children's Books, and Mymcbooks. This is one of my ways of saying thanks to all our followers and to hopefully welcome new ones.

I love the book hops because I can go to the bookstore and pretend I'm on a shopping spree of what I like to buy most--Books! Today I'm spotlighting newer released YA books with a few older ones that I really loved. Here's the choices. You can click on the titles below the book covers for a description of the book.

 

 

 Here's the descriptions from Goodreads:

ABOVE
BITTERBLUE
GRAVE MERCY
LEGEND
MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
PURE
INSURGENT
THE IMMORTAL RULES
THE FALSE PRINCE
UNDER THE NEVER SKY
UNRAVELING
STARTERS

Two lucky winners will win the book of their choice. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on May 13th telling me what book you want. I’ll announce the winner on May 16th. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome as long as The Book Depository ships to your country free.

If you mention this contest on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook, please let me know in the comments and I’ll give you an extra entry.

Want more fabulous YA books? Enter my contest for WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND, an amazing suspenseful story dealing with an abusive family by debut authorTracy Bilen. I loved that book and I don't read much contemporary. The contest link is at the top of the blog.

And Casey's giving away a copy of THE DOWNSIDE OF BEING CHARLIE, another awesome YA book, until midnight tomorrow. The link is at the top of the blog for that too.

And there's another YA giveaway on Wednesday when I'm interviewing Kim Harrington and giving away a copy of her YA mystery PERCEPTION (This was amazingly good!) and two books in her new middle grade series PARTNERS IN CRIME.

Then next Monday I'm interviewing Christina, a 6th grader who blogs with Kristi at the awesome THE STORY SIREN and giving away a few newly released YA books.

For those of you who are new here, I blog on Mondays spotlighting primarily debut and middle grade authors with book giveaways. In May and June I'll also be blogging on some Wednesdays to share more authors and their books with you. And on Tuesdays we share reader tips on writing, books and blogging. Casey's spotlights agents for children's, middle grade, and YA writers on Thursdays. It's a great resource if you write for children and are trying to get published.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

Here's the link to all the other blogs participating in the blog hop.

Agent Spotlight: Susan Hawk

This week's Agent Spotlight features Susan Hawk of Upstart Crow Literary.
Status Update 12/16/2025: Susan is currently open to submissions for one week several months a year. Check the agency website to find out which dates she is open to queries each month.

About: "Susan Hawk has worked in children’s books for over twenty-five years. Her clients include Rachael Allen, author of multiple YA novels, including A Taxonomy of Love and the forthcoming DC Icons title, Harley Quinn: Reckoning; J.M.M. Nuanez, author of the MG novel Birdie and Me; Paul Acampora, whose newest MG novel is the forthcoming In Honor of Broken Things; Sarah Lariviere, author of the YA novel Time Travel for Love and Profit; graphic novelist Rachel Elliott, author of the forthcoming The Real Riley Mayes; author-illustrator Denis Angelov, illustrator of The Big Scream; and Ruth Spiro, author of the Baby Loves Science board book series and the Made by Maxine series of picture books.

Before agenting, Susan worked in the Children’s Marketing departments of Penguin Books for Young Readers, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers and North-South Books, where she managed campaigns for many books and authors including Eric Carle, Mary E Pearson, Richard Peck and Joan Bauer. She’s also been a children’s librarian and bookseller, and spent some time in Dutton Editorial, acquiring select picture book and YA projects for that list." (From the agency website.)
About the Agency:
To begin with, it is an insult slung at the young Shakespeare in 1592 by older, more-established, but less successful playwright Robert Greene. His obvious irritation at the younger artist’s pluck and nerve is, we think, typical of the response of the old guard toward any new talent. There is something in the phrase that speaks of courage and brio and daring, and we feel we should all be upstart crows when it comes to our writing and our work. (From the agency website)

Web Presence:
Upstart Crow Literary website.
Susan Says (blog).
Twitter.
Publisher's Marketplace.
Her Manuscript Wish List.
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Children’s picture books, chapter books, middle grade and young adult, fiction and non-fiction.
You can find out much more about what she is looking for on her Bio page on the Upstart Crow Literary website, her blog, and her Manuscript Wish List.
What She Isn't Looking For:
Poetry, sports, textbooks/academic books, reference, books for the adult market
Quotables:
“My ideal client is a talented and imaginative writer, who is willing to go deep into their story and characters. Ability to laugh at life makes you good to work with, and makes for good writing too. I also appreciate someone who understands that publishing is a business, and has done their homework.” (Link)
Editorial Agent?
Yes.
Clients:
There is a list of agency clients on the website.
Ms. Hawk’s clients include: Felicia Sanzari Chernesky, Danielle Davis, Jennifer Downey, Joy Janzen, Marcia Lerner, Lisa Lewis Tyre, and Katie Vernon.
Query Methods: Closed to queries.
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
See The Upstart Crow Literary or Ms. Hawk’s blog for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
The agency has a goal of responding to all queries within a month. If you do not receive a response within this time, resend your query and indicate you are resending. 
Stats on the web show Ms. Hawk responding to most queries within hours to a month. Requested material ranges from days to a few months.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Posts:

SCBWI Exclusive Interview (Date unknown)

Podcast interview on Middle Grade Ninja (12/24/2022)
Agent of the Month: Susan Hawk Part 1 and Part 2 at Writing and Illustrating (03/2019)
Agent Spotlight: Susan Hawk at Kidlit411 (06/2015)
Agent Query: 10 Questions With Susan Hawk at Middle-Grade Mojo (03/2015)
A Cafe Chat With Literary Agent Susan Hawk at Eastern Penn Points (10/2014).
Query.Sign.Submit With Susan Hawk at I Write for Apples (01/2014).
Interview With Kidlit Agent Susan Hawk at Tara Lazar (04/2013).
Literary Agent Interview: Susan Hawk at Writer's Digest (01/2013).
Agent Susan Hawk Talks Picture Books at Frolicking Through Cyberspace (02/2012).
7 Questions For: Literary Agent Susan Hawk at Middle Grade Ninja (04/2011).
Contact:
Please see The Upstart Crow Literary website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 4/20/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 5/15/12.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's and/or teen fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

Tip Tuesday #125

Tip Tuesday features writers' tips on craft, research, querying, blogging, marketing, inspiration, and more. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

I have another tip by the lovely Sharon K. Mayhew today. Not only a tip, but a giveaway! Isn't Sharon awesome? Read below then visit her blog Random Thought where she's been discussing confidence, dreams and nightmares. Here's Sharon:

I’m a list person. I love writing lists and checking them off, but I’ve discovered the way to increase my productivity is by keeping a progress report rather than a check off list. Each day I write down what I did pertaining to writing. Whether I am writing, researching, critiquing or blogging, I keep track of it on a calendar. At the end of each week I can see that I am doing something related to my writing goals almost every day. I truly believe this is why I am being more productive this year than in the past.

 I also joined a writer’s group on Facebook called Write On Build On. Each day we report in what we did pertaining to writing. The days we do not do any writing we have to donate a dollar to www.buildon.org. If you are interested in joining our little group, leave a note in the comments.

Casey and Natalie will be holding a drawing to give away a little calendar (perfect to track your progress in) and a mini composition book (perfect for your purse or pocket) and I’ll mail them to the winner. 

Cool, right? If you'd like to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment by Monday May 7th (with your e-mail if it's not public) and I'll announce the winner next Tuesday. US only, please. Good luck!