Fort Collins Writer Friends and their Creations!

Hello everyone,

One of the best things about being a writer for teens is the great sense of community that comes with it.  Here are what two of my YA writer friends in town are up to....

Todd Mitchell, another Fort Collinite, had a recent book release -- The Secret to Lying.  Full disclosure: I read an early draft of this YA novel years ago and fell in love with it... and ever since I've been incapable of talking about this book without gushing!

 Over the next few years, the story went through many revisions, but it was definitely worth the wait... it is now a perfectly polished gem.  Here's the review I posted of it on amazon:

Oh, how I wish this book existed when I was a teen! I would have connected so strongly with it. (Now, in my thirties, I still connect with it, but in my teens I was *craving* a story like this!) I love how the book deals with multiple layers of reality and consciousness-- the faces we show to people and the parts of ourselves we don't. The story really resonated with my feelings about existence as a young adult-- how I felt unsure at times what was real, wondering to what extent I could create reality, puzzling over who I was, grappling with how to connect with people. (Deep stuff!) The matrix-like alternate dreamscape works beautifully in the story and really sets it apart from similar books (like John Green's work-- incidentally, I have to say that as a John Green fan, I liked The Secret to Lying even better than any of J.G.'s stuff for this reason). In addition to the psychological thriller/philosophical elements, this book is full of hilarious dialogue and a tender romance and mystery/suspense. Don't miss this fascinating, funny, and utterly engaging read for teens and adults alike! 

 

 Here I am with Todd at last spring's CO Teen Lit Conference

Here's the front jacket flap summary for The Secret to Lying:


          James was the guy no one noticed —another fifteen-year-old living in a small town. So when he gets into the American Science and Mathematics Academy (or ASMA), James decides to leave his boring past behind. In a public boarding school made up of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless lies to invent the new James: rebel, punk, street fighter. Everyone’s impressed —except for the beautiful Ellie Frost, whose icy demeanor holds an inexplicable attraction for James, and the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees right through his new identity.
           But James is riding high —playing pranks and hooking up with the luscious Jessica Keen. Things seem perfect until he begins having strange dreams of a dark city haunted by demons. As the line between dreams and reality blurs, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?
            Funny and real, Todd Mitchell's debut YA novel takes readers into a school for the intellectually gifted and socially awkward, as readers discover the secret —and consequences— to lying. 

Todd made a really funny book trailer for The Secret to Lying called "How NOT to Promote a Book"... you can see it here.

Speaking of funny videos, if you've ever wondered how reviews affect the emotional well-being of us authors, check out this short and hilarious YouTube video made by writer friend  (and Fort Collinite) Amy Kathleen Ryan.

Surprisingly, I don't have a photo of us together, but here's her very elegant author headshot...

     I'm looking forward to reading her recent release Zen And Xander Undone -- I just saw the book trailer on her website, and the book looks fantastic.  

Now if you'll excuse me, I must figure out how to embed videos in my blog! ;)

Before I go, I'll leave you with the latest funny thing Lil Dude said... Last night we were on our way back from a bluegrass festival in the mountains (Lyons), and the sunset was breathtaking-- liquid pools of red, pink, orange, all golden and glowing and melting across the mountains.  I told Lil Dude to check out the sunset, and he said, "Aw!  It's sooo cuuuute!"  Hehehe... but his comment did make me think objectively about the words we use to describe sunsets-- spectacular, beautiful, gorgeous... Cute is definitely outside of the box!

Have a cute week!

xoxo

Laura

What I've Been Reading...

Hi everyone!
Springtime has been treating me well, except for these headaches that have been plaguing me lately.  But I'll focus on the good stuff in life.... I've been reading some great books-- the latest is Grace Lin's Newbery Honor book:

She weaves in Chinese folklore and mythology, and she did the gorgeous illustrations herself.  A magical  read, with a beautiful  message about gratitude. I discovered, while perusing her website, that she also wrote an "adoption fairytale" picture book, which I promptly bought for my Lil Dude, age 3.

He loves the book.  We usually pay attention to the author photo at the back of any book we read, since he's starting to understand that I'm an author, and he's interested in other authors.  He loves Grace's author photo, and points to it and says, "I love her.  I love Grace Lin."  "Why?" I ask.  "Because," he says, "she write nice words and she draw pretty pictures."  He loves the red thread coming from the queen and king's hearts, and always listens to my heart a few times during the book.  So sweet.

Photo credit: Alexandre Ferron

I'd heard about the bit of red thread folklore years ago, and loved it.  When I wrote The Indigo Notebook, I wove in the idea of a red ribbon, which has significance to Wendell, who is searching for his birth family in Ecuador. A number of readers have commented that they really like that element of the book, but I can't take credit for it.  Here's the quote from the beginning of The Red Thread: "There is an ancient Chinese belief that an invisible, unbreakable red thread connects all those who are destined to be together." I believe with all my heart that my Lil Dude and I were destined to be together, and I love how Grace portrays this idea with tenderness and humor and magic, on a level accessible to preschoolers.

Other books I've been reading-- Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams, another middle grade book-- lovely story of friendship and family and love, complete with a secret nook in the attic, wisps of ghosts, an intriguing old diary, a parallel story of a girl who lived in the house decades earlier.  I'm lucky to be friends with the wonderful author, Sarah, who I met a few months ago on our agent's retreat.

I'm now just about finished Ten Cents a Dance, a captivating young adult novel set in the early 1940s, which thrums with dance hall jazz -- the setting is just stunning, and the main character, Ruby, is super-spunky.

If you're curious what else I've been reading, check out the Goodreads widget-thingie on the sidebar to the right (you'll have to scroll down to the bottom).  You can click on the icon and it will bring you to my Goodreads page and you can be my friend and follow what books I'm reading (and of course, write glowing reviews about my books...  hehehe... ;-)

On a different note, I just got a shiny, gorgeous hard copy of the actual jacket of my book, The Queen of Water, which I'll take a picture of and post soon, along with some other photos related to the book.  I just love this cover!

I'm off to my NIA class now, and then I'll settle in for a few hours of writing more of The Jade Notebook.

Happy weekend!

Laura

Winner of THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK contest!

My dad and me at my reading at Pooh's Corner, in Grand Rapids, Michigan-- what a fun night!

Happy solstice, everyone!



Huge congrats to Charlotte of Victoria, B.C., Canada, age 12! She's the winner of The Indigo Notebook Fall Contest, and she'll get a signed copy sent as soon as I get to the post office! I loved the true story she submitted-- a wonderful snippet of a bus journey she took in Nicaragua with her family. Here it is:

Getting There is Half the Fun

“Riva, Riva, Riva, Rivas” the conductor yells, leaning slightly precariously, out of the door of the bus as it pulls put of the sprawling market. That is when my parents, my brother and I clamber into another world: the bus. The bus is packed and we attract quite a lot of attention as we are the only gringos on it. An elderly woman and a young schoolgirl squish over to give me a seat. “Muchas gracias,” I say quietly and hesitantly. They then try to start a conversation with me but “hola” and “gracias” is about the extent of my Spanish.

The bus used to be a school bus in Virginia but when it was deemed too old to use there, they shipped it off to Nicaragua. You can still see the sign at the front listing the school bus rules like “keep all body parts inside the bus at all times”. That rule is slightly ironic as whenever anyone has any garbage they chuck it out the window. We stop at the side of the road wherever anyone is and often a vendor will come on as well shouting “agua, gaseosas, jugos” or “pollo frito” or “ensaladas”.

The bus is also the main way of transporting goods and we get loaded up with bags of potatoes and other vegetables headed for market. The conductor is coming around to collect everyone’s fare. When my parents ask the conductor how much the fare is, they attract some curious looks saying “how can you not know how much it costs”. We speed past trees, houses, fields full of various crops and huts made from whatever types of materials are around. We arrive in the market in Rivas, more chaotic than the one that we left from in Granada and we board another bus and another world.



Aren't her descriptions fabulous? Don't you feel like you're right there with her on the bus?! Thanks, Charlotte, for writing this and sharing it with us!



Congrats, also, to Kinsey of Wisconsin, who won the Ultimate YA Group contest! Her signed copy of The Indigo Notebook is also in the mail...



Tidbits of news:

Minnie of Athena's YA blog chose The Indigo Notebook as one of her favorites this year for her Twelve Days of Christmas recommendations. Thanks, Minnie!



Lorie Ann Grover chose Red Glass as one of her top three What a Girl Wants: Book Recommends. Thanks, Lorie Ann!



I just found out that Red Glass is on the 2009-2010 Eliot Rosewater reading list. This is a shortlist for the Indiana High School Book Award. Thank you, librarians and teens of Indiana!



A few new reviews:

From BCCB (Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books)-- "[Zeeta's] own questioning of what she really wants also facilitates readerly connections; holding the exciting plot, evocative setting, and unusual experiences up to the rhythms of a more ordinary life enables readers to share Zeeta's ultimate epiphany that she is, in fact, living the life others only dream of.... readers looking for inspiration and impetus to get out and see the world will find this a satisfying outing."



From the Fort Collins Coloradoan, in an article entitled "Resau's detailed Imagery perfect for Young Adults, Older Readers" -- Nancy Hansford writes: "Somehow [Resau] manages to write young adult novels that enthrall adult readers as well."



Now that I've turned in my Ruby Notebook manuscript, I've been able to indulge in reading piles of books. Here are some good ones I've read recently:

• Catching Fire (amazing sequel to The Hunger Games)
• The Miles Between (Mary Pearson also wrote The Adoration of Jenna Fox, which I loved, too.)
• The Magician's Elephant (Kate Dicamillo has such a great story-telling voice)
• Marcelo in the Real World (fascinating and satisfying)
• Impossible by Nancy Werlin (loved how Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme were woven into the story.)
  
  
• Vibes (really funny and written by a writing buddy of mine-- Amy Kathleen Ryan)
• I've also been listening to the audiobook of The Indigo Notebook. It's an interesting experience to hear someone else reading your work-- especially a professional actress. I love the way she does the little girls' voices... your heart just melts!)

One more tidbit of news: I'm happy to report that my wonderful agent, Erin Murphy, has just created a website for the Erin Murphy Literary Agency! You can read about all the amazing authors she works with here.



Thanks for reading! Happy holidays! (And check back soon to see my Mexico trip pics-- I'll be posting them in a few days!)



Laura

Bas Bleu Theatre's Immigration Evening!

Hey everyone!

It's a sunny spring day and the windows are open and Toddler is taking a pleasantly long nap. This morning we went on a walk downtown, had some tea at a cafe, commented on passing trucks (he now knows the color yellow-- it's his favorite because he's obsessed with construction vehicles.) On the way home he jumped in mud puddles (which are lingering from the past few days of rain-snow). To his credit, he asked me permission first, while standing at the puddle's edge, ready to spring. "Mess, Mommy? Me mess?" And because he looked so beautiful with the mud-puddle light reflecting on his face, and because I was so happy about the mud-lucious (a la ee cummings) world, I said, "Sure, go ahead." And splat! MESS!

So, on to writing-related things-- I had the privilege of participating in Bas Bleu Theatre's Immigration-themed night of readings and performance last week. It was incredible-- so moving and inspiring!

The evening started with Teresa Funke reading a lovely essay about the longing she's felt to connect with her Mexican roots, despite her mother's and grandmother's rejection of a Mexican identity.

Trai Cartwright (the organizer of the evening), Teresa Funke, me, Gloria Garcia Diaz.

Then I read a sneak preview of Star in the Forest (spring 2010), my novel for ages 7 and up about a girl whose dad gets deported to Mexico. The audience liked it (at least they said they did...), which made me happy, especially since this is the first time I've read from it!

There were two extremely touching audiotaped stories (originally a high school project intended for a radio program) told by local teens about how they immigrated here. This was one of the many times I got choked up during the evening.

Mark Sanchez read his poetry, some of which was really funny (like his infected toe that got up and walked away) and some of which was powerful and sad (about poverty he witnessed in Oaxaca).

Q & A panel after the show. Left to right-- me, Gloria Garcia Diaz, one of the students involved in the radio project, Mark Sanchez.

There was a fantastic Romeo and Julieta scene from a bilingual production of the play-- super creative and romantic.

For me, one of the most special parts of the night was reading my friend Gloria Garcia Diaz's piece about a childhood trip she and her family took to scavenge in a dump in the slums of Mexico City. It's a funny, gorgeous, sad story that ends on the poignant note of her parents playing guitar together... and Gloria tape-recording their songs. It turned out to be a recording she'd treasure her whole life-- her mother died a year later, and her father three years later. After the reading, we played the audiotape-- it was haunting and heart-wrenching to hear those voices and guitar notes from so many years ago. (That was another time I got choked up...)

Here are me and Gloria (to my right, with the pink rose blouse) and her lovely sisters and niece.

So, I finally got my first every-other-month e-newsletter out! Thank you, everyone who gave me enthusiastic responses! If you haven't signed up for it, and you want to, please go here.

As you know if you read the newsletter, I'm holding a creative writing contest to win a free signed copy of the RED GLASS audiobook CD (a $45 value)! Please enter the contest!

I read two amazing speculative fiction/sci-fi/fantasy/futuristic-type books that I highly recommend! I wished I was reading them as part of a book club so that I could discuss them with people-- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. Both books are technically labeled young adult, but I think adults would love them, too.


The Hunger Games is set slightly in the future-- it's about a girl who is selected by a lottery system to partake in a life-and-death "game" (a sick political variant of a reality TV show, complete with corporate sponsorship) with 23 other teens. According to the rules, only one teen can make it out of the "arena" alive. This is a well-written, multi-layered, fast-paced story of adventure, survival, friendship, romance-- told with great wit and wonderful social commentary.


The Adoration of Jenna Fox is also set slightly in the future and raises fascinating questions about spirit/soul, identity, what makes us a person, and other profound ideas. It's hard to write about it without any spoilers, so I'll just say that it's about a girl who has emerged from a long coma and finds herself without a complete memory or sense of identity. She gradually discovers the mysteries and secrets surrounding what happened to her. I'm sure this could spark fantastic discussions about the ethical implications of advanced medical technology. Really exciting and thought-provoking stuff!

Okay, Toddler's up from his nap now-- we're going to make another mess with the yellow dump truck in the soggy sand of his sandbox.

Bye!
Laura

Happy New Year!!!

Hello and happy new year, dear friends and readers!

Nothing earth-shattering to report-- just wanted to say hi and wish you all well (and show you a picture of my Christmas cactus blooming). I've had a nice few weeks-- it's been relaxing since I haven't had to teach night classes or answer too many emails. I managed to meet my revision deadline for Star in the Forest, which was a relief. Now I'm focusing on the second book of my notebook series (still at the day-dreamy first draft stage-- exploring the plots and relationships and characters and themes and all that). I've also been doing a lot of cozy reading in bed while sipping chamomile tea lately.

Some highlights of my reading are:

Peeps and Uglies by Scott Westerfield (I had to see what all the fuss was about. Indeed, they're good YA books. I liked Peeps best-- parasitical vampire speculative fiction stuff. The parasite-host relationship is truly fascinating (as you will see if you read the book, which is chock-full of true, gross tidbits). Both books make you reflect (squeamishly) on your society and assumptions, which is the sign of good speculative fiction.

Another smart book I read was E. Lockhart's YA book The Disreputable History of Frankie [somebody-- can't remember the last name]. She manages to throw Foucault's ideas in the book-- stuff I didn't even know about til grad school. Impressive. And a smart, reflective, burgeoning feminist-revolutionary narrator.

Lessee... what else? Oh! Books on tape (well, CD.) I'm in the middle of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Riveting, I must say. Spooky and gossipy-feeling at the same time. I definitely recommend listening to this one, since the whole premise is that a dead girl is talking to the narrator on cassette tapes, explaining why she killed herself. I think hearing it makes it extra-good.

For a younger crowd, Savvy by Ingrid Law was lots of fun, as was Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson. I kept wishing my son was about eight years older so we could read these aloud together-- they'd both be fantastic read-alouds, I think. Adventure, suspense, humor, touches of magic/fantastical elements.

{a fountain in Provence}

For the next book in my Notebooks series, I've been reading Contes de Provence (Tales from Provence) and Les Eaux de Provence (The Waters of Provence). Take note-- I just gave away where the second Notebook will be set! (in case you missed my blog entries from Provence over the summer.) I so much prefer listening to French (and Spanish) than reading it. It's laborious for me to read word by word. In English I'm so used to skimming and breezing through page after page. These French books are exhausting. Shoowee...

{Samenakoa-- troubadour-ish street performers I hung out with in Provence}

The content, though, is really fascinating and makes the agony of the reading process worthwhile. Lots of underground water-related mysteries are involved, is all I'll say. And the tales are fun-- amazingly, several tales involve troubadours, who vagabond around (that's a verb in French, I just discovered)-- as do certain characters in my book-in-progress!

My favorite phrase in the book so far is about this troubadour Pierre who wandered with his viola through the countryside, from chateau to chateau, making every day a poem.

So go! Make today a poem!

gros bisous (fat kisses),
Laura

Victoria Hanley's New Books!

Hi dear readers!

I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of life in Fort Collins... it took a while! When I got back from France, I had to work non-stop on the revision for my editor for The Indigo Notebook, putting on hold everything else in my life (including emailing... sorry if I STILL haven't written you back-- I should be up to speed by the end of this week!)

As soon as I get caught up with everything, I'll start revising my next book, Star in the Forest, and start preparing for a bunch of conferences and author visits i have coming up soon (El Paso, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Carbondale)... it'll be a busy autumn.

I went to my friend Victoria Hanley's book release party on Saturday. She has two great books out-- Seize the Story!: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write and Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults. She's included interviews with me and other authors in both books (but that's not the only reason I'm pitching her books-- I swear!)

I get lots of requests for advice and recommendations for books on how to write for teens and for books for teens who like creative writing.... and I'm thrilled that I finally have two books on those topics that I can whole-heartedly recommend!

Seize the Story! talks about how to write great fiction-- it covers dialogue, descriptions, voice, beginnings, middles, and ends, setting, plotting, point of view... and it does so in an incredibly readable, friendly, personal way. Hanley's insights are based on her own fiction-writing experiences (award-winning fantasy) and years of doing workshops with teens. Hanley uses plenty of vivid examples to illustrate her points, and gives fun writing exercises at the end of each chapter. This book isn't just for teens-- it's for people of all ages starting their own fiction-writing journey.

Wild Ink definitely fills a gap, and fills it beautifully! This book contains all the hard-earned wisdom and practical advice that I wish I knew before I got my first book published. What I love most about Wild Ink is the compassionate, funny voice, and the abundance of personal examples. Hanley covers a range of topics on writing for teens, from overcoming self-doubt (which was a HUGE obstacle for me) to finding an authentic teen voice to submitting your manuscript. She gives a great overview of the sub-genres of young adult literature, and addresses all the common questions, such as the pluses and minuses of self-publishing, whether to include profanity or sex, and how to find your writing self. Hanley also includes interviews with agents, editors, and authors, which bring in a variety of fascinating perspectives. One thing that really sets Wild Ink apart from others of its kind is that it's obviously written from the heart, acknowledging the mysterious role of the spirit/unconscious self in writing... and as a writer who delves into this realm every day, I appreciate the way Hanley weaves it into her book.

Thanks for reading!

Laura

Writing Retreat at Angel Fire...

Hello dear readers, friends, family!

The day is heating up and so is my trailer... time to hook up the brand spankin new swamp cooler I recently purchased. I had a swamp cooler in Tucson and really liked it. It's better than AC because you have to keep the windows open to let air flow. And I really like hearing birds and wind-through-leaves and even passing car sounds as I write. I love this about summer-- that you can hear the outside sounds and everything feels so much more alive.


So... two weekends ago I had a writing retreat with my lovely writing group called Old Town Writing Group. Actually, only half of the members could come (which made three members-- me, Carrie, and Sarah.) We (along with husbands and babies) drove down to Sarah's parents' cabin in Angel Fire, New Mexico. That's one of my all-time favorite place names-- Angel Fire. Apparently it comes from the bright yellow of aspen leaves covering the mountains in the fall. Here's a pic of the view of the mountains from the deck.

I'd been envisioning three deliciously long days of writing for luxurious hours at a stretch, but alas, as this was my first writing retreat with baby in tow, I ended up lucky to get in a total of one or two hours of writing time per day-- and that in small bits and pieces.

I did manage to find time to soak in the hot tub with Carrie and Sarah, eat good food in good company, go on a little hike, play chase with tireless baby on the deck, see a giant river canyon (see pic below), go to a very cool fabric shop in Taos to get fabric for the cushions and curtains in my trailer. (When it's all decorated I'll give you a virtual tour).

Other news: I emailed my editor my manuscript of my next book, tentatively entitled The Indigo Notebook (formerly tentatively titled The Purple Notebooks). Now I'm going to get ready for the France trip and get these curtains sewn and dive into revisions on two more manuscripts.

Oh, and I've had more time for reading lately! I listened to the teen book FEED (M.T. Anderson) on the way to and from New Mexico. Really great. If I were a high school English teacher, I'd have my students read FEED right along with 1984 and BRAVE NEW WORLD. FEED (a National Book Award Finalist (or maybe Winner?))paints a scary vision of the future-- it's easy to see how we're headed there-- and it's also a wonderful commentary on the rampant consumerism in our society-- how insidious advertising is-- how it shapes our needs and wants and ultimately shapes who we are as people (not a good thing at all.) It's also a fun story-- a great voice, lots of humor, a spectacular futuristic setting.

I also just finished the teen book SKIN HUNGER by Kathleen Duey (a prolific world traveling author with whom I had a fascinating conversation at an SCBWI conference-- about dreams, ghosts, psychic phenomena...). SKIN HUNGER was a National Book Award Finalist, too. It's a dark fantasy, a particularly well-written and intriguing one. Once I got into it, I loved it. The narrators alternate-- their narratives are separated by 200 years-- and their stories start coming together plot-wise toward the end. It's the first in the series, and I'll definitely read the next two once they come out.

I just finished DIVISADERO by Michael Ondaatje yesterday. I really liked The ENGLISH PATIENT and have read his other books, as well. I love the language and imagery and poetry in DIVISADERO-- he expresses stories from such odd, interesting angles. The story lines didn't come together in a complete, satisfying way for me at the end. It sort of felt like he had all these gorgeous scenes and images and wanted to put them all together in a book, but didn't quite end up tying them all together plot-wise. Of course, I'll keep reading his future books because of the amazing language and imagery and ideas.

I just went to the library yesterday and got a giant bag full of new books which I can't wait to delve into. More about them later... thanks for reading!