JEN NADOL INTERVIEW AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

Today I’m excited to interview Jen Nadol about her new book, THE VISION, which was released on September 27, 2011. The first book in the series is THE MARK. I really enjoyed reading about Cassie’s special ability to see when someone will die and to watch her struggle to decide what to do with that knowledge.

Here’s a description of THE VISION from Goodreads:

Cassie Renfield knows the mark tells her when someone is going to die and that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But she still doesn't understand the consequences, especially whether saving one life dooms another. With no family left to offer guidance, Cassie goes in search of others like her. But when she meets Demetria, a troubled girl who seems to have the power of the Fates, Cassie finds the truth isn't at all what she expected. And then there's her heady new romance with bad boy Zander. Dating him has much graver repercussions than she could ever have imagined, forcing Cassie to make choices that cut to the essence of who she is and what she believes.
Jen Nadol offers readers a romance with big stakes and an ethical dilemma with no easy answers in this riveting sequel to The Mark. Paranormal fans who love the psychological thrill of Lisa McMann's bestselling Wake trilogy will flock to these books.

1. Tell us about yourself and your series.

Me.: I’m from PA, live in NY, write YA novels, read anything except really depressing stuff and hardcore scifi/fantasy, love good food, hate pantyhose and am forever pining for an extra hour of sleep.

The series: Cassie is sixteen at the start of THE MARK when she realizes the light she sees around certain people means they’re destined to die that day. The series follows her as she tries to figure out what to do with her “gift”. Should she tell or not? What’s ethical? What can she live with? Why does she see it? Can she change things? If so, should she? Are there others like her? There’s also some philosophy, comparative religion and romance in there. And morticians.

2. I can so relate to needing more sleep. Cassie is very independent for a teenager. She lives on her own in an apartment with a friend in THE VISION. How did you decide that she needed to be so independent and how did that influence your decisions about her as a character?

A lot of the story in both THE MARK and THE VISION is about Cassie’s self-discovery – the regular coming of age stuff along with piecing together the family history behind her ability. I really wanted her to solve the mysteries on her own, bringing the reader along on that journey, rather than having family who could/should fill her in on it.

As for her character, she’s mature, introspective and independent and with such a grave ability, I couldn’t really see her being any other way. How could you be so aware of death and not distance yourself from others a little? And grow up a lot? So I think some of who she is comes from being on her own, but mostly she’s become that way as a result of her “gift”.

3. That’s so awesome how you tied her independence to her “gift.” You’ve changed the setting in THE VISION to near Chicago and Cassie had already been in Kansas and Pennsylvania. What made you decide to have her move and what research did you do to create realistic settings?

In THE MARK, Cassie learns the source of her ability, but not what she’s supposed to do with it. The next logical step was for her to try to figure it out…test, research, look for answers. “Home” – that safe place with familiar places and people – is really important to her, probably because she has so few touchstones in her life. I didn’t feel like she’d be comfortable or willing to explore there so I moved her to a place without those connections. I did my initial research online, looking at photos and reading about neighborhoods. Then, after the story was drafted, asked a bunch of questions to people who’d lived there to get the details right.

4. One of the things I enjoyed about THE VISION was that you gave me enough backstory so I could understand the story without having read THE MARK. And you sprinkled it in. Can you give us some tips on how to do this in the second book of a series?

I should probably refer you to my editor for this because if I remember her notes right, she kept telling me to cut the backstory! It’s so tempting to play catch-up with an info dump in the first chapter or two so you can just move forward with what you want to tell, but the most important thing is to focus on the STORY of this book. Write it like everyone in the world already knows what happened in book one (or two or three). Focus on hooking your reader with the things that are always important – conflict, action, compelling characters. Then, go back and decide the key things your reader has to know for the conflict or motivation to make sense. Give it to them in a sentence or two – not a paragraph. And leave plenty unsaid. People who’ve read the earlier books don’t want them re-hashed and people who haven’t don’t need to know everything that happened. Save it so they have a reason to go back and read!

5. Your editor had great advice. I wouldn’t have thought to assume the reader would know the first book, at least in the second book of a series. And you certainly did a good job just giving us the right amount of backstory with just a few sentences. I read that after you wrote THE MARK and it was in production that you discovered two similar books already on the market. What’s your advice on handling this situation?

Ignore them and focus on your story. Nothing productive can come of fretting about those other books and the reality is that your story is probably different in about a thousand ways.

6. Let's move onto the business aspect of writing. Tell us about your road to publication.

I started writing “for serious” when my first son was born over seven years ago. It took me about two years to finish a terrible manuscript. Then another year or so to realize it was terrible. After that I wrote The Mark. I queried, was rejected, revised. Again and again. Fifty plus rejections later, I got an agent. Within a month, it sold. That was awesome and there were more awesome moments after.

And definitely some not-awesome moments.

I love writing. There is nothing like the feeling of finishing a manuscript or making the perfect revisions, seeing threads of a story come together just right…it’s pure amazing. And at this point on my road to publication, I really think that’s what you have to write for – the love of writing itself - because anything else we think it is or might be is sort of illusory.

7. Many authors have shared similar experiences where the first book is not “the one” and have to persevere after rejections before selling their book. Thanks for reminding us not to give up. What are you doing to market your books and do you have any advice for us aspiring authors?

All the usual stuff – I blog and link my posts to goodreads, amazon and facebook. I tweet about giveaways and random stuff equally though not terribly often. I try never to decline invitations to read/sign, do interviews or guest posts unless they would require superhuman effort to fit into my schedule. And I write new stuff which is the most important of all. No one wants to hear about any single book ad infinitum. The best thing you can do to market any book is write more of them.

8. It’s so true that you have to write that next book. So what are you working on now?

I’m doing a final pass on TOUCH, a companion novel to THE MARK and THE VISION in preparation for submission. Then, back to my rough draft of THE BOX, an unrelated YA novel that needs a good amount of work, but that I’m really excited about.

Thanks Jen for sharing with us. Good luck with your books.

Thanks for having me – good luck to you too!

You can visit Jen at her website and her blog.

Jen has offered an ARC of THE VISION for a giveaway. 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 October 15th. Please leave your e-mail address if it’s not on Blogger. I’ll announce the winner on October 17th. International entries are welcome.

And 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.

I hope you’ll stop by next Monday for my interview with Janice Hardy and giveaway of her book DARKFALL. The following Monday I’m interviewing a 9th grade aspiring author who follows our blog for my Ask The Expert series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want.

See you next Monday!

Tip Tuesday #108

Tip Tuesday is a weekly feature where writers send in tips for fellow writers. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

Today's tip was sent in by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban (Tip #99), author of Two Moon Princess, who blogs at Dare to Read. Please visit her blog to see what she's up to when you're done visiting here.

Know Your Story

Only 1/9th of the mass of an iceberg is visible and so it must be with your story.

You must know your characters. You must know their likes and dislikes, you must know what happened to them before the story starts. You must know what they are doing and where they are at all times, even when these scenes don't appear in the book.

You must know your setting from the tallest mountain to the tiniest scratch on your protagonist's cell phone's screen. Even if it's never mentioned.

Only because this hidden 8/9th portion of the iceberg is there hidden under the water, can the iceberg float so seemingly effortless on the ocean.

To forget this mass of ice exists can be deadly. Not to have a thorough knowledge of everything and everyone in your story will create holes in your plot and contradictions in your descriptions that can destroy the credibility of your reader.

Remember what happened to the Titanic.

~Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY INTERVIEW WITH HILARY WAGNER AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

First I’m going to announce the winner of FOREVER.

The winner is:

JILL OF THE O.W.L.!

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

Today I’m excited to interview Hilary Wagner, a friend I’ve met through her blog, about her book THE WHITE ASSASSIN. It’s the second book in The Nightshade Chronicles series and will be released on October 11, 2011. To be honest, I don’t usually like books with animals as main characters. But I LOVE this series. My ARC came on a Thursday and I finished it by Saturday. Hilary created such fascinating characters that I couldn’t put it down.

Here’s a blurb of THE WHITE ASSASSIN:

Book II in the Nightshade Chronicles begins three years after Juniper and his rebel band of rats liberate the Catacombs and defeat their oppressors.

A sense of peace has settled over Nightshade City, but it is a false one. Billycan, the white assassin, has been found. Deep in the southern swamps, he now rules a primitive horde of savage swamp rats eager to overrun Nightshade City and claim it for their king. With the help of an ancient colony of bats and an uneasy alliance with the swamp snakes, Juniper and his Council set out to thwart Billycan’s plans. When an old secret is revealed—one so shocking it shakes both Billycan and Juniper to the core—the fate of Nightshade City and the life of Juniper’s only son depend on Juniper’s decision: should he help his mortal enemy? The past resurfaces with devastating impact in this exciting sequel to Nightshade City, a dark tale of intrigue, deception, and betrayal.

Nightshade City, Book I of the Nightshade Chronicles is a CBC Best Book of 2011 and a Crystal Kite finalist.

Hi Hilary. Thanks so much for joining us. 1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

When I was in the fourth grade our teacher had us all write a story. When she said, "write a story," I took it as "write a book". So, that's what I did. It was about Mouse and Ladybug who were best friends, and the villain of the story was Spider, who was trying to trap Ladybug in his web and eat her. I made it into a fully illustrated book, stapled it together, and the "binding" of the book was pink construction paper, which I cut into the shape of a mouse's head. I went all out! My teacher loved it, even called my parents to tell them about it, and that's how I got hooked.

2. That’s so funny you started out writing about animals as the main character given that your first published book stars rats. I’ve read that you really like to write about villains. And it really shows in this series, especially in THE WHITE ASSASSIN. I don’t want to tell any spoilers, so I’ll just say Wow! I could not put it down wanting to read more about Billycan. Can you tell us how you developed him as a character and did you know his whole story when you started your series?

Yes, I LOVE a good villain! Billycan has a rich history and I like to consider him one of my most layered characters. Villains are villains for many reasons. Some are mentally unbalanced, others come from a horrible upbringing, and some are just born bad. In Nightshade City, I get to share some of Billycan's back story, but in The White Assassin, I get to share it all. This is his book! I always wanted to give a villain a book and I was so lucky to do it with him. He is one of my all time favorites and despite his "badness" I adore him! Will he be in future Nightshade Chronicle books??? Brings us back to the spoiler issue...so can't say! ;)

3. Oh, you’re torturing me! THE WHITE ASSASSIN is the second book in your series. Do you have any advice on writing a series and how much did you plot out at least in your head before you wrote NIGHTSHADE CITY, the first book?

From my editor I learned that each book in a series has to be standalone great. There is no getting by on a simple continuation of the first book. It needs to special and unique, and because it's the second book, perhaps even more special than the first. I had no outline for Nightshade City, not even a mental plan of attack. It actually started as a picture book, but after the first scene, I realized it was going to be a novel. I like to say I write by scene building, wherein one scene leads to the next. I build books the same way a video goes viral, each new scene is a new person watching on YouTube! ;)

4. That’s such great advice on writing a series. And I love how you create each new scene. You’ve written THE WHITE ASSASSIN from multiple POVs as the story dictated. Yet we feel close to many of these characters. How did you accomplish this?

I have no idea! Honestly, the characters are all very close to my heart and in some way are much like the people in my life, so hopefully that shows. It's so huge to me when someone tells me one of the characters from Nightshade City is their favorite. It's thrilling! Ironically, I get a lot of emails from boys telling me how much they love Billycan! One boy actually emailed me and informed me I was "not allowed" to kill him off, ever!

5. Oh that’s so funny about the e-mail. And it’s great that boys have a series like yours that they can really get into. I know you juggle writing with your family life and working full time. What’s your writing schedule like and how do you stay so productive?

I write every day, usually very early in the morning, when it's still dark out, or after my little ones have gone to bed. Sometimes it may only be one paragraph, but for me it's the quality of the words, not the quantity. Then there are those great mornings or nights when I feel like I'm a freight train plowing through an entire chapter! As long as it's good writing, I'm happy either way!

6. I need to get that disciplined with my own writing. Tell us a little about your road to publication.

I received roughly 175 rejections on Nightshade City over the course of about 14 months, two offers of representation (I received one offer after I already signed with Marietta Zacker of Nancy Gallt). Marietta sold the book in about 7 weeks after I signed. It was very exciting!

7. You’re inspiring us to remember the mantra: Never give up! How are you marketing THE WHITE ASSASSIN and how did you choose the blogs for your blog tour?

In all honesty, I simply approached some fantastic writer friends and bloggers (i.e. you and Casey) who I thought might enjoy the book. It was very unscientific! There is such a great community of writers out there and I'm so thankful to everyone who has shown such support. I've been lucky enough to return the favor to quite a few writers and hope to do so for even more soon, as lots of debut authors are coming out! As far as other marketing, I'm doing a lot of school and conference visits this fall. I have sent out postcards to all those wonderful indie stores, letting them know the book is out, and other than that, I have sufficiently pestered everyone else I know!

8. Oh I hope someday on your blog you’ll do a post on advice on doing a school visit. What are you working on now?

I'm working on Goblin Shark Rising (Fall 2012). It's an undersea adventure that takes place in modern day Tokyo. I'm sure you guessed from the title goblin sharks (among others) will be involved! I'm very excited about this book. Not only will kids get to learn a lot about sharks and other sea creatures, but they'll get to explore Tokyo and learn about the Yōkai, which are a group of Japanese demons, ghosts, and monsters--very exciting stuff!

Wow! It sounds fantastic. Thanks for all the advice Hilary. Good luck with your book. You can visit Hilary on her website and blog.

Hilary has offered one signed ARC of THE WHITE ASSASIN for a giveaway. 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 October 15th. Please leave your e-mail address if it’s not on Blogger. I’ll announce the winner on October 17th. 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.

Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays was started by Shannon Whitney Messenger to spotlight middle grade authors.

And check out these other Marvelous Monday Middle Grade Reviewers:

Shannon O’Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Sherrie Petersen
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Anita Laydon Miller
Barbara Watson
Just Deb
Kit Lit Frenzy
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Pam Torres

Here’s what’s coming up. On October 5th, I’ll be blogging again so I can interview Jean Nadol and give away a copy of THE VISION. Then on October 10th, I’ll be interviewing Janice Hardy and giving away a copy of DARKFALL. The next Monday I’m interviewing another teenager who’s also an aspiring 9th grade author who follows our blog for my Ask The Expert series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want. I’ll tell you about the rest of my awesome October later.

Hope to see you on Wednesday and next Monday!

Ned Rauch-Mannino: Interview and Book Giveaway

Good Wednesday, everyone! I have another fantastic interview and giveaway to share with you today. This time with Ned Rauch-Mannino, author of the FingerTip Island series.

Here's the description of the first book from Goodreads:

Rudolph Vincenzo is always in trouble. In school, at home, or dueling with his cold-hearted neighbor, his runaway imagination is too hot for the small, frosty little town of Asbury. So when Rudolph needs an escape, his imagination creates one: FingerTip Island, a supernatural place where the slightest thought becomes reality and brings his best daydreams alive. His little brother thinks he's brilliant. His older sister thinks he's insane. Rudolph takes both of them along to his tropical paradise where tigers are tour guides, bathtubs make handy weapons, and creepy creatures are around every corner. The possibilities for excitement and danger are endless and soon Rudolph and his siblings find their best ideas and worst fears coming to life. When a chill blows in and their adventure is threatened by the thing they fear most, Rudolph finds that a good imagination is the island's-and his-last hope.

Hi Ned! It’s so nice to have you on Literary Rambles today. Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself and the books you write?

Thanks Casey! About me, I’ve been pursuing “the adventure of a lifetime” since I was a kid. Growing up first on a Jersey Shore island and later in the Pennsylvania countryside, I found many opportunities to be adventurous: makeshift expeditions, exploring beaches, inlets and mountains, and even ghost hunting. Now older, I like to spin the globe and pick a spot: Brazil, Turkey, Canada, Kenya, Nicaragua, anywhere and everywhere, really. Sometimes I’ll travel for missions work or research. Other times, I just want to kayak with alligators or ride an ostrich.

When I’m not risking my life to ride giant birds, I’m spending time with my gorgeous wife and daughter, driving around with friends (who are much less gorgeous), or teaching at Temple University, my undergraduate alma mater. I love the outdoors, trying to surf, and growing odd plants in my living room.

I wouldn’t be able to tell you about myself without sharing a few of my favorite books, since they’ve had an impact on more than just my writing. Favorite titles include Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and Stephen King’s The Stand, particularly as they reflect the influence of faith in both extraordinary circumstances and everyday life. Treasure Island, by Robin Louis Stevenson, The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling, Moby Dick by Herrmann Melville, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and Through the Dark Continent by Henry Stanley are also on my bookshelf for their inherent foundation of adventure.

Personally, I enjoy writing about the things I like to read about: exploration and adventure, common people finding themselves in uncommon places, and faith triumphing over evil. I find writing for children is an excellent way to introduce what I love about books to a new generation of readers. My series for middle grade readers, FingerTip Island, accomplishes this through an exciting, relatable children’s story. FingerTip Island follows Rudolph Vincenzo, an 11 year-old with a knack for letting his creativity get away from him. Trapped in a chilly town doing nothing for his imagination, Rudolph creates his escape: FingerTip Island, a place where the slightest thought becomes reality. Bringing his siblings with him, he finds his runaway ideas can lead to limitless fun – and trouble. As Rudolph learns to control his thought and build his self-confidence, I hope to use the series to show children the power of imagination, and the stumbling blocks they’re sure to encounter and how to overcome them.

Your life sounds so exciting! The second book in the FingerTip Island series comes out at the end of the year. What sort of adventure is in store for Rudolph and his siblings this time around?

In the first book, so much of the trouble came from Rudolph himself, whether or not he knew it. In the second, Rudolph is firmly rooted in his own self, confident in his abilities – only to have bullies test that grounding.

FingerTip Island II: The Vincenzo’s Bully Problem finds Rudolph Vincenzo still in trouble. This time, Asbury’s biggest bully casts a large shadow over the 11 year-old, and Rudolph’s school’s bully problem has only been getting worse. Rudolph has an escape, and decides it’s time to share his greatest adventure with his best friends. But as he and his friends take flight, the most bothersome of bullies follow them to FingerTip Island.

Middle school imaginations face off in the Vincenzos’ thrilling return adventure to FingerTip Island. Rudolph, June and Gus join forces with fresh faces to protect the island from a fearsome foursome. Prehistoric creatures, uncontrolled creativity and super-powered super villains add to the excitement – and danger – of FingerTip Island. Taking a stand against the hot-headed, the unstable and the unruly, Rudolph and his friends hope their best ideas can send their worst classmates back home and solve their bully problem once and for all.

The series sounds like a lot of fun, perfect for middle grade readers. As a child, I desperately wished to escape to a fantastical world. Was the premise for FingerTip Island inspired by a similar childhood desire, or something else?

Like you, as children my siblings and I imagined our own getaway – we’d create it any night we had the energy to flip mattresses and rearrange furniture to transform our bedroom into what we called Pinkyland. Stuffed animals became citizens, the carpet was the ocean, and we imagined invaders threatening our island on a nightly basis. Since whatever we wanted to happen, happened, we were able to really stretch the (perhaps non-existent) limits of our creativity.

Always wanting to write children’s books, not too long after our Pinkyland days I tried my hand at authoring a short story. Revisiting it over the next 15 years, it turned into FingerTip Island as it is today. The series is so much of what we imagined as kids, and throughout the story are links to those late-80’s, early-90’s night. Mitch, the book’s tiger tour guide, is one example of the many moments from Pinkyland that found their way into FingerTip Island. He was my little brother’s stuffed animal tiger, who had the same role in our bedroom.

Do you have a favorite scene or teaser from one of the books you’d like to share?

Throughout the first book, I make sure to make fun of Gus’ size and strength, as he is basically my little brother, NYC comedian Justice Mannino. Going back to the first FingerTip Island, Gus can’t handle an axe, climb a rope or keep his balance on two skinny, scrawny legs. In FingerTip Island II, I confront the issue of bullying. As the story’s smallest character, Gus becomes a good way to show an example of how bullying happens, and what happens next.

Of course, as the story moves to FingerTip Island, Gus’ bully, the fiery Flame-Thrower, finds himself on a leveled playing field. While Gus may be tiny and unintimidating in Asbury, his imagination more than makes up for his size on the island. Gus, Rudolph and the others find themselves in a firefight with the Flame-Thrower. Gus summons his inner-strength and the result is sweet justice. Without giving too much away, my brother in real life has changed from a skinny-legged grade school boy to a Bruce Lee-inspired weight lifter (but he still has incredibly skinny legs). Since my brother and Gus are the same… watch out for some growth spurts.

For those unafraid of spoilers, I’ve provided a sample chapter from FingerTip Island II: The Vincenzo’s Bully Problem.

I see from your author bio and what's mentioned above that you’ve done a lot of traveling around. I’m totally jealous! Have your adventures influenced your stories much? Are there any anecdotes in the books readers can look for?

I find it impossible for travel not to influence the traveller’s perspective, for better or worse. That influence is everywhere in FingerTip Island. Sometimes, it’s delivered through subtle phrases, or the description of a beach or the color of the leaves in a jungle or the rusty-hued volcano. Readers can find a good example just in the first pages: I described Asbury, Rudolph’s chilly hometown, after North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where I spent a day waiting for a ferry ride to Newfoundland. It was almost like stepping back in time – not far back, just 10 years or so – and stumbling across a grey, dull borough. The moment I arrived I thought, “this is perfect for my book: this is where Rudolph needs to escape from.”

Other times I just mention a specific expedition or experience outright – typically through one of Charles St. Peter’s ramblings (he brags about lessons learned from adventures in Brazil and Labrador, which are my own).

Have you found it challenging to reach your audience? What have you done to market the books?

To meet the challenge of reaching my audience, I’ve reached out to media sources, bookstores and literary events, promoting FingerTip Island wherever and whenever possible. Attending book fairs has been a must, and my publisher, Better Karma Publishing LLC, has been active in promoting the series across the country. I’ll be at the “Celebrate The Book! Central Pennsylvania Book Festival” on October 22nd, in Carlisle, PA. Creating and maintaining a web presence is important too – adding to the list of time-consuming activities. Marketing is a commitment, without question. Serious authors – who seriously want to be full-time authors – need to make this investment.

Part of that investment is getting out and meeting the readers; being social with my audience has seen the greatest success. I am always looking for an event I can contribute to. Teachers have been a great help, too. I’ve been able to partner with several schools over the past year, conducting interviews, reading programs, and other workshops with elementary and middle grade students. It’s been a privilege to work with so many dedicated educators who are committed to developing a solid foundation for students, and using fresh ideas to build it.

I am presently seeking an agent to transition the FingerTip Island series from my present publisher to a larger one. Better Karma has been a terrific partner, and would like to cooperate with such a transition to make my writing goals a reality. Finding a literary agent has become my chief priority (so, Casey, suggestions are welcomed).

What has your road to publication been like?

The first-time publication process is exhausting. Countless after-midnight hours were spent researching publishers and other resources. Temple University professor and journalism guru Larry Stains gave querying advice and pitch criticism. I would walk around libraries and bookstores, seeking out similar books and scribbling down their publisher information. Investigating hundreds of publishing companies my excitement would grow, only to find at the bottom of the submissions page the words, “we are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts.”

After learning Better Karma was pursuing my manuscript, I then was tasked with dozens of “to-dos,” from creating bios and information to returning edits to creating concepts for an illustrator. Of course, I was happy for the work.

Aspiring authors need to remember: rejection and criticism are eventualities. But with a good story and perseverance, they are also merely stumbling blocks.

What are you working on now? Will there be another FingerTip island book?

FingerTip Island II: The Vincenzo’s Bully Problem will be available soon, with editing and other details being wrapped up. I’ve already started the third FingerTip Island installment, which I hope to make a total series of four books. Each book in the series looks at different challenges to children development; the first concerns self-esteem issues and responds to them with the power of imagination. The second looks at bullying, with a theme of forgiveness. The third book looks to even more dangerous challenges young readers will face.

Separate from the middle grade fiction world, I am shopping a manuscript for the young adult/teenage audience. This story focuses on three friends coming of-life and out of a small town high school, weighing major life decisions and the best tactics to find girls. Themes of duty, military service, temptation and purpose are explored through the trio’s unique perspectives and misadventures. I feel this story would be a good fit for high school students considering what the next step looks like. It would be of particular interest in the Mid-Atlantic region, with the story largely taking place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

Where can readers stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest on you and your books?

A website is coming, www.nedrauch.com. It’s only a matter of time until I finish teaching myself how to build it. Once launched, it will be the official site for all of my books. [Ned actually launched his website this week. Check it out!]

FingerTip Island is on Twitter, @fingertipisland, where I’ll post updates, fun facts or ideas.

Also, Goodreads is a great source of new information on me and my books, and I check in there often. And my publisher, too, at www.betterkarmapublishing.com/fingertip. Better Karma offers a wide range of reading for all ages.

Thank you so much for your time, Ned. It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you, Casey!

If you'd like to win a copy of FingerTip Island: The Vincenzo Adventure (or a pre-order of the second book, if you've read the first) please be a follower, if possible, and leave a comment. If your contact info is hard to find or you don't regularly visit the blog, make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment. The giveaway will run until October 4th at midnight.

Amazon has a preview of the first book through Look Inside here, and I've made Ned's sample chapter of the second book available here.

Thank you for reading, and good luck!

Tip Tuesday #107

Tip Tuesday is a recurring feature where writers send in tips for fellow writers. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

Today's tip involves chocolate (collective YAY) and was sent in by Cate Morgan (tip #95) who blogs at Infinite Monkey and tweets @typemonkeytype. Please visit and follow after you're done reading here. Enjoy your chocolate!

Zen and the Art of Chocolate By Cate Morgan

Now that I have your attention, let’s do an experiment. Here’s what you need:

• 2 large jars of equal size, large as you like.
• Enough bags of small candy to fill one of the jars not quite to the top. I recommend M&Ms, but that’s just my personal preference. J
• A bunch of large candy bars
• Labels (optional)
• Marker

We’re going to talk about goals and prioritization. Actually, I’m going to blog, and hopefully I still have your attention with the mountain of chocolate.

We all have roles in life. We’re parents and children and siblings, employees, housekeepers and cooks, volunteers and, since we’re on the ROW80 site, writers. On each candy bar, write or label each of your roles. Line them up in the order of importance.

Okay, fill one of the jars with small candy. You might not fill it all the way to the top, but that’s okay. Get as close as you can. It goes without saying, but I’ll put it in writing anyway: escapees are fair game. Now, one at a time, try to fit the big candy bars into the full jar. Go on, I’ll wait while you stand on a chair for leverage and use the meat mallet. Try to not break anything.

Doesn’t work very well, does it?

Now pull the chocolate bars out of the candy, apologize for trying drown them in the chocolate witch trials, and realign them in order of importance. “Writer” is probably somewhere toward the end, because roles like “parent” or “employee” most likely come first. The whole “starving writer” gig tends to lose its charm after the age of twenty so. But do not despair; it isn’t the end of the world.

Now put the chocolate bars in the empty jar, again in order of importance. Dump the full container into the one with the candy bars a la New York mob. Laugh diabolically if you like. Oh, go on. It’s fun.

See where I’m going with this?

The moral of the story is life is full of minutiae, and we’re often tricked into believing it’s important. Fact of the matter is, minutiae is exactly what it looks like. It piles up around us, burying us, masking what is truly important.

Prioritization works the other way around.

You make room for the big, important stuff, and if a few M&Ms fall to the way side in the process, well, you can laugh. (Have I mentioned how much I love this demonstration? *crunch crunch crunch*)

I will bet you a crisp, new twenty dollar bill you forgot a role.

Forgot yourself, didn’tcha?

I thought as much. *grins*

You, as in YOU, are an individual-type person, complete and whole. You deserve some prioritization too, so be sure you take at least a little time for yourself, even if it’s only a half hour here and there.

One of my favorite me-rituals takes place on Sunday morning. The husband is still snoring merrily away like a grizzly bear hibernating for the winter. The coffee is fresh and piping hot, the resident Ninja Katz cavorting about my ankles. I sit at the dining room table and plan my week: What do I need to accomplish? How will I meet my goals?

Goals on their own are lovely, all bright and shiny and full of promise. Especially writing goals. But they do you no good whatsoever if you don’t have a plan to reach them. A word count goal or a promise to yourself to write every single day the sun brings is a good start.

Know what works better? Specific steps, or mini-goals, to get you there. Whether you’re a pantser, planner, or somewhere in the middle, you need milestones to reach for. I’m seriously OCD (I prefer the term “Zen”), and I like balance in my life every bit as much as coffee and M&Ms. I also work on more than one project at a time, whether I’m in the discovery stage of one and the revision or rehabilitation stage of a second (as I am now), which requires optimal prioritization.

It doesn’t have to be painful. I have a specific process, with very specific tasks. I assign myself tasks in groups of three for each project and if you’re a full, er, on pantser, you can brainstorm a scene before you write it. This way you get a real feel for what you’re working with before forming definite words around it. Yanno, minimizing the staring at the Blinking Cursor of Doom while maximizing the typeity-typeity. It isn’t planning so much as discovery, and one of my favorite parts of writing..

Do yourself a favor and consolidate either your writing or your you time with studying your craft. Spend some time reading and analyzing what you’ve read, or join a critique group just to read the work of others. You’ll gain beaucoup perspective. Every bit of insight helps.

Let’s review.

Block out time at the beginning of the week and assign yourself specific, reachable tasks in order to accomplish a larger goal.

Invest time to develop your craft, so your art will transcend craft.

Finally, treat your time as valuable. If you don’t, who will?

Ummmm . . . gonna eat those M&Ms?

~Cate Morgan

KIKI HAMILTON INTERVIEW AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

First I'm going to announce the winners of SOLSTICE. The winners are:

ANGELA BROWN

and

KATHRYN PACKER ROBERTS

Congrats! I already e-mailed your contact information to P.J. Hoover so you can get your books.

Today I’m excited to interview Kiki Hamilton about her debut novel, THE FAERIE RING that’s being released tomorrow. I’m especially excited to help Kiki celebrate her debut because I’ve become friends with her through following her blog. And I loved THE FAIRIE RING because it involves fantasy and fairies, two of my favorite things to read about.

Here’s a description of THE FAERIE RING from Goodreads:

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Hi Kiki. Thanks so much for joining us.

Hi Natalie! Thanks so much for inviting me over to your awesome blog (!) and for your kind words about my book.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your book.

After reading the beginning books of the Harry Potter series and falling in love with reading again, I decided to write a story for my daughter. That’s when the madness set in. I LOVE writing. I had so much fun with the characters, the plot, the world – loved the process. Soon, the book wasn’t for my daughter any more (it was too old for her at the time) but was for my characters, who wanted to tell me their story. That novel is still incubating on my hard drive. Ahem. THE FAERIE RING was the second book I wrote. I loved writing that story even more!

2. I can’t believe how similar our start to writing was. I read the first Harry Potter book and it rekindled my love of fantasy. I decided to try writing a fantasy I’d been thinking of, which I wrote for my daughter too. THE FAERIE RING is set in 1871 London. I read that you’d never been to London before writing the story, which I find amazing since you describe the era and London in such detail. What research did you do into London and the Victorian era in writing your book?

My story is considered historical fantasy, so I’ve worked hard to keep all historical facts accurate. The Faerie Ring is set in 1871 because that’s the year one of my characters, Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s youngest son, was 18. My research was conducted through a variety of sources – several books were a wonderful resource: What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool (Simon & Schuster 1993) and Victorian London, The Tale of a City 1840-1870 by Liza Picard (St. Martin’s Griffin 2005). Additionally, I used online resources including Google Earth.

After I’d sold the book, but before I’d worked on any editorial revisions, I had the opportunity to visit London for the first time. It was such a wonderful experience! As everyone knows, London is an ancient city with so much history oozing out of the buildings and sidewalks, it can’t help but to inspire a writer! I got to walk in Tiki’s footsteps (my main character) from Charing Cross to St. James Park to Buckingham Palace and more. The trip was surreal and fantastic (!!!) and very beneficial in filling in some of the more oblique, but still very important, details.

3. You did such a good job nailing the historical facts. And I’d love to visit London. Tiki is such an interesting character. Even though she’s a pickpocket, she’s doing it for a cause—surviving and because she’s driven to take care her new family that she found while living on London’s streets. And she’s independent in a time when women were dependant on men. How did you develop her as a character and what were the challenges in balancing her independence with the time she lived in?

There is a fine line in creating the heroic character you (usually) want and adhering to the class and moral structure of the era. But I don’t believe that women are ever really dependent on men. Though they may make it *seem* that way, even in the 19th century, I truly believe, when there is a will – there’s a way. So, though it might have been more difficult to control the outcomes of some events in the Victorian era, there are always ways around an imposed structure, whether it’s pretending to be a boy, employing a man’s name as a front or simply being clever enough to convince a man to think his choices are his own and not influenced by a woman. Blasphemous, aren’t I? ;-)

4. Ha! I totally agree with you. I loved Tiki’s relationship with Rieker, especially because their chemistry was not love at first sight. Can you give us some tips on how to build the tension in the relationship like you did here?

Tension is built by conflict or an impediment to that which you desire. In a novel, there are many ways to thwart or confuse a relationship – just like in real life. People are complicated and multi-layered – where a person might pretend to be transparent and lay their soul bare – they rarely do. And then of course, there are the types who have so many layers of secrets even they may not know their own truth any more. Those types of characters fascinate me and I’m drawn to including them in my plots, with the final result (hopefully) being that the tension is not manufactured simply as a plot device but because the characters are multi-dimensional and layered. The key is how quickly or slowly you peel back the layers.

5. That’s awesome advice. I read that you wrote books 2 and 3 of this series and then worked on combining them so you could write a new book 3. How much of the complete story did you know when you wrote THE FAERIE RING and what advice do you have on writing a series?

When I first started writing I wasn’t intending to write a series. I just had a story I wanted to tell. But when I got to the end, I realized that the story was far from over. I had only peeled back a few of the layers of my characters – there was a lot yet to discover!

If you can outline, it would be much easier to outline the entire series before you start, that way you can see where your turning points are and the shape of your story arc. In a perfect world – that’s the way I would do it if I could! 

6. I’m glad you decided to make it a series. I want to learn more about Tiki and Rieker. I love that your magical system involves faeries. I love them! What research did you do in developing this aspect of your story?

I love the idea of worlds existing unseen but intersecting with our own. We’ve all had moments of seeing shadows move out of the corners of our eyes and we turn and nothing is there; the sense that we’re being watched;
For research, I read alot about faerie lore and faeries of the British Isles, through books and the internet, and then used my imagination.

7. I think that’s the draw of fantasy—the unseen world we long to be real. At least it’s one of the reasons I love to read fantasies. From following your blog, I know you’ve already been taking steps to market your book, such as being interviewed by bloggers who review books and getting really good reviews from some like Kristi at The Story Siren. (This is a really popular book blogger site that I really recommend BTW.) I was so excited when I read Kristi’s review. Tell us how you’ve reached out to the book blogging community and other marketing steps you’ve taken that you think are spreading the word about your book.

The blogging world has been phenomenal to me! I am SO grateful!! Honestly, a year ago – I didn’t even know it existed. I started reaching out to a few people and I’ll tell you – what a WONDERFUL group of people. I feel so lucky to count many of them as my friends, now.

8. What are you working on now?

I just finished a YA contemporary called THE LAST DANCE and I’m having my crit partners read it. At this moment, I have two things I’m working on – one is a fantasy with an alternate history set in London 1895 with a male main character, Blackjack Bailey. The other is a fantasy that I’m very excited about. I’m going to leave it at that. LOL – don’t you love and hate secrets at the same time? ;-)

Yes, those secrets are torture! Can’t wait till you can tell us about them. Thanks so much for your advice Kiki. Good luck with your book.

Thank you so much for having me, Natalie, and for your good wishes. Good luck with your book too! When do we get to hear about that?

Thanks so much for asking. I’m hoping to get my revisions done by early next year so I can start querying. Gulp!

You can find Kiki at her blog, website, Twitter and Facebook.
Kiki Hamilton

Kiki’s publisher generously offered an ARC for a giveaway. 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 October 8th. I’ll announce the winner on October 10th. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome.

I’m going to do something different with my giveaway. 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.

I’ve got a lot of awesome interviews coming up in October. On October 3rd, I’m interviewing Hilary Wagner and giving away a copy of THE WHITE ASSASSIN. On October 5th, I’ll be blogging again so I can interview Jean Nadol and give away a copy of THE VISION. Then on October 10th, I’ll be interviewing Janice Hardy and giving away a copy of DARKFALL. I’ll tell you about the rest of my awesome October later.

Hope to see you next Monday!

Tip Tuesday #106

Tip Tuesday is a recurring feature where writers send in tips for fellow writers. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Tuesday! Today's tip on music comes to you from Alexandra Loewen. Alexandra doesn't blog, but she does have a Twitter @alexandraloewen. Please consider following, and to read another tip from Alexandra see #75. Cheers!

Add Music to your Writer’s Tool Box

We all know how powerful music is in evoking emotion and enhancing mood, whether it be in a movie, a wedding, a restaurant, or at a sporting event. I have found the same is true when I am writing. The right music can help me craft everything from high energy adventure to tension-filled emotional dialogue. My personal rule is that the music must be lyric-free. Instrumental music works best for allowing me to capture the right feeling.

Finding music for your writing is by nature personal. If you need a starting point, I suggest trying some movie or television soundtracks. I favor them because their tracks have been chosen to support a rich variety of moods, and often you can get a nice mix of fast-paced action, lighthearted songs, slow romantic ballads, suspense builders, and songs evoking any feeling you can imagine.

A terrific place to find soundtracks and other CDs is your local library. Borrow a few and see what kind of muse you can conjure!

If you already have a playlist of inspirational “writing music”, please consider sharing it in the comments!

Here are some of my favorites:

• Anything by John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Alexandre Desplat

• “The Painted Veil”

• “Memoirs of a Geisha”

• “The Piano”

• BBC’s “Planet Earth”

• “Pearl Harbor”

• All the soundtracks for “Harry Potter,” “Chronicles of Narnia,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and “Star Wars”

• “Pride and Prejudice” (Dario Marianelli’s version)

- Alexandra Loewen