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Live Chat Today with the Author of BLACK RABBIT HALL

Wednesday, November 11th, 2015

The chat has now ended. Read the archived version below.

If you haven’t read Black Rabbit Hall (Penguin/Putnam), request a DRC from NetGalley or Edelweiss. It will be available until publication day, Feb. 9, 2016.

If you enjoy the book, remember to recommend it for LibraryReads.

Live Blog Live Chat with Eva Chase – BLACK RABBIT HALL
 

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Live Chat today with Maile Meloy,
author of THE AFTER-ROOM,
5 to 6 p.m.

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

The live chat has now ended, Read the transcript below.

Live Blog Live Chat with Maile Meloy – THE AFTER-ROOM
 

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author of THE AFTER-ROOM,
5 to 6 p.m.

Live Chat with Author Lisa Lewis Tyre

Wednesday, October 7th, 2015

This chat has now ended. Please join us for the next one on Nov. 11 — information here.

Live Blog Live Chat with Lisa Lewis Tyre – LAST IN A LONG LINE OF REBELS
 

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Live Chat Today with the Author of
A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Wednesday, September 30th, 2015

This hat has now ended, you can read it below.

Join us for the next chat, November 11, 4:00 – 5:00 P.M. ET, with Eve Chase, author of Black Rabbit Hall (more information here).

Live Blog Live Chat with Jackie Copleton – A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
 

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A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Live Chat Today with the Author of BRIGHT LINES

Wednesday, August 26th, 2015

Chat begins at 4 p.m., Eastern

To ask a question or make a comment click on the box below, enter your name, then hit “Set”

Remember, this is a moderated chat, so your comment will not appear instantly.

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Live Chat with Author Sara Nickerson

Wednesday, June 17th, 2015
Live Blog Live Chat with Sara Nickerson – THE SECRETS OF BLUEBERRIES, BROTHERS, MOOSE & ME
 

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Live Chat with Debut Author,
M. O. Walsh

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

We had a great chat with Neal; he is as thoughtful as you would expect based on his book. Scroll down to see what you missed.

 Live Chat with M. O. Walsh, MY SUNSHINE AWAY(01/21/2015) 
5:02
M.O. Walsh: 
Please do support The Poser! Cheers!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh
5:02
[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ] 
Thanks Nora and Neal!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 janet_schneider
5:02
M.O. Walsh: 
I know Jake. I went to school with him I remember reading the first draft of that book. So awesome that y'all will be talking with him.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh
5:02
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Thanks Nora! Neal, it was great to "meet" you!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 VNesting
5:02
M.O. Walsh: 
Are you kidding? This was awesome. No need to thank me. Thank y'all!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh
5:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Sadly, we have to end now.


Our next book is The Poser by Jacob Rubin. We’ll chat with Jake on March 4th.

Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
M.O. Walsh: 
Ha. That would be great. I'd love to meet everybody.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 M.O. Walsh
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks, everyone for such a great chat.


Thanks, Neal for your thoughtful answers. We’re looking forward to February 10th, when librarians will be able to put MY SUNSHINE AWAY into readers hands

Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I am afraid I am out of that loop -- but librarians can contact you via your web site and slip you the password!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
M.O. Walsh: 
What I want to know is, will there be a secret party in Chicago for ALA where all the hip librarians go? And, if so, what is the password?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:00 M.O. Walsh
4:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

NO!

I mean, OF COURSE!





Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
M.O. Walsh: 
Can I ask a question?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 M.O. Walsh
4:59
M.O. Walsh: 
Sure. Read and write. Understand that the purpose of writing is to give people pleasure. Understand that the path to this is from sentence to sentence. And that the best books are those that effect the heart more than the mind. And don't let rejection get the best of you. Ha.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 M.O. Walsh
4:56
[Comment From James P.James P.: ] 
Any advice for young writers?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:56 James P.
4:56
Nora - EarlyWord: 
As you said, it's all in interpretation -- that just went from sounding weird to really great!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord
4:55
M.O. Walsh: 
Low Residency MFA programs are where most of the classes are online, but student all get together with faculty for a month or so out of the year for classes. SO, it is kind of like distance learning with 'low residency' requirements. Our residency is always abroad, though, This year we are going to Cork, Ireland!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:55 M.O. Walsh
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Your "day job" title is "Director, The Creative Writing Workshop, Traditional and Low Residency MFA Programs." I’m trying to figure out what the second part means!

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
4:53
M.O. Walsh: 
Hi James!

Actually, I've not yet started on another novel. I have two half cooked ideas and several other little projects I'm working on but my main goal now is to enjoy this time of my life, spending time with my kids and doing things like this, talking to y'all, as this has been my dream since I was in the 8th grade or so.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:53 M.O. Walsh
4:51
[Comment From James P.James P.: ] 
Got another book up your sleeve?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:51 James P.
4:51
M.O. Walsh: 
I just think that everything is out of proportion during adolescence since teenagers have no frame of reference. Every love is the biggest, first love. Every rejection feels like the final one. So, negotiating those things is hard enough, but when you feel like the way people interpret your actions will define you forever, that makes it even harder.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:51 M.O. Walsh
4:49
M.O. Walsh: 
.....
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:49 M.O. Walsh
4:49
M.O. Walsh: 
Hi Pam-

Sure! Simply using the example of an adolescent boy, I think that there is a very fine line between being considered romantic and being considered creepy or a "stalker". You buy a girl flowers and you're romantic. You buy flowers one too many times and you're a stalker. This type of thing can crush you. The boy wants only for the girl to know of his affection. How people react to his actions can change the course of how people see him and, eventually, how he may see himself. ........
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:49 M.O. Walsh
4:47
[Comment From Pam, Public LibrarianPam, Public Librarian: ] 
In your video, you say you tried to capture what it is like to be an adolescent, which you did – and you add that it’s a time when interpretation is a big deal. I was fascinated by that. Can you expand on it?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:47 Pam, Public Librarian
4:47
M.O. Walsh: 
No. I'm really excited about that, though. The idea of anyone reading my book is weird enough to me, but to think of people in other countries reading it is just awesome. What a dream! I do know that Viking UK is really excited about it, though, and plan for it to be a lead title. Very cool. I also know that it took a long time to get a French publisher because most of the editors there though it was a bit 'too uplifting'. Ha. That seemed like a comment on the culture to me. My book wasn't dark enough. They like their existentialism over there!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:47 M.O. Walsh
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Ha! Maybe people in Britain will have the same reaction as Linda does from Maine.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
[Comment From LindaLinda: ] 
I grew up in Maine, which is like another world entirely, but some of the early scenes especially, really brought me back to my childhood. Just something about the descriptions of kids hanging out outside in the 80s. It was very nostalgic for me in some ways.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:45 Linda
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Just posted the British cover.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:44
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44 
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The book has been picked up to be published in other countries. The British cover is quite different from the American. Any thoughts on how the Brits might react to it?

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:43
M.O. Walsh: 
Oh yeah. the heat is a real thing down here. I love this place and there are times that I wonder why any human can survive it. These are usually times when I am getting into my car on a black top parking lot in August at 3 p.m.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:43 M.O. Walsh
4:42
M.O. Walsh: 
Yes, there is a tour (11 cities, I think) from Feb 10-20th or so.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:42 M.O. Walsh
4:42
[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ] 
The sense of place (as LJ noted) comes through so clearly. The "earthiness" of the prose too, makes the reader almost feel the insects, humidity and stickiness... I grew up in South Texas and it reminded me of home so much. (And how we'd mostly stay inside in the air-conditioning in August.)
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:42 janet_schneider
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I think you have several events coming up, right Neal -- check his Web site -- http://www.mowalsh.com/CONTACT.html
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:41
M.O. Walsh: 
That sounds great!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 M.O. Walsh
4:41
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Wish I could be at ALA Midwinter! Kind of funny to think of going all the way to Chicago to meet a Louisiana author though. Hope to see you somewhere in South Louisiana when the book is released. And maybe we can get you to come visit our library!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 VNesting
4:41
M.O. Walsh: 
I understand that the comparison is an honor, though, and I thank you for it.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 M.O. Walsh
4:40
M.O. Walsh: 
You know, in one of many moments of shame I'm sure you could pull from me, I've never actually read Pat Conroy. I know the name and the titles, obviously, but haven't actually read a book. In the way that y'all likely have way too many suggested books to read, my work as a teacher and writer provides me with a similar list. I actually spend way more time reading unpublished manuscripts that my students write than I do reading new published work. And, when I teach literature, I am often re-reading some of the classics. So, despite all the great things I've heard about Conroy, I've never gotten the chance to read him.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:40 M.O. Walsh
4:38
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Here is a question one of our participants sent in advance:

The tone and language of your book reminds me of the southern charm portrayed in Pat Conroy's novels. Is he an author you read and whose work you enjoyed?

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord
4:38
M.O. Walsh: 
I definitely think that there are misconceptions about Louisiana and the South, in general. But I am just as interested in some of the stereotypes that we embrace as I am the ones that make me cringe. I have found myself actually having to explain to people that I did not ride a boat to school before and chase alligators off the porch. That was kind of surreal to do. At the same time, though, if someone asks me if we eat alligator down here, I''ll be the first to say, Hell yeah! It's delicious! Let me get you the recipe for the dipping sauce."
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:38 M.O. Walsh
4:36
Nora - EarlyWord: 
No problem -- it's about having to explain it to outsiders, like LJ put it, the book “gives the reader an intimate understanding of the place as if it were a beloved but misunderstood grandmother.”
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:36 Nora - EarlyWord
4:35
M.O. Walsh: 
Awesome! OK, I missed a question about South Louisiana, I think.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:35 M.O. Walsh
4:35
[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ] 
I plan to be first in line to get my ACR signed!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:35 Sue D., St. Charles, MO
4:34
M.O. Walsh: 
That will be great! I look forward to it.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh
4:34
M.O. Walsh: 
Y'all going to be at ALA?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh
4:34
[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ] 
You are headed to Chicago in a few days, what do you think about meeting all of us?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 Sue D., St. Charles, MO
4:34
M.O. Walsh: 
Man, its really weird to hear your own voice on audio isn't it? I'm like, who is that person? I'd much prefer a deeper baritone. Ha.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh
4:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I like what the Library Journal reviewer said, that MY SUNSHINE AWAY “gives the reader an intimate understanding of the place as if it were a beloved but misunderstood grandmother.”

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord
4:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I will never again assume that all parts of Southern Louisiana are alike! Do you feel you have to explain that to outsiders a lot?

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord
4:32
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
That's wonderful! Thank you, Neal.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:32 VNesting
4:31
Neal Reading Hurricane Katrina section  Play
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:31 
4:31
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Looks like Neal didn't need the time!


The section I asked him to read is about what events after Hurricane Katrina, when many people took refuge in Baton Rouge, I enjoyed the section’s understated humor and insight into how humans can change from grateful to picky. it's a good example of his "voice" and in his real voice.

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:31 Nora - EarlyWord
4:30
M.O. Walsh: 
Good question! I don't know if it's an either or kind of thing. They kind of come to me together (character and voice, especially in 1st person POV). I know after I'd finished that opening chapter, I sent it to a good friend of mine who I trust (a really good writer named Sean Ennis) and he said, "Man, that's a great voice! Think you can keep it up?" So, I took that as a challenge.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:30 M.O. Walsh
4:29
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Vicki -- another great question. I'll give Neal a chance to catch his breath and answer it. Meanwhile, I asked him to read a section of the book, and I will post the audio.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord
4:28
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
I love your narrative voice (which you may have already guessed from my review that Nora posted earlier). Voice is such a challenge to do well. Do you focus more on developing the character and letting the voice flow from that, or did you actually focus on the voice to show the conflicting feelings and motivations of the teenage narrator?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:28 VNesting
4:28
M.O. Walsh: 
I once wrote 50 pages of a novel I was super psyched about. I went to the bar one night and told my professor at the time how great it was and how good I felt. he said,. "What page are you on?" I said, "page 50!" He said, "Talk to me when you get to page 60."

He was right. I crashed and burned after page 50 because I had to start dealing with stuff.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:28 M.O. Walsh
4:27
M.O. Walsh: 
one more anecdote about that...
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:27 M.O. Walsh
4:26
M.O. Walsh: 
The beginning of books are often really easy to write because you haven't yet dealt with any of the situations or conflicts you're creating in the opening chapter. You're basically just a machine gun spewing out cool ideas. It's when you have to actually make them hang together and be meaningful and engaging that things get tricky.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:26 M.O. Walsh
4:25
M.O. Walsh: 
But I should also say....
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:25 M.O. Walsh
4:25
M.O. Walsh: 
Hi Janet! Thanks. Well, I say it was easy meaning the first draft of the chapter came out really quickly. I probably revised it for another 3 months to get the language right before I moved on to chapter 2.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:25 M.O. Walsh
4:24
[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ] 
Hi Neal, What an opening chapter! The most gripping I have read in ages. How interesting for you to say that the first was easy to write, and the rest not so much...This book is absolutely un-put-downable, and perfect for so many different readers too.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:24 janet_schneider
4:23
M.O. Walsh: 
I'd always wanted to, and had tried a couple of other times, but never had an idea strong enough to carry me through. I'd write 150 pages or so, realize it was terrible, and trash it. This was the first idea I had that never left me. I never grew bored with it, never stopped thinking about it. It took me about 7 years, I had two kids in the process, moved cities, changed jobs, etc., and I never wanted to stop working on it.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:23 M.O. Walsh
4:21
[Comment From MD. LibrarianMD. Librarian: ] 
You’ve written short stories, why did you decide to do a novel?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:21 MD. Librarian
4:20
M.O. Walsh: 
I don't know if the reveal made it any more difficult than just the fact that it is a novel and I'd never written one before. I'd always written short stories, where you can always feel where you started and where you are going to end it. When you get into the middle of a novel, it's a new experience. Getting through that was more difficult than negotiating the POV, which felt pretty natural to me.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:20 M.O. Walsh
4:19
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Uh, I think ALL of us have said much worse in out time!The book’s point of view is fascinating and isn’t actually revealed until the end. How difficult was it to structure the book?

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord
4:18
M.O. Walsh: 
(sorry for saying crap)
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:18 M.O. Walsh
4:17
M.O. Walsh: 
It just kind of hit me at the dinner table one night. I looked at my wife and was like, "Oh crap. I think I know the title." I'd always had the lyrics as an epigraph but never knew the song would be the title. Which proves, I think, that writers aren't always so smart. Ha. But, I like the way that the phrase was enough to remind you of the song, but also point you in another direction. I like the phrase very much.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:17 M.O. Walsh
4:15
Nora - EarlyWord: 

How did you decide which part of the song to use for the title?

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 Nora - EarlyWord
4:15
M.O. Walsh: 
A happy chorus, filled with sad verses. I like the tension there.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 M.O. Walsh
4:15
M.O. Walsh: 
Oh, yeah. As I said in the video, that song is the state song of Louisiana. It's really important to people down here. In the same way Louisiana has multiple sides to it, I realized that the song did too. That youth does, that nostalgia does, etc. it felt like a good fit.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 M.O. Walsh
4:14
M.O. Walsh: 
I get more of a thrill out of being a LibraryReads pick than a mention in Entertainment Weekly, to be honest, because I know Librarians care about literature in the same way I do.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:14 M.O. Walsh
4:14
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I have heard "You Are My Sunshine" since I was a little girl (my father sang it to me) and never saw the dark side of it. You had me hooked with that alone.

Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:14 Nora - EarlyWord
4:13
M.O. Walsh: 
I know it makes my Mom happy, though!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:13 M.O. Walsh
4:13
M.O. Walsh: 
And I feel like the words between the covers are the only thing I control. The fact that it is being published is plenty enough for me. So, the good press and all that, it is all just extra good news.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:13 M.O. Walsh
4:12
M.O. Walsh: 
...
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:12 M.O. Walsh
4:12
M.O. Walsh: 
Well, it feels really good that people like the book. People like librarians and book reviewers, etc. That feels really good. All of the other stuff (hype, if you'd call it), I'm much more skeptical of. It doesn't really give me a feeling. Maybe dread is the feeling? I'm not sure. I try to only concern myself with the stuff I can control.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:12 M.O. Walsh
4:11
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Being in South Louisiana, it's easy to just tell people it's a coming of age tale set in Baton Rouge in the late 1980s. But I love the video and think it's a great tool to get people interested.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:11 VNesting
4:10
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Reviewers are using terms like “addictive” and, “"Suspenseful, compassionate" and “a page-turner you want to read slowly and a literary novel you can't look away from.” It’s been picked by booksellers as a favorite, as well as by librarians for LibraryReads. It’s on Entertainment Weekly s "20 Books We’ll Read in 2015" AND they called you someone to watch in 2015. How does it feel”
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord
4:10
M.O. Walsh: 
Yeah. Everyone at Putnam has done an incredible job with the book. I'm really lucky to have a crew like that on my side!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:10 M.O. Walsh
4:09
Nora - EarlyWord: 
MY SUNSHINE AWAY unfolds in a Baton Rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson—free spirit, track star, and belle of the block—experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord
4:09
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You've got a pretty good one -- I thought the publisher described the book very well:
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord
4:08
M.O. Walsh: 
Whoa! Can I hire y'all as my PR team?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 M.O. Walsh
4:08
[Comment From Julie WolfJulie Wolf: ] 
Can’t wait to share this book with our library customers!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Julie Wolf
4:08
[Comment From Laura, ProvidenceLaura, Providence: ] 
I’d say, “you’ll read it because you’ll want to know what happens, but you’ll love it even better for how it’s told. It will haunt you for weeks.”
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Laura, Providence
4:08
[Comment From Fran B., ChicagoFran B., Chicago: ] 
I’d just say, “Trust me, you’ll love it.”
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Fran B., Chicago
4:08
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Help Neal out -- how would the rest of you sell it?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord
4:07
M.O. Walsh: 
Thanks Vicki!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 M.O. Walsh
4:07
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 
4:07
Nora - EarlyWord: 
By the way, that review is from Vicki, who is with us today!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord
4:07
M.O. Walsh: 
See? Much better when other people do it than me!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 M.O. Walsh
4:06
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 
4:06
M.O. Walsh: 
Oh, thanks. I felt a little bad for subjecting y'all to that singing and guitar playing but thought it might be good to explain the title.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 M.O. Walsh
4:06
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Maybe we can help you. A couple of our participants posted reviews on Edelweiss that would certainly work. I’ll post them.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 Nora - EarlyWord
4:06
[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ] 
What an awesome book. Liked the video introducing the title. Great little tidbit for getting patrons to pick it up.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 Sue D., St. Charles, MO
4:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I understand that.Sue D. says she'd use your video:
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord
4:05
M.O. Walsh: 
Its really hard to summarize something you've worked on for so long.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 M.O. Walsh
4:05
M.O. Walsh: 
Oh no! Not the elevator pitch! I seriously turn into a quivering ball of jelly when asked to do this. I was lucky enough to go on a pre-pub tour where me and some other writers were asked to pitch our books and I just did the verbal equivalent of .............
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 M.O. Walsh
4:04
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Librarians often have to come up with a quick, pithy way to get someone to want to read a book. Booksellers call this the “hand sell.” How would you hand sell MY SUNSHINE AWAY?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:04 Nora - EarlyWord
4:04
M.O. Walsh: 
Hi Anne. Glad you're here, too!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:04 M.O. Walsh
4:03
[Comment From AnneAnne: ] 
Hi - Looking forward to the discussion. Finished the book in the nick of time :)
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 Anne
4:03
M.O. Walsh: 
It just kept getting shorter and shorter, I guess.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 M.O. Walsh
4:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Wow, that sounds like " everyone knew her as Nancy.”
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord
4:03
M.O. Walsh: 
My grandfather went by Milton, my dad by O'Neal, and they called me Neal
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 M.O. Walsh
4:02
M.O. Walsh: 
Some people call me M.O.. My family and friends call me Neal. My name is Milton O'Neal Walsh.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 M.O. Walsh
4:02
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Hi Nora, Neal, everyone!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 VNesting
4:02
[Comment From Pam, Public LibrarianPam, Public Librarian: ] 
Wait, your name is M.O. Walsh, what do I call you?
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 Pam, Public Librarian
4:02
M.O. Walsh: 
Wow. Thank y'all so much for reading it. I imagine your reading stacks are pretty high.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 M.O. Walsh
4:01
[Comment From Book LoverBook Lover: ] 
Thanks for doing this,
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Book Lover
4:01
[Comment From James P.James P.: ] 
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 James P.
4:01
[Comment From Julie WolfJulie Wolf: ] 
I’m telling my customers that this a book they will be dying to talk to others about!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Julie Wolf
4:01
M.O. Walsh: 
Very cool to get a chance to talk to librarians and to be a Library Reads pick! Who has better taste in books than librarians? NOBODY.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 M.O. Walsh
4:01
[Comment From MD. LibrarianMD. Librarian: ] 
I don’t have many questions, just want to say I love this book!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 MD. Librarian
4:01
[Comment From Laura, ProvidenceLaura, Providence: ] 
No longer lurking, I’m joining THIS chat!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Laura, Providence
4:01
[Comment From Fran B., ChicagoFran B., Chicago: ] 
Ready to chat!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Fran B., Chicago
4:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'll give our participants a chance to say hi...
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord
4:00
M.O. Walsh: 
Hi everybody! I'm excited to be in the little chat box with you!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 M.O. Walsh
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hi, Neal, Welcome!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see Neal is here.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
3:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Don’t worry about typos – (and please forgive ours)
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord
3:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to the author before the end of the chat.
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord
3:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see chat participants gathering!
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord
3:51
Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:51 
3:51
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Neal recorded the following video specifically for First Flight participants:
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:51 Nora - EarlyWord
3:35
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:35 
3:35
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of MY SUNSHINE AWAY, to be published by Penguin/Putnam on Feb. 10
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:35 Nora - EarlyWord
3:34
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with M.O. “Neal” Walsh at 4 p.m., EST
Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:34 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on Live Chat with Debut Author,
M. O. Walsh

LIVE CHAT with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Lisa Von Drasek

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Below is our live chat the author of The War That Saved My Life, also archived on the Penguin Young Readers page. To join the program, sign up here.

Live Blog Live Chat with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE
 Live Chat with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE(11/19/2014) 
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Kim Bradley in about 15 minutes.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Meanwhile, here’s the cover of The War That Saved My Life…

Coming Jan, 8th, from Penguin/Dial

It will also be available in audio from Listening Library.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:45 
4:48
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Below is a spolier-free description of the plot:

World War II England is the setting for this moving follow-up to the acclaimed Jefferson’s Sons. Nine year-old Ada has never left her room because her abusive mother is so ashamed of her club foot. When Ada overhears that her little brother, Jamie is going to be evacuated out of London because of the approaching war, Ada sneaks out to join him.

Thus begins a new chance for Ada, as well as for Susan Smith, the reclusive woman who takes in the two children. Little by little, Ada opens up and starts to trust people, and Susan learns to nurture the kids and to love again after years of loneliness. As the story unfolds, Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, helps capture a German spy, and in a dramatic finale, saves herself and her brother once and for all from the tyranny of their mother.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:48 Nora - EarlyWord
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Here are some quotes from other authors about the book:

You are about to read an astounding novel. I was gobsmacked. Will you cry and rejoice and hold your breath? Absolutely. Will you find the book as exciting, touching, wise and profound as I did? Yes. Remarkable achievement, Kinberly Brubaker Bradley. Thank you. -- Karen Cushman, author of the Newbery Medal Winner, The Midwife’s Apprentice

I love Ada’s bold heart, keen wit and amazingly fresh point of view. Her story’s riveting. I was with her every step of the way. – Sheila Turnagh author of Newbery Medal book, Three Times Lucky

Not all wars are fought by nations. Some are fought in small rooms but for the same issues, justice, opportunity, respect. In Ada’s small war lies our large hope that love cannot, will not, be overcome. I read this novel in two big gulps. – Gary Schmidt, author of Newbery and Printz honor book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy



Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering!

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to the author before the end of the chat.


Don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here’s our moderator Lisa Von Drasek. Say hi, Lisa!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
Hi, Nora! Hi, Readers!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
I am introducing Kim, our guest today who has published 16 books from picture books to YA, nonfiction and fiction.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
[Comment From Loves PoniesLoves Ponies: ] 
Hi Kim – looking forward to the chat
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Loves Ponies
5:02
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Happy to be here!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Deborah
5:02
[Comment From Sch. LibrarianSch. Librarian: ] 
Hi Kim. Loved the book!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Sch. Librarian
5:03
Kim Bradley: 
Hi, everyone! Glad to be here too!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Kim Bradley
5:03
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, Lets get started... where were you born and raised?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 lisa von drasek
5:03
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Kim – thanks for a thoughtful, enthralling book
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Sally
5:03
Kim Bradley: 
Fort Wayne, Indiana...very close to the place that was the setting for my first novel, Ruthie's Gift.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Kim Bradley
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
Thanks, Sally!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:04
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
Hello Kim – thanks for addressing so many important issues in this book.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Jo
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
Jo, you're welcome. What struck you as particularly important?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:04
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, and now you live...?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
I live in Bristol, TN, a small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
Jo hasn't chimed back in , so I will interrupt by asking about the setting...England during WWII. can you say a few words about that...Deborah also want to know..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Deborah
5:06
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
So many things struck me as important -- how people try to put others down, how important community is to people and how bad it can be without it.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Jo
5:06
Kim Bradley: 
Sure...Let's see, I love England, I always have...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Kim Bradley
5:07
Kim Bradley: 
Researching the setting was a lot of fun for me because it required a trip to England...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:07 Kim Bradley
5:07
Kim Bradley: 
I'm trying to insert a photo here...Kent was so lovely, even though we were there in very early spring...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:07 Kim Bradley
5:08
Kim Bradley: 
Like most writers, I get ideas from everywhere, but this book seemed more organic than most...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:08 Kim Bradley
5:08
Kim Bradley: 
Looking at it now, I can see where all these little pieces came from, but writing it it seemed to come out of nowhere.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:08 Kim Bradley
5:09
Kim Bradley: 
Jo, I am a huge believer in community and relationships...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:09 Kim Bradley
5:10
Kim Bradley: 
and I really wanted that for Ada.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Kim Bradley
5:10
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Oh, poor you, having to go to England for :esearch!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Sally
5:10
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
I liked the way you used relationships in Jefferson's sons, too!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Deborah
5:11
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, I was struck by Ada's isolation. Can you tell us a little about writing that part?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek
5:11
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
You really showed what it was like when Ada DIDN'T have that community.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:11 Jo
5:12
Kim Bradley: 
Ada's isolation was the hardest part to get right...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 Kim Bradley
5:12
 Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 
5:12
Kim Bradley: 
You walk a fine line between creating a sympathetic character and making a situation so bleak it's unreadable..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 Kim Bradley
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
Finally got a photo! That's Ada's Kent!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:13
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
Agree with Lisa about the isolation -- one thing I never thought about -- how someone like Ada, who grew up with only limited contact with people, wouldn’t understand a lot of words, and would feel isolated and exhausted when she had to talk to people. How did you come up with that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Jo
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
I think that without Jamie, and without her father who I conceive of as having been loving, she would have been a lot worse off...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
Remember that although he's not in the book except as a faint memory, she had her father until he was 4 years old...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:14
Kim Bradley: 
That's how she learned the songs she sings to Jamie...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:14 Kim Bradley
5:14
Kim Bradley: 
I once met a profound deaf young boy whose speech sounded completely normal. It was because he didn't lose his hearing until he was 18 months old.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:14 Kim Bradley
5:15
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Was this book inspired by someone's life experience?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Deborah
5:15
Kim Bradley: 
How did I come up with all Ada doesn't know?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kim Bradley
5:15
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Were you worried about opening the book on such a bleak note? That it might put off readers (it didn't me, however!)
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kathy
5:15
Kim Bradley: 
Honestly, lots and lots and lots of revision...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kim Bradley
5:16
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, yes, especially after my editor's comments on the first 70 pages of the first draft...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 Kim Bradley
5:16
Kim Bradley: 
She said, "This isn't REALLY going to be your next novel, is it?"
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 Kim Bradley
5:16
lisa von drasek: 
oh my
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 lisa von drasek
5:16
 Kim Bradley
Here's another photo. They're taking awhile to download
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 
5:17
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Ha! That's funny about the editor. You needed that set up, however.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kathy
5:17
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Ouch! Glad you stuck with it.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Deborah
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
Yeah, that wasn't good. :) But six revisions later I found Ada's voice..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
The thing is that Ada doesn't know all she's missing...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
She's frustrated, but she's not as angry (yet) as she should be...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:18
Kim Bradley: 
It's a characteristic of childhood that we accept whatever our life is as "normal." Ada's not based on a real person....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:18 Kim Bradley
5:18
Kim Bradley: 
...but she reflects some real experiences of abuse, neglect, and disability that I'm familiar with.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:18 Kim Bradley
5:19
Kim Bradley: 
I had to stick with this novel, Deborah. Ada wasn't going to leave me alone.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Kim Bradley
5:19
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
I like what you say about Ada not knowing what she's missing -- explains her reactions later in the story.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Sally
5:19
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Are there stories of actual children with a club feet who lived the way Ada did – hidden away, crawling from one place to another?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Sally
5:20
Kim Bradley: 
Sally, yes and no. Club feet have been successfully treated in most Western countries since the 1920s...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:20 Kim Bradley
5:21
 Kim Bradley
This is the smallest boat known to have been part of the Dunkirk evacuations. I think it's 17 feet long
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 
5:21
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Could you talk a little about how your writing and research process worked with this book?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Deborah
5:21
Kim Bradley: 
But there are still lots of children in developing countries whose club feet aren't treated, or are treated quite late, surgically, like Ada...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Kim Bradley
5:21
Kim Bradley: 
and lots of places where disabled children are shunned. Present-day Haiti would be a good example.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Kim Bradley
5:22
Kim Bradley: 
The Dunkirk boat, by the way, is on exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London, a great place for first-person research.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:22 Kim Bradley
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
I researched this book primarily by reading first-person accounts of wartime England...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
due to an organization called Mass Observation, there are literally hundreds of those...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:23
[Comment From Judith, MarylandJudith, Maryland: ] 
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Judith, Maryland
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
There are also many published memoirs of children who were evacuated...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
Seeing everything first-hand in London and Kent was important but not as much as all the reading, which took months...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
amazon.uk is my friend.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
Susan Smith is probably my favorite character ever...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
Loved Susan Smith, a “not nice” person who actually is. Did you base her on someone you know?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:25
lisa von drasek: 
That was from Judith
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 lisa von drasek
5:25
Kim Bradley: 
She's fictional--this whole book is--but some attributes are certainly based on friends of mine...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 Kim Bradley
5:25
Kim Bradley: 
especially those who weren't cuddly but whom my daughter instinctively loved and trusted, from an early age...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 Kim Bradley
5:26
Kim Bradley: 
Susan is trustworthy. That's her core.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:26 Kim Bradley
5:26
[Comment From Sch. LibrarianSch. Librarian: ] 
Is it possible for someone to teach herself to ride a horse?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:26 Sch. Librarian
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
Sort of. I did...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
The basics are very straightforward. The scene where she jumps Maggie's brother's horse--that would work because she's not thinking, she's just letting her body go with him...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
But then she gets real instruction from Fred...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:28
[Comment From Loves PoniesLoves Ponies: ] 
WHAT? Tell us more! How did you do that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Loves Ponies
5:28
Kim Bradley: 
without that she'd end up getting hurt, or hurting Butter.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Kim Bradley
5:28
Kim Bradley: 
I was just nuts for horses, growing up, but had very very few chances to ride them....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Kim Bradley
5:29
Kim Bradley: 
but when I did I wasn't going to waste them! Everyone else would be poking along, I'd be kicking and galloping....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:29 Kim Bradley
5:29
Kim Bradley: 
I would have jumped the wall. Too stupid to be scared!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:29 Kim Bradley
5:30
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
I have heard of the evacuations of kids from London during the war, but did they really just pack kids into trains to get them out of London, with no food, or bathrooms?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 JoBeth
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Eventually I did learn to ride, in college, but even then I lied and told them I had experience so I wouldn't be stuck with beginners....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
What make you interested in this period of history?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 JoBeth
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Had my first flat lesson on Tuesday, my first jumping lesson on Wednesday!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
JoBeth, yes, the evacuation pretty much when exactly as described...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Some of the trains had toilets, but they were using every train, and buses, that they could get...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
Typical of something organized by men, all the thought to the transportation and nothing to what would happen after they got there.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
I think the social implications of evacuation are fascinating! Talk about stories...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
Everything that could happen to those children, did.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:32
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
How did you research about the evacuation?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 Guest
5:32
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
How did most of the evacuated kids do later in life?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 JoBeth
5:32
Kim Bradley: 
So many of those evacuees grew up and wrote about their experiences...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 Kim Bradley
5:33
Kim Bradley: 
You don't copy any one person's experiences, but when you read a number of them you start to understand the possibilities...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Kim Bradley
5:33
Kim Bradley: 
Some of them were abused as evacuees, sadly, but many did well.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Kim Bradley
5:33
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
Is the book being published in the U.K.?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Judith
5:33
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
Did any of the evacuees write books? Can you recommend some?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 JoBeth
5:34
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
That had to make for difficult reading.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Deborah
5:34
 Kim Bradley
This is a recent photo of me and my horse Sarah
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
ohh lovely
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:34
Kim Bradley: 
Tons of evacuees have written books. They're mostly published in England, not here...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Kim Bradley
5:34
Kim Bradley: 
but if you go to amazon.uk, you can search for them....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Kim Bradley
5:35
Kim Bradley: 
I'm sorry I can't remember titles offhand. Nella Last's War, though not about evacuation, is really good...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kim Bradley
5:35
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Did you begin by wanted to write about the evacuees, or did you have themes and characters in search of a story?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kathy
5:35
Kim Bradley: 
I don't know if TWTSML is being published in the UK.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, with this book I mostly had Ada to start with..not even themes, just her, and then her and Jamie, and then her, Jamie, and Susan...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
I had gotten interested in WW2 in England, and was reading all about it, but then I always start with a character...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
...and a problem, to keep things interesting, and we go from there....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:37
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Do you have some references you'd recommend for students who want to follow up after reading or hearing your book?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:37 Deborah
5:38
lisa von drasek: 
Kim...Websites that you would recommend for further information?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 lisa von drasek
5:38
Kim Bradley: 
Deborah, that's a great question....the best place for kids to start would be at the Imperial War Museum's website...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 Kim Bradley
5:38
Kim Bradley: 
They have lots of modules just for teaching children about the war, particularly its effects in England itself...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 Kim Bradley
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
http://www.iwm.org.uk

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
Kim Bradley: 
...I really should make a list and put it up on my website...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 Kim Bradley
5:39
Kim Bradley: 
many of my sources aren't great for kids, but there is some really cool stuff online...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 Kim Bradley
5:39
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
A list of resources would be awesome!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 NM Librarian
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
For Jefferson's Sons I posted sources online on my website, simply because I didn't have room in the printed book. I can do that again for this one.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:40
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
I have a Third Grade student who is devouring anything and everything in my library he can get his hands on. (I'm a School Librarian)
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Deborah
5:40
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
What was the best lesson you’ve learned from your editor?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Judith
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
I'd be glad to do that.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:40
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
A list would be awesome!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Deborah
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
AHHH..my editor loves me, and she never lets me quit until she thinks I'm done.,,,
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:41
Kim Bradley: 
I guess the main thing she's taught me is to not be afraid of going back and working on the very small details...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Kim Bradley
5:41
Kim Bradley: 
It's wonderful to have a really educated, smart, editor, and I've been lucky in Liz Wasnieski and Jessica Garrison, who edited this.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Kim Bradley
5:41
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
My favorite line -- "there are worse things than bombs' -- this story proves that.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Ben
5:42
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
How did you find your fabulous editors?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Deborah
5:42
Kim Bradley: 
Yes, Ben. I'm reminded of Andy Rooney's book My War, in which is says he came to realize that some wars were better than some forms of peace.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Kim Bradley
5:42
Kim Bradley: 
My publishers hire my editors, so it's all luck, Deborah....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Kim Bradley
5:43
Kim Bradley: 
My first novel by chance was given to Lauri Hornik, then a junior editor at Random House, now publisher of Dial...Lauri's passed me into very capable hands.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:43 Kim Bradley
5:44
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Really loved the feeling of hope. Even though Ada's life is so bleak, there's so much hope for something better!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 NM Librarian
5:44
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
What a good comment -- as great as peace and tranquility may be, they don't test you.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Ben
5:44
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Have you worked with the same editors for your other books?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Deborah
5:44
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
Argh! I find working on the details so hard -- at some point, I just get sick of the whole thing. Does that happen to you?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Judith
5:44
Kim Bradley: 
Again, NM, in the beginning Ada doesn't realize what she's missing..and to Jamie she's always been important and in charge...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Kim Bradley
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
If you reread the first chapter, she's actually quite capable, making tea, helping her brother...she never thinks she's helpless.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:45
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
The title is perfect. How did you come up with that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Ben
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
Deborah, no, because I've been, for complicated reasons, published by several different houses.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
Judith, I don't really get sick of going over it. I actually love revision.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:46
Kim Bradley: 
Ben, I wish I could take credit for the title. My editor came up with that. I'm notoriously bad at titles; for the longest time, I called this my England Book, and my editor called it my Ada Book.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:46 Kim Bradley
5:46
Kim Bradley: 
I'd love to know what you all think of the cover. Will it have kid appeal?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:46 Kim Bradley
5:47
Kim Bradley: 
There is a sequel in the works. It does have a tentative title that I like: The War I Finally Won.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 Kim Bradley
5:47
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
I think the cover is beautiful.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 NM Librarian
5:47
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Yeah, a sequel!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 Deborah
5:48
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
I can't say for kids -- I loved the subtle way the club foot is indicated.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 Kathy
5:48
Kim Bradley: 
I've never done a true sequel, but this story seemed to call for one.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 Kim Bradley
5:48
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Looking forward to discovering more about Ada!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 NM Librarian
5:49
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, I liked that too. You may know that authors don't get much say over covers. I wanted it to be clear that there was something wrong with her foot, but I didn't want photo-realism.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:49 Kim Bradley
5:49
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, have you had any book discussions with kids about TWTSML?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:49 lisa von drasek
5:50
Kim Bradley: 
Not yet,
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Kim Bradley
5:50
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Haven't had a chance to show the cover to kids..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Deborah
5:50
Kim Bradley: 
Not enough children have actually read it...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
I did give out some ARCs to teens at a recent conference, and they promised to blog about it, but I don't think they have yet...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
Cassandra Clare was at the conference and they were much more impressed with her....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
let me look for a pony picture...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, do you have a picture of a pony for those of us who are urban and have not a clue?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek
5:51
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
What age group do you see this appealing to?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 NM Librarian
5:52
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
digital ARC doesn't show cover :(
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:52 Deborah
5:52
Kim Bradley: 
I hope it will appeal to ages 8-14. Not sure about the upper age limit because she's younger, but I'm still hopeful.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:52 Kim Bradley
5:53
 Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 
5:53
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
I wanted to ask about the themes of neglect vs giving kids freedom to discover themselves. Can't [phrase it right, though. Somehow, to me, it's tied in with the pony -- neglecting his hooves was terrible, but letting him run free with Ada was great.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 Judith
5:53
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Great Historical Fiction for Middle Grades
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 Deborah
5:54
 Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 
5:54
lisa von drasek: 
oh my
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek
5:54
Kim Bradley: 
I do do classroom visits, though not tons of them. I like them but my schedule fills quickly. I haven't done Skype visits yet. I'd love to know what other experiences with this have been.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 Kim Bradley
5:54
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
And, a dumb question -- how do ponies survive in the wild if their hooves aren't tended to?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 Judith
5:55
Kim Bradley: 
The ponies are British--smaller than butter, but same idea--tried to bite me, the stinker!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 Kim Bradley
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
like the chincoteague ponies, Judith?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
Kim Bradley: 
In the wild ponies' hooves wear down when they're on hard surfaces, or the ponies are born that way and their hooves adjust, or, to be honest...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 Kim Bradley
5:56
Kim Bradley: 
if they can't adapt, they die...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 Kim Bradley
5:56
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, we are almost out of time. Is there anything you would like to say about the book that we haven;t touched on?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 lisa von drasek
5:56
Kim Bradley: 
In the modern world, many domesticated horses and ponies can go without shoes, but very few can go without having their feet trimmed.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 Kim Bradley
5:57
Kim Bradley: 
Nora, I'd just like to say thanks for this opportunity. I love this book and I'm thrilled to be able to chat with readers.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Kim Bradley
5:57
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Thank you!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Deborah
5:57
lisa von drasek: 
Its is time to say good bye . Thank you Kim
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 lisa von drasek
5:57
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Thank you so much! Loved your book and can't wait to introduce it to readers!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 NM Librarian
5:57
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Would love to try a Skype visit.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Deborah
5:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Kim -- we loved every minute of it. Can't believe how fast the hour flew by!



Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Kim Bradley: 
Contact me through my website if you have further questions. www.kimberlybrubakerbradley.... Thanks!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:58 Kim Bradley
5:58
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
This program rocks!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:58 Deborah
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks to you, Lisa, for moderating and thanks to all our great program members for their thought-provoking questions!





Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The next title in our program is Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose, coming in March. Click here to read more about it.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on LIVE CHAT with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Lisa Von Drasek

LIVE CHAT with Michelle Cuevas
and Lisa Von Drasek

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Live Blog Live Chat with Michelle Cuevas, BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY
 Live Chat with Michelle Cuevas, BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY(10/29/2014) 
4:42
Nora - EarlyWord: 

We will begin our live online chat with Michelle Cuevas, author of the middle grade novel, Beyond the Laughing Sky, in about 15 minutes

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:42 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here's the cover of the book:
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:46 
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Beyond the Laughing Sky has also been released in audio by Listening Library. Here’s a clip:

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:47
Laughing Sky Audio Clip  Play
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:47 
4:49
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The prepub reviews have been very strong. Below is the one from Kirkus:

Nashville, who has qualities both human and birdlike, feels compelled to follow his avian destiny. The storytelling is folksy, poetic and seductive, beginning, "Nashville and his family lived in a house perched in the branches of the largest pecan tree in the village of Goosepimple." Little by little, readers learn how Nashville, unlike his adoring younger sister, Junebug, was hatched from an egg. He has a beak and feathers but, alas, no wings. Morstad's illustrations support the funnier details, including the dinner-table "perch swings" that Nashville's mother has installed "to make Nashville more comfortable" as he eats his seeds while his family eats typical human fare. The deadpan humor of Flat Stanley is invoked when Nashville's parents take him for his annual physical examination--at the veterinarian's office. In added playfulness, said vet is Dr. Larkin; the village teacher is Miss Starling. This allegory of growing up and finding one's figurative wings is told sweetly and without great angst, despite inclusions of such subjects as school bullying and Nashville's empathetic but highly illegal pet-store shenanigans. Yet there is an underlying melancholy throughout, somewhat mitigated by the possibility of future communications from the appealing bird-boy. "There's things you've seen and things you may not have, but there ain't nothing that's impossible, sugar," says a village widow; readers will end the book with a new sense of possible. (Magical realism. 8-11)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:49 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see chat participants gathering.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Michelle before the end of the chat
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 

A MAJOR ground rule – no need to apologize for typos!

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:53
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Signing in from the north country!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Sally, Mich.
4:53
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Hi! Looking forward to the chat.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Kathy C.
4:53
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
Hi, Michelle. Thanks for doing this!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Andrea
4:58
[Comment From Judy P.Judy P.: ] 
I may just be lurking (I’ve got desk duty), but wanted to say hi and thanks for the book
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:58 Judy P.
4:58
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
Looking forward to chatting.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:58 Sarah G.
5:00
Michelle Cuevas: 
Hi everyone, thanks for having me! I’m Michelle, author and member of the 2014 “Books about Birds” Club!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:00 Michelle Cuevas
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Hi Michelle. And our moderator is Lisa Von Drasek, head of the Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries (and EarlyWord kids Correspondent). Chat participants -- you can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and she’ll submit as many of them as we can to Michelle before the end of the chat.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Say hi, Lisa!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Hi Michelle,
Its good to hear direct from the author about the book
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Lets get started....
Michelle can you say a few words about the genesis of this book? Nashvile's origin story?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
The genesis of this book… it actually started as a short story I wrote, which is now Chapter Five, The Welcome Cake…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
…The story ended with a man and wife finding a baby in an egg. I found myself wondering, “Well, who did he become?”
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
...and of course he became Nashville.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:03
[Comment From Jackie M.Jackie M.: ] 
Hi, Michelle -- Love Nashville!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:03 Jackie M.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Thanks Jackie!
  Michelle Cuevas
5:03
lisa von drasek: 
Can you say a something about that magical realism element?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:03 lisa von drasek
5:04
Michelle Cuevas: 
I think magical realism was a way for me to explore the idea of being a misfit…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:04 Michelle Cuevas
5:04
Michelle Cuevas: 
… a reader may be experiencing bullying, but not for being part bird. I think it’s a way to emotionally explore those feelings without it being a technical match to the reader’s experience.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:04 Michelle Cuevas
5:05
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
The illustrations are great. What was it like working with an illustrator?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Kathy C.
5:05
Michelle Cuevas: 
Also I just plain love magical realism!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Michelle Cuevas
5:05
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
I gota say -- just looking at your photo -- I can't imagine you were EVER a misfit!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Sarah G.
5:06
 Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 
5:06
Michelle Cuevas: 
That band photo was to the misfit question...haha
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 Michelle Cuevas
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
Band nerd?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
Michelle Cuevas: 
Only for nine or ten years...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 Michelle Cuevas
5:07
lisa von drasek: 
I admire the relationship between Nashville and Junebug. Do you have siblings?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:07 lisa von drasek
5:07
[Comment From YolandaYolanda: ] 
Was the short story you mention for adutls or kids? and why do you write for kids?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:07 Yolanda
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Yolanda, t was in graduate school and for adults, strangely enough.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:08
Michelle Cuevas: 
I do have siblings… three brothers -- one older and two younger half brothers. They’re great, looked out for me while also teasing, ha.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:08 Michelle Cuevas
5:08
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
This may sound stupid, but thanks for a short book – I can’t tell you how often kids (and, yes, their parents) ask for short books! Were you conscious of that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:08 Andrea
5:10
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, on that not- the rich juicy language and lyrical sentences produced sentences that are a joy to read aloud. Do you read aloud your work as you revise?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:10 lisa von drasek
5:11
Michelle Cuevas: 
I do. During graduate school I lived in a cabin in the woods and I'd sit on the porch and read aloud to whatever critters were lurking. Sometimes when I need extra confidence I read in a cheesy British accent. Everything sounds much more polished that way.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:11 Michelle Cuevas
5:12
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
I so agree with you, Lisa, about the "rich juicy language"!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:12 Andrea
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
What does your typical writing day look like?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
A typical writing day… I wake up and listen to music and dance while making the bed, make tea, and work for at least two hours…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
…I write longhand in notebooks early on, drawing a lot, then move to the computer when I’m ready to shape chapters….
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
…after lunch I’ll work on any edits. I like to edit almost exclusively outdoors, and always hope it will turn into a Disney movie and the birds will come do the work for me.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
Disney?... this would make a lovely film...any bites?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
Yes, Laughing Sky has been optioned by producer Jane Startz who is GREAT. My favorite movie of all time is Edward Scissorhands…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
… Tim Burton, if you’re reading, call me, let's discuss.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:15
lisa von drasek: 
There were many Disney references... Peter Pan for one... are there others?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
Actually, fun fact about the title...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:16
Michelle Cuevas: 
The title BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY was a song that was cut from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. They ended up throwing out the lyrics but using the music later for the Peter Pan song Second Star to the Right.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:16 Michelle Cuevas
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
I was thinking about how gentle this story is... can you talk about finding the balance between what Kirkus called the underlying melancholy?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:17
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
How on earth did you know that story?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:17 Sarah G.
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle-
are there writers who in inspire you?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Michelle Cuevas: 
Great question, Lisa. I think I've always been drawn to stories that make me laugh and then, eventually, make me cry, so I suppose it's finding the humor mixed with sadness.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:19 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
So many writers! in graduate school we wrote for adults, but I always found myself writing crazy stories about talking plants, things like that. I wanted to have more fun…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
...my mom, on a whim, mailed me a Kate DiCamillo book...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
and I thought "Oh, I want to do this."
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:21
Michelle Cuevas: 
Other than Kate, I love E.B. White dearly. I have a photo of him on my desk.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:21 Michelle Cuevas
5:21
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- yes, there was plenty of humor. Especially in the names! Places and people!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:21 lisa von drasek
5:22
lisa von drasek: 
The town is unique.... did you draw a map?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 lisa von drasek
5:22
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Was it a thrill to get a blurb from Katherine Applegate?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 Sally, Mich.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Agreed! Ivan made me laugh and cry...many times.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:22
Michelle Cuevas: 
A map of Goosepimple… I haven’t tried my hand at that one!...

I do draw a lot of maps. Here’s one I sketched out in a notebook when I was planning my next novel (drawn by the eight year old main character, of course).
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 Michelle Cuevas
5:22
 Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
ohhhh I love it!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
Now I NEED to know ...next book? You had me at "this is where I lost you"
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:24
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Looks like you could illustrate your own books!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Kathy C.
5:24
Michelle Cuevas: 
I’m working on lots of things! I just handed in edits for my 2015 novel Confessions of an Imaginary Friend…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Michelle Cuevas
5:24
Michelle Cuevas: 
…also Erin Stead is working on illustrations for my first picture book out in 2016 called The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. (swoon)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
Michelle Cuevas: 
Kathy C., I do sketch and paint watercolors, and I’m VERY excited to be illustrating my 2015 novel…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
Michelle Cuevas: 
…the drawings are supposed to be done by the main character who is eight, so it was a perfect match with my level of artistic training!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
lisa von drasek: 
Being a writer is an amazing job. If you weren't a writer what would you be?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 lisa von drasek
5:26
[Comment From Sally, MichSally, Mich: ] 
It sounds like you live a life very close to nature. Is that by accident or design?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:26 Sally, Mich
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Design. Cities can be fun, but I'm a total country mouse.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:26
Michelle Cuevas: 
Paleontologist. Easy.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:26 Michelle Cuevas
5:27
lisa von drasek: 
Back to Beyond the Laughing Sky... did you do research about birds?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:27 lisa von drasek
5:28
Michelle Cuevas: 
I did (and do) spend time with lots of birds. I did research for this book with some local ornithologists at the Audubon Society who took me bird banding. I’ve also done some falconry.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 Michelle Cuevas
5:28
 Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 
5:28
lisa von drasek: 
now thats really cool
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 lisa von drasek
5:28
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
Hoe do kids react to your book? Do they ask any crazy questions?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 School Librarian
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
So far every kid has said "Goosepimple!" at some point and started laughing.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:30
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Ha! I figured you were an outdoors person! Is that how you grew up?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:30 Sally, Mich.
5:30
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
Is Junebug based on anyone you know?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:30 Andrea
5:31
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, Lets talk cakes...do you bake?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek
5:32
Michelle Cuevas: 
Ooh, good question. I DO. Though I admit my favorite part is decorating them. I've made cowboy boot cakes and Canadian maple leaf cakes....
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:32 Michelle Cuevas
5:33
[Comment From YolandaYolanda: ] 
Just as I suspected!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 Yolanda
5:33
Michelle Cuevas: 
I once made a cake out of fried chicken for a friend who loved fried chicken. It even had mashed potato frosting!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 Michelle Cuevas
5:33
lisa von drasek: 
I came away from this book....of difficult issues ....with a memory of great joy ....I loved spending time with this family
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 lisa von drasek
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
It is a familiar trope of children's books to get rid of the parents...did you have any inclination to do that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:35
Michelle Cuevas: 
My first book featured an orphan. This time I wanted to explore the idea of someone feeling isolated and like they don't fit, even in a sea of familial love.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:35 Michelle Cuevas
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, do you have a pet?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:37
Michelle Cuevas: 
I don't currently. Though I did recently raise a butterfly in my home from caterpillar through adulthood. It was actually really beautiful and amazing!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:37 Michelle Cuevas
5:37
 Nora - EarlyWord
Michelle with butterfly
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:37 
5:38
[Comment From BrendaBrenda: ] 
That's a Monarch! Their caterpillars are amazing!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:38 Brenda
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
I accidentally deleted a question....Michelle- from the peanut gallery...a reader had a little trouble with the magical realism...have you had any other responses to the book like that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
[Comment From JoyceJoyce: ] 
What do you hope kids take from your books?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:39 Joyce
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- Is there a question that you wish I would ask?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:41
Michelle Cuevas: 
I haven't had the trouble with magical realism response yet, but it just came out recently! From kids I have had a few "it's so weird that he's a bird/hatched" responses, which I think is the same general idea.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:41 Michelle Cuevas
5:42
[Comment From ConsuelaConsuela: ] 
Got any advice for first-time authors?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:42 Consuela
5:43
Michelle Cuevas: 
Lisa, I got out a picture of my Halloween costume because I was sure you would ask, ha
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 Michelle Cuevas
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
This year's Halloween costume???
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
I DO want to see this!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:44
Michelle Cuevas: 
I was a deer. I know those branches look store bought, but I actually made this myself.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 Michelle Cuevas
5:44
lisa von drasek: 
Can you tell me about your museum education work before your publishing career?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 lisa von drasek
5:44
 Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 
5:44
 Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 
5:44
Michelle Cuevas: 
Museum education, yes...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
I worked in museum education at the Whitney in New York and a museum in Massachusetts before going back to school…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
…at the Whitney the program was called Youth Insights and we would train inner-city teens to give tours to classmates in their own words…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
It's a GREAT program...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:46
Michelle Cuevas: 
…I love helping kids find a connection to art – and getting them excited to share work they love.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:46 Michelle Cuevas
5:47
lisa von drasek: 
Did you have teachers that influenced work?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:47 lisa von drasek
5:47
lisa von drasek: 
Did I recall that you had interest in animation?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:47 lisa von drasek
5:48
Michelle Cuevas: 
Definitely. In writing it was mostly professors later on, though I once convinced my 9th grade math teacher let me hand in extra credit in the form of a story I wrote about parabolas. It was a real page-turner.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:48 Michelle Cuevas
5:49
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
Do you do school visits?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 School librarian
5:49
 Nora - EarlyWord
Michelle on a school visit
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 
5:49
Michelle Cuevas: 
Also shout out to my small hometown library/librarians where I grew up. I admit I took a photo the first time I saw my book on the shelf there. I may have cried a little too.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 Michelle Cuevas
5:49
Michelle Cuevas: 
A photo answer to the school visit question, nice.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 Michelle Cuevas
5:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Plus this -- To arrange a school visit, you can find Michelle's contact info. on her Web site.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 Nora - EarlyWord
5:50
Michelle Cuevas: 
I love visiting schools. I haven’t tried Skype visits yet, but I’m sure I could figure it out. I can wear pajamas during those, right?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 Michelle Cuevas
5:50
lisa von drasek: 
To the peanut gallery....we are at that time for last call for questions.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek
5:51
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- this is an opportunity to share something that no one would find out about you just Googling your name
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek
5:52
Michelle Cuevas: 
I just got a banjo for my last birthday. I want to write an album and perform it with muppets. That definitely isn't in my google search (yet)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:52 Michelle Cuevas
5:53
Michelle Cuevas: 
Jim Henson, my hero.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:53 Michelle Cuevas
5:53
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
I'm surpsied you lived in NYC -- I thought you were a country girl!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:53 Sally, Mich.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
I also live part of the year in LA, but I escape whenever I can!
  Michelle Cuevas
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- Thank you so much for spending this time with us
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
[Comment From YolandYoland: ] 
Thanks for the shout out to your home town library. the librarian there must have been excited!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:55 Yoland
5:56
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Thanks so much!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Sally, Mich.
5:56
Michelle Cuevas: 
Thank you so much for having me and for your questions. And THANK YOU for all you do (from book lovers like me).
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Michelle Cuevas
5:56
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
You make me want to be a writer.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Kathy C.
5:56
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Thanks! Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Sally, Mich.
5:56
[Comment From NMLibrarianNMLibrarian: ] 
Thanks!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 NMLibrarian
5:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks, Michelle and Lisa for a fascinating discussion.

And thanks to the Penguin Young Readers program members for joining us today.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:57 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Our next chat, on Nov. 19, is with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War That Saved My Life, (Penguin/Dial Young Readers, 1/8/15) – More about it here,

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 

If you’re not part of the program, you can sign up here.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Bye for now!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on LIVE CHAT with Michelle Cuevas
and Lisa Von Drasek

Live Chat with Debut Author
Rebecca Scherm

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Special Time 6:00-7:00 PM EDT!

Live Blog Live Chat with Rebecca Scherm, UNBECOMING
 Live Chat with Rebecca Scherm, UNBECOMING(10/22/2014) 
5:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 

We will begin our live online chat with Rebecca Scherm, author of the the psychological thriller, Unbecoming, in about 15 minutes
Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:45 Nora - EarlyWord
5:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of Unbecoming, to published by Penguin/ Viking on January 17
Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:46 Nora - EarlyWord
5:46
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:46 
5:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 

And here is a special video that Rebecca made for First Flights members.

Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:46 Nora - EarlyWord
5:46
Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord
Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:46 
5:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering!

You can send your questions through at any time (even now). They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Rebecca before the end of the chat.

Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:54 Nora - EarlyWord
5:55
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And, please don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 5:55 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Rebecca has joined us from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she lives, teaches (and writes). Say Hi, Rebecca.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Rebecca Scherm: 
Hello, everyone! Thanks for coming!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:00 Rebecca Scherm
6:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We've got some questions holding in the queue, but I'm going to start with a few of my own.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:01 Nora - EarlyWord
6:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 

UNBECOMING has so many twists and turns. We’ll try to avoid spoilers for anyone who may not have finished it yet, but I wanted to know how you were able to structure the book so the reader would be surprised, but not get lost. I imagine a room full of post it notes, or storyboards!

Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:02 Nora - EarlyWord
6:02
[Comment From PDReaderPDReader: ] 
Hi Rebecca
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:02 PDReader
6:02
Rebecca Scherm: 
Oh, it was a tortuous road. All I knew in the beginning was that I wanted to write about the making of an unlikely "femme fatale" and that she would have a part in a failed heist...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:02 Rebecca Scherm
6:03
Rebecca Scherm: 
I had many disorganized outlines, but before my second draft, I made an enormous one on a poster. The twists and new questions were marked and even color-coded by theme ("family," "sex," "ego," etc.). I needed that map, but I changed it constantly as I wrote. And I only used the map until the ¾ mark. After that, I just knew.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:03 Rebecca Scherm
6:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How much was completed before you showed it to an agent?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:03 Nora - EarlyWord
6:04
Rebecca Scherm: 
The version I sent out to agents was my fourth or fifth finished draft...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:04 Rebecca Scherm
6:04
Rebecca Scherm: 
My agent is a very shrewd reader, and I revised quite a bit with her guidance. Right away, I liked that she didn’t tell me what she thought I ought to do. She would ask me questions like “I wondered why…” and leave them hanging there until I figured out how I wanted it to be!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:04 Rebecca Scherm
6:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Did you show it to other people before your agent and editor?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:05 Nora - EarlyWord
6:05
Rebecca Scherm: 
Oh, yes. Each time I finished a draft, I would set the manuscript aside for two months and not look at it at all. This was so hard, but it helped me see it clearly every time. Each of those times, I'd have different friends lined up to read, some who knew what I was "going for" and some who were reading it cold...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:05 Rebecca Scherm
6:06
Rebecca Scherm: 
The only person who read it more than once was my dear friend Katie, to whom the book is dedicated. She was with me the whole way.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:06 Rebecca Scherm
6:07
Nora - EarlyWord: 

You also dedicate the book to your husband (or at least I think it's your husband). Did he also get to look at it?

Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:07 Nora - EarlyWord
6:08
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes, and he's read it too. But really, he let me talk through it with him all the time. Every day, every scene-- he had heroic patience for listening to me work out these characters' problems. Eventually, you just talk abut them like they're people you know!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:08 Rebecca Scherm
6:09
[Comment From Mary C.Mary C.: ] 
How did you pick that title?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:09 Mary C.
6:11
Rebecca Scherm: 
My husband thought of it! My titles were all dreadful. One night we were talking about the title, and I said that it should be alluring but mysterious, and have a bit a warning bell to it-- it shouldn't sound like a sweet story! And Jon sat up in his chair and said "Unbecoming!" I thought it was perfect: it's both who Grace is and what she does.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:11 Rebecca Scherm
6:11
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Hello from the Midwest, sorry I'm late, hope I didn't miss too much.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:11 Lucy
6:11
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hey, Lucy -- thanks for joining!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:11 Nora - EarlyWord
6:11
Rebecca Scherm: 
Hello, Lucy!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:11 Rebecca Scherm
6:12
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
The title has lots of possible meanings.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:12 June
6:14
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I agree, June. I kept thinking about how the art pieces Grace works on were unbecoming. Was Grace also unbecoming?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:14 Nora - EarlyWord
6:14
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes-- I thought of the expression "behavior unbecoming to a young lady," which was how we were disciplined as kids for being too loud, too raucous, too anything. And then, of course, Grace un-becomes and becomes and un-becomes several people.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:14 Rebecca Scherm
6:14
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Don't want to jump ahead but will submit a question - did you have any input into the graphic for the cover?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:14 Lucy
6:15
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Of course, the crux of the book is the character of Grace. We got this advance question from one of the First Flights members about her:
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:15 Nora - EarlyWord
6:15
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes, Lucy, and I was surprised that I had as much of a voice as I did! We went through many possible covers, but we wanted a mood that was hard to capture. I LOVE my cover!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:15 Rebecca Scherm
6:16
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Oops -- posted the last too quickly -- here's the advance question:
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:16 Nora - EarlyWord
6:16
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Hi Rebecca,

I was fascinated by the development of Grace's character, and how the physical and metaphorical journeys she went on added layer after layer to her complexity--all the way from TJ Maxx to the world of international antiques. What an amazing heroine--not easy to like, but absolutely riveting! Was it challenging to keep her on track? Did she go through many evolutions and changes during your writing process?

Janet Schneider

The Bryant Library, Roslyn, NY

Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:16 Nora - EarlyWord
6:16
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Hi from Long Island, Rebecca. Sorry I am late.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:16 Janet S
6:16
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Yes, the unfocused face and all those lined up dots ... Great cover!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:16 Lucy
6:17
Rebecca Scherm: 
Hi Janet, I'm just answering your question! In my first draft, Grace was not nearly so badly behaved, but friends who read that draft thought Grace felt far too guilty for what (at that point) she’d actually done. It became clear that if I really wanted to write about the making of a femme fatale, she was going to have to be much worse...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:17 Rebecca Scherm
6:17
Rebecca Scherm: 
Sometimes, it was very hard for me! The last scene with Mrs. Graham and Grace alone together—I won’t say more and spoil it—was the most difficult scene I’ve ever written. I was heartbroken for Grace then, even as I was furious with her. I was shaken up all day about it. So she became "worse" with each draft, but also more complex.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:17 Rebecca Scherm
6:18
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
I’ve heard someone say that there’s a trend towards more complex thrillers. Do you agree?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:18 Miranda
6:20
Rebecca Scherm: 
I hope so! To be honest, I had no idea I was writing a thriller-- that's something your publisher decides after the fact! I knew I was writing something psychologically suspenseful, though, and I love that kind of complexity in suspenseful fiction that I read. Tana French, Kate Atkinson-- they don't shy away from complication.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:20 Rebecca Scherm
6:21
[Comment From PubLibPubLib: ] 
What about the debate about likable characters? Are they for “small-minded readers” as one author asserted?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:21 PubLib
6:22
Rebecca Scherm: 
I wouldn't put it that way, but I do read different book for different feelings that I want. Sometimes you want a book to be your companion, and sometimes you want something to startle you, to shake you up...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:22 Rebecca Scherm
6:22
Rebecca Scherm: 
I knew that I was writing the second kind of book.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:22 Rebecca Scherm
6:22
[Comment From Femme FataleFemme Fatale: ] 
You said in your video that you like Dashiell Hammett, Ruth Rendell (hurrah!) and Rex Stout, as well as Hitchcock movies. What are your favorite contemporaty books?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:22 Femme Fatale
6:24
Rebecca Scherm: 
Ah! Most recently, I've loved Emily St. John Mandel's STATION ELEVEN, Roxane Gaye's UNTAMED STATE, and DAYS OF ABANDONMENT by Elena Ferrante. Knocked me off my feet.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:24 Rebecca Scherm
6:24
Rebecca Scherm: 
And Kate Atkinson's Life After Life! What a stunner.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:24 Rebecca Scherm
6:25
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You mentioned you were influenced by seeing the movie TO CATCH A THIEF with Grace Kelly. How does it strke you now?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:25 Nora - EarlyWord
6:25
Rebecca Scherm: 
I thought that I was heavily influenced by To Catch a Thief, but it turns out I was only partially right…
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:25 Rebecca Scherm
6:25
Rebecca Scherm: 
As a child, I was infatuated with Grace Kelly, particularly the three films she made with Alfred Hitchcock. I watched To Catch a Thief many times in my childhood. Midway through my final draft, I watched it for the first time in about twenty years. I was horrified!...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:25 Rebecca Scherm
6:26
Rebecca Scherm: 
I thought that Francie and Robie run away and become cat burglars at the end. That's not what happens at all. They settle down and live lawfully ever after-- Francie's mother even moves in. I had rewritten an ending I liked better, and then the novel I wrote was influenced by this not-real version of the movie.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:26 Rebecca Scherm
6:26
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Love that you named your character after her.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:26 Nora - EarlyWord
6:27
Rebecca Scherm: 
I knew she had that transfixing "golden" quality. That thing that puts people under a spell.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:27 Rebecca Scherm
6:27
Rebecca Scherm: 
Just like Grace Kelly.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:27 Rebecca Scherm
6:27
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And she is the crux of the book. I'm curious what our participants though of her.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:27 Nora - EarlyWord
6:27
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Right. Is that the femme fatale/Grace Kelly angle?--you mentioned that in the video. Nice how you played with making someone beautiful outside and (somewhat) ugly inside.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:27 Janet S
6:28
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
I found myself always giving her the benefit of the doubt,
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:28 June
6:28
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
It felt like something was missing from her heart.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:28 Miranda
6:28
[Comment From LyndaLynda: ] 
I thought it was weird that she loved Mrs. Graham, but she basically screwed over her son.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:28 Lynda
6:28
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes, Janet, for me that was the central motivation.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:28 Rebecca Scherm
6:29
Rebecca Scherm: 
And Miranda, I completely agree!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:29 Rebecca Scherm
6:29
[Comment From JulieJulie: ] 
She was maddeningly unknowable, but fascinating!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:29 Julie
6:30
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
I could see why she chose Alls -- his background was troubled, too.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:30 Miranda
6:30
Rebecca Scherm: 
I'm happy to talk about your question, Lynda, I just don't want to give too much away! Let me know if I should continue there!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:30 Rebecca Scherm
6:31
[Comment From CathyCathy: ] 
She wasn't really an :unlikeable" character -- somehow, she never made me hate her.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:31 Cathy
6:31
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
No spoilers, please, pretty please ...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:31 Lucy
6:32
Rebecca Scherm: 
ok!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:32 Rebecca Scherm
6:32
Rebecca Scherm: 
As a writer, there's a sense of readerly discomfort that I want. One of the things I find so incredible about Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley novels is that I am rooting for him and against him at the same time.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:32 Rebecca Scherm
6:32
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Lucy, you're killing me. I wanted to know what Rebecca would say. Guess that will have to be off line!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:32 Nora - EarlyWord
6:33
Rebecca Scherm: 
Well, I can say this...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:33 Rebecca Scherm
6:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'm so glas you mentioned Ripley -- I often though of him while reading Unbecoming.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:33 Nora - EarlyWord
6:33
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Can turn my eyes away until the chat scroll gets past the comments ... :-)
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:33 Lucy
6:33
Rebecca Scherm: 
I believe that Grace did what she did in some part-- unconsciously-- because she loved Mrs. Graham so much and was so angry about what had happened.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:33 Rebecca Scherm
6:34
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
Why did you have Grace and Riley get married?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:34 June
6:35
Rebecca Scherm: 
They had very different reasons for wanting to "seal" their decision to be together...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:35 Rebecca Scherm
6:36
Rebecca Scherm: 
But these two people are so determined, in a way, to be who they think they want/deserve to be, right now. They would make such a momentous decision very young.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:36 Rebecca Scherm
6:36
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Was there a lot of research involved into the process of restoring antiques/jewelry? Is this something you knew about before?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:36 Janet S
6:37
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
Right! Sometimes I forgot how young they were.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:37 June
6:37
Rebecca Scherm: 
Janet, I just read and read and read some more. I read books about jewelry making, talked to gemologists...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:37 Rebecca Scherm
6:38
Rebecca Scherm: 
And on one memorably embarrassing occasion, I went to gem dealer in the diamond district to have a Fassi-like experience. It was a disaster! I was trying to sound educated and get educated at the same time-- a terrible combination.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:38 Rebecca Scherm
6:38
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I enjoyed your descriptions of the pieces Grace worked on, particulary that intricate centerpiece. Is it based on a real object?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:38 Nora - EarlyWord
6:38
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Your descriptions of the process were visceral and seemed very authentic.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:38 Janet S
6:39
Rebecca Scherm: 
Well, all the pieces-- jewelry and antiques-- are real pieces. The centerpiece is a based on an incredible piece I saw in Prague, at the Decorative Arts Museum there...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:39 Rebecca Scherm
6:40
Rebecca Scherm: 
They wouldn't let me take pictures of it, so I could only make notes of the materials and the restoration process. Actually, the museum's placard on the centerpiece inspired Hanna's voice as a character. I was very taken with the tone-- very clipped and authoritative, but clearly full of love for the object.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:40 Rebecca Scherm
6:40
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Also, now I want to do some serious Paris Flea Market-ing...:)
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:40 Janet S
6:40
Nora - EarlyWord: 

A character’s voice influenced by a museum placard? That’s a first. Your mind must be like a sponge, absorbing all kinds of things. Can you tell us about any other unusual details you picked up for the book?

Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:40 Nora - EarlyWord
6:41
Rebecca Scherm: 
Ha, yes, I soak up everything. Sometimes it’s overwhelming! I like to populate the fictional world with real life: real objects, real artwork, real news stories. I think my editor thought the pink diamond teardrop watch was a little farfetched-- then she googled it!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:41 Rebecca Scherm
6:42
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I am SO glad to know that is real. Will google it right after this chat!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:42 Nora - EarlyWord
6:42
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
You interweave today’s technology easily. Some of our debut authors have said it presents a problem to them because the speed of technology can make it difficult to set up tension. Did you have any trouble with that?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:42 June
6:43
Rebecca Scherm: 
June, I decided that I needed technology to work to create suspense instead of resolve it. Grace does this antiquated work, doesn't text anyone, certainly doesn't skype--for someone her age, it's like she lives in another time! So it was fitting that the internet would be this threat to her...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:43 Rebecca Scherm
6:44
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Peeking back in now ... :-)
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:44 Lucy
6:44
Rebecca Scherm: 
...both as a way for her to be tracked or found, and as a way for her to seek information she shouldn't really have or doesn't want.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:44 Rebecca Scherm
6:44
[Comment From PubLibPubLib: ] 
Do you have more books in the works?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:44 PubLib
6:45
[Comment From N.C. LibrarianN.C. Librarian: ] 
Will you stick to thrillers? Are you finished with the femme fatale?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:45 N.C. Librarian
6:45
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
I just can't get enough of Grace -- will you write more about her?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:45 Miranda
6:46
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes, I'm working on my second, novel, Beta. It's also a psychological suspense novel with a crime-- "You and your liars," my husband says-- but it's otherwise very different. It's about an American family on a private space station, testing it out for the rich...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:46 Rebecca Scherm
6:47
Rebecca Scherm: 
Some themes I can't quit just yet!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:47 Rebecca Scherm
6:48
Rebecca Scherm: 
Miranda, I do fantasize about writing about Grace again. But we'll have to see.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:48 Rebecca Scherm
6:48
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
There's something unknowable about her and I want more!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:48 Miranda
6:49
Rebecca Scherm: 
Good luck getting the truth out of her now, Miranda! I think she will become less and less knowable with time.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:49 Rebecca Scherm
6:50
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
Ha! So true.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:50 Miranda
6:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We touched on the debate about "unlikeable" characters earlier -- any more you want to add to that?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:50 Nora - EarlyWord
6:51
Rebecca Scherm: 
Well, to me, Grace is a fascinating criminal. I didn't intend for her to be liked-- I just wanted to know what made her tick! We’ve all known people who did awful things to us, felt bad about it, and then did them again. Those people are infuriating, so hard to understand, and that’s what motivated me as a writer...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:51 Rebecca Scherm
6:52
Rebecca Scherm: 
There are great novels about good people and great novels about sociopaths, but I think Grace is complex because she does have a conscience but often ignores it…
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:52 Rebecca Scherm
6:52
Rebecca Scherm: 
In the end, I feel both invested in her and wary of her. I wrote about someone who would be the villain in any other book. In mine, I would call her an anti-heroine. I don't want her to be my friend--or near any of my friends or family!-- but I am compelled by her-- and I hope you are too!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:52 Rebecca Scherm
6:53
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
I love how, in the beginning, she claims to not enjoy lying.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:53 June
6:53
[Comment From JuneJune: ] 
As Nora said, it's fun to go back and re-read the beginning.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:53 June
6:54
Rebecca Scherm: 
I read that pathological liars, as we call them, don't even know they're lying. It seemed important to establish that she knows right from wrong-- she just doesn't heed those signals very well.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:54 Rebecca Scherm
6:54
[Comment From JinnyJinny: ] 
My son is debating whether to go to school for creative writing. Do you think it can be taught?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:54 Jinny
6:55
Rebecca Scherm: 
I think that the impulse and the desire can be nurtured. At least, they were in me!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:55 Rebecca Scherm
6:55
[Comment From MirandaMiranda: ] 
What's your best piece of advice for an aspiring writer?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:55 Miranda
6:57
Rebecca Scherm: 
Read widely. Don't just read things you know you're going to like, things that are like the things you already love. Challenge yourself. Read different styles, genders, races, and nationalities, looking for stories that are unfamiliar to you. That's what literature is for, and that's how you find a voice that's only yours...
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:57 Rebecca Scherm
6:58
Rebecca Scherm: 
And write even when the writing is awful, when you fear you have nothing to say. You have to already be at work when the moment hits-- you can't wait for it to come to you.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:58 Rebecca Scherm
6:58
[Comment From JenJen: ] 
Just gotta say, your idea for the next book sounds SO different!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:58 Jen
6:58
[Comment From JenJen: ] 
How does it involve "your liars"?
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:58 Jen
6:59
Rebecca Scherm: 
Well, I don't want to spoil the next book, Jen! But one of the character's-- a biochemist-- has embellished his accomplishments, and that's going to be hard for him to undo.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 6:59 Rebecca Scherm
7:00
[Comment From JenJen: ] 
Sounds like fun!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:00 Jen
7:00
Rebecca Scherm: 
Characters, pardon me! Don't tell my freshman I did that-- they'll never let me hear the end of it!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:00 Rebecca Scherm
7:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Wow, everyone, that’s it for this chat. The hour flew by.Thanks, Rebecca for a fascinating discussion.

Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:00 Nora - EarlyWord
7:00
Rebecca Scherm: 
Yes it's a pleasure to work on something new!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:00 Rebecca Scherm
7:00
Rebecca Scherm: 
Thank you all! These were great questions.
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:00 Rebecca Scherm
7:01
[Comment From LucyLucy: ] 
Thank You Rebecca and Thanks to Nora for hosting!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:01 Lucy
7:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

And thanks to the Penguin First Flights program members for joining us today. The chat will be posted in our archives,

Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:01 Nora - EarlyWord
7:01
[Comment From Janet SJanet S: ] 
Thank you Rebecca and Nora!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:01 Janet S
7:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Our next chat, on Dec 4, is with Brooke Davis, author of Lost & Found – read more about it here,

If you’re not part of the First Flights program, you can sign up here

Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:03 Nora - EarlyWord
7:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Goodbye, everyone! Keep on reading!
Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:03 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on Live Chat with Debut Author
Rebecca Scherm

LIVE CHAT – Heather Mackey and Lisa Von Drasek

Thursday, September 11th, 2014
Live Blog Live Chat with Heather Mackey, DREAMWOOD
 Live Chat with Heather Mackey, DREAMWOOD(09/11/2014) 
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Heather Mackey, author of the middle grade novel, Dreamwood, in about 15 minutes.
Thursday September 11, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book, published by Penguin/ Putnam Juvenile in June …
Thursday September 11, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
 Nora - EarlyWord
Thursday September 11, 2014 4:45 
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Reviews have been strong. This one from Kirkus does a good job of outlining the story elements:

An original fantasy for middle-grade readers plaits together science, the supernatural and deep ecology.

Lucy Darrington, 12 1/2, is a spunky girl who has escaped the stultifying atmosphere of a San Francisco finishing school to reunite with her beloved father, a scientist whose livelihood as a ghost clearer has diminished with the spreading, turn-of-the-20th-century popularity of electricity. Lucy arrives at the fictional city of Pentland—in an alternate Pacific Northwest where American settlements are embedded within lands still owned by indigenous peoples—only to find her father gone from his rooming house. Is his disappearance related to Rust, which is killing off kodok trees, source of income for many settlers and First Peoples? How does mythical, elusive dreamwood fit into the picture? Determined to find her father, Lucy embarks on a series of adventures, most of which include Pete Knightly, a slightly older boy whose parents were housing Lucy’s father. The latter part of the book takes them deep into the Devil’s Thumb peninsula, where gripping, even terrifying, moments are seasoned with humor and a slowly blossoming friendship. The carefully plotted twists and turns will keep readers absorbed to the end.

A stunning debut with equal parts originality and heart. (Fantasy. 8-13)
Thursday September 11, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see chat participants gathering!

You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Heather before the end of the chat.

Thursday September 11, 2014 4:52 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The magic hour has struck and we're ready to begin our chat.

Our moderator is Lisa Von Drasek, head of the Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries (and EarlyWord kids Correspondent).

Thursday September 11, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Hello, Everybody!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:02
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Hi, Lisa -- love these chats!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:02 Sally, Mich.
5:03
[Comment From Michelle K.Michelle K.: ] 
Hi, Everyone! Looking forward to the chat. Love the book!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:03 Michelle K.
5:03
Heather Mackey: 
Hi everyone! Thrilled to be here with you!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:03 Heather Mackey
5:03
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Hi Heather. Love how the book helped me look at today in new ways.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:03 Kathy C.
5:03
[Comment From Linda.P.Linda.P.: ] 
I've been reading it to kids. They love the fantasy elements.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:03 Linda.P.
5:04
lisa von drasek: 
Heather, first things first..... tell me a little bit about yourself
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek
5:04
Heather Mackey: 
Thank you Kathy! Big reason alternative past is so interesting :)
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:04 Heather Mackey
5:04
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
Hope you're ready for tons of Q's!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:04 Melissa
5:05
Heather Mackey: 
Hi Lisa, so I live in Berkeley, Mom, 2 wonderful kids. Um... have an MFA from University of Arizona, Grew up in the Southwest. Studied Greek and Latin and French -- typing as fast as I can!!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:05 Heather Mackey
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
Can you say a little something about your own reading?
As a kid?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
An MFA? As in visual arts? If so, how/ why did you tansition to writing?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:06 Melissa
5:06
Heather Mackey: 
Sure I was a huge reader as a kid. Loved fantasy adventure. If I could LIVE in Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, I'd be there
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:06 Heather Mackey
5:07
lisa von drasek: 
Melissa wanted to know about your MFA....
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:07 lisa von drasek
5:07
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, in creative writing. Always knew I wanted to write - was a journalist, but not so clearr on the fiction thing
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:07 Heather Mackey
5:08
Heather Mackey: 
My husband was getting an MFA in writing and I thought, maybe I should do that. We are a writing household! He runs National Novel Writing Month
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:08 Heather Mackey
5:08
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
What changed?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:08 Melissa
5:09
lisa von drasek: 
Can you say a few words about your writing life? do you write everyday?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:09 lisa von drasek
5:09
Heather Mackey: 
An MFA was useful in learning how to finish stories and look at my work objectively. I learned how to give and accept critique
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:09 Heather Mackey
5:09
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I try to write every day. I am a grump if I don't.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:09 Heather Mackey
5:10
Heather Mackey: 
I try even if it's just a couple sentences -
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:10 Heather Mackey
5:10
lisa von drasek: 
As you recall, my job is as the curator of a children's literature manuscript collection. I hope that you are saving your drafts for our researchers...
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:10 lisa von drasek
5:11
Heather Mackey: 
So I am - of course a lot is electronic. But I do a lot of brainstorming or "noodling" on paper. I dug out my very first noodles for you!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:11 Heather Mackey
5:11
lisa von drasek: 
May we see it please?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek
5:11
 Heather Mackey
The very first Dreamwood notes!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:11 
5:11
lisa von drasek: 
ooohhh!!!!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek
5:11
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
What made you interested in the 20th C. technology? Did you do research on it?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:11 Kathy C.
5:12
Heather Mackey: 
So I was at day job, and found this wonderful reference book on place names, I started noting them down because I had an idea for story, and you see Pentland there...
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:12 Heather Mackey
5:12
Heather Mackey: 
Kathy, I was interested in history of science. And I work in tech, so always fascinating to see the evolution
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:12 Heather Mackey
5:13
lisa von drasek: 
I see the date 3-21-01 is that right?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:13 lisa von drasek
5:13
Heather Mackey: 
Oh yeah we are talking ancient history!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:13 Heather Mackey
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
so how long from beginning to publication? was that surprising?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:15
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Lisa -- is technology making curation more difficult these days? Is there less to curate?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:15 Sally, Mich.
 
lisa von drasek: 
Sally , makes it a little crazy. I am now receiving manuscripts on thumb drives with track changes.
  lisa von drasek
5:15
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I was working on other things, just playing around with an idea I thought would be fun for myself. No big intentions. I sold the MS in 2007, and from there had a very long road to publication - 2 different editors, multiple agonizing revisions
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:15 Heather Mackey
5:15
lisa von drasek: 
How many drafts did you go through?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek
5:17
Heather Mackey: 
It was about 3 MAJOR rewrites, then multiple drafts
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:17 Heather Mackey
5:18
lisa von drasek: 
I was wandering about Lucy and Pete's survival wilderness survival skills. Do you camp? Have you eaten wild foods?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:18 lisa von drasek
5:18
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
How did the 2 different editors affect things? Did they have different ideas?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:18 Melissa
5:19
Heather Mackey: 
I have been weirdly fascinated by wilderness survival narratives. Growing up in the Southwest, I know how to make a solar still - in case I'm stranded!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:19 Heather Mackey
5:20
lisa von drasek: 
fYI A solar still is a simple way of distilling water, using the heat of the Sun to drive evaporation from humid soil, and ambient air to cool a condenser film.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:20 lisa von drasek
5:20
[Comment From Kathy CKathy C: ] 
Solar still! i want to camp with you!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:20 Kathy C
5:20
[Comment From Susan, OhioSusan, Ohio: ] 
Loved Lucy’s character – I'm always on the lookout for imaginative, strong female characters. did you model her on anyone?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:20 Susan, Ohio
5:20
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, they had very different ideas! A major reason it took so long. So my first editor got laid off midway, and my second editor Ari Lewin loved the book but had a very different approach
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:20 Heather Mackey
5:21
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
Wasn't that confusing?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:21 Melissa
5:21
Heather Mackey: 
Thanks Susan! Lucy has some of my qualities in her (probably all her worst ones). But she also is close to my daughter.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:21 Heather Mackey
5:22
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, so this is a bit New Agey, but I had to do some visualization exercises to make myself believe I could do it!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:22 Heather Mackey
5:22
lisa von drasek: 
And I believe I was promised a pet picture...
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:22 lisa von drasek
5:23
Heather Mackey: 
Of course Lisa! I cannot leave my phone around without coming back to find it full of pictures of our dog. Kids usually like to pose him under a lot of covers. But here's one where you can see him
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:23 Heather Mackey
5:23
 Heather Mackey
Buster
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:23 
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
oohh , now I am happy
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:24
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
I'm so curious about how editing works. Did the second editor just start over with the original MS?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:24 Melissa
5:25
Heather Mackey: 
Great question Melissa. She looked at my 3rd draft, and we started from a story level. So I did a major overhaul. Her kind words to me were "You just don't have a story." Oops. So I worked on story, then another draft on character. Then another draft on everything else that wasn't working :)
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:25 Heather Mackey
5:26
lisa von drasek: 
To the peanut gallery... if you have read the book... towards the end I was dreading then I was so, so happy and satisfied with the ending. Any thoughts about that?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:26 lisa von drasek
5:26
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
I can see why you needed the visualization!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:26 Melissa
5:26
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, I am big on that! Seriously
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:26 Heather Mackey
5:27
lisa von drasek: 
Heather...What are you reading and loving right now?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:27 lisa von drasek
5:27
[Comment From Peanut GalleryPeanut Gallery: ] 
I am totally with you, Lisa.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:27 Peanut Gallery
 
lisa von drasek: 
Quite the drama, huh?
  lisa von drasek
5:29
Heather Mackey: 
Ah, I'm reading a ton of books! I read a mix of adult, YA, middle grade. I just finished re-reading Donna Tartt's The Secret History, finishing E Lockhart's We Were Liars, looking forward to Rick Yancey's The Infinite Sea. And kids and I can't wait for R Riordan's Blood of Olympus
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:29 Heather Mackey
5:29
lisa von drasek: 
Who do you consider the perfect reader for Dreamwood?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:29 lisa von drasek
5:29
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
How do you feel about the term Steampunk?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:29 Kathy C.
5:30
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
As I said, love the reflections of today -- technology, but also environmental issue. Did you want to get a message across?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:30 Kathy C.
5:31
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I've hear from girls and boys - so ideal is not a gender, but maybe an attitude: curious, involved readers
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:31 Heather Mackey
5:31
lisa von drasek: 
I am thinking it hit the sweet spot of middle grade...what do you think?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek
5:32
Heather Mackey: 
Kathy, steampunk can mean a lot of different things. There are a couple elements - the instruments and the alternative tech. ...
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:32 Heather Mackey
5:33
Heather Mackey: 
And to answer Kathy's second question - I didn't want to write some militantly environmental book. But of course I hope people think about our place in the natural world, so the story is an avenue to that
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:33 Heather Mackey
5:34
Heather Mackey: 
Question for you all - would you describe it as steampunk??
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:34 Heather Mackey
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
I see that the story would be a great start for science related discussions.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:35
lisa von drasek: 
Heather, I assumed that all of the science in the novel is fact based, yes?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:35 lisa von drasek
5:35
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
Back to the editor telling you it didn't have a story -- you sure bounced back from that -- wish someone had told that to the author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS -- all atmosphere and no plot!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:35 Melissa
5:35
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I hope so! I think there are a lot of ways to talk about science from it
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:35 Heather Mackey
5:36
Heather Mackey: 
I have to admit Lisa, I did make up some ghost physics!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:36 Heather Mackey
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
Can you give an example of some of the research that informed the plot?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:37
lisa von drasek: 
You also created an imaginary American Indian people. Can you say something about that?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:37 lisa von drasek
5:37
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
I don't think I'd really call it Steampunk. Ir's just the trendy term of the moment.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:37 Kathy C.
5:38
Heather Mackey: 
Oh boy... I researched geography of Pacific Northwest. Read a LOT about timber, timber industry, meaning of trees. GREAT book called The Golden Spruce about a culturally important tree - true story. Made up my own scientific names. Researched energy studies.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:38 Heather Mackey
5:40
lisa von drasek: 

The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed 2006
by John Vaillant

Thursday September 11, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:41
Heather Mackey: 
So Lisa, I could not imagine this time or region without reference to indigenous peoples/culture. And I grew up surrounded by several American Indian cultures. Next door to the Tohono O'odham Nation. Always been interested in the idea of what would US look like if there had been a different outcome to the "Indian Wars" of late 19th C. Especially relating to coastal peoples, who didn't retain large territory
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:41 Heather Mackey
5:42
 Nora - EarlyWord
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:42 
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
I was thinking about how Lucy grows in her own emotional life and judgement. Was this part of your plan from when you started writing this novel?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
thanks Nora
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
Heather Mackey: 
Dispossession of the American Indian by Janet McDonnell interesting here. And of course Howard Zinn. Empire of the SummerMoon by SC Gwynne. Not necessarily kids books, but hopefully something to think about. What if you had to pay tolls to cross Indian lands. Or what if Am Indians controlled NW timber?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:43 Heather Mackey
5:45
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I do credit Ari Lewin my editor with such great advice re: Lucy's emotional growth. If that's there it's because she pushed me to it
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:45 Heather Mackey
5:45
[Comment From Michelle K.Michelle K.: ] 
Tell me more about the research! Did you find any great libraries (and librarians)?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:45 Michelle K.
5:46
Heather Mackey: 
Michelle, I used some of my own books, which I've been collecting as well as online sources. As you can probably tell from this chat I've got way more material than made it into the book!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:46 Heather Mackey
5:47
lisa von drasek: 
huh. which brings me to ask....will there be another book set in this world?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:47 lisa von drasek
5:47
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, no plans at the moment. Though I'm happy to imagine that Lucy gets off the train and onto another fabulous story!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:47 Heather Mackey
5:49
lisa von drasek: 
We are in the final few minutes... Peanut gallery...last call!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:49 lisa von drasek
5:49
lisa von drasek: 
Heather, librarians often want to know if you are available for school or library visits?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:49 lisa von drasek
5:49
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
What are your thoughts on today's technology? Are people too in to their device?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:49 Melissa
5:50
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, so I am doing some school visits - day trips from Berkeley. And am open to skype.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:50 Heather Mackey
5:50
lisa von drasek: 
how would teachers and librarians contact you? Do you have a website?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek
5:51
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, it's something I struggle with. I personally LOVE gadgets. But I recognize they're addictive and not the best for my concentration, or even my mood. It is harder to read long, or difficult as a result
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:51 Heather Mackey
5:51
lisa von drasek: 
oh so do you have a game or site that you can't pull yourself away from?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek
5:51
Heather Mackey: 
Sure, my website is www.heathermackey.com. I am on Twitter, etc. And there is a contact form there.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:51 Heather Mackey
5:52
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
Do you have online exchanges with kids? What are their concerns about technology?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:52 Melissa
5:52
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I've gotten stuck on a few things. It's mainly incessantly checking email or social media!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:52 Heather Mackey
5:53
lisa von drasek: 
what is the craziest question that you have gotten about Dreamwood?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:53 lisa von drasek
5:53
Heather Mackey: 
Melissa, I haven't had many online exchanges with kids - website comments, emails. My kids are constantly on Instagram - so until I can take a good selfie, I think I'm hampered there ;)
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:53 Heather Mackey
5:54
[Comment From Peanut GalleryPeanut Gallery: ] 
Would love to know what kinds of questions kids ask.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:54 Peanut Gallery
5:54
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, I have been asked why I didn't just blow off my editor - to me that was crazy!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:54 Heather Mackey
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
who wanted big changes?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Gotta run, but wanted to thank you SO much for taking my questions! Makes me like the book even more.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:55 Kathy C.
5:55
Heather Mackey: 
Peanut Gallery, so good to see you ;) My son has asked about more battle
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:55 Heather Mackey
5:55
Heather Mackey: 
Kathy, thanks so much! Wonderful questions
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:55 Heather Mackey
5:56
Heather Mackey: 
Lisa, yes. When I would tell people what was going on, I'd often here that.
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:56 Heather Mackey
5:56
lisa von drasek: 
Heather, here is a chance for a final word. Is there anything you want to share that we haven't touched on yet?
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:56 lisa von drasek
5:58
[Comment From MelissaMelissa: ] 
Love the bit about blowing off the editor! you're both great -- thanks so much!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:58 Melissa
5:58
Heather Mackey: 
Hmm... I do want to say I've been touched by kids' astute readings. I was joking with someone about how I wrote a book with a "bad" tree. And this girl said, "that tree is more complicated than that"
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:58 Heather Mackey
5:58
Heather Mackey: 
Thanks Melissa, appreciate all your questions!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:58 Heather Mackey
5:58
[Comment From Peanut GalleryPeanut Gallery: ] 
LOVE that!
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:58 Peanut Gallery
5:59
Heather Mackey: 
Peanut Gallery, isn't that great! I could have hugged her
Thursday September 11, 2014 5:59 Heather Mackey
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks, Heather and Lisa for a fun discussion.

And thanks to the Penguin Young Readers program members for joining us today.

Thursday September 11, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
[Comment From Linda P.Linda P.: ] 
Bye and thanks!
Thursday September 11, 2014 6:00 Linda P.
6:00
Heather Mackey: 
Thanks all of you!
Thursday September 11, 2014 6:00 Heather Mackey
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Our next chat, is with Kristin Levine, author of Paper Cowboy.

If you’re not part of the program, you can sign up here -- http://penguinyrauthors.ear...

Thursday September 11, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
6:01
lisa von drasek: 
Thank you everyone. Looking forward to the next one.

Thursday September 11, 2014 6:01 lisa von drasek
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on LIVE CHAT – Heather Mackey and Lisa Von Drasek

Live Chat with Debut Author
Julie Lawson Timmer

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014
Live Blog Live Chat with Julie Lawson Timmer, FIVE DAYS LEFT
 Live Chat with Julie Lawson Timmer, FIVE DAYS LEFT(09/10/2014) 
3:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Julie Lawson Timmer, author of FIVE DAYS LEFT in about 15 minutes.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:47 Nora - EarlyWord
3:49
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book, just published by Amy Einhorn Books (a division of Penguin/Putnam) yesterday.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:49 Nora - EarlyWord
3:49
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:49 
3:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Julie a special video for First Flights participants:
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:50 Nora - EarlyWord
3:50
Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:50 
3:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see chat some participants gathering!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:54 Nora - EarlyWord
3:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Julie before the end of the chat.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:54 Nora - EarlyWord
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Julie has joined us -- say hi to the group, Julie.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
4:01
Julie Timmer: 
Hi everyone! Thrilled to be here.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:01 Julie Timmer
4:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
If any of you out there want to say hi, now's the time. Otherwise, i'll just start asking questions.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord
4:01
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
Hi Julie!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:01 Dominique
4:01
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Dominique!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:01 Julie Timmer
4:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Julie, your novel is about a woman named Mara, who has Huntington’s disease (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). She is planning to spare her family the devastation of having to deal with her slow decline by committing suicide. That’s her five days left.

In addition, there is another character, Scott, who has his own five-day countdown. She and Scott are connected through an online forum. What made you decide to include that character?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord
4:02
[Comment From LilyLily: ] 
Hi Julie! Loved the book.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:02 Lily
4:03
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Hi, Julie. Hi, Nora.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:03 Guest
4:03
Julie Timmer: 
Just a note - Lou Gehrigs is ALS
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:03 Julie Timmer
4:03
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Lily! Thanks!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:03 Julie Timmer
4:03
Julie Timmer: 
I added Scott because I wanted Mara to have an online community ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:03 Julie Timmer
4:04
Julie Timmer: 
... and when I conceived of the online group, Scott's character sort of "appeared" to me and I loved him.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:04 Julie Timmer
4:04
[Comment From RebeccaRebecca: ] 
I am the "guest" who said hi.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:04 Rebecca
4:04
[Comment From MishyFishMishyFish: ] 
Hi from a fellow Michignite (NOT gander)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:04 MishyFish
4:04
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Rebecca!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:04 Julie Timmer
4:04
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Mishy!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:04 Julie Timmer
4:05
Julie Timmer: 
Michignite is a good name. Sounds powerful. :)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:05 Julie Timmer
4:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Tell us more about you're wanting to develop an online community for our character.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord
4:05
Julie Timmer: 
I'm actually a member of an online group myself ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:05 Julie Timmer
4:05
Julie Timmer: 
And have been for several years.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:05 Julie Timmer
4:05
Julie Timmer: 
And it's really amazing how we consider each other to be "friends" although we haven't met or exchanged names ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:05 Julie Timmer
4:06
Julie Timmer: 
I am so intrigued by online relationships, and wanted to explore that in a book...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:06 Julie Timmer
4:06
Julie Timmer: 
... and an online group is a good place to HIDE that you have HD.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:06 Julie Timmer
4:06
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
do you use this group for therapy as well as to vent about life in general?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:06 Dominique
4:06
Julie Timmer: 
Not really therapy -- more venting, trading work/family balance tips, etc
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:06 Julie Timmer
4:07
Julie Timmer: 
Yesterday we discussed (in our group) car buying, housing and racial profiling.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:07 Julie Timmer
4:07
Julie Timmer: 
We get off topic a lot!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:07 Julie Timmer
4:08
Julie Timmer: 
It's intriguing to me that some of us in the online group might be presenting a different "self" than exists IRL (in real life).
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:08 Julie Timmer
4:08
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here's a question we got in advance:

You said your character is a tribute to your friend who died of cancer and that she handled it with immense grace. One of the things I loved about Mara’s character was that she didn’t handle her disease with grace. She felt very human and believable.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord
4:08
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks for the comment about liking Mara ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:08 Julie Timmer
4:08
Julie Timmer: 
I didn't want her to be too peaceful about her fate ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:08 Julie Timmer
4:09
Julie Timmer: 
... because I sure wouldn't be, if that were my fate. I'd be livid.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:09 Julie Timmer
4:09
[Comment From TracyTracy: ] 
Julie and I emailed a few weeks ago (Hi Julie!) about Laurie, Scott's wife. She was pretty strong in her feelings about not adopting Little Man, only to change her mind later. I'd come to respect her decision, and I worried for their marriage if she did it just to please him! Julie, do you mind sharing some of what you told me about why she did that? I found her an extremely interesting character.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:09 Tracy
4:09
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Tracy!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:09 Julie Timmer
4:10
Julie Timmer: 
I thought Laurie would never feel truly peaceful, knowing Scott was so miserable ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:10 Julie Timmer
4:10
Julie Timmer: 
I'm a stepmom and often make decisions that I feel are best for my husband and his kids, even if I have to catch up emotionally later ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:10 Julie Timmer
4:10
Julie Timmer: 
In my head, I know I should agree to what he wants. I thought Laurie would have the same feelings ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:10 Julie Timmer
4:11
Julie Timmer: 
... about wanting her husband to be happy, and feel complete, even if she would have to catch up emotionally later. Sometimes we do this for ppl we love.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:11 Julie Timmer
4:11
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
did you initially mean for scott and mara to only meet online or for them to become friends in real life?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:11 Dominique
4:12
Julie Timmer: 
Dominique - in an early draft, they did meet online ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:12 Julie Timmer
4:12
Julie Timmer: 
But Amy (my editor) believed--and I agreed--that the reality of online groups is that most of the members don't meet ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:12 Julie Timmer
4:12
Julie Timmer: 
... and that it would paint a more realistic picture if they never met, and Scott couldn't locate her later
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:12 Julie Timmer
4:13
Julie Timmer: 
In my online group, members drop off sometimes and we have no idea why
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:13 Julie Timmer
4:13
[Comment From Rebecca (Narrator)Rebecca (Narrator): ] 
(Just in case any more Rebeccas show up.)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:13 Rebecca (Narrator)
4:13
Julie Timmer: 
Hi Rebecca! LOVED your reading of the book!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:13 Julie Timmer
4:13
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
that makes sense. thank you! if they did meet makes it more realistic!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:13 Dominique
4:13
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hi Rebecca -- you probably know the book as well as anyone does!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:13 Nora - EarlyWord
4:14
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Hi Julie-I can't decide: was Mara brave & noble hiding from her husband how progressive her disease had become & making the decision to end her life on her own or was it a selfish decision that wasn't hers alone to make?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:14 Jennifer W.
4:14
[Comment From Rebecca (Narrator)Rebecca (Narrator): ] 
Thanks, Julie! That means a lot. I hoped I got the tone. (I just went with how I felt it.)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:14 Rebecca (Narrator)
4:14
Julie Timmer: 
Jennifer W - such a great question. Not sure there's an answer!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:14 Julie Timmer
4:14
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - you and Kirby both nailed it. Sooooo good.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:14 Julie Timmer
4:15
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - I particularly liked how you did Neerja. I loved her even more after hearing you read.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Julie Timmer
4:15
[Comment From Rebecca (Narrator)Rebecca (Narrator): ] 
Narrators do have an intense relationship with the books we do, Nora. And Julie, I can't wait to hear it. Kirby is one of my favorites and always so hooked in.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Rebecca (Narrator)
4:15
[Comment From Kirby (The Narrator that is not Rebecca)Kirby (The Narrator that is not Rebecca): ] 
Thanks, Julie.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Kirby (The Narrator that is not Rebecca)
4:15
Julie Timmer: 
Kirby - so glad you're here!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Julie Timmer
4:15
[Comment From Rebecca (Narrator)Rebecca (Narrator): ] 
I love Neerja, too!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Rebecca (Narrator)
4:15
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You touched on the editing process earlier. What was that like? Did you go back and forth often? Did the book change substantially?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:15 Nora - EarlyWord
4:16
Julie Timmer: 
Editing: I sold the book on a Tuesday night ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:16 Julie Timmer
4:16
Julie Timmer: 
... and by Thurs AM, I had a 7-page, single spaced letter from Amy re: changes!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:16 Julie Timmer
4:16
Julie Timmer: 
The general plot didn't change but I added characters, etc.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:16 Julie Timmer
4:16
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Wow! And some people say editors don't really edit anymore!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:16 Nora - EarlyWord
4:17
Julie Timmer: 
I've heard Amy Einhorn is "the last real editor in NYC." Not sure if she's the last, but she definitely edits!!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:17 Julie Timmer
4:17
Julie Timmer: 
Kirby - I want to say how much I loved how you read. Thanks so much to both of you. Terrific!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:17 Julie Timmer
4:17
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Did you know her reputation in advance?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:17 Nora - EarlyWord
4:18
Julie Timmer: 
I did know Amy's rep in advance and was thrilled when she was interested in the book.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:18 Julie Timmer
4:18
Julie Timmer: 
For weeks after it sold, my husband and I would shriek, "AMY EINHORN!" at each other at random times.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:18 Julie Timmer
4:18
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
Thanks. Was it hard to accept editing suggestions? Do you have to let part of your ego go?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:18 Kirby
4:18
Julie Timmer: 
Kirby - as a lawyer, I've had my writing ripped to shreds for 2 decades!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:18 Julie Timmer
4:19
[Comment From MishyFishMishyFish: ] 
What made you want to write a novel?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:19 MishyFish
4:19
Julie Timmer: 
So for me, it wasn't hard to hear when something didn't work. I've been hearing that for years.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:19 Julie Timmer
4:19
Julie Timmer: 
Mishy - I've always wanted to write a novel ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:19 Julie Timmer
4:19
Julie Timmer: 
... and decided I didn't want to look back one day and regret that I'd never tried it.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:19 Julie Timmer
4:20
Julie Timmer: 
So I made a promise to myself that I'd have a draft done by my next birthday, 3 mos away.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Julie Timmer
4:20
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How did you go about starting the novel? Did you join a writing group?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Nora - EarlyWord
4:20
Julie Timmer: 
On the way to my bday dinner w/ my family, we stopped at Kinko's to print off the draft.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Julie Timmer
4:20
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - no writing group for me ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Julie Timmer
4:20
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Wow! That's incredibe.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:20
Julie Timmer: 
I wrote FDL from 4-6am each morning
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:20 Julie Timmer
4:21
Julie Timmer: 
... and no one else is up at that time!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:21 Julie Timmer
4:21
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How did you go about finding an agent (and, did you know that needed to be the first step?)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:21 Nora - EarlyWord
4:21
Julie Timmer: 
Agent finding: lots of queries. LOTS. As in, over 100.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:21 Julie Timmer
4:22
Julie Timmer: 
I used a great site called Query Tracker that lists agents
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Julie Timmer
4:22
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Sounds like the lesson is not to give up!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Nora - EarlyWord
4:22
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
How were you able to tap into Scott so well? You really captured the feelings and insecurities of a young husband/father. And I know you are niether.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Kirby
4:22
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - yes! I thought the lesson to my kids would be that I tried, and failed, but failed graciously. No bitterness, no blaming others ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Julie Timmer
4:22
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
This is incredibly inspiring.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:22
Julie Timmer: 
When I finally got an agent, I couldn't believe it.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:22 Julie Timmer
4:23
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks Rebecca Who Is Not Kirby!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:23 Julie Timmer
4:23
Nora - EarlyWord: 
There's so many important issues to discuss in your book. One I am particularly fascinated with is that kids have a stronger bond to their biological parents.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:23 Nora - EarlyWord
4:23
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - yes. This is a tough one for me b/c I'm a mom and a stepmom ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:23 Julie Timmer
4:23
Julie Timmer: 
I'm not an adoptive mom and I realize there's a difference...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:23 Julie Timmer
4:24
Julie Timmer: 
I'm not sure if I agree w/ Mara's assessment ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:24 Julie Timmer
4:24
Julie Timmer: 
... but I think she was rationalizing, as she needed to do.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:24 Julie Timmer
4:24
Julie Timmer: 
Kirby - the launch party was last night ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:24 Julie Timmer
4:25
Julie Timmer: 
... and the biggest laugh was when I told them that when you came across ;) in the book, you said, "Winking smiling face." They loved that!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Julie Timmer
4:25
Julie Timmer: 
So you have many fans in Ann Arbor!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Julie Timmer
4:25
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
In the end, Little Man ending up with Scott and Laurie is a counterpoint to that idea, yes?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:25
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - yes, it sure is.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Julie Timmer
4:25
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
;)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Kirby
4:25
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Kirby's good for a laugh, even in absentia.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:25 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:26
Julie Timmer: 
Haha.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:26 Julie Timmer
4:26
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Did writing the novel help you deal with the death of your friend?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord
4:26
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - you know what? It did NOT...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:26 Julie Timmer
4:26
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I suspected that!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord
4:26
Julie Timmer: 
I am just as enraged as I was back then. About her, and about another friend who, at the same time, was diagnosed w/ ALS.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:26 Julie Timmer
4:27
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How did you go about picking HD as the disease for your character?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:27 Nora - EarlyWord
4:27
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - b/c of those friends of mine, I didn't want to write about cancer or ALS ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:27 Julie Timmer
4:28
Julie Timmer: 
... so I Googled something stupid like, "Incurable, fatal diseases that aren't cancer or ALS." And got an answer: HD. Which I knew nothing about.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:28 Julie Timmer
4:28
[Comment From TracyTracy: ] 
I'm curious about the choice for Mara and her family to be Indian. Was there a deliberate message there, or just an interest in a diverse protagonist and family.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:28 Tracy
4:28
Julie Timmer: 
Tracy - it's weird, but when I started writing notes about Mara, she just appeared to me as Indian ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:28 Julie Timmer
4:29
Julie Timmer: 
... and I saw her being adopted from there, and going over to adopt her own baby ....
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:29 Julie Timmer
4:29
Julie Timmer: 
I couldn't have changed her culture if I'd wanted to.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:29 Julie Timmer
4:29
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Did anything about Scott or Mara surprise you?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:29 Jennifer W.
4:29
Julie Timmer: 
Jennifer W - interesting question! ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:29 Julie Timmer
4:29
Julie Timmer: 
I guess Mara's being Indian surprised me, now that I think of it. It just happened.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:29 Julie Timmer
4:30
Julie Timmer: 
And Scott appeared as a middle school teacher, which was surprising I think. I thought at first he'd be a lawyer.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:30 Julie Timmer
4:30
Julie Timmer: 
But I guess he had more sense than that. Winking smiling face.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:30 Julie Timmer
4:31
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
haha!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:31 Kirby
4:31
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The book has sold into several other countries. Did you pop a champagne cork for each (hope you had caviar when you heard about the Russian).
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:31 Nora - EarlyWord
4:31
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - no, but I should have!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:31 Julie Timmer
4:31
Julie Timmer: 
It's not too late, I guess.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:31 Julie Timmer
4:32
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'm fascinated by different cover treatments. the U.K. cove is quite different (coming up) ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:32 Nora - EarlyWord
4:32
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - true about different covers.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:32 Julie Timmer
4:32
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:32 
4:32
Julie Timmer: 
In the UK, they love those "call out phrases" - here, it's "Is it enough time to say goodbye?"
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:32 Julie Timmer
4:32
Julie Timmer: 
All the books have those, and authors have little say.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:32 Julie Timmer
4:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Makes it a bit more sentimental.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord
4:33
Julie Timmer: 
But I like that UK cover. Love little Lakshmi.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:33 Julie Timmer
4:33
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - yes, but I feel bad for Scott!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:33 Julie Timmer
4:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 
What does the blue ribbon on the U.S. cover symbolize?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord
4:34
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
the UK cover is so moving!!!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Dominique
4:34
Julie Timmer: 
HD has a blue ribbon
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Julie Timmer
4:34
Julie Timmer: 
I like it too, Dominique!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Julie Timmer
4:34
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Speaking of the U.K. cover -- you and your family were featured in the Daily Mail!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord
4:34
Julie Timmer: 
US cover - I see the blue ribbon as an artistic rendering of a DNA coil. Fitting, since HD is a stutter in DNA.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Julie Timmer
4:34
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - that was a fun thing for the kids, to see themselves in the paper.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:34 Julie Timmer
4:35
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Gives you creed as a celebrity!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:35 Nora - EarlyWord
4:35
Julie Timmer: 
Ha, Nora - not sure about that!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:35 Julie Timmer
4:35
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see that the Penguin Field reps picked it – what does that mean?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:35 Nora - EarlyWord
4:35
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - what an honor to have the field reps pick it!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:35 Julie Timmer
4:36
Julie Timmer: 
It means it'll get some nice placement in stores.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:36 Julie Timmer
4:36
[Comment From Reads Books for a LivingReads Books for a Living: ] 
I read that Daily Mail piece -- I thought you gave great step parenting advice!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:36 Reads Books for a Living
4:37
Julie Timmer: 
Reads Books - thank you!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:37 Julie Timmer
4:37
Julie Timmer: 
We have made plenty of mistakes, too
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:37 Julie Timmer
4:37
Julie Timmer: 
But hopefully more good decisions than bad.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:37 Julie Timmer
4:37
Julie Timmer: 
Maybe the kids will write an article one day ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:37 Julie Timmer
4:38
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I want to go back to Kirby's comment about how you created the relationship between Curtis & Scott. Love how you incorporated sports; made it seem very real.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks, Nora. I live with some bleed-maize-and-blue Michigan fans ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Julie Timmer
4:39
Julie Timmer: 
... and they had PLENTY to say about those sections of the book!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Julie Timmer
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I know the type!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Julie Timmer: 
Talking about my husband and son here.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Julie Timmer
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Did you share the book with your family as you wrote it?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Julie Timmer: 
I actually had a friend's husband try to convince me to send Bray to Michigan State instead of MIchigan ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:39 Julie Timmer
4:40
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - I did not.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:40 Julie Timmer
4:40
Julie Timmer: 
My poor husband - I'd ask him all these questions about the characters and the plot but wouldn't let him read it.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:40 Julie Timmer
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 
What strength of character!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:41
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Have you practiced family law? Is that part of your connection to the foster/guardianship story?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:41 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:41
Julie Timmer: 
When I was finished, I had him read it, but not while I was writing
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:41 Julie Timmer
4:41
Julie Timmer: 
We call my husband The Plot Doctor b/c he's so good at advising about character motivation, plot, etc
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:41 Julie Timmer
4:41
Julie Timmer: 
... whether he's read the book or not.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:41 Julie Timmer
4:42
[Comment From Reads Books for a LivingReads Books for a Living: ] 
How does it feel to read reviews of the book?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:42 Reads Books for a Living
4:42
Julie Timmer: 
Reads Books - it's been so nice to see some of the reviews.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:42 Julie Timmer
4:43
Julie Timmer: 
But I avoid many -- not sure I want to hear ALL of the opinions at this point ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:43 Julie Timmer
4:43
Julie Timmer: 
Some of them can be snarky.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:43 Julie Timmer
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Rebecca -- my apologies -- I tried to post your last comment, but it disappeared. Please try it again.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You mentioned in your bio that you are at work on another book. Guess you really have the writing bug!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord
4:43
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - I appear to!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:43 Julie Timmer
4:44
Julie Timmer: 
But 4am isn't as attractive anymore!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:44 Julie Timmer
4:44
Julie Timmer: 
I'm trying to figure out how to write at more "normal" times.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:44 Julie Timmer
4:44
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Have you practiced family law? Is that your connection to the guardianship story?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:44 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:44
Julie Timmer: 
I want to say that in our family, we talk about Rebecca and Kirby as though they're family members. We are big fans!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:44 Julie Timmer
4:45
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - no, I was a litigator and am now in house, so a lot of contracts etc
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Julie Timmer
4:45
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Blushy smiley face.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I like how you incorporated today's technology into the book. Many of the authors in this program set their books in an earlier period because they wanted to avoid that – thinking it’s difficult to create tension when someone can just Google something, or get an instant response to an email.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Julie Timmer: 
I had to call some family lawyer pals for advice on those sections
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Julie Timmer
4:45
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - ha!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Julie Timmer
4:45
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - tech is such a part of my life ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:45 Julie Timmer
4:46
Julie Timmer: 
I text my kids, I communicate w/ my husband via Outlook calendar, we are all on FB and Twitter etc
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:46 Julie Timmer
4:46
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
What an honor!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:46 Kirby
4:47
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - couldn't imagine my life w/o tech, and since I write contemporary stories, I can't avoid it (and don't want to).
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:47 Julie Timmer
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Since we've heard so much about the audio, you can listen to a sample here -- http://www.booksontape.com/...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:47
Julie Timmer: 
Oh, yes -- listen to Rebecca and Kirby!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:47 Julie Timmer
4:48
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Are you now using social media to promote the book (I mean, besides here)?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:48 Nora - EarlyWord
4:48
Julie Timmer: 
Like Neerja (who I love more now b/c of Rebecca), I love Scott more now b/c of Kirby.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:48 Julie Timmer
4:48
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - I'm not much into promoting my book...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:48 Julie Timmer
4:49
Julie Timmer: 
... but I chat w/ ppl on Twitter, etc and have made great friends that way ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:49 Julie Timmer
4:49
Julie Timmer: 
... I leave the selling up to my publisher though ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:49 Julie Timmer
4:49
Julie Timmer: 
I get a little cringe-y thinking about the "Buy my book!" tweets. Can't do it.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:49 Julie Timmer
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We should tell people, however, that you are willing to talk with reading groups via SKYPE.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:51
Julie Timmer: 
Oh, absolutely, Nora. Love talking to people, just not yelling at them via Twitter. :)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:51 Julie Timmer
4:51
Julie Timmer: 
I'd be thrilled to chat to book groups via Skype or phone.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:51 Julie Timmer
4:51
Julie Timmer: 
And ppl can contact me via my website to line that up. www.julielawsontimmer.com
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:51 Julie Timmer
4:52
[Comment From Boston LibrarianBoston Librarian: ] 
Are you doing any touring for the book?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:52 Boston Librarian
4:52
Julie Timmer: 
Boston - a little ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:52 Julie Timmer
4:52
Julie Timmer: 
My editor doesn't "tour" debut authors but ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:52 Julie Timmer
4:52
Julie Timmer: 
... if bookstores or other groups request, my publisher will send me
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:52 Julie Timmer
4:53
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How did it feel to say good bye to your characters? Was that difficult?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:53 Nora - EarlyWord
4:53
Julie Timmer: 
... I'm going to a few more stores in Michigan (maybe about 5) and one in LA
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:53 Julie Timmer
4:53
Julie Timmer: 
Nora - yes, it was tough to stop thinking about Scott and Mara all the time. And Tom and Harry.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:53 Julie Timmer
4:53
[Comment From MishyFishMishyFish: ] 
Michigan has some great indies. Which ones will you be going to?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:53 MishyFish
4:53
Julie Timmer: 
Also, initially, flightpath, who's a minor character, was going to be bigger ...
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:53 Julie Timmer
4:54
Julie Timmer: 
Mishy - Nicola's last night; Literati; Saturn; Horizon. Hopefully more. Love indies.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Julie Timmer
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And don't forget Bray -- loved that guy!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
4:54
Julie Timmer: 
I really did love Bray.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Julie Timmer
4:54
Julie Timmer: 
Such a great guy.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Julie Timmer
4:54
Julie Timmer: 
Another character Kirby totally brought to life.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Julie Timmer
4:54
[Comment From MishyFishMishyFish: ] 
Hope to catch you at one of those stores!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 MishyFish
4:54
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Perhaps we can all meet in person in LA?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:54 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:55
Julie Timmer: 
Mishy - would love it!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:55 Julie Timmer
4:55
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Was it a hard to resist the impulse to write Mara's daughter into the last scene, maybe finding, reading or reacting the letter and just leave it as a letter left behind?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:55 Jennifer W.
4:55
Julie Timmer: 
Rebecca - would love to! 9/18
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:55 Julie Timmer
4:55
Julie Timmer: 
Jen W - I didn't think about that. Guess I knew it'd be too tough on such a young girl.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:55 Julie Timmer
4:56
Nora - EarlyWord: 
So sorry to say, our time is almost over. Any final questions for Julie?
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord
4:56
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks sooooo much for having me!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:56 Julie Timmer
4:56
Julie Timmer: 
So nice to chat with all of you today.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:56 Julie Timmer
4:57
Julie Timmer: 
(will still answer - just wanted to get that in while I could)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Julie Timmer
4:57
[Comment From KirbyKirby: ] 
Great job! I look forward to many more great books from you!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Kirby
4:57
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Thanks for taking out the time to answer our questions; thanks as always, Nora, for hosting. Best of luck with the book, Julie.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Jennifer W.
4:57
Julie Timmer: 
Kirby - thanks! I'll write 'em and you two read 'em!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Julie Timmer
4:57
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
thank you for such an amazing book, Julie!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Dominique
4:57
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks for the great questions, and for taking the time to chat w/ me.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Julie Timmer
4:57
[Comment From Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby): ] 
Yes! Looking forward to what comes next, and congratulations on this one! I'll try to make it on 9/18. :)
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Rebecca (The Narrator that is not Kirby)
4:57
[Comment From LilyLily: ] 
This is a great book for book groups. So much to discuss!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:57 Lily
4:58
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks Lily!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:58 Julie Timmer
4:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
By the way, Julie, Dominique has told everyone in the known universe that they have to read your book.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord
4:58
Julie Timmer: 
Reb - the event is 9/19, actually. Sorry.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:58 Julie Timmer
4:58
Julie Timmer: 
Dominique is THE marketing guru
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:58 Julie Timmer
4:58
Julie Timmer: 
She's awesome
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:58 Julie Timmer
4:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
That's it for today's chat. Thanks, everyone, for joining. And thanks, especially to you, Julie.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
Julie Timmer: 
Thanks Nora, and everyone else!
Wednesday September 10, 2014 4:59 Julie Timmer
5:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
First Flights members -- our next book is Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm. You will be getting it shortly.

And if you are not a member, you can sign up on EarlyWord.
Wednesday September 10, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on Live Chat with Debut Author
Julie Lawson Timmer

LIVE CHAT TODAY – With Tracy Holczer

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014
Live Blog Live Chat with Tracy Holczer, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY
 Live Chat with Tracy Holczer, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY(08/06/2014) 
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Tracy Holczar in about 15 minutes
Wednesday August 6, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of The Secret Hum of a Daisy, published
May 1 by Penguin/ Putnam …
Wednesday August 6, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday August 6, 2014 4:46 
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The Secret Hum of a Daisy received some pretty great prepub reviews --

School Library Journal Starred Review: "The undercurrent theme of loss is balanced well with humor and an authentic protagonist. More than simply a book about grief and the death of a parent, Grace’s story is about the search for identity. An essential purchase for middle-grade collections."

Booklist: "Readers who appreciate the quiet confidence and maturity of Cynthia Rylant's, Patricia MacLachlan's, and Katherine Paterson's protagonists will find a new author to enjoy."

Kirkus Reviews: "Grace's surprising discoveries about herself, her family, and her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgiveness, are engrossing."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "A lovely and captivating debut...nuanced characters engage from beginning to end."

Wednesday August 6, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:55
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering. Welcome!

You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Tracy before the end of the chat.

Don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!

Wednesday August 6, 2014 4:55 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

As moderator today, sitting in for Lisa Von Drasek, is JoAnn Jonas.

JoAnn is the Youth Literature Specialist Librarian, book reviewer for Shelf Awareness and SLJ, former San Diego County Library Youth Materials Specialist, and Librarian at The New York Public Library - Central Children's Room


Say hi, JoAnn!

Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Oh, no -- just got word from BOTH Tracy and JoAnn that their internet connections are giving them trouble.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
JoAnn Jonas: 
Hi Everyone
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:01 JoAnn Jonas
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Phew!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
JoAnn Jonas: 
So glad to be here today...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:01 JoAnn Jonas
5:02
JoAnn Jonas: 

We are going to have a wonderful chat...



Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:02 JoAnn Jonas
5:02
JoAnn Jonas: 

We are waiting for some technical issues to clear up...



Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:02 JoAnn Jonas
5:03
JoAnn Jonas: 
So please hang in there with us for a minute!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:03 JoAnn Jonas
5:04
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Tracy is with us now -- say hi to everyone!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:04 Nora - EarlyWord
5:04
Tracy Holczer: 
Hello everyone!! I'm so excited to be here!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:04 Tracy Holczer
5:05
JoAnn Jonas: 
Where are people out there from today? I am here in Las Cruces NM.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:05 JoAnn Jonas
5:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I accidentally cut off the librarian from St. Charles -- please say hi again!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:05 Nora - EarlyWord
5:06
Tracy Holczer: 
I am usually from Los Angeles - but I'm up in the Northern California mountains visiting my mom. I'm in Grass Valley, where the book is set!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:06 Tracy Holczer
5:06
JoAnn Jonas: 
How wonderful is that?!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:06 JoAnn Jonas
5:06
Tracy Holczer: 
Full circle.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:06 Tracy Holczer
5:07
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
I suspected that you knew the area well!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 School librarian
5:07
[Comment From ShanaeShanae: ] 
Hello
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 Shanae
5:07
[Comment From MD LibrarianMD Librarian: ] 
Looking forward to the chat. Loved the book.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 MD Librarian
5:07
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Granger, IN
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 Guest
5:07
[Comment From Sue D.Sue D.: ] 
I am in St. Charles, MO. Born in Albuquerque though
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 Sue D.
5:07
[Comment From ShanaeShanae: ] 
Hi
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 Shanae
5:07
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Grass Valley is real?? Did you live there?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:07 Guest
5:08
Tracy Holczer: 
Thank you, MD!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:08 Tracy Holczer
5:08
Tracy Holczer: 
Guest - Grass Valley is indeed real! But I played a bit with the geography and town size. I'll see if I can dig up a picture.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:08 Tracy Holczer
5:08
JoAnn Jonas: 
Yes indeed...a perfect intro to the book Tracy--do you want to tell us about the inspiration for THE SECRET HUM?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:08 JoAnn Jonas
5:09
Tracy Holczer: 
So many inspirations! Loss as a kid...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:09 Tracy Holczer
5:09
Tracy Holczer: 
Art and books helped me through so much.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:09 Tracy Holczer
5:10
Tracy Holczer: 
At some later point, I explained the whole shebang here...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:10 Tracy Holczer
5:10
Tracy Holczer: 
http://nerdybookclub.wordpr...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:10 Tracy Holczer
5:11
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, thanks for the link...can you tell us how you came up withif the title
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:11 JoAnn Jonas
5:12
Tracy Holczer: 
"The Secret Hum of a Daisy" is a line from a poem in the book. It just fit the story so well. But I went through about three titles before that.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 Tracy Holczer
5:12
JoAnn Jonas: 
Can you share the others?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 JoAnn Jonas
5:12
Tracy Holczer: 
Runaway Grace
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 Tracy Holczer
5:12
Tracy Holczer: 
Junkyard Birds
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 Tracy Holczer
5:12
Tracy Holczer: 
Some Kind of Normal
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 Tracy Holczer
5:12
JoAnn Jonas: 
Good, but HUM OF DAISY"S is best
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:12 JoAnn Jonas
5:13
Tracy Holczer: 
:)
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:13 Tracy Holczer
5:13
JoAnn Jonas: 

SSO tell us some writer's who have influenced you Tracy!



Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:13 JoAnn Jonas
5:13
Tracy Holczer: 
So many. For adult, I love Harper Lee, Steinbeck and Stephen King. Barbara Kingsolver. For children it’s Sharon Creech, Katherine Paterson, Cynthia Rylant.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:13 Tracy Holczer
5:14
Tracy Holczer: 
I know, Stephen King!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:14 Tracy Holczer
5:14
Tracy Holczer: 
I just love dystopian and fell in love with The Stand when I was a teen.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:14 Tracy Holczer
5:14
JoAnn Jonas: 
who is one of your favorite characters in a kid's book
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:14 JoAnn Jonas
5:14
Tracy Holczer: 
The Great Gilly Hopkins.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:14 Tracy Holczer
5:14
Tracy Holczer: 
Hands down.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:14 Tracy Holczer
5:15
Tracy Holczer: 
Gilly was inspiration for HUM...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:15 Tracy Holczer
5:15
Tracy Holczer: 
I wondered what would have happened if Gilly came to Grandma before she found Trotter.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:15 Tracy Holczer
5:15
JoAnn Jonas: 
Ah yes, Katherine Paterson's writing is such an inspiration!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:15 JoAnn Jonas
5:16
JoAnn Jonas: 
So what inspired this story Tracy?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:16 JoAnn Jonas
5:16
Tracy Holczer: 
Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons as well.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:16 Tracy Holczer
5:16
Tracy Holczer: 
I had a statue when I was a kid...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:16 Tracy Holczer
5:16
Tracy Holczer: 
I thought it was magic...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:16 Tracy Holczer
5:17
Tracy Holczer: 
It absorbed all my loss and I thought it was watching over me...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:17 Tracy Holczer
5:17
Tracy Holczer: 
So I brought it to school for show and tell...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:17 Tracy Holczer
5:18
Tracy Holczer: 
wrapped in several layers of newspaper. There was a girl, Darlene, who thought it was really dumb. So I told her it was magic...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:18 Tracy Holczer
5:18
Tracy Holczer: 
She said, "Prove it."
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:18 Tracy Holczer
5:18
Tracy Holczer: 
I lifted it above my head - and...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:18 Tracy Holczer
5:18
Tracy Holczer: 
You see where this is going...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:18 Tracy Holczer
5:19
Tracy Holczer: 
I threw it down and it shattered. And so did I.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:19 Tracy Holczer
5:19
JoAnn Jonas: 
Wow...what a story, so then what?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:19 JoAnn Jonas
5:19
Tracy Holczer: 
I wrote Grace's story as a salve. Mostly to my eight-year old self.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:19 Tracy Holczer
5:19
JoAnn Jonas: 
Beautiful. You use poetry throught the story. Can you talk about that?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:19 JoAnn Jonas
5:20
Tracy Holczer: 
I love Robert Frost...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:20 Tracy Holczer
5:20
Tracy Holczer: 
I was the kid in class who never really understood "theme"
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:20 Tracy Holczer
5:20
[Comment From MishyFishMishyFish: ] 
The kids were so real. How were you able to channel your childhood so well?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:20 MishyFish
5:20
Tracy Holczer: 
I always thought stories were about so many different things! I could never pick just one.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:20 Tracy Holczer
5:21
JoAnn Jonas: 
Did you always want to be a writer?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:21 JoAnn Jonas
5:21
Tracy Holczer: 
Frost was accessible. I understood him.

Mishyfish - I am really close to those memories and feelings of being a kid. I can tap into them.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:21 Tracy Holczer
5:22
Tracy Holczer: 
JoAnn - I didn't! I thought writing was too hard.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:22 Tracy Holczer
5:22
JoAnn Jonas: 
Amazing!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:22 JoAnn Jonas
5:22
[Comment From Reads for a LivingReads for a Living: ] 
Why do birds mean so much to you?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:22 Reads for a Living
5:22
[Comment From StacyStacy: ] 
I'm wondering if you've ever seen bird sculptures like the ones that Grace's mother made? Have you tried to make one yourself?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:22 Stacy
5:23
Tracy Holczer: 
Reads for a Living - birds are just so...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:23 Tracy Holczer
5:23
Tracy Holczer: 
I don't know...heavenly? I just love them.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:23 Tracy Holczer
5:23
Tracy Holczer: 
Stacy - I am very artistically challenged...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:23 Tracy Holczer
5:24
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, have you been surprised by the positive response to the Book? Starred reviews in PW and SLJ?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:24 JoAnn Jonas
5:24
Tracy Holczer: 
I saw one of the birds on a blog one day and just shrieked, "It's Mama's birds!!"
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:24 Tracy Holczer
5:24
JoAnn Jonas: 

and this Good Reads review:

Goodreads Reviews…

My heart is full from reading this beautifully crafted story of loss, friendship, family, and finding your way when the world seems to have been turned upside down. The plot captures you from the very first line, the characters envelop your heart, and the setting makes you feel like you've found home. When I reached the last page, I returned to the start, not wanting to say goodbye to Grace. Beautiful from beginning to end... The "secret hum" of this lyrical prose will stay with me for a long time.

Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:24 JoAnn Jonas
5:25
Tracy Holczer: 
Sniff.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:25 Tracy Holczer
5:25
 Tracy Holczer
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:25 
5:25
Tracy Holczer: 
I hope the image shows up!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:25 Tracy Holczer
5:25
JoAnn Jonas: 
LOVE THIS...saw it on your web site!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:25 JoAnn Jonas
5:26
Tracy Holczer: 
I have been so pleasantly surprised by the support of the book...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:26 Tracy Holczer
5:26
Tracy Holczer: 
I have been worried that adults might think it was too sad for kids...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:26 Tracy Holczer
5:26
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
It was interesting that you made it so the characters couldn't email each other. Why did you do that?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:26 School librarian
5:26
Tracy Holczer: 
School Librarian - that is a great question...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:26 Tracy Holczer
5:27
Tracy Holczer: 
I just wanted there to be old fashioned letters...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:27 Tracy Holczer
5:27
Tracy Holczer: 
plus this area is so uneven in terms of where you can get an internet connection that it made sense.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:27 Tracy Holczer
5:27
Tracy Holczer: 
forget cell phones - we can't really use them here.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:27 Tracy Holczer
5:28
Tracy Holczer: 
Plus I felt that Grace needed to be isolated.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:28 Tracy Holczer
5:28
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, can you talk a bit about the characters? THey are so rich...

Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:28 JoAnn Jonas
5:29
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
Excellent point -- loved the letters. it did add an old-fashioned element, without putting the story in a different era.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:29 School librarian
5:29
Tracy Holczer: 
I have to know every character inside and out before I can really get them onto the page in a scene.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:29 Tracy Holczer
5:29
Tracy Holczer: 
Thanks School Librarian! I was worried. I'm glad you felt it worked.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:29 Tracy Holczer
5:29
Tracy Holczer: 
They have to be real people to me or they don't whisper in my ear :)
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:29 Tracy Holczer
5:30
Tracy Holczer: 
Plus I have three kids, so I've been surrounded by kid-ness.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:30 Tracy Holczer
5:30
JoAnn Jonas: 
Love that...they really do engage us from the start, and keep us so involved right to the last page
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:30 JoAnn Jonas
5:31
Tracy Holczer: 
Hooray!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:31 Tracy Holczer
5:31
JoAnn Jonas: 
SO Tracy I know Lisa always asks, do you have a pet?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:31 JoAnn Jonas
5:31
Tracy Holczer: 
I do!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:31 Tracy Holczer
5:31
JoAnn Jonas: 
And she likes pictures, if you have one!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:31 JoAnn Jonas
5:32
Tracy Holczer: 
I found a silly one. It's downloading.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:32 Tracy Holczer
5:32
Tracy Holczer: 
It takes a minute...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:32 Tracy Holczer
5:32
JoAnn Jonas: 
Chatters, you have had some great questions...any others you would like to ask Tracy?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:32 JoAnn Jonas
5:33
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, how hard was it getting your debut book published?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:33 JoAnn Jonas
5:33
Tracy Holczer: 
I was lucky to have a relatively smooth ride...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:33 Tracy Holczer
5:34
Tracy Holczer: 
I queried agents in late December and had a deal in May.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 Tracy Holczer
5:34
Tracy Holczer: 
Sorry - dog pic isn't loading :(
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 Tracy Holczer
5:34
Tracy Holczer: 
For two books!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 Tracy Holczer
5:34
JoAnn Jonas: 
And was it for several books? I know you have another coming out in 2016
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 JoAnn Jonas
5:34
Tracy Holczer: 
My second book is due to my publisher next month.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 Tracy Holczer
5:34
JoAnn Jonas: 
What can you tell us about that?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:34 JoAnn Jonas
5:35
Tracy Holczer: 
It's the story about a girl named Samantha Rossi...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:35 Tracy Holczer
5:35
Tracy Holczer: 
She's eleven and her dad has come home from Vietnam changed...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:35 Tracy Holczer
5:36
Tracy Holczer: 
So she turns to her science books to see if she can reverse evolution.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 Tracy Holczer
5:36
Tracy Holczer: 
She's Italian American, so I'm leaning heavily on my childhood again.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 Tracy Holczer
5:36
JoAnn Jonas: 
Sounds like an interesting one! I look forward to it already!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 JoAnn Jonas
5:36
[Comment From MD librarianMD librarian: ] 
Why did you choose to write this in the first person?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 MD librarian
5:36
Tracy Holczer: 
She's a pistol.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 Tracy Holczer
5:36
[Comment From DaynaDayna: ] 
I'd love to know more about the beautiful cover artwork. Who designed it? Did you go through many versions before choosing this design?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:36 Dayna
5:37
Tracy Holczer: 
MD - I tried third, but it just didn't work...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:37 Tracy Holczer
5:37
Tracy Holczer: 
I needed to be in her skin.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:37 Tracy Holczer
5:37
[Comment From Sue D.Sue D.: ] 
So do any of the characters want to have a sequel? Is someone still talking?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:37 Sue D.
5:38
Tracy Holczer: 
Maybe because I needed to be in my own skin.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:38 Tracy Holczer
5:38
[Comment From StacyStacy: ] 
Have you ever imagined a movie? Do you have a dream cast?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:38 Stacy
5:38
JoAnn Jonas: 
I wondered this too Tracy...do you see this as a movie?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:38 JoAnn Jonas
5:39
Tracy Holczer: 
Dayna - the cover was done by Annie Ericcson and it was the third cover.

Due - Max may have a companion story...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:39 Tracy Holczer
5:39
Tracy Holczer: 
I'm a very visual writer. I have to SEE everything so I'd love to see I as a movie!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:39 Tracy Holczer
5:40
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy--here is a question that we touched on...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:40 JoAnn Jonas
5:40
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
Did you always want to write novels? I have a feeling you are also interested in the visual arts and poetry, of course.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:40 School librarian
5:40
Tracy Holczer: 
I am a terrible artist, sadly. I like to paint with words.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:40 Tracy Holczer
5:40
Tracy Holczer: 
But I do love poetry.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:40 Tracy Holczer
5:40
JoAnn Jonas: 
Have you written much poetry?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:40 JoAnn Jonas
5:41
Tracy Holczer: 
Sometimes I think it's a bit too fancy, though.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:41 Tracy Holczer
5:41
Tracy Holczer: 
This book was my first attempt at poetry...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:41 Tracy Holczer
5:41
JoAnn Jonas: 
It really was a strong element in this story...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:41 JoAnn Jonas
5:41
Tracy Holczer: 
Other than the sad poems I wrote as a teen.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:41 Tracy Holczer
5:41
Tracy Holczer: 
Does a teen write any other kind??
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:41 Tracy Holczer
5:42
Tracy Holczer: 
My agent suggested the poetry...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:42 Tracy Holczer
5:42
Tracy Holczer: 
as a stronger connection to the father she never knew.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:42 Tracy Holczer
5:43
Tracy Holczer: 
She said, "write more in the vein of Robert Frost"...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:43 Tracy Holczer
5:43
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tell us more about about the relationships between Grace and herfather
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:43 JoAnn Jonas
5:43
Tracy Holczer: 
And I said, HAHAHA! Them's pretty big boots to fill.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:43 Tracy Holczer
5:44
Tracy Holczer: 
I feel like now that she's in Auburn Valley with Grandma, she'll be able to think more about her dad and who he was...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:44 Tracy Holczer
5:44
Tracy Holczer: 
I see her having dinners with Margery and going for walks and looking through his things.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:44 Tracy Holczer
5:44
JoAnn Jonas: 
Agreed, Tracy Robertt Frost icasts a big shadow...ha!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:44 JoAnn Jonas
5:44
Tracy Holczer: 
But he wasn't clear to her before the story.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:44 Tracy Holczer
5:45
JoAnn Jonas: 
Do you have a favorite character in the book Tracy?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:45 JoAnn Jonas
5:46
Tracy Holczer: 
I don't know - that's like picking a favorite child! You love them differently for different reasons...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:46 Tracy Holczer
5:47
Tracy Holczer: 
I love Grandma's cleverly disguised toughness. And Grace is such a fighter.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:47 Tracy Holczer
5:47
[Comment From Boston Blue StockingBoston Blue Stocking: ] 
What made you want to become an author?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:47 Boston Blue Stocking
5:47
Tracy Holczer: 
I really have come to love writing...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:47 Tracy Holczer
5:47
Tracy Holczer: 
Then next step seemed to be writing a novel.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:47 Tracy Holczer
5:48
Tracy Holczer: 
I did a post here: http://www.unleashingreader...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:48 Tracy Holczer
5:48
Tracy Holczer: 
That explains it a bit better.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:48 Tracy Holczer
5:48
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, can I post the link to your web site too...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:48 JoAnn Jonas
5:48
Tracy Holczer: 
Sure!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:48 Tracy Holczer
5:48
Tracy Holczer: 
It's not on the website yet, but I do free Skype visits for classes who have read the book and want to discuss.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:48 Tracy Holczer
5:49
Tracy Holczer: 
And there's a great teacher's guide on there, too.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:49 Tracy Holczer
5:49
JoAnn Jonas: 

Tracy's webiste is:

http://tracyholczer.com

Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:49 JoAnn Jonas
5:49
Tracy Holczer: 
I should say this, too...
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:49 Tracy Holczer
5:49
Tracy Holczer: 
I am a reader and a writer because of librarians.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:49 Tracy Holczer
5:50
JoAnn Jonas: 
So Tracy have you visited many schools or libraries yet? To promote the book
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:50 JoAnn Jonas
5:50
Tracy Holczer: 
We moved across the street from the Cupertino Public Library when I was twelve.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:50 Tracy Holczer
5:50
Tracy Holczer: 
I've visited a couple of schools, but no libraries yet. I'm still getting my act together!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:50 Tracy Holczer
5:51
JoAnn Jonas: 
I know we always ask, do you Skype?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:51 JoAnn Jonas
5:51
Tracy Holczer: 
Yes!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:51 Tracy Holczer
5:51
JoAnn Jonas: 
Great, can you let us know how to contact you for a school or library visit, or to Skype?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:51 JoAnn Jonas
5:52
Tracy Holczer: 
tholczer@earthlink.net
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:52 Tracy Holczer
5:52
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
Are you willing to speak to library groups? How about SKYPE?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:52 School librarian
5:52
JoAnn Jonas: 
Just ten minutes left, so get your final questions in. Some of your questions overlapped, so we didn't post them all, but we think we got most of them addressed. Let us know if you have a burning question that wasn't addressed!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:52 JoAnn Jonas
5:52
Tracy Holczer: 
Any time, School Librarian! I look forward to this very much.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:52 Tracy Holczer
5:53
[Comment From MD librarianMD librarian: ] 
Gorgeous library -- it would inspire anyone.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:53 MD librarian
5:53
[Comment From Boston Blue StockingBoston Blue Stocking: ] 
Are you worried about the movie that is being made of Gilly Hopkins?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:53 Boston Blue Stocking
5:54
Tracy Holczer: 
Well, I'm worried kids will see the movie instead of read the book.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:54 Tracy Holczer
5:54
JoAnn Jonas: 
There are so many book - movie tie ins now, I hope it increases interest in the books!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:54 JoAnn Jonas
5:55
Tracy Holczer: 
It's hard to get that kind of feeling onto the screen, I think.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:55 Tracy Holczer
5:55
Tracy Holczer: 
Sometimes. Sometimes it works beautifully.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:55 Tracy Holczer
5:55
JoAnn Jonas: 
And with Gilly Hopkins being a favorite we have our own images in our heads..
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:55 JoAnn Jonas
5:55
[Comment From StacyStacy: ] 
Oooo, The Great Gilly Hopkins is the first book I bought with my own money when I was 11!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:55 Stacy
5:56
Tracy Holczer: 
I read that book to each of my daughters, so it's special to me.

Yay, Stacy!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:56 Tracy Holczer
5:56
Tracy Holczer: 
I bought a book called Nantucket Summer.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:56 Tracy Holczer
5:56
Tracy Holczer: 
Weirdly, my parents weren't supportive of reading.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:56 Tracy Holczer
5:56
JoAnn Jonas: 
Tracy, are there any last things you would like to share with the chatters today?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:56 JoAnn Jonas
5:56
Tracy Holczer: 
They thought I was already too shy.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:56 Tracy Holczer
5:57
Tracy Holczer: 
I just want to thank everyone for spending their Wednesday evening with me!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:57 Tracy Holczer
5:57
JoAnn Jonas: 
So wonderful to have you with us Tracy....
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:57 JoAnn Jonas
5:57
Tracy Holczer: 
And thank you for all you do for kids. I don't know where I'd be without the certain teachers and librarians I had in my life.
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:57 Tracy Holczer
5:58
JoAnn Jonas: 
We look forward to seeing a lot more great books coming from you!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:58 JoAnn Jonas
5:58
Tracy Holczer: 
Thanks for having me, JoAnn! I look forward to writing more books!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:58 Tracy Holczer
5:58
JoAnn Jonas: 
And thank you so much for giving us more insight into Secret Hum of a Daisy!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:58 JoAnn Jonas
5:58
Tracy Holczer: 
:)
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:58 Tracy Holczer
5:59
JoAnn Jonas: 
Any other comments from our Chatters?
Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:59 JoAnn Jonas
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks, Tracy and JoAnn for a fascinating discussion.

And thanks to the Penguin Young Readers program members for joining us today.

Our next chat, is with Heather Mackey, author of Dreamwod, a fantasy adventure for fans of Philip Pullman. More here -- http://penguinyrauthors.ear...

If you’re not part of the program, you can sign up here -- http://penguinyrauthors.ear...

Wednesday August 6, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Tracy Holczer: 
Thanks, everyone!
Wednesday August 6, 2014 6:00 Tracy Holczer
 
 

Posted in EarlyWord Sponsor | Comments Off on LIVE CHAT TODAY – With Tracy Holczer

Penguin Young Readers Live Chat

Monday, June 23rd, 2014

Join us any time between 5 and 6 p.m. today.

Live Blog Live Chat with Django Wexler, THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY
 Live Chat with Django Wexler, THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY(06/23/2014) 
4:38
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Django Wexler in about 15 minutes
Monday June 23, 2014 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book…
Monday June 23, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
 Nora - EarlyWord
Published by Kathy Dawson Books, Penguin Young Readers
Monday June 23, 2014 4:39 
4:40
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And an outline of the plot (from publisher):

"When Alice’s father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon—an uncle she’s never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it’s hard to resist. Especially if you’re a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within. It seems Geryon is more than he says he is. But then, so is Alice."
Monday June 23, 2014 4:40 Nora - EarlyWord
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 

It’s had good response from reviewers:

Booklist -- "It's a joy to watch the dutiful Alice develop her innate curiosity and become a proactive, resourceful heroine, matching wits with snarky cats, dangerous beasts, and a certain smug boy. This is a charming, adventuresome fantasy from a promising new author."


Horn Book - “By giving the richly textured literary adventures "teeth" and by placing subplots both inside and outside the books, Wexler dexterously avoids the "it's only a story" pitfall that might distance readers from the action, while the wondrous Library will gratify book lovers and fantasy experts alike.”

School Library Journal -- "Wexler ingeniously creates an inventive world with interesting creatures and frightening situations."

Monday June 23, 2014 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering!

You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to the author before the end of the chat.

Don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!

Monday June 23, 2014 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Here’s our moderator Lisa Von Drasek. Say hi, Lisa!



Monday June 23, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
lisa von drasek: 
Hello, everyone!, I greet you today from the University of Wisconsin Student Union. Its a beautiful day here on the water.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:00 lisa von drasek
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Madison
Monday June 23, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

You're a long way from home -- on your way to ALA?



Monday June 23, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
Not yet...just had a visit today with a Kerlan Friend, Lois Ehlert in Milwaukee and we are on our way home to the Twin Cities. Stopped at the U for our on-line chat.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see Django is in the house -- say hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord
5:03
Django Wexler: 
Hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Django Wexler
5:03
Django Wexler: 
Welcome, everybody!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Django Wexler
5:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Those of you joining us -- say hi to Django.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Nora - EarlyWord
5:04
lisa von drasek: 
Hi Django. How do you pronounce your first name?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek
5:04
Django Wexler: 
Like Jango, without the D.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Django Wexler
5:04
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Hi Django and Lisa, glad to be joining in today!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Guest
5:04
Django Wexler: 
(Just like in the Quentin Tarantino movie.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Django Wexler
5:04
[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ] 
Hi Django -- from the shores of Lake Michigan!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 MI Librarian
5:05
lisa von drasek: 
Django,

can you say a little about why as a published writer for adults that you turned your talent to a a solid middle grade fantasy?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 lisa von drasek
5:05
[Comment From school librarianschool librarian: ] 
And hi from Maryland.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 school librarian
5:05
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
Hi from Ohio
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 Cat Lover
5:06
Django Wexler: 
Sure. So, I started writing The Forbidden Library back before I *was* a published author for adults.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 Django Wexler
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
you were writing both at the same time... can you timeline that for me?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
Django Wexler: 
I'd gotten an agent for The Thousand Names, and he was shopping it around to publishers, but I needed something else to work on while that was happening.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 Django Wexler
5:07
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 
5:07
lisa von drasek: 

Why did you write a kids book?

Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 lisa von drasek
5:07
Django Wexler: 
Let's see. I signed with Seth (my agent) in fall 2012. Rewrote Thousand Names that Winter. We submitted it in January 2013, and that's around when I started writing Forbidden Library.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 Django Wexler
5:07
Django Wexler: 
Part of the reason I went with a kid's book was that it fit the idea I had, but part of it was because I wanted to write something shorter.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 Django Wexler
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
can you talk about who you liked to read...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:08
Django Wexler: 
Thousand Names is gigantic, and I was planning sequels, so I needed something that wouldn't take up quite the same amount of time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 Django Wexler
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
what books influenced you?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
kids and adult?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:09
Django Wexler: 
Lets' see. For kids books I've always liked a bunch of good fantasy MG and YA authors.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:09 Django Wexler
5:09
Django Wexler: 
I love Phillip Pullman, Phillip Reeve, JK Rowling obviously, Jonathon Stroud, and Terry Pratchett.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:09 Django Wexler
5:10
Django Wexler: 
On the adult side, I love guys like George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, and China Mieville.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 Django Wexler
5:10
Django Wexler: 
I'm really attracted to things with an ambiguous morality -- that's a big part of Forbidden Library, filtered into the world of a kid's book.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 Django Wexler
5:10
lisa von drasek: 
Librarians, I see a lot of humor in the FORBIDDEN LIBRARY. any favorite moments for those who have read?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 lisa von drasek
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
one of mine was .."You don't get to say what's creepy , your a talking cat....you're creepy..

do you make yourself laugh when you write?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
I was on the edge of my seat...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:12
Django Wexler: 
Sometimes, or at least smile. If it makes me laugh when I come back to it later, I know it's a good line.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:12
Django Wexler: 
Ashes gets most of the good lines.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:12
Django Wexler: 
But then he's a cat, so he obviously would.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:13
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
The cat SHOULD get the good lines!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Cat Lover
5:13
lisa von drasek: 
You really captured cat personalities with Ashes and Mother. Do you have any cats?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 lisa von drasek
5:13
Django Wexler: 
Clearly!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:13
Django Wexler: 
Yes, I have two cats.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:13
lisa von drasek: 
picture please?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 lisa von drasek
5:13
 Django Wexler
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 
5:13
Django Wexler: 
They are Sakaki and Tomo.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
Nice
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:14
Django Wexler: 
The thing about cats is that it seems so obvious, if they COULD talk, what kind of personality they'd have.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Django Wexler
5:14
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
You DO know what you're talking about!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Cat Lover
5:14
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
What beauties! and inspirations!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Guest
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
can you tell me a little about your writing day?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:15
Django Wexler: 
They are awesome. I think Ending looks like Sakaki, although Sakaki is scared of everything.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
lisa von drasek: 
Do you have a day job?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek
5:15
Django Wexler: 
Usually I try to get two sessions of writing in, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
Django Wexler: 
So it's like, morning writing, lunch, taking care of misc. stuff like twitter, publicity etc, then more writing.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
Django Wexler: 
Then computer games and whatnot.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:16
lisa von drasek: 
what is your twitter?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 lisa von drasek
5:16
Django Wexler: 
I quit my day job (at Microsoft) about two years ago.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:16
Django Wexler: 
@DjangoWexler -- come say hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:16
Django Wexler: 
There's a lot of good stuff on my website too at http://www.djangowexler.com
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
I was just reading about the lack of "strong women characters" Alice is not only smart and brave but also a bit snarky for the time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:17
Django Wexler: 
In particular check out the Forbidden Library art page, I love that stuff! http://djangowexler.com/for...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 Django Wexler
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
the art in the book was done by a friend...how did that come about?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:18
Django Wexler: 
See, people misunderstand what "strong" means there. I see a lot of fantasy authors think they're making their women characters "strong" by letting them kill hundreds of orcs or whatever.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:18
Django Wexler: 
That's not what "strong" means in this context. It's about strong *characters*, which means they have to have their own story. If a woman can kick ass, but her role is still "the hero's girlfriend", that's not a strong character.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:18
Django Wexler: 
Hmm. My friend didn't actually to the art that's IN the books.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
oh, I misunderstood
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Django Wexler: 
The US art was done by Alexander Jansson, and the UK art by David Wyatt.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Django Wexler
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
The characters are the opposite of two-dimentionals, do you have full biographies and backstory written for each?....

….do they surprise you as you write?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Django Wexler: 
But several friends of mine have been kind enough to do art for me based on the book, which you can read here: http://djangowexler.com/for...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Django Wexler
5:19
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I was just looking at the U.K. cover on your Web site-- So different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Nora - EarlyWord
5:19
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I love the UK internal artwork, very wood-cut style. It has a great old-fashioned feel.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I wouldn't say I have *full* biographies? I generally make up what I need as I go along.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:20
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'll post some of those.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Nora - EarlyWord
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I feel like if you have a good sense of who a character IS, you can tell the kind of backstory he or she might have.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:21
lisa von drasek: 
can we talk how your fairy is really creepy and scary,...where did that come from?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 lisa von drasek
5:21
Django Wexler: 
I do have notes on the backstory of the older characters, like Ending and Geryon.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:21
Django Wexler: 
When I started the book, I decided I didn't want to use any "stock" fantasy creatures. Fairies, elves, dragons, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:21
Django Wexler: 
So any time I included something like that, I would put some kind of a twist in it to make it unique.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:22
Django Wexler: 
So Vespidian, the fairy, is creepy and scary looking, with a bunch of wasp-like characteristics. (I hate wasps.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 Django Wexler
5:22
 Nora - EarlyWord
From the U.K. edition
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 
5:22
Django Wexler: 
The Dragon, which you can see in that picture, has eight legs and six eyes, and is kind of alien-looking.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 Django Wexler
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
Alice's empathy is as much a strength as her quick wits. Was that an attribute from the start?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:23
Django Wexler: 
The elves had needle-like hair which stands up into spikes when they get startled. Etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 Django Wexler
5:23
Django Wexler: 
Alice really evolved as a character during the book. I always knew I wanted her to be intelligent, hard-working, and a little bit cynical and smart-alecky.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 Django Wexler
5:24
Django Wexler: 
But as I went along, her empathy became more important. It's really one of the biggest points of the series -- it's what makes Alice different from the other Readers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 Django Wexler
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
it seems that you have a gift for the cute and threatening at the same time. Anything like that in your real life?f
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:24
Django Wexler: 
Hmm. I have a stuffed animal collection that includes various cute monsters.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 Django Wexler
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
Hah
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:24
 Nora - EarlyWord
This one gives me the chills -- like TRUE DETECTIVE!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 
5:25
Django Wexler: 
I have a cute Cthulu and Darth Vader
Monday June 23, 2014 5:25 Django Wexler
5:25
Django Wexler: 
Cats are a bit like that to be honest. They are adorable, but also full of sharp bits.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:25 Django Wexler
5:26
lisa von drasek: 
I could see these adventures translating easily to other medium...movie and/or game...plans?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 lisa von drasek
5:26
Django Wexler: 
None at the moment, but we're certainly out there. I have a film agent, etc
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:26
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Thanks for the UK art Nora--beautiful!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Guest
5:26
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
Well said!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Cat Lover
5:26
Django Wexler: 
people kept asking about Thousand Names and when it was going to be a movie.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:26
lisa von drasek: 
The protagonist was not aware of her powers is not unusual start. What is unusual is the magical powers are attributed to her being a Reader. Can you describe what that is?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 lisa von drasek
5:26
Django Wexler: 
But I think Forbidden Library would be better suited to it.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:27
Django Wexler: 
So, in Alice's world magical powers are based on the ability to activate magical text inscribed in books.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:27 Django Wexler
5:27
Django Wexler: 
Which they called capital-R Reading.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:27 Django Wexler
5:28
Django Wexler: 
The most basic ability of the Reader is to open these special books and use them, either to go to a world inside them or to pass through a portal to another place.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:28 Django Wexler
5:28
Django Wexler: 
Eventually they learn to create them, too, out of little bits of raw magic they fish out of other books and cram together.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:28 Django Wexler
5:29
Django Wexler: 
A particular type of book, called a prison-book, lets them bind magical creatures and use their powers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:29
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
I love the idea of the Reader literally entering the book. Where did that come from?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 MD. school Librarian
5:29
Django Wexler: 
I'm not entirely sure! It's something I've always wanted to do something with.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:29
Django Wexler: 
The idea of a library where the books contain worlds has been kicking around in my head for a long time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:30
lisa von drasek: 
The world building in Forbidden Library is detailed and unique yet it is easy to suspend disbelief ...

Would you be able to say to a kid if you liked __________ book, you will like mine.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 lisa von drasek
5:30
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
it's a great metaphor -- books can change you.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 MD. school Librarian
5:30
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
"there is not frigate like a book"
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 MD. school Librarian
5:30
Django Wexler: 
There's an anime (Japanese cartoon) called Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito (roughly "Travellers in Darkness with Book and Hat") that has roughly that theme, which I saw a long time ago.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 Django Wexler
5:31
Django Wexler: 
Lisa, hmm, I'm not really sure? It's hard to compare books directly that way.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:31
lisa von drasek: 
okay
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek
5:31
Django Wexler: 
When I was writing it I thought of "Harry Potter Book 1" as my target demographic in terms of roughly the kind of people I was writing for.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:31
Django Wexler: 
But that was more an age group/vocabulary thing.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:32
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Are you bothered when the book is compared to others? I've seen it compared to Harry Potter (isn't EVERY fantasy) and INKHEART.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Jersey Librarian
5:32
Django Wexler: 
Bothered, not particularly?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:32
Django Wexler: 
I mean, comparing something to Harry Potter these days, as you say, doesn't mean much because everything is.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:32
lisa von drasek: 
I would say that you achieved that! What they have in common for me is - fast paced adventure, great story AND a pleasure to read aloud.

And I don't say that lightly
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 lisa von drasek
5:32
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Are you influenced by Anime?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Jersey Librarian
5:32
Django Wexler: 
There's definitely some similarity with Inkheart (which I actually haven't read)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
But I think the point of the story is very different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
Yes, I'm definitely influenced by anime.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
I did some Japanese in college, and that's always been one of my hobbies.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
lisa von drasek: 
yes, I would agree....
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 lisa von drasek
5:33
Django Wexler: 
They do children's TV *way* better than we do, at least until recently.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:34
Django Wexler: 
Especially in the MG age range.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 Django Wexler
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
Is there an Anime series you would recommend to librarians who may not be familiar with the genre?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:34
Django Wexler: 
Ooh, that's tough.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 Django Wexler
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
yes indeed, tough questions here!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:35
Django Wexler: 
The Miyazaki movies are always a go-to. (Spirited Away, Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, Totoro, etc.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Django Wexler
5:35
lisa von drasek: 
Oh yes! Totoro! Spirited away!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 lisa von drasek
5:35
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Love those!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Guest
5:35
Django Wexler: 
A lot of the stuff I consider favorites is a bit dark for kid.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Django Wexler
5:36
Django Wexler: 
I actually write a column called "Lost in Animeland" at SF Signal about anime for non-anime-fans: http://www.sfsignal.com/arc...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 Django Wexler
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
Dark! Dark! you don't consider Forbidden Library dark???!!!!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:36
Django Wexler: 
The Forbidden Library is as dark as I could get away with in a book for ten-year-olds.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 Django Wexler
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
thanks for the column link..
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:37
Django Wexler: 
Like I said, I tend to be a fan of stuff that's at least a little ambiguous.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 Django Wexler
5:37
lisa von drasek: 
It is dark as childhood is dark but you have a thread of humor that saves it from being oppressive.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 lisa von drasek
5:37
Django Wexler: 
For me one of the most fun things about The Forbidden Library is that Alice doesn't really know who the good guys are.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 Django Wexler
5:38
lisa von drasek: 
ambiguous! Alice doesn't know?!! I don't KNOW! When is the sequel!!! I am dying here!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 lisa von drasek
5:38
Django Wexler: 
It always bugged me in kid's books where the Wise Old Mentor comes on and says, "By the way, this is who is good and this is who is evil."
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:38
Django Wexler: 
How come Wise Old Mentor gets to decide that? Who appointed him judge?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:38
Django Wexler: 
The sequel (The Mad Apprentice) should be coming out in March of next year.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:39
Django Wexler: 
It's basically done, they're working on cover and other art.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
and of course we find it is our own actions that could make us good /evil
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
Were you "dark" as a kid? Should we worry about such kids?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 School Librarian
5:39
Django Wexler: 
The series is intended to be five books, and I've got it mapped out to a definite conclusion. (Hopefully!)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:39
Django Wexler: 
Do you mean "dark" as a person, or did I like dark stuff?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
what did you read as a kid?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:40
Django Wexler: 
The latter was definitely true. I was reading adult books by age 10 or so (just whatever they had on the SFF shelf in the library.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
Django Wexler: 
And I played a ton of role-playing games, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
Django Wexler: 
I was more of a total nerd than any kind of cool dressing-in-black with silver jewelry type though.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
I mean liking "dark" stuff. But that probably also carries over into the kids personality.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 School Librarian
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
did your parents support your extra curricular choices?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:41
Django Wexler: 
I think liking "dark" stuff is not something to worry about. All the kids *I* know are pretty good about the difference between fantasy and reality.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:41 Django Wexler
5:41
Django Wexler: 
And I really believe in the idea of letting kids pursue their interests and what they like in terms of books, movies, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:41 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
Trying to sanitize everything just makes it worse.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
My parents were very supportive of me. I didn't require much work as a kid, I spent a lot of my time either reading or playing quiet games.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
Sometimes they would encourage me to, like, play soccer or otherwise get out of the house.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:43
Django Wexler: 
But I come from a very bookish family, so by their standards I wasn't too far from normal.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 Django Wexler
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
you were a career changer....can you say something about that?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
I agree. Besides, what are you going to do? Force them to go to Nicholas Sparks movies?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 School Librarian
5:43
Django Wexler: 
Meaning, that I changed careers?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
Haha, anything but that!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
I learned from my parents, I think, that you're not locked in to whatever it is that you do. They both had very strange career paths.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
My dad went from math teacher to opera singer (for 20-odd years) to computer programmer and bank executive.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:45
Django Wexler: 
My mom did photography, advertising, non-profit work and marketing, and ended up as a Presbyterian minister.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Django Wexler
5:45
lisa von drasek: 
meaning that you had a regular job and then became a writer full time. was this a leap of faith? how long were you writing before your first book sold?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 lisa von drasek
5:45
Django Wexler: 
So I had good examples that changing careers was something you could do.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Django Wexler
5:45
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Woa! Amazing about your father.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Jersey Librarian
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I started writing when I was in high school. I wrote a little bit about it here: http://www.powells.com/blog...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I did some fan-fiction and other stuff, but I finally wrote a fantasy novel and tried to sell it in my last year of college.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
And your mother, too! Glad they served as good examples, rather than making you feel unstable.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Jersey Librarian
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I sold two novels to a small press, Medallion, which was gratifying but didn't count for much financially.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
lisa von drasek: 
have you done many school or library visits?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 lisa von drasek
5:47
Django Wexler: 
So I decided to try and get an agent so I could write a book for the big publishers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
That took a while.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
I didn't quit my job until I had enough contracts to live on, though, so it wasn't really a leap of faith.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
Only a few school visits so far, but I love doing them!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:48
Django Wexler: 
I'm part of the Skype in the Classroom program, if anybody uses that. I always love talking to kids.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 Django Wexler
5:48
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
How can I get you for a school program?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 Jersey Librarian
5:48
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Do you have any other writing projects going on right now (besides the rest of this series) that you can tell us about?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 NM Librarian
5:49
Django Wexler: 
Jersey Librarian -- Depends on if its in person or over Skype. Send me an email (there's a form on my website) and I can put you in touch with the right people at Penguin.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:49 Django Wexler
5:50
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Great, thanks.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 Jersey Librarian
5:50
Django Wexler: 
NM Librarian -- well, between my adult series and kids series, I'm kept pretty busy! I do have a humorous urban fantasy series with a small press called Ragnarok: http://djangowexler.com/sto...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 Django Wexler
5:50
lisa von drasek: 
This from an on-line participant

how long did it take for you to get this book published?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek
5:51
Django Wexler: 
And I've been doing a few short stories that should start showing up in various anthologies next year. But mostly trying to do one enormous adult book and one kids book a year takes up most of my time!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:51 Django Wexler
5:51
Django Wexler: 
Getting The Forbidden Library published was actually pretty quick, all told! I sent it to Seth, who sent it specifically to Kathy Dawson at Penguin, because he thought it would be a good fit. She liked it, so we were set.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:51 Django Wexler
5:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The next one in your adult series is coming out in a few weeks...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Nora - EarlyWord
5:52
Django Wexler: 
Maybe a couple of months all told. (Then of course more than a year of waiting for it to actually come out.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 
5:52
Django Wexler: 
The hard part was getting an agent and my first sale. That took ... maybe five years?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
Django Wexler: 
Depends on when you start counting.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
What differences to you see between writing for children and adults.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 NM Librarian
5:53
Django Wexler: 
I try not to write TOO differently. I don't like the idea of writing "down" to kids.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
Django Wexler: 
Basically, I think of it as leaving out the sex, swearing, and extremes of violence, but otherwise not too different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
So glad to hear you say that!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Guest
5:53
Django Wexler: 
It's a little simpler in terms of narrative structure -- there's only one POV character, and we follow her story in a pretty straightforward way.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
That explains a lot -- I thnk that is true for all really good children's authors.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Jersey Librarian
5:54
Django Wexler: 
My editor took out some vocabulary she thought was too exotic. "Gnomon", is one I remember.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
lisa von drasek: 
We have only a few minutes left....any burning questions?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek
5:54
Django Wexler: 
But otherwise it's pretty much just the way I always right.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
Django Wexler: 
There's even a Shakespeare quote in book 2!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
Django Wexler: 
I always write, haha.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:55
Django Wexler: 
(If I don't get to your question, btw, please feel free to ask me on Twitter or Facebook!)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
which brings me to a question I had....this is historic fiction as well as fantasy... why this time period?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
Django Wexler: 
Ah, good question.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:55
Django Wexler: 
My editor asked me early on, "Why is this set in 1931? Can't we set it in modern day?"
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
And I said, well, the problem is that their magic is based on printing and books. So I don't know how that would work with computers, cell phone, scanners, and whatnot.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
Makes everything WAY more complicated.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
So, I wanted a past setting, and I'd been reading a bit about the Depression, and I went with that.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:57
Django Wexler: 
It's also close enough to WWII that it gives it a little Chronicles of Narnia feel.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:57
lisa von drasek: 
oohhhhh, I didn't think of that... and the loss of money and the decline in their standard of living played a big part in the beginning
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 lisa von drasek
5:57
Django Wexler: 
Right, exactly. The whole "being shipped off to live with a distant uncle" plot seemed more likely in those days.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:57
Django Wexler: 
Today you'd just keep in touch with your friends on Instagram and complain on your blog.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:58
lisa von drasek: 
with the understanding of losing everything to "the bankers" and having no where to turn
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 lisa von drasek
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I hear many writers, including those for adults, say modern settings are difficult. Things can happen too quickly -- difficult to create tension.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Django Wexler: 
It definitely can be difficult.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:58
Django Wexler: 
ONe reason I like fantasy.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:58
Django Wexler: 
The real world, especially for kids, also changes so fast that things become dated very quickly.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:59
lisa von drasek: 
Final thoughts?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 lisa von drasek
5:59
Django Wexler: 
If I'd written about the world of fifteen years ago, with dial-up modems and myspace, it'd be unrecognizable today.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 Django Wexler
5:59
 Nora - EarlyWord
Before we go, I wanted everyone to see this photo Lisa sent of where she was chatting from today -- the U. of Wisconsin Student Union in Madison -- pretty gorgeous!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 
5:59
Django Wexler: 
Thanks to everyone for listening!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 Django Wexler
6:00
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Thanks so much! I really enjoyed the book (as did my 7th grader!)Can't wait for the sequel!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 NM Librarian
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The hour has flown by -- thanks everyone!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Django Wexler: 
Again, feel free to get in touch, either by social media or emailing me through my site. http://www.djangowexler.com I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Django Wexler
6:00
lisa von drasek: 
Thank you Django- THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY was a grand adventure and I am looking forward to further adventures with Alice
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 lisa von drasek
6:00
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Thanks so much!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Guest
6:00
Django Wexler: 
Thanks for having me on!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Django Wexler
 
 

Posted in Childrens and YA | Comments Off on Penguin Young Readers Live Chat

Penguin Debut Authors Live Chat Wednesday, June 18

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014
 Live Chat with Laura Lane McNeal, DOLLBABY(06/18/2014) 
3:48
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Laura Lane McNeal, author of DOLLBABY in about 15 minutes.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:48 Nora - EarlyWord
3:49
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book …
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:49 Nora - EarlyWord
3:50
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:50 
3:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Good news, we learned last week that DOLLBABY is a LibraryReads pick:

LibraryReads: “In this coming-of-age story set in the Civil Rights era, Ibby is dropped off at the home of her eccentric grandmother in New Orleans after the death of her beloved father. Filled with colorful characters, family secrets and lots of New Orleans tidbits, this book will appeal to fans of Saving Ceecee Honeycutt.” Vicki Nesting, St. Charles Parish Library, Destrehan, LA
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord
3:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Laura recoded a video message for First Flights members.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord
3:52
Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:52 
3:55
Nora - EarlyWord: 
LIBRARY JOURNAL gave it a starred review, saying,

"...it's hard to believe that it's a debut. A vivid portrayal of post-war New Orleans, lush and evocative in its descriptions, McNeal's unique voice shines through surprising and pleasing the reader. Fans of Pat Conroy and Sue Monk Kidd will enjoy this new Southern talent."
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:55 Nora - EarlyWord
3:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You may also want to explore Laura's interactive map of New Orleans during the time the book is set -
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:57 Nora - EarlyWord
3:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Laura's Interactive Map of New Orleans in 1964
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:57 Nora - EarlyWord
3:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here's what it looks like:
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:57 Nora - EarlyWord
3:58
 Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday June 18, 2014 3:58 
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see several chat participants gathering. You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Laura before the end of the chat. Don’t worry about typos – and please forgive ours!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Laura is here, too -- say hello, Laura!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
4:01
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Hi Nora! So happy to be here with you. I look forward to chatting with everyone and answering their questions. Hello everyone!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:01 Laura Lane McNeal
4:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'll let everyone out there say hello --
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord
4:02
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Hi Laura!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:02 VNesting
4:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hey, Vicki -- thanks for joining. You wrote the LibraryReads annotation for Laura's book.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord
4:03
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Hi Vicki! Glad you joined us! Thanl you for all your wonderful comments.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:03 Laura Lane McNeal
4:03
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
Hi Laura! New Orleans is such a fabulous setting for a book. A very complicated place to describe, isn't it?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:03 Kelly C
4:03
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Very complicated!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:03 Laura Lane McNeal
4:04
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
HI Laura! it is a pleasure to meet you.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 Dominique
4:04
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
So happy to be joining the chat.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 bookclubreader
4:04
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Hello Dominique!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 Laura Lane McNeal
4:04
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hey, BookClubReader -- great to see you again.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 Nora - EarlyWord
4:04
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
You're welcome, Laura! I'm looking forward to chatting with you about the book.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 VNesting
4:04
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
Thanks, Nora.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 bookclubreader
4:04
Laura Lane McNeal: 
And welcome bookclubreader!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:04 Laura Lane McNeal
4:05
[Comment From AnneAnne: ] 
Hi Laura - So enjoyed the book - especially since I recently was in NO for 2 weeks.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:05 Anne
4:05
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Oh great!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:05 Laura Lane McNeal
4:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'd like to start with a question we got in advance...

You’re too young to have grown up during that time in New Orleans, how were you able to create such a feel for the time?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord
4:05
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora, I'm sure that is a question I will be getting a lot...
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:05 Laura Lane McNeal
4:06
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
Such a great story, Laura. Can you tell us what inspired you to write it?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:06 bookclubreader
4:06
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I was a small child in the early 60’s, but I do have some recollection of the time. These memories were added to, or reinforced, by traditional research as well as oral histories from older generations that were able to give me a feel for the different attitudes that existed back then. While I may have been around to witness many of these things, I was to young to understand them. That was the kind of perspective I gave Ibby in the beginning of the novel, a perspective that changes as she grows older and becomes accustomed to the ways of the South.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:06 Laura Lane McNeal
4:07
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I had always wanted to write a novel but one life changing event did it -- Hurricane Katrina! I felt I needed to recapture a time and place, my way of 'saving' memories.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:07 Laura Lane McNeal
4:07
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Did people really talk about the "Holy Trinity" of New Orleans cooking back in the 60s? I thought that expression was contemporary.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:07 VNesting
4:07
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Lord no. That has been around a long time. Frank Davis made it popular recently..
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:07 Laura Lane McNeal
4:08
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
"Holy Trinity" reminds us that everything old is new again :-)
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:08 bookclubreader
4:08
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I heard it from my grandmother's cook.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:08 Laura Lane McNeal
4:08
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
the choice you made about Ibby's mom was painful. i felt like she left Ibby with Fannie because she knew she was dying and to be malicious. Why did you choose to write her this way?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:08 Dominique
4:08
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Exactly right… what goes around
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:08 Laura Lane McNeal
4:09
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vidrine was complicated. She hated Fannie because she knew Fannie hated her. She didn't knw she was dying when she left Ibby. She was distraught.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:09 Laura Lane McNeal
4:10
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I think she felt Ibby would be better off with Fannie in the long run, given her predicament.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:10 Laura Lane McNeal
4:11
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Did Vidrine intend to come back for Ibby once she mourned her husband?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:11 Jennifer W.
4:11
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
some moms (mine included) understood both sides -my mom said she understood Vidrine's grief, but as a mother, she could not see her abandoning her child.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:11 Dominique
4:12
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vidrine didn't know what she wanted when she dropped Ibby off. She went off to find herself. Then she found she was ill. She had hard choices to make.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:12 Laura Lane McNeal
4:12
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hey, Dominique, sounds like you did a mother/daughter book club for the book.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:12 Nora - EarlyWord
4:12
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
One of the things that struck me about the story and characters were the issues of sadness and strength. This made for a very relate-able story.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:12 bookclubreader
4:12
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
You did a great job with character development. I thought the characters reflected the City itself -- rich, interesting, complex, and multi-layered.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:12 VNesting
4:13
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
Nora, my mom and I talked about it a lot- she really loved the book, Laura.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:13 Dominique
4:13
Laura Lane McNeal: 
One of the things I try to stress it "you got to dance even when their ain't no music", kind of the theme.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:13 Laura Lane McNeal
4:13
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Speaking of Vidrine -- here's another advance question:

Fannie has distain for her daughter-in-law as a possible gold digger, but the same might have been thought of Fannie. Why was she so quick to be judge?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:13 Nora - EarlyWord
4:14
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora, that's a good question.Fannie started from nothing. She made her own way in the world and ended up being pretty good at it, carving out a name for herself in certain circles of the city. The last thing she wanted was for her son to marry ‘someone like her’. She wanted him to marry someone better, and Vidrine, in her view, was not the caliber person she intended for her son to end up with. Their similarities were the very reason these two never got along. Fannie had a good heart. We are never sure where Vidrine’ s heart lies.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:14 Laura Lane McNeal
4:15
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Another advance question:

There’s several strong women characters in the book – why is it titled for just one of them?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:15 Nora - EarlyWord
4:15
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thank you Dominique. I hope it's a book that will translate well to several generations.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:15 Laura Lane McNeal
4:16
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora, another good question… I named the novel Dollbaby because it tells the story of Dollbaby. Her very existence touches each character’s life in a different way, so in a sense, she is the common thread that inextricably binds each of the characters. Having said that, Dollbaby allows each of the other characters to have their own story. While it is certainly a coming of age story for Ibby, it’s a novel of self-discovery on many levels -- each character is on her own quest to find out who she is and how she fits into this world. It’s a question everyone asks of themselves at some point in their lives.

Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:16 Laura Lane McNeal
4:16
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
I think it's an excellent choice for book clubs.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:16 bookclubreader
4:16
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I like to hear the bookclubreader!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:16 Laura Lane McNeal
4:17
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You mentioned talking to people who lived during that time while doing your research -- What was most surprising thing you learned?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:17 Nora - EarlyWord
4:17
Laura Lane McNeal: 
To answer Vicki above..
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:17 Laura Lane McNeal
4:17
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I think New Orleans is as much a character as any
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:17 Laura Lane McNeal
4:18
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora,I was surprised at how strongly people of all walks of life felt about this era in New Orleans, about a way of life that had existed, both good and bad, unchanged for so long. I try to draw these differing attitudes out in the novel, particularly among the three generations of black women (Queenie, Dollbaby and Birdelia) who have differing ideas as to what civil rights may mean to them. I also incorporate Fannie’s view, which may seem to be indifferent at times but as we find out further into the novel, she is very aware of what is going on. And Ibby, a newcomer to the city who has had very little exposure to racism or prejudice, finds out first hand how differently people can be treated, whether it’s due to ignorance or bias or both.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:18 Laura Lane McNeal
4:20
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Did any of your characters surprise you as you were writing and not react to something as you had planned for them to react or do something they were supposed to do?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:20 Jennifer W.
4:20
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Jennifer, good question..
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:20 Laura Lane McNeal
4:21
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I don't do an outline. I know the story in my head as I write so sometimes the characters lead me to where I'm going… like Doll talking to herself in Fannie's bedroom when Vidrine shows up. That's the fun part of writing!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:21 Laura Lane McNeal
4:21
[Comment From AnneAnne: ] 
I thought a lot of the book could be summed up in what Doll told Liberty - You can't choose the day or time when you will fully bloom. It happens when you least expect it. - I thought all of these wonderful characters expressed this sentiment.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:21 Anne
4:22
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
The novel poignantly captures the human experience--which I think is the reason we read.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:22 bookclubreader
4:22
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Yes, I found it fascinating to read the different characters' responses to the Civil Rights protests and the President's announcement about the Civil Rights Act.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:22 VNesting
4:22
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thank you Anne. I guess that's why I put that at the end of the book. It did sum up everything. You can't plan it, it happens when you least expect it. Haven't we all felt that?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:22 Laura Lane McNeal
4:23
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
Hard to believe the Civil Rights Act is 50 years old. Perfect time to publish this book!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:23 Kelly C
4:23
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thank you bookclubreader! Human experience… there is a lot of that here.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:23 Laura Lane McNeal
4:23
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
How much time did you spend writing everyday?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:23 Kelly C
4:23
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Yes, 50 years old Kelly. There will be a lot written about it soon
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:23 Laura Lane McNeal
4:24
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
Laura, did your grandparents take part in the civil rights movement at all?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:24 Dominique
4:25
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Kelly, I researched the novel for two years and decided to sit down the day my son went back to school and write every day until I finished. Eight hours a day. It took me three months for the first draft. I think everyone thought I was crazy!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:25 Laura Lane McNeal
4:25
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How difficult was it to get it published?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:25 Nora - EarlyWord
4:25
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
That's an impressive writing schedule, Laura!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:25 bookclubreader
4:26
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Dominique
The first newspaper I started reading from 1964, which by happen chance was the day the Civil Rights Acts was signed, there was an ad with my dad's name on it asking for calm. I almost felt like it was an omen
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:26 Laura Lane McNeal
4:26
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
wow! that is an omen.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:26 Dominique
4:27
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Wow! That is amazing -- leads to a question we got in advance --

There seems to be fear about what might happen “now that the President has signed the bill” in other words, what would happen after Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill, What were they worried about?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:27 Nora - EarlyWord
4:27
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
Wow is right! You must have felt very inspired at that point!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:27 Kelly C
4:27
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora
I am among the fortunate ones. I submitted 25 pages to be critiqued at a literary festival and a publishing house said they wanted it right then and there. I already had an agent so we tweaked and sent i out a few months later where we got a handful of offers!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:27 Laura Lane McNeal
4:28
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora, let me just say tis..The months leading up to the President signing the Civil Rights Act were fraught with civil unrest, and tensions were high. Known as the Freedom Summer when the Freedom Riders tried to register Negroes to vote In Mississippi, many of these busses carrying the riders were bombed or burned. At this point in time, several of the Freedom Riders were missing and feared dead. People were afraid that the signing of the bill might cause more violence, and people were justifiably scared. The president, as well as the mayor of the city, asked for calm after the signing of the bill, but people were fearing the worst.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:28 Laura Lane McNeal
4:29
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Let's go back to getting the book published -- was this your very first book?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord
4:29
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
Laura, you are too humble. I'm sure your talent had a great deal to do with it!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:29 Kelly C
4:29
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thanks Kelly :)
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:29 Laura Lane McNeal
4:30
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora
This was my first book to be published. I had written an earlier one, a thriller, which is how I got my agent.. but then the ebook market made the publishing world sit back. It was then that I decided I needed to go ahead and write DOLLBABY
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:30 Laura Lane McNeal
4:31
Nora - EarlyWord: 
A thriller? I wouldn't have guessed that. What made you change genres?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:31 Nora - EarlyWord
4:32
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora I never intended to write a thriller but it incorporated a lot of personal experiences I wanted to get out after dealing with our corrupt governor on some issues when I handled the advertising for the Lottery account. I had this story, DOLLBABY, already to go, just had to get that one out first!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:32 Laura Lane McNeal
4:33
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
will you consider publishing the thriller now that Dollbaby has published?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:33 Dominique
4:34
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Dominique
My agent keeps saying its a great book and that it will be published however because it is a different genre I'd have to use a different name. AND now that ebooks are out readers expect thriller writers to write about a book a year. For literary it's about every 5 years. Who knows. Maybe I'll do both!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:34 Laura Lane McNeal
4:35
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Did you decide on the title DOLLBABY while you were writing or did it come to you later?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:35 VNesting
4:36
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vicki
I was taking a writing class, a workshop, and they decided that it should be called that. They were pretty adamant. Then my agent loved it. My editor, she wasn't so sure until she came down to NO for SIBA as realized how common those nicknames are! Everyone calls you BABY!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:36 Laura Lane McNeal
4:37
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You chose to make the Civil Rights movement the backdrop, but not the centerpiece of the story -- which seems to be behind this advance question:


Dollbaby joins a civil rights protest, but doesn’t seem to get any further involved in the movement. Why is that?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord
4:38
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora
If I'd made the book all about Civil Rights it would have taken over the whole book..Queenie feared for her daughter and made no bones about telling her so. The summer of 1964 was called Freedom Summer because there was so much civil unrest. At that point in time, several Freedom Riders were missing in Mississippi, feared dead. Businesses that catered to Negroes were being bombed, churches burned. Queenie alludes to some of these things in her talks with Doll, including the vandalism that was taking place in their neighborhoods. People were scared. Dollbaby wanted to join in the protest, but she too was scared. As Queenie says to Doll, she had a daughter to think about. Doll continued to participate in the movement when possible, but it had to be without her mother’s knowledge, but always carrying the fear that she might be ‘the next’ to go.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:38 Laura Lane McNeal
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How difficult was it to write dialect?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Laura Lane McNeal: 
New Orleans is a cultural gumbo, and just about as many dialects exist as ingredients in this famous dish, which is one reason it’s really hard for outsiders to pin the dialect down. Having grown up here, in a city that is majority black with a mix of just about everything else, I live and breathe it every day, attuned to the nuances and cadence of the voices. While I was hesitant at first to do the black dialect, once I got into the characters, it flowed easily. I tried to make the voices as authentic as possible without bogging down the dialogue. As a writer, I believe you should be able to write from any perspective, if you really know the character.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:39 Laura Lane McNeal
4:40
[Comment From Sue D.Sue D.: ] 
do you think your novel could be recommended to the young adult market?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:40 Sue D.
4:41
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
Laura, growing up in a household 'of color', i completely understood that Doll was doing things without Queenie knowing, but also had to weigh the pros and cons of continuing to participate. thank you for capturing that.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:41 Dominique
4:41
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Sue Yes, the novel has a bit of YA to it. But there is a rape seen so it would have to be age appropriate. I think the YA market would like it and I like the feeling of giving them a glimpse of a world they don't know about.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:41 Laura Lane McNeal
4:41
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Having lived in New Orleans for 22 years and just outside of it for another 12, I think you did a great job with the accents, Laura.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:41 VNesting
4:42
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Domonique
Thank you. I tried really hard to balance how each of these characters might feel
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:42 Laura Lane McNeal
4:42
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Even though in the end, your book is very different, did you have any fear of being compared to THE HELP?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:42 Jennifer W.
4:42
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vicki
Thank you . Coming from someone who lives here that means a lot!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:42 Laura Lane McNeal
4:43
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Jennifer
I knew because the book contained domestics and takes place in the early 60's that there would be comparisons, which on one level is good, however, I feel my novel is something comepletly different.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:43 Laura Lane McNeal
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord: 
How did you feel when you found out your book is one of just ten books librarians picked as their favorites for the month of July?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord
4:44
Laura Lane McNeal: 
I was truly blown away and overwhelmed! To have my novel chosen as a top read by this marvelous group gave me some real validation on several levels – that it’s a story people will take to their hearts, and that it has universal appeal.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:44 Laura Lane McNeal
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 
For those of you going to ALA -- Laura will be signing at the Penguin group booth #449 on Friday, June 27th during the opening of the ALA conference (5:30 – 7).
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Yes please come see me! I'll have king cake babies!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:45 Laura Lane McNeal
4:45
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Speaking of accents, did I read somewhere that there will be an audiobook of DOLLBABY? If so, who is doing the narrating and are you happy with it?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:45 VNesting
4:45
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
woo hoo! King Cake babies!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:45 Dominique
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You have to tell this Northerner what King Cake babies are!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vicki
I was so pleased that they let me choose the talent. January LaVoy read the book for the audio and is AMAZING! We had several dialect phone calls, which were really a hoot for me but very necessary! They did a great job with it.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:46 Laura Lane McNeal
4:47
[Comment From Sue D.Sue D.: ] 
Are you planning a tour, like coming to the St. Louis/Charles area?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:47 Sue D.
4:48
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
That's great, Laura! Wish I was going to be at ALA to meet you in person.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:48 VNesting
4:48
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Dollbaby got her name because her mother thought she looked like a little king cake doll. King cakes are something we have during the Mardi Gras Season. They have a small doll hidden in them. Whoever gets the doll is King (or Queen) for the day
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:48 Laura Lane McNeal
4:49
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
ALA attendees have a real treat waiting for them. Wish I could be there, too.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:49 bookclubreader
4:49
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Sue
Viking has planned an initial Southern Tour. I hope to have another after this initial one. If you want me to come to your area just have one of the reps request it. I'd love to come see all of you!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:49 Laura Lane McNeal
4:49
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thank you bookclubreader!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:49 Laura Lane McNeal
4:49
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Also my tour schedule is on my website
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:49 Laura Lane McNeal
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
If libraries want to book you for a program, how can they do that?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Vicki
Perhaps you could come to my first book signing on July 10!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:50 Laura Lane McNeal
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We're getting close to the end, so get your questions in.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:51
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Laura, you got a great blurb from Walter Isaacson – we think of him as the writer of big, deeply research, serious bios., so it might be suprising that he reads, let alone appreciates fiction:

"This flavorful and enthralling novel brilliantly captures New Orleans during the civil rights era. It's a deeply personal tale about growing up and searching for family as well as a provocative exploration of race and kinship. I found it both thrilling and poignant."
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:51 Nora - EarlyWord
4:51
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora
I'd love to visit librariesFeel free to contact my publicist with any inquiries:

Kristin Matzen, Publicist
Viking/ Penguin
212-366-2226
Kristin.Matzen@us.penguingroup.com
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:51 Laura Lane McNeal
4:52
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora
He liked my book because he said it brought back great memories of growing up in New Orleans! I didn't ask for the blurb. He offered it. I was humbled!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:52 Laura Lane McNeal
4:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
That must have been VERY gratifying!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:52 Nora - EarlyWord
4:52
Laura Lane McNeal: 
To say the least!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:52 Laura Lane McNeal
4:53
Nora - EarlyWord: 
On your site, you mention you're working on another book -- can you tell us anything about it?
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:53 Nora - EarlyWord
4:55
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora. yes, it's somewhat about my family. It takes place during the Depression on an old plantation on River Road outside of Baton Rouge. No one has a job, and people keep showing up to stay at the home. There is no electricity, no running water, and a lot of spare time and uncertainty. It will bring in a lot of history at that time, like when big oil was first making an appearance and Huey Long became governor. I see it as a cross between Downton abbey and Gone with the Wind some 60 years later
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:55 Laura Lane McNeal
4:56
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Great references!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord
4:56
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Thanks so much, Laura and Nora! It's been a pleasure chatting with you all.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:56 VNesting
4:56
[Comment From Jennifer W.Jennifer W.: ] 
Thank you for taking time with us this afternoon. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:56 Jennifer W.
4:56
[Comment From Kelly CKelly C: ] 
Thanks Laura and Nora!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:56 Kelly C
4:56
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Nora and everyone.. it has been a pleasure for sure!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:56 Laura Lane McNeal
4:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Yes; thank you so much, Laura. We're so please your book is a LibraryReads pick and are looking forward to great things for it.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 Nora - EarlyWord
4:57
[Comment From AnneAnne: ] 
Thank you for talking with you. Good luck on your book tour and I look forward to reading your next novel - sounds really interesting.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 Anne
4:57
[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ] 
I'll be recommending Dollbaby to readers and look forward to your next novel, Laura. It sounds like another great read!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 bookclubreader
4:57
[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ] 
Ooooo, can't wait to read the next one!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 VNesting
4:57
[Comment From DominiqueDominique: ] 
that sounds very intriguing! thank you for chatting with us, and look forward to seeing you at ALA.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 Dominique
4:57
Laura Lane McNeal: 
Thank you everyone! It was a real treat!
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:57 Laura Lane McNeal
4:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Bye everyone -- thanks for making this so lively.
Wednesday June 18, 2014 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

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