Author: Patricia
My Much Anticipated Edit Letter
My edit letter arrived today! I’m super excited, a little scared, and about to burst with the desire to dig in and make this the best book I can.
I printed the whole thing out (sorry trees – I’m planting two of you guys in the spring, I promise), highlighted, sticky-noted, and am now ready to cut, trim, clarify, and rethink. The best thing is that my editor, Kristin, is totally in sync with my vision. Her questions are great, her suggestions are spot on, and I am so excited to tear into this book again.
(The second best thing is that after reading the whole novel again, I still like it – phew).
If you need me, I’ll be at my desk. Send chocolates and coffee, good thoughts, and maybe a glass of wine or two. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.
Happy Book Birthday – A TAIL OF CAMELOT: MICE OF THE ROUND TABLE
Today is the launch day of Julie Leung’s new middle grade fantasy novel, A TAIL OF CAMELOT – the first book in her MICE OF THE ROUND TABLE series.
I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of A TAIL OF CAMELOT – and the even bigger privilege of interviewing Julie for a feature on the Swanky Seventeen blog.
This book is one of my top ten favorite reads this year – and a book I wish I would have gotten to read as a child.
Seriously – it has it all: Camelot; mice in chain mail; a darling reluctant hero. What’s not to love?
It’s pretty much a perfect book. Smart, beautifully written, and adorable.
You can read more of my thoughts in my Goodreads review.
A Tail of Camelot by Julie Leung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Julie Leung has written an enchanting novel. Filled with a darling hero, truly evil villains, page-turning action, and beautiful imagery, A TAIL OF CAMELOT is a story that readers of all ages will turn to again and again.
Calib is the perfect hero – big-hearted and brave – and in way over his head. He’s easy to root for. He’s a good mouse trying to do the right thing only to find himself falling into one bad situation after another. The writing is so fresh and gorgeously detailed that you feel like you’re right there with him – following in his pawsteps as he struggles to save his kingdom and live up to the legacy of his family name.
I simply adored every page of this book. I was only sorry it wasn’t around when I was a kid. It’s a must for any classroom or home library. Middle grade readers are going to devour it, and teachers and parents are going to love to read it aloud with their kids.
For readers:
- Mice in chain-mail; owl allies; talking ravens; even a big-hearted bear.
- Tons of action.
- A brave hero who’s easy to root for.
For teachers
- A spot-on Camelot retelling.
- Discussion about courage and what it really means to be brave.
- Gorgeous detail and descriptions.
And you can buy a copy of A TAIL OF CAMELOT at all the places good books are sold, including:
Get it. Read it. Share it. You’re going to love it.
Congratulations, Julie!
2017 Debut Book Love: Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire
I love books for middle-graders. I love reading them, talking about them, and sharing them with kids, teachers, and parents. The best part about reading books for middle-graders is remembering what it was like to be a kid – to be nine-years-old and just figuring out school and friends and family – at the same time you’re beginning to examine exactly where you belong in the great big world.
Some books just remind you of that time, while others transport you back there and make you relive all of it: the laughter, the pain, the excitement, and the confusion. Fellow 2017 debut author Susan Tan’s debut MG novel CILLA LEE-JENKINS: FUTURE AUTHOR EXTRAORDINAIRE does all of this and more.
I read this book in one sitting and loved it so much, I shared my love for it all over social media – that is after I managed to wipe away the tears.
Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cilla Lee-Jenkins is the best friend you wish you had. Her struggles are real. Her triumphs are joyous. And her big heart and rich imagination will captivate even the most jaded reader. Susan Tan’s debut will have you laughing out loud one minute and choking back tears the next. This book is a must read for anyone who is or once was a child. Be warned: Cilla and her family will steal your heart.
CILLA LEE-JENKINS: FUTURE AUTHOR EXTRAODINAIRE is a must for every classroom and library – public and personal. And, lucky for us, we can pre-order it now and have it in our mailboxes by the end of March.
For readers:
- The funny and big-hearted Cilla.
- A great voice kids will totally relate to.
- Real life worries and triumphs – new baby, fights with friends, big dreams.
For teachers
- A great example of expressing yourself through writing /memoir.
- Discussion about family – and the joys and challenges of growing up in two cultures.
- Discussion about friendship – and what you do when you make a mistake.
- Discussion about change – and how to find your place when everything seems to be falling apart.
A Real Live Book Contract
Well, it’s official. Dreams do come true.
Another milestone moment in this writer’s journey has happened.
I signed my book contract. A real contract, from an actual publisher, with dates and numbers and expectations all lined out – and my signature right there in blue ink.
Sometimes life just works out – and when it does it really is pretty awesome.
And more than a little humbling.
Driving in Circles: Recalibrating My Writing Life
My car has a compass in it. One of those digital displays that tells you which direction you’re going. It’s handy when you’re not sure you’re on the right road and you have zero sense of direction (which is kinda the story of my life) and you start to question every twist and turn of the journey you’re on. It’s reassuring to know that at least you’re pointed in the right direction. That if you keep easing forward, you’ll end up there eventually.
The problem is that every now and then it gets confused. One minute it’s working just fine, and the next it’s not sure whether your going forward or backward, North or South.
The manual tells you that when this happens – when the display shifts from showing a direction to showing a great big digital C – it’s time to recalibrate. It tells you to go someplace safe and drive in a wide circle. It also tells you to do this more than once if needed. Some confusions take a little longer to correct. A little bigger arc to adjust.
But if you follow the instructions, soon enough you’re compass is restored. North, South, East, and West are clearly marked once again, and all is right in the world.
For the last several weeks I’ve been driving along with my internal compass completely out of whack. And I’ve done what everyone who hates to read the manual does: I’ve just kept going, pedal to the metal, certain that if I just keep driving, I’ll figure out where I am eventually.
So far eventually has been the better part of a month. And I’m just about out of gas.
Which means it’s time to find a safe place and drive slowly. One wide circle. Maybe another. I’m kicking myself that it’s taken me so long to remember this, but here I am – looking for a safe place to recalibrate myself, my life, and my writing.
For me this means spending a little more time journaling each day. A little more time sitting in the sun watching the birds and the deer play in the yard. A little more time breathing. And it means remembering to pause as I make my way around the circle. Adding in space for a few stops so that I can take in the view – to see my work and my life from a little bit different angle.
I’m not sure how many circles it’s going to take to get my internal compass working again – but I know from experience that if I take it slow the cardinal points will be restored and I’ll be able to start journeying again – only this time I’ll remember to plan to stop at a few tourist spots along the way – just for fun.
Class of 2k17 Book Love: Poison’s Kiss
I was lucky enough to get another ARC in my mail this week. I never knew getting a sneak peek at soon-to-be-published books would be this fun. It’s like a whole year of Coming Attractions! I have to admit, after reading fellow Class of 2k17 member Whitney Gardner’s awesome YOU’RE WELCOME UNIVERSE last week and Breeana Shields’ amazing POISON’S KISS this week, I am truly humbled that my little book is getting to hang out with these guys. I feel like the weird kid who ended up sitting at the cool kids’ table my mistake. Part of me is scared to death while another part kinda wants to jump up and down and scream like the fangirl I am. Neither reaction is very professional, I know, but right now, that’s all I got – and I’m okay with it.
And I totally fangirled Breeana as I read this book. I tweeted her regular updates, letting her know just how amazing this story is. Amazing and unique and freaking spell-binding.
She may have made me a fantasy junkie with this debut and I’m not even sorry. It’s that good!
Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Beautiful writing, riveting plot, engaging characters – Breeana Shields manages to combine all three in her engaging debut. Shields captures your attention from page one – with gorgeous description and an empathetic character. She carries it through the twists and turns of this page-turner, as Marinda struggles with her duty, her self, and her fate. A story of deceit, betrayal, friendship, and ultimately love, Poison’s Kiss will stay with you long after you finish the book and leave you longing for the sequel.
For readers:
- Fast paced adventure.
- A touching sibling relationship.
- Complicated friendships and loyalties, and a sweet romance.
For teachers
- Beautiful, descriptive language.
- A great example of world building – using mythology and lore to enhance a story.
- A compelling character who is easy to empathize with.
If this is Breeana’s debut, I can’t even imagine what she’s got up her sleeve for the next book. Lucky for you, it’s available for pre-order right now. And you can always add it to your Goodreads list to remind you of the amazing book that’s coming for you in 2017.
My First ARC: Pre-reading MG and YA Books – You’re Welcome Universe
One of the coolest things about being a debut author is that you get to meet other debut authors.
And one of the best things about meeting other debut authors – other than their incredible kindness, generosity, and downright Swankiness – is that you get to read advanced copies of their upcoming MG and YA books.
That’s right. You get a sneak peek at next year’s best MG and YA books. How cool is that? For this bookworm, it’s a little like my visions of heaven. Books just arriving at your doorstep like magic, waiting for you to read them.
My very first Advanced Reader Copy showed up in the mailbox right before the Fourth of July weekend. And if that’s not cool enough, it was fellow Oregonian and Class of 2k17 member Whitney Gardner’s amazing debut, YOU’RE WELCOME UNIVERSE.
And it was awesome!
So awesome, I read it in two days. So awesome, I rushed over to Goodreads to write a review. So awesome, I tweeted about it, then tweeted again. (And Intagrammed, and Facebooked…and, well, you get the picture).
You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There is so much to love about Whitney Gardner’s debut. It’s heartfelt – full of anger and hurt, hope and beauty. Set against the backdrop of a graffiti war, YOU’RE WELCOME UNIVERSE challenges our assumptions about art, belonging, and friendship in new and interesting ways. The characters are compelling, the art work is captivating, and the twists and turns make this an impossible book to put down.
For readers:.
- A friendship story that’s not all sunshine and happiness.
- A real character – complex and diverse – that’s not easy to pigeon-hole. .
- The art work!
For teachers
- A complex and diverse character – who doesn’t always make the best choices.
- Discussion about art and vandalism – expression and destruction.
- Excellent world building from the character’s point of view in a contemporary setting.
The world is going to saying THANK YOU, WHITNEY when it gets its hands on this book next year. In the meantime, the lucky few who get a pre-read will just have to urge you to add it to your To Read lists.
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I’m a Success? My Oregon SCBWI Conference Tale
Last year I almost didn’t go to the Oregon SCBWI Conference. I even told my buddy in Portland I wasn’t going to go. Not this year. I was just not up for it. Then, months later, something – the same something that tells me when it’s time to start a new story or go get that mole checked out – said “You should go, and you should do a manuscript critique.” I realize this may sound strange if you’re not someone used to helpful brain-based voices telling you what to do. But, I’m a writer, and I tend to listen to the voices in my head; they’ve never steered me wrong. So, I went to the website. I looked at the pictures of agents and editors still taking manuscripts; I read their bios; and I picked one. One with a friendly face. One who grew up in a small town in Oregon. One who looked like she’d be easy for someone like me to talk to. Then I paid my fee and sent in my pages.
On the last day of the conference, during the last consultation spot, I met with Kerry. We talked – but not about the manuscript. We talked about growing up in Oregon. About small towns and food trucks and trips to the coast. She told how much she loved my pages. She told me to send her the full.
So, I did. And she loved it. And she became my agent. All because of the Oregon SCBWI Conference.
This year I signed up immediately after I found out my book sold. It was my “you’re really a writer now” gift to myself. It was also a chance to say thanks. Thanks to my friends who I knew would be there, and thanks to the ladies who work so hard putting the event together. Plus, Matt de la Pena and Victoria Jamieson were going to be the keynote speakers. Who would want to miss that?
The conference was wonderful. I met new friends and hung out with old ones. I took a ton of notes – because every presenter had such good advice to share. It was so good, that for all of Saturday it was easy to just concentrate on listening and learning and being inspired. As long as I didn’t look at Sunday’s schedule – and the panel scheduled for the morning – everything was cool.
Yep, that’s my name in the program. Right t
here with the likes of Rosanne Parry. She with her four novels, and me, with my teeny tiny book deal. The title of the panel? Local Success.
Three things you should know about me:
- I’m mostly shy.
- I’m a much better listener than I am speaker.
- The hardest part of working as a teacher was talking in front of large groups.
Thankfully, no one really wanted to hear about me. I could talk about SCBWI. About the great people I met there (like Catherine who took the panel picture). About how the organization helped me. And about how supportive the writing community is. So that’s what I did. Even though I was mostly terrified. Even though was certain I was not talking into the microphone right. Even though I was not 100% sure that what I was saying wasn’t coming out in some sort of high frequency gibberish.
And, I survived – without breaking out in hives or falling over in a freaked-out faint. Which pleased me. But what pleased me more was the people who came up to me after. The people who said thank you. The one’s who said my story made them feel like they could meet an agent and get a book deal, too. Which is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to dispel the myth that you have to be super cool or super connected or super important for this writing thing to work out. I wanted people to get that if I could do it – if I could sign up for a consult. If I could drive 5 hours to better my craft. If I could be brave and talk to people and share my work and ask for feedback, they could too.
Because I really think what I said is true. Success lies in a succession of tiny brave steps. Writing the book. Taking classes. Asking questions. Chatting with strangers. Sending out the query. Meeting the “scary” New York people. And generally being kind and open and hopeful.
SCBWI is a good place to practice all of that. Plus you learn a ton – and even meet amazing writers like Matt and Victoria, and Rosanne. Who could ask for more?
Welcome!
Did you hear?
The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan has been bought by Albert Whitman & Company!
That’s right. I have a book deal!
Coming April 25, 2017!