Books that walk the real dark side

When I was 14, a classmate stuffed something in the exhaust pipe of the family car and asphyxiated herself. Why would she do that? I was too naïve to understand, and no adult talked to me in any useful way about it. I got the feeling there was something sordid about suicide, something you should put in a far corner of a dark closet and cover up.

As an adult, I understand how life can be overwhelming, how adults can abuse the young in horrific ways, how society can expect more than a child thinks he can deliver, how shame can make a person feel worthless.

I have no idea what pushed that girl into the abyss, but I wish I’d had someone to talk to about it. I wish she’d had someone to talk to. I wish there had been books like the ones I’m about to talk about.
As a lead-up to Banned Books Week, I pledged to read and write about books that people have requested be removed from public and school libraries. The annual event, sponsored by the American Library Association and other organizations, takes place Sept. 25-Oct. 2 this year.

Two of my reading choices--TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson and TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher—deal with teen suicide. They’ve opened the closet. I’ve added a third book at the end of the post, which touches on the subject, as well. That book is such a stunner, I had to include it, and no one should pass up reading it.

First, I want to say I admire the bravery of these three authors and the craftsmanship of their work.

Second, I understand why people wouldn’t want very young readers to tackle these books. They’re meant for teens/young adults, not children. For some readers, stories like these might help them see they’re not alone; there are other options and possible abuse-free futures. For the reader who has an abuse-free life, it’s not a bad thing to learn about those who are less fortunate, to understand why they behave as they do.

Third, there’s never a reason to ban a book. There is plenty of reason to be sure it’s in age-appropriate hands and to discuss the content. Parents and teachers have an opportunity and responsibility to help kids comprehend what they read and see beyond their own experiences, to learn about others, to be compassionate and open-minded. A lot of books today have study guides printed in the back. How awesome is that?

It’s hard for me to come up with the proper praise for TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY, but Sherman Alexie nailed it with “a mystery, eulogy and ceremony.” Asher’s debut novel is one of the most originally-told stories I’ve read in a long time as it painfully unveils the troubled life of a girl though cassette tapes she’s mailed to people she claims helped drive her to suicide.

Asher doesn’t sentimentalize Hannah. She has an active (or passive) role in much that has happened and could have made other choices. The story is told through her voice on the tapes and through Clay, one of the recipients as he reacts to her tale.

I hold my finger over the button, listening to the soft hum in the speakers, the faint squeak of the spindles winding the tape, waiting for her voice to return.

The series of events starts with a lie a classmate tells about her and grows into a reputation she never deserved. I felt Clay’s anguish as he tries to understand Hannah, who he’d been crushing on before she killed herself. I’m grateful that Asher gave Clay the sense to unravel Hannah’s story and see that she could’ve chosen differently. And so can he.

Adults are often uncomfortable with sexual reference in teen books, but if there ever was a time in life when hormones are pumping, that would be it. A teen-age boy wouldn’t tell his mother that looking at a hot girl has an immediate physiological effect, but a book written from a boy’s point-of-view might mention that embarrassing fact. Anderson does that in TWISTED, but she also gives her main character integrity. He really is a stand-up guy, and that’s no pun.

Tyler is a former nerd who turns into a "bad" boy and hunk in a matter of months. It begins with a graffiti prank that lands him a probation officer and community service of summertime labor. “I was good at digging holes. It was the rest of life I sucked at,” he says.

His head takes time to catch up with his new mystique at school, while at home his emotionally-abusive father gets worse. Tyler’s shaky grip on life slips when he’s suspected of a terrible crime he didn’t commit. The only place the book didn’t feel real to me was an interaction between father and son at the end. I doubt life would play out like that.

Anderson is also being challenged for SPEAK, an award-winning novel about a girl who loses her voice after a rape. To put a muzzle on such an important story is wrong-headed--actually it's worse than that since the attacker called the book soft porn. That's an outrage. Anderson writes on her blog about the current attack. (Please, please click over and listen to the poem she wrote using comments from readers on SPEAK. You will weep.)

Finally, I’m going to mention one more book, which deals with the death of a girl that her friends suspect may have been suicide. LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green, winner of the Printz Award, has also been challenged for language and sexual content. But this is a book in which the main character realizes something so profound about life, I can’t help but wish everyone would read it. Here’s a snippet that shows the elegance and depth of Green’s writing:

Her mouth close enough to me that I could feel her breath warmer than the air, she said, “That’s the mystery, isn’t it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape—the world or the end of it?” I waited for her to keep talking, but after a while it became obvious she wanted an answer.

If anyone reading this post ever feels suicidal or knows a friend who might be, please call 1-800-SUICIDE or go to hopeline.com. There are options.

Seeing things

serpent of the lake

and sirens' call of secrets

lurking in the deep

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Can't help it. I see dread things.

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They aren't real. Or are they?

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Mwa-ha-ha. What have you seen lately?

Books for people who think

I remember the day I picked up M.T. Anderson's FEED in a bookstore. I was intrigued by the cover and opened to the first page where I read:

We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.

That's all it took for me to buy it. The voice was distinct and irreverent. The story was clearly dystopian. I figured it was going to be a good ride.

It turned out to be bloody brilliant. This book is thought-provoking, which is ironic since it's told by a clueless boy.

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading opening pages. I cackled and kicked my feet on the couch cushions at some of the lines. (Never fear, I was alone when carrying on like one possessed.)

FEED takes place in a future where people are hardwired to the Internet. They get instant-messages like thoughts and message each other more often than speaking out loud. Since corporations control everything, people's minds are bombarded with banner ads for products all day long.

For a teenage boy like Titus, life is all about the buzz and consumerism of the Feed, so he and his friends are thrown into shock when a hacker messes them up.

Suddenly, our heads felt real empty.

The way Titus explains the old days when people's computers weren't in their heads?

They carried them around outside of them, in their hands, like if you carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe.

I'm not going to tell more about plot, because if you haven't read this, you really should. But I will say this story gets disturbingly dark. Titus is no hero. He's a product of his environment and confused when he finds out there are seriously bad things going on in the world. But he does make an effort in the end to do something right, even if it's too little, too late.

FEED was released eight years ago, but I'm writing about it now as part of a pledge I made to read a number of books that have been challenged or banned.

Every year, the American Library Association partners with other organizations for Banned Books Week, to bring attention to books that someone requested be removed from a public or school library.

Some parent objected to the language used in FEED, but I can't imagine a young reader (14 and up is the recommendation on the book cover) who hasn't heard the occasional swear word in our society. And this book is so much bigger than that. It makes us question consumerism, media saturation and personal responsibility. It makes us think. For ourselves.

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JULIE OF THE WOLVES was first published in 1972, but it was among the most frequently challenged books of 2002. Why? Primarily because of a rape scene, which actually is only vaguely described.

I thought author Jean Craighead George was very careful not to put in anything specific or graphic. The thirteen-year-old girl was roughed up by her simpleton husband by arranged marriage. And it is the reason she runs away alone on to the tundra. Miyax is resourceful and resilient. She remembers the old ways and survives.

The value of this book is an extraordinary look at Eskimo life and the natural environment. It is beautifully written--crisp, joyful and gnawingly sad. Here is a sample of the opening:

Miyax pushed back the hood of her sealskin parka and looked at the Arctic sun. It was a yellow disc in a lime-green sky, the colors of six o'clock in the evening and the time when the wolves awoke.

The descriptions of life in the wolf pack and how Miyax wheedles her way in as a means of survival are amazing. There is so much to learn about other cultures, how people differ from and are the same as we are. This book is a jewel, which was recognized by George receiving the Newbery Medal.

Banned Books Week is Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, but I'm leading up to it with several reviews of books that have been challenged and deserve support. You can read my first post on this here.

Jumping ships

So how do you get between ships moored up against each other? If you're Johnny Depp, you could swing across on a rope. Or if you're a visitor to the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point, California, you climb step-stairs and take a bigger step between the decks.

I had no idea when I stumbled on this festival how much fun it was going to be to get to "jump" between ships, to explore the beautiful old vessels, which are restored and operated by maritime organizations from Los Angeles to San Diego.

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Among the ships was a three-masted schooner, a privateer and a brigantine. The Ocean Institute's living-history brig Pilgrim, is a full-size replica (fourteen sails!) of the ship written about in Richard Henry Dana's sea-faring book, Two Years Before the Mast.

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I'm not currently writing about tall sailing ships, but if I were this would be a treasure trove. Although writers can find tons of facts and photos and videos online, which help us to flesh out stories, there is nothing like real-time experience.

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Although I'd been on boats, I forgot the startling sensation the first time you feel the gentle roll, the slightly unsettling feeling of standing on deck as the water heaves. There were creaking and groaning sounds from wood and rope. The polished wood was smooth as satin under my fingers. I needed to be reminded to turn towards tiny steps to descend below decks. For me, a huge thrill was watching an osprey--the white and black eagle of the seas--land up high in the masts.

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The smallest and most gorgeous of the tall ships was the Curlew, which was built in 1926 in Maine of white oak sheathed in yellow pine with teak decking.

During WWII, the ship was used to train sailors.

In 1962, Curlew survived a hurricane-force storm that took down other boats. The ship is currently berthed in Dana Point.

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Small details to old-time traditions make these ships authentic, such as making baggywrinkles. Here someone demonstrates how to knot strands of rope, which will be teased apart until fluffy. The results look something like bushy caterpillars hanging on a ship's lines to keep sails from chaffing each other.

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This post is something of a see-and-do, as well as a reminder to get out there and look for surprises.

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Hope everyone's weekend includes this much eye-opening fun.

PERSONAL DEMONS sighting and interview

Book sighting! I almost did a happy dance in my local bookstore when I saw Lisa Desrochers' PERSONAL DEMONS on display. Not in one spot. Not in two places. But three! Yes, stacks of her just-released book were in a main aisle display of Paranormal Picks and on a table of YA and on the shelf. Woo and hoo and snapping photos!

Just look at her neighbors. Are you drooling?

I was a lucky-duck who won one of her ARCs, so I've devoured this fun, sexy story of a girl who draws the serious attention of two hot guys. One a demon and the other an angel. (you can read my gush here)

I love Lisa's anecdote of how she got the idea for this book. You'll find it in the Q&A below.

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Lisa, by the way, has a family and full-time job as a physical therapist. She also lectures internationally on health issues, so her writing time is mainly at night. She has a blog tour going on right now (with MEGA prizes) and several book signings coming up. For more information, story snippets and some fun book trailers check out Lisa Desrochers' blog and website.
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I asked her a few questions today:

Q: You say that seeing the book in stores is one of the most exciting moments for you. How does that relate to other big moments in your life? What makes this one shine?

Lisa: There are so many amazing writers writing amazing books out there that I always knew the chance of getting anything published was a long shot. When I signed with my fabulous agent, and then she sold Personal Demons, it was really exciting, but, it was all sort of abstract…something that was going to happen out there somewhere in the future. Now it’s not. It’s an actual book on an actual shelf in an actual bookstore. All I can tell you is that there was a different sort of whoosh in my gut when I saw your picture (thanks again), and if I was a better writer, I’d be able to describe it.

Q: Where did the idea for writing this story come from and did you ever imagine it leading you here?

Lisa: Personal Demons started when I was listening to Saving Abel, one of my favorite bands, and reading their bio. They said they got their name from the story of Cain and Abel, and a name popped into my head, Lucifer Cain. He was obviously a demon because…well…his name was Lucifer Cain. He started talking and I started typing. Honestly, I had no idea where it was going. I still don’t, but don’t tell that to my editor.

Q: The story is fun and sexy and scary and has a deeper philosophical layer. What do you hope readers will come away with?

Lisa: Really, my goal was to entertain, but I also hope people see that choices aren’t always clear-cut, and sometimes making the wrong ones is the only way you learn.

Q: What's next?

Lisa: I’m neck deep in Hellbent (Personal Demons #3) right now. When I finish that, I’ve got a few WIPs I abandoned when we went on submission with PD that have been whispering in my ear. =)

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Thanks, Lisa, and best wishes for PERSONAL DEMONS.

A simple proposition

I'm jumping ahead of Banned Books Week because there's a movement online that I hope you'll join. Officially, the week runs Sept. 25-Oct. 2 this year, but a number of people are signing up to read as many banned/challenged books as they can and post about them this month. I think of it as a show of solidarity with the authors and their creations. So I'm in.

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For anyone new to Banned Books Week, it's sponsored by the American Library Association and several other organizations to raise awareness of books which have been banned or challenged. A challenge is an attempt by a person or group to remove or restrict a book from a library.

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While I have no problem with someone deciding a book is not something they want to read or want their kids to read, I don't believe they have any right to force their beliefs on other people. In fact, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and press. We should all be able to hear other people's ideas, to discuss and agree or disagree but not to gag them.

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In case you think this only happens rarely or to little-known authors of questionable material, here is a partial list of authors who have been frequently challenged in the last decade: J. K. Rowling, John Steinbeck, Judy Blume, Maya Angelou, Stephen King, Roald Dahl, Toni Morrison, Lois Lowry, Maurice Sendak, Philip Pullman.

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If you're like me, you will be gobsmacked when you read the list of classics that face challenges. I mean, Winnie-the-Pooh, Schindler's List, Catch-22, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Clockwork Orange, A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy??? The list goes on. The association also lists contemporary books attacked by year, by author and by decade. Again, unbelievable what's on those lists.

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Here's one anecdote that made me furious. Four men sued for $30,000 a piece from a public library in Wisconsin for displaying Francesca Lia Block's BABY BE-BOP. Plus, they demanded the book be publicly burned. Huh? What country is this? What century? I'm glad to report the library board did not remove or restrict access to the book. Have you read it? It's wonderfully bizarre, gritty, funny, sad, heart-felt story of young people in L.A. and, well, one of them is gay. I loved it and never would imagine anyone wanting to burn it.

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Another incident involved parents objecting to Sherman Alexie's THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART TIME INDIAN as vulgar and racist. Again, huh??? If ever there was a writer who opens wide the door between Native Americans and the rest of society, it's Mr. Alexie. This is a partly autobiographical story of a handicapped boy who uses humor and art to cope with hopelessness and poverty. It swept me away with its authentic voice, wit and poignancy.

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So I'm pulling together a short list of books and signing up for Steph Su's banned books reading challenge. So far, I know I'm reading FEED by M.T. Anderson, which is in my TBR stack, and I plan to re-read JULIE OF THE WOLVES, because I was stunned that Newbery Medal winner was ever challenged. Last year, I re-read THE HANDMAID'S TALE, one of my all-time favorite books (my review here). I'm not sure what others I'll read this month, but there will be more and I will post my thoughts about them. (Just added. I've decided to read Laurie Halse Anderson's TWISTED and T. Coraghessan Boyle's THE TORTILLA CURTAIN)

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Please consider doing something, too. Or let me know in the comments of any other events going on.

Happy haiku to you and BBQ, too

The farmers' market was berry-beautiful this morning, which is a fine thing for this Labor Day weekend's Blog Party BBQ hosted by KarenG. Share virtual goodies and meet new blogging friends. There's always room for more.





I'm also totally in for Stephanie Thornton's Haiku Blogfest. This is Day 2, and I'm dishing up several pictures and poems.


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their needle-sharp thorns

couldn't save the plump berries

from ravenous hordes.
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old secrets lurk in

layers of stoney timelines--

a silent tick-tock.


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I live in California earthquake country and wrote this with earthquakes on my mind. My blogging buddy, Wen Baragrey, lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, and had a terrible fright when they were jolted fiercely by a 7.1 quake. She wrote about it here. I'm sure she'd love to get some virtual support from anybody who cares to drop by.



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I would drift like sea

foam out past snowy breakers

to the endless deep

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This one is closest to where I am right now in both spirit and my WIP. I need the ebb-and-flow. I need to be lost in vastness. I need to see where the tide takes me.

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Happy holiday to those in the U.S. and happy weekend to all.

P.S. If you want a little fun in your haiku, here's the link to my zombie haiku. And if you want to know more about my introduction into writing haiku, you can read that here.

Haiku Blogfest

The bleeding sun shrinks

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behind the island's shoulder--

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slumbering dragon.


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crow clouds
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swoop over the sandy wash,
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swirl in the updrafts.

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Holy haiku, Batgirl, it's Stephanie Thornton's Haiku Blogfest today and Saturday. I've got another photo and haiku for tomorrow. Head on over to Stephanie's blog to click on the other poems--everything from haunting to hilarious.

Just this

I would wear the sky,

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pull that cloak of peacock feathers

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together and fly

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Forever entwined

Sometimes when I'm walking I see things that lead me on strange pathways in my mind.

I came across this root and immediately saw lovers entwined. See the arm and hand on the left? Because I'd been re-reading Books I & II of The Hunger Games in prep for the final novel, I thought of Katniss and Peeta in the arena, covered in mud, hiding in caves, at once tough and tender. And I thought of Katniss and Gale, grabbing the only brief, intense moments their lives allowed.

But forever-embraces can represent so much more--the anguished love of a parent torn from a child, of a sister sacrificing for a sister, of friends left behind or of someone who dies, knowingly, for you. The Hunger Games has delivered all that.

I have refrained from reading reviews of MOCKINGJAY, because I want to experience my own emotional reaction to the conclusion of this story. I expect (for those who've read the books) that I will want to press three fingers to my lips and extend them to author Suzanne Collins for writing a story that means something, that shows the resilience of the human spirit, the immense depth of love.

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I also expect when I read it this weekend I will be left with an imprint like this long-gone leaf. Beautiful. Indelible. Haunting.

Some stories do that.

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Oh! Now, I add a postscript that changes the mood of this post, but I can't help myself. I just received an honorable mention from agent Mary Kole in Shelli's 140-character pitch contest on Market My Words. *happy dance*

Mystery door

Who knows what this little door is for? It measures about 11x5 inches.

I noticed it recently, which doesn't say a lot about my observational skills. But, in fairness and defensiveness, I will say it's located outside the back door of my apartment, which I rarely use. And that's the neighbor's planter, so it's not like I've been watering a plant and ignoring completely a mystery door. Okay, enough mea culpa.

I live in a gorgeous, Spanish-style building, built in the 1920s, with a courtyard, so I usually go in-and-out along the red-painted path (pictured below).

After I noticed it, I pondered this door and then it came to me what its purpose must have been...

In the early part of the 20th century, people received lots of home deliveries. Since the little door is located off the kitchen, I believe it was so the milkman could put bottles inside and not leave them to the elements. How cool would that be, to get up in the morning and find fresh milk waiting? No trip to the store necessary.

Besides the fun of discovery, this little light-bulb moment made me realize how important the small details are in our stories. We may not be writing historical fiction, but creating environments that come across as authentic is necessary even in fantasy, sci-fi or dystopian fiction.

Perhaps a check list would be a good tool in order to avoid assuming our world is their world. How do our characters get milk? What do they read and in what format? What's on their feet and why? Are there hairdressers? Do they sleep on mattresses or something else? What if their eyesight is poor? Are there musical instruments?

The list could go on and on, but I hope the little door will remind me to be more attentive to the small things that make a world go round.

We have a winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing for a signed copy of Michelle Davidson Argyle's CINDERS, a dark, intriguing story of Cinderella after the fairy tale ends.

The winner by random draw is:

Stephanie Thornton

Please e-mail me your mailing address, Stephanie. To sleuthwood (at) yahoo (dot) com

And everyone, please check out Michelle's blog for interviews, contests, updates, etc. Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Contest reminder

I'm not going to be around today, but I want to post a reminder that a signed copy of CINDERS, a dark and riveting look into Cinderella's future, is up for grabs. The novella by Michelle Davidson Argyle, one of the Literary Lab hosts, is a gem. Just leave a comment on the last post, not this one. Happy Thursday, everyone.

CINDERS review and signed-book contest

Fairy tales are often about consequences. Wishes granted, chances taken, deeds done. And then something happens, for better or worse.

In CINDERS, Cinderella is married and living in the castle, but she questions how real this life is and whether her prince truly loves her or is just under a spell. After all, her fairy godmother set the whole thing up.

Cinderella is not only harboring doubts, she's having memories of some other love, elusive and strange. Yes, this Cinderella isn't so sure what she wants now that her original wish has been granted.

Michelle Davidson Argyle has taken the ancient story down a dark future path, following a long tradition of altering fairy tales.

Among the earliest written accounts of Cinderella are 17th century works by Charles Perrault and Madame d'Aulnoy, long before the Brothers Grimm jotted it down, although the seed of the story may be thousands of years old.

Michelle explores a not-so-happy future for the princess in this novella. It's full of mysteries--both personal secrets and castle intrigues that kept me turning pages, reading for hours straight. I was surprised by twists in the story, as well as horrified at several consequences.

I don't like to read spoilers myself, so I don't give away much plot when I review. The only thing I would have liked was a bit more development of some plot points, which shows I was invested enough to want more. I was very satisfied with Cinderella's final choice. Sometimes, the only thing to do is rise from the ashes.

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Here is a writing sample to whet your appetite:

"What have they done to you?" Cinderella saw two images in her mind: the Eolande she had first met in the shadowy darkness of her room--a tall beautiful woman who seemed to be made more of light than anything else, and then, when actual sunlight broke across the horizon, an old woman with cherry-tinged cheeks and a wink in her eye. Neither of these images represented what Cinderella saw now: a skeleton of a woman so thin and aged she looked as if she belonged to the worn stone walls.
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I'm awed by Michelle's creative process in making this book. First, she wrote a fresh, riveting take on an old tale. Then she shot the cover art and self-published it, which had been her intent all along. Now, a gorgeous new book exists in the world, and I hope many people discover it. Check out her blog for contests and events surrounding the release. To purchase, you can go to Amazon.

(P.S. I wrote this review late last night and woke up this morning thinking how much I admire the risk Michelle took in writing a main character who is not always likable. Cinderella does some things that made me cringe, but that's what makes her so real.)

I have a signed copy to give away to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment that has something to do with fairy tales. Do you have a favorite? Have you ever re-written one or wanted to? The contest will be open through Friday, Aug. 20.

You put a spell on me--the good kind

Anyone who wasn't at least lurking at WriteOnCon missed an amazing experience, but the good news is there are archives so you can read the talks with agents, editors, authors and just plain cool peeps.

I have rarely been so inspired, both by the content and the outstanding energy and quick-thinking of the organizers. If you're a writer or book-lover and don't follow their blogs, do it. You won't be sorry. I'm going to put links at the end of this post should you need them.

There were so many incredible presenters and high points, I don't know what to point out. Among things that inspired me: Give Yourself Permission by editor Molly O'Neill. Agent Joanna Volpe's query critiques. Live query crit with agent Natalie Fischer. An amazing panel with Anica Rissi, Joanna Volpe, Suzie Townsend and Mary Kole. Chat with agent/author Regina Brooks.

Well, I could go on and on, so I hope you do the same and read whatever you missed. (P.S. If you stayed away because it was billed as kidlit, there was a ton of super info for writers of any kind.)

In the midst of this extravaganza, I received a package from New Zealand with this *jumps up and down* dragon spell book. Blogging buddy Wen Baragrey sent it as my prize in a contest, and it couldn't be more perfect. It feels like a spell book, tiny and heavy. And, for those who don't know, I have a YA fantasy currently on the backburner that features a dragon ruby. So, woo-hoo. I just love mysterious signs and portents. Who knows what spells I may cast now?

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And then, and then...I had another wonderful prize in the mail. I won a drabble contest on Bish Denham's blog and she tatted a bookmark in the form of a flamingo. She even has a name, Florence, and a little sister on a ribbon. Is she not the most amazing creature? My book reading will take off, for sure.

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I guess if there is a theme to this post, it's that we can all be inspired and supported by one another. The social networking community is a community even if we don't meet people face-to-face. And, by the way, the organizers of WriteOnCon have only met online and, yet, they pulled some 11,000 other people to check out the event.

As promised, here are the links to their blogs.

Elana Johnson

Shannon Messenger

Laura and Lisa Roecker

Casey McCormick

Jamie Harrington

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Go make friends. I'm so glad you're mine.

Reflect and reflect some more

Went walking. Found this palm island with its doppelganger (but not the evil kind). This one seems wondrous, magical--another world afloat with possibilities. Or, perhaps, something lurks in the depths?

The lake was still. The light was right. The reflection perfect.

This post is mostly reflection, too. As I'm trying to finish my novel, Sea Daughters, I've been inspired reading other books and I've posted about several good reads lately. Most recently, I consumed John Green's Looking for Alaska. The echoes of that story haunt me. and remind me how important theme is. It's one thing to spin a great yarn, it's another to have its emotional resonance reverberate long after the last page. Read it. This is a teen book that explores what it means to be human.

And, so, I go back to noodling where I want my story to end, what reflection I want to leave shimmering behind, what last note may linger.

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On my walks, I stumbled upon two fallen feathers. I don't know who lost them but I loved finding them. I'm sharing two haiku that I wrote about some not-so-frequent hawk behavior I witnessed.

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red-tail hawk skimming
a sea of waving grass--
inland pelican

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red-tail hawk floating,
suspended in mid-air with
no flick of feather

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I hope you're also finding time for reflection. And don't forget that the most awesome free kidlit conference WriteOnCon takes place in just days. See you there!

Where shadows cling to the land

I just finished reading a book which stunned me with its honesty and atmosphere. In Ghost Swamp Blues, the sins of the past haunt the present with spirits who emerge from the walls, wearing pink feather hats or rope burns from lynchings. But even though this story whispers and hollers about horrific events tied to slavery and racism, it is more about accountability and familial and cultural nooses that strangle the truth. It's about families torn apart and glued together.
Author Laraine Herring kindly did an interview, which I've included along with some snippets. Herring has masters degrees in creative writing and counseling psychology and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her nonfiction.
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The story travels back and forth from the 1850s to 1970s, weaving a web of intrigue through the voices of Roberta Du Bois, a plantation-owner's wife who walks into a snake-infested swamp in 1859, leaving behind her brutal husband and slave-born half-sister; Lillian Green, who swallows her voice in 1949 rather than reveal the terrible event she witnessed; Hannah Green who leaves letters to her mother around the house, but her mother prefers to talk to ghosts.

This tale lures you into its depths and won't let go.

Here are some snippets, followed by the interview.

Roberta: Time looped around me, caught me in its square knot, and held me tight. Held me here. Watching all of this madness unfolding in front of me, unwinding like snakeskin, dragging everyone along.

Lillian: The earth under my feet was so soft I felt the whole world was sinking. Mother and Daddy's shadows danced in the picture window, faces close, bodies apart. I knew without seeing that Mother's lips were disappearing and that Daddy's mouth was getting bigger, his lips puffier and redder with his rage at Mother's silence.

Hannah: If the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons for seven generations, what, then, is the fate of the daughters?

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Q: The atmosphere in this story is so evocative of the deep South, not only the physical descriptions but the sense of hidden histories, secrets and torments. Is this a story you've long wanted to tell? How difficult was it to go so deep into this painful past?

Laraine: I didn’t know this particular story/plot was one that I wanted to tell, but I have always known that the South is a part of who I am as a writer. I have tried to write novels set in the Southwest (where I currently live) and haven’t been very successful. To me, the landscape is essential to telling the story, and I haven’t been able to access the high desert landscape in the same way as I can access the South. I remember when I was a girl sitting on the porch at my grandmother’s house (the property of Idyllic Grove Rice Plantation is loosely based on her property) and listening to the wind in the trees and all the sounds from the creek and the woods and hearing people whispering all around me. I’ve always felt very lucky that my parents didn’t think I was crazy & put me on meds. :-)


Q: Which character stepped out of the shadows first? How did the story develop from there?

Laraine: I first heard the Swamp Sirens singing. I didn’t know who they were singing to or why they were singing, but I knew where they were and that they were there in some important context in the story. Then, I saw Gabriel in the woods being chased by Tommy. I knew that was going to be the driving question for Lillian even before I knew what her arc might be. Once I had that question and that inciting incident, I just followed it to see what would happen. I didn’t know the ending until I got there. The book went through more rewrites than I can count, but if I got stuck, I always tried to maintain that authenticity with the characters and with the setting and the situation.


Q: What do you hope people come away with when they read Ghost Swamp Blues?

Laraine: I hope they’ll come away feeling they’ve been transported into the world of the story. I wanted the landscape to wrap around the reader and pull him or her into all of its complexities. I also hope that they may come away with a greater respect for and appreciation for the looping nature of time. I hope the world really won’t appear so black and white — that the nuances of what it means to be human will create some space for readers within their own hearts.


Q: Your book is published non-traditionally. Can you explain why you chose this process and what it's given you?

Laraine: This novel is actually the book that got me my agent back in 2001. While trying to sell this novel, we went on to sell three other books. This one just wasn’t hitting. We’d get great rejection letters, and many very, very close calls, one so close it still makes my heart twinge! But it’s hard for editors to take a chance on a new novel, and we also noticed the publishing industry changing so much in the last decade. We continued to love this book, and I even rewrote it as a young adult book two years ago and we sent it out that way.
After so many years, we decided to consider other ways of putting it out there. I’d already had three non-fiction books out through traditional channels and I really wanted to be able to give readers some of my fiction.
White River Press is a collaborative press — meaning both parties contribute to the financial end of the book. Both parties are invested in its success. White River only works with previously published authors, and they provide distribution, ISBN #’s, and other things that are very hard for an individual to get. I feel like I was able to get the book I wanted and not compromise on the quality or the content. I also feel like this is one of the new models of publishing for the future. The traditional model is gasping for breath. Many authors are choosing alternative ways to get their work out and to start to take some control over the income from their books.
I look at it like shopping for clothes – if the jeans aren’t fitting, I can either get depressed or take matters into my own hands and have something tailored to fit me.
I think the next decade is going to be very exciting with literature and books. There are so many more possibilities and avenues for authors. There will always be a place for good writing. People will always want to be swept into a story.
I hope Ghost Swamp Blues carries them off to a place they’ve not seen before.
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Thank you so much, Laraine! I hope everyone finds this as fascinating as I do.

And you thought your high school was hell...

Coming soon!

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I was soooooo lucky to win an ARC of Lisa Desrochers' PERSONAL DEMONS. For anyone who doesn't know, that is an Advanced Reading Copy without the final cover. So the Tor Teen book you will find on the shelves in September has the illustration of Frannie with two hot boys who can't seem to stay away.

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But I get to tell you what I found on the pages of that ARC. Intriguing.? Yes. Page turner? You betcha. Sizzling? Oh. Yeah.

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Frannie has been kicked out of a Catholic school when she meets two new boys at the public Haden High, nicknamed Hades High. They both want something from her really bad--her soul.

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I don't like to give away much plot line, and Lisa has posted sneak peaks from the book on her blog, so you can get more of a taste there, but I do love the way she's given a new twist to beliefs about demons and angels. Even the demons and angels are surprised by what finally happens.

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Here are some teaser lines to give you an idea of voice.

First lines from bad boy Luc: If there's a Hell on Earth, it's high school. And if there's anyone distinctly qualified to make that statement, it would be me.

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First lines from Frannie: Okay, so I'm not generally the swooning type, but Holy Mother of God, I can't believe what just walked into my English class. Tall, dark, and sorta dangerous.

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And there is a little scene at a party when someone else new shows up. Frannie has just used judo to toss a guy who groped her but only seems to have enticed the jerk.

I kick myself mentally, lean against the porch rail hanging my head in defeat, and wait for the inevitable hand on my ass.

So the voice, smooth as music, scares the snot out of me.

"Looks like you could use someone to run interference."

I look up into these incredible sky-blue eyes, and, if Heaven had a face, I swear this would be it. His tight white T-shirt shows off his tan and some pretty serious muscle definition. He's leaning on the rail next to me like he's been here all along--like he belongs in this godforsaken place rather than on a beach in San Diego with a surfboard under his arm.

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That's all I'm giving up. This book is too fun--and way too hot--for you not to stay up all night reading and fanning yourself.

She waves in passing

Magic lingers in

the cottage down the path where

the hollyhocks grow

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Went for a walk and found a fairytale garden and a storybook house. You don't have to believe in magic for it to exist, but if you believe you find it everywhere.

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This is the meager extent of my blogging for the moment. I have written a new opening to Sea Daughters and reworked three middle chapters and done a beta read for someone else since last I posted. I also read an ARC of Lisa Desrochers' PERSONAL DEMONS, which I intend to write about more fully later in the week. But, for now, let's say that book is so hot, I'm still fanning myself.

Surprise, surprise

Break out the Beach Boys. I just love surprises, so when I drove my sweat-dripping-from-my-earlobe self out of the 105-degree inland temps to the edge of the Pacific Ocean, I was dreaming of cool breezes, damp sand underfoot and the whoosh of waves.

I didn't expect half the known universe to be there, too. Silly me.

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But it turned out to be fantastic. I had stumbled into the San Clemente Ocean Festival where, among other things, cherry woody wagons lined the pier. The detail work was amazing, even the extra touches like the two old single-fin surfboards with inlaid-wood skegs.

There was even a gangsta surf wagon. Is this not Al Capone's beach ride or what?

I love imagination, and there's nothing like wandering into the unexpected to jumpstart creative thoughts. This car screams, "Write a flash fiction about me!"

But not this time. I am determined to spend my creative dollars wisely. I will finish Sea Daughters and get it out to beta readers this summer. Yesterday I revised two chapters so I'm paddling along as promised.

But back to the festival, which was so fun.

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There were contests for dory boats, kayaks and surfboards of assorted kinds.

Lifeguards come from all over the Southern California coast to compete in the boat races. The two-person teams row out through the surf, around markers beyond the end of the pier and come back in through surf. Sometimes the waves flip them, sometimes they get a helluva ride.

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There were sea creature sightings, as well.

People got up close and, um, friendly with the mermaids.

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In keeping with surprises, I decided to try out something other bloggers do called Teaser Tuesday, in which you pick a random page in a book you're reading and share a few lines. I just finished the remarkable WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan. The book was a surprise in that I won an autographed copy from Frankie Diane Mallis and knew nothing about it other than good buzz. It swept me away with the voices of two entirely different Will Graysons whose paths cross. Utterly real and honest as it dealt with teen relationships, both gay and heterosexual, it was biting, funny and painful. So here's some random lines:

But nothing violates the rules of shutting up and not caring so much as flirting--except possibly for that enchantingly horrible moment when you act upon the flirting, that moment where you seal your heartbreak with a kiss. There should be a third rule, actually: 1. Shut up. 2. Don't care too much. And 3. Never kiss a girl you like.

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How about you? Any refreshing surprises lately?

Dog days? Nah, turtle days

It's so hot you could fry an egg on my head. Eew, gross enough?





Anyway, I struggle on days like this (several in a row of about 105 F). It exhausts me but I can't sleep. I try to write, really I do.





I remembered that on a not-quite-so-hot day I shot these photos of turtles and fish at a pond in a botanic garden.





Wouldn't it be cool to laze and float in the water, dappled with sunlight and reflections of trees?

Yeah. Floating with no particular place to go.

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I may be a bit sporadic in posting this next month. Maybe I'll find somewhere to float, but most likely I'll be finishing the WIP. I see that end in sight, and I'm paddling toward it.

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A big thank you to the Rainy Day Wanderer who gifted me with the Versatile Blogger and One Lovely Blog awards. Since I've received them before, I won't put the badges up again. But check out Wanderer's blog. She's worth visiting.

Couple of contests not to be missed: Janice Hardy writes one of the best advice blogs for writers and is running a contest for ARCs of BLUE FIRE. Besides her own trilogy, The Healing Wars which began with THE SHIFTER, she's nudging readers to check out the anthology EIGHT AGAINST REALITY released by Panverse Publishing, a small press with unusual funding through KickStarter.

Wen Baragrey is taunting me with pineapple lumps again! These New Zealand yummies are part of her giveaway that also includes enticing books. Enter contest before Monday.

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Stay cool. I'll see you when I do.

All things must end

Got endings on my mind. Saw this sunset while crossing an old stone bridge yesterday. The thing about sunsets is we say goodbye to the day and know another will come tomorrow.

When we come to the end of a novel, we want to feel that way, too. There should be a sense of satisfaction but not finality to the lives and world we entered. I stumbled across an article online today in The Irish Times that I found helpful as I approach writing the conclusion of my YA novel, Sea Daughters.

Several authors were asked about how they write endings and if they had any favorites. To read the whole article, click. I've pulled out a few highpoints that resonated with me.

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"The best last line should be like a stone dropped in the pond, settling off ripples." That is from Jon McGregor (IF NOBODY SPEAKS OF REMARKABLE THINGS) .

I like the quiet reflection in that quote. Sometimes when I close a good book, I feel as if the story is rippling through me and I need to be still and let it finish reverberating. Have you ever heard a Tibetan singing bowl? It's like that.

McGregor chose a favorite last line from Per Petterson's OUT STEALING HORSES. "You do decide when it hurts."

I've never read that book, but the final sentence is not one you'd turn your back on. It has such power and depth.

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Tana French (IN THE WOODS) made an analogy to nature when discussing last lines. "It does need to bring the book to rest, like you're bringing a bird in to land after a long flight."

Once again, I like the sense of reflection, not closure, in this approach.

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Gerbrand Bakker (THE TWIN) pointed out a similarity between ending a novel and finishing a poem that speaks to me as a sometimes writer of both. "An ending is very hard, I find; one tends to want to write too much in the end. I always strike the last two to four last lines when I write a poem, something that usually makes the poem much stronger."

Sometimes we don't trust ourselves or our readers to "get" it, I think, so we go on, burying our killer line in verbosity.

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Hugo Hamilton (DISGUISE) brought up advice I'd heard before that there is a connection between the opening and ending of a good novel. "The walk-away line at the end of a novel is just as important as any opening line. It's like closing the door on the story but also leaving it ajar--"

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In October, I wrote another post on last lines, including some picked by editors at the American Book Review and some favorites of mine. Please check it out if you're interested. Do you have books that left you wowed by the way the author wrapped up the story?

Sidelines Blogfest gives nod to supporting players

A couple of my characters are stepping out for the Sidelines Blogfest today. The fest is hosted by Cheree at Justified Lunacy, and she's been doing posts on characters all week. I really like one in which she pointed out how sidekicks can serve different purposes--mentor, nemesis, comic, trickster, messenger, best friend, guardian.

Choosing a scene was tough. It's difficult to find something that doesn't require a lot of backstory or that doesn't give away too much plot, but I wanted something with voice. I hope I found it.

I've chosen part of a scene from SEA DAUGHTERS where the protagonist, Hallie, gets an emotional pick-me-up from her best friend, Suki. It was hard to find the right illustration for this. Rather than typical California blonds Hallie is part Polynesian and Suki is part Japanese. What's most important, they trust each other.

Even though this is YA paranormal, this isn't a scene with supernaturals or battles or mystery. It's a quiet moment and takes place after someone scratched the letters Ho on the door of Hallie's new car and a day after her first date with a popular surfer named Ben.

Hope you enjoy.

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Hallie pushed aside the college letters she'd left scattered on her bed and sank down on the edge. Thinking about going to school in the morning made her stomach churn. What if Chad had been the one who defaced her car? What if Ben ignored her?

She looked at her phone screen again. The only message was a text from Suki: Where r u???

Hallie hesitated, feeling vulnerable, but Suki would be all over her at school if she didn't talk to her now. She punched in the number.

“Where have you been?” Suki blurted.

“Trestles.”

“With Ben?”

“No! We’re not joined at the hip all of a sudden.” Hallie wondered if maybe she wished they were. Why was she getting so worked up?

“Touchy much? Jeez. I’m sorry I mentioned his name. Does that mean last night was a fail? I thought you guys really liked each other.”

“I do like him, and last night was great.” Hallie drew in a breath and held it a moment before adding, “He kissed me.”

“Woo-hoo! Did you just die?”

Hallie closed her eyes, remembering every touch. "I wanted to kiss him forever.”

“But? I can hear a ‘but’ somewhere.”

“But he hasn’t called today.”

“Ah. Well, if it makes you feel any better Nathan hasn’t called me either. He told me a bunch of guys were gonna drive up to County Line in Ventura. It’s, like, a guy thing--everybody jammed into Kalani’s truck. No girls. Whatever. I wouldn’t surf that break anyway, although I know you would.”

“Maybe Ben’s with them.” Hallie stretched out, releasing the tension in her back.

“Could be. Don’t obsess. From what Nathan tells me, Ben asks questions about you non-stop. So unless you peed yourself or punched him out, I don’t think he’s backing off any time soon.”

Hallie laughed for the first time all day. “I didn’t do either of those things. But I did cry—a bunch--when he mentioned my mom. He was so nice to me, I fell apart. It was totally embarrassing.”

“I wouldn’t sweat that. Guys like to comfort girls. Just don’t wipe your snot on his hoodie.”

Hallie snorted with laughter. Suki always knew how to take the edge off. "Thanks. I promise to keep my snot to myself."

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Playing with paper and a winner announced

I am the maker of this particular version of the world (with a little help from cut-up magazines). This week, I went crazy with the craftiness of collage-building. After finding pictures that suited my novel-in-progress, SEA DAUGHTERS, I played around for hours, shuffling images from one spot to another. Sigh.

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But before I talk more of that, I need to announce the winner, chosen by random draw, of DELTA GIRLS by Gayle Brandeis.

Winner is: Jemi Fraser!

Jemi, please e-mail me your mailing address and I will send the book with haste.

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And now back to playing with paper.

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Here is my protagonist, a teenager who loves to surf and is falling for a guy at school who is aiming for the pro circuit.

They have some good times, but there's something in the water--

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Here is Boyfriend. Do you require more?

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I didn't paste the images down or make collage boards. I scattered these montages after photographing them. It reminds me of sand-painting, a creation made for a moment in time and then erased.

Of course, I hope my story will go on living--someday in a book that draws readers into this world. I think this visual, textile playtime was good for me as a writer. I spent time with my characters in a dimension outside my head. Sort of.

Gayle Brandeis's DELTA GIRLS and contest

Gayle Brandeis has a luscious way with words. Reading her books can be like having the juice of a ripe pear fill your mouth. Her newest release, DELTA GIRLS (Ballantine) is rooted in a pear orchard within the Sacramento Delta. While it's main story follows an unusual white migrant farm worker and her daughter, it alternates chapters to a very different world of a teen-age ice skater on the brink of Olympic-size fame. The two lives collide later in a shocking end.
Gayle, who won Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether prize for THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS, gives us a glimpse of her writing journey and what inspired this newest book in the interview below. I'll give away a copy of DELTA GIRLS by random drawing to anyone who mentions a favorite fruit in the comment section.
Here are a few snippets to show off Gayle's literary style:

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Rows of pears stretched out as far as I could see, the trees shaggy vases, flaring open to the sky. The air was just on the edge of humid, the river lending a mossy tang. A few barn swallows dipped and swerved overhead, trilling.
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If you leave a pear on the tree too long, he told me, it starts to rot from the inside out. It develops stone cells, little places of hardness that feel like grit in the mouth. It starts to get eaten by birds, by bugs. Better to pluck it when it's green, store it someplace cold, let it forget where it came from.
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Q: What was the seed from which DELTA GIRLS grew--the initial character or situation that started your imagination going?

Gayle: My novel MY LIFE WITH THE LINCOLNS had just been rejected by my editor at Ballantine because she saw it as a YA novel and not right for her list. I suddenly had to write a new novel in the span of a year and had no idea what to write about, so panic was really the first seed! It was around that time, though, that I started to see news stories about a mother and baby whale that had taken a wrong turn and had started swimming up the Sacramento River. This sparked something in me, especially because I had already been intrigued by the region, thanks to my friend Stephan. He had grown up in the Sacramento Delta and I had always loved his stories about his family’s orchard (and have always adored pears). So I started to envision a mother and daughter taking their own wrong turn and ending up at a pear farm in the area.

It was also around that time that I started dreaming regularly about figure skating. I had been a serious figure skater when I was a girl, and this seemed like a message for me to get back on the ice. I took lessons for a while, which I loved, but it took a real physical toll, and I realized that maybe instead of skating, I needed to write about skating. The other thread of the novel emerged from there.

I am happy to say My Life with the Lincolns did end up getting published as a YA novel a couple of months ago, so that rejection led to two published novels!

Q: There is some awesome scene setting at an organic pear farm and in the California Delta. Did you spend time there? How did you go about the research?

Gayle: I didn’t even know California had a Delta until Stephan started telling me about his childhood. Since it was only a few hours drive away, I knew I had to go up and see it for myself (I love to do research with all my senses, not just my mind, so it’s helpful for me to be able to really feel and smell the places I’m writing about.) Just thinking about the Delta now makes me relax; there is a slowness, a peace, to the region—I think it’s from all that water steadily flowing along, not to mention all those fruitful trees.

Before my first trip, I found an article about an organic pear farmer, Tim Neuharth, who wanted to increase eco-tourism to the Delta. I contacted him, thinking he’d be a good person to talk to about pear farming, since he was already hoping to spread the word. He and his wife Laura proved to be invaluable. They spent a good portion of the day taking me around Steamboat Acres and answering all my questions about the running of an orchard. Vieira Pears, the farm in Delta Girls, wouldn’t be the same without their help.

During my second research trip, I attended the Pear Fair, a wonderful small town festival celebrating all things pear during the Bartlett harvest. I ended up writing a scene set at the fair, and am excited that I’ll be returning at the end of July to promote my book there.

Q: Delta Girls has a very Bad Boy. Did you know he would behave that badly or did he surprise you?

Gayle: Oh, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan. He was full of surprises from the very beginning, but he definitely went to a darker place than I expected him to. I don’t think I’ve ever written such a “bad” character before; there was something kind of liberating about that.

Q: Was it difficult to write a novel alternating between a first-person narrator and a third-person narrator?

Gayle: I had actually done this before with THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS, so I worried I might be repeating myself, but that’s how the story wanted to be written. I think it’s a bit easier for me to write first person narration, because the voice feels so immediate, but the third person scenes felt fairly natural to write as well (although I have to say it took a while for any of it to feel natural. Because I had an imposed deadline and I was still smarting from the Lincolns rejection, it took some time to find the book’s true rhythm. I really had to force myself into the story, but once I was fully immersed, the words began to flow.)

Q: By the story's end, you give redemption to the main character. Did you know there would be a theme of forgiveness, of being able to start fresh?

Gayle: I rarely know what themes are going to emerge when I start to write a story, and this was no exception. That said, I think it would be unusual for me to write a story in which there wasn’t some sort of redemption at the end. And I’m sure the theme of being able to start fresh was informed by my life—I made the incredibly difficult decision to leave my first marriage around that time, so starting fresh was definitely on my mind. I remember telling my friend and first reader Laraine Herring that I was surprised that I wasn’t writing more about the separation, and she told me “But you are” and pointed out the themes in the novel. It’s quite amazing how our lives, our issues, can seep into our fiction without our even realizing it. Our writing selves are so much smarter than our daily selves—at least that’s certainly the case with me!

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If you'd like to meet Gayle, she will be signing books at Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena CA on (postscript: date change)Aug. 6; Borders Books, Riverside CA on July 18; Avid Reader Bookstore, Sacramento CA on July 24; the 38th annual Pear Fair in Courtland CA on July 25; the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, Redlands CA on July 31 and the Riverside Public Library on Aug. 5. The Pear Fair is about twenty minutes south of Sacramento and features music, wines, arts and crafts and pear-inspired food. For more information on books and events check Gayle's website.
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Thanks for reading the interview, and please leave a comment with some fruit love so I can enter your name in the drawing. (Book provided by the publisher)
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Postscript: Today is the Festival of the Trees, so you can bloghop from this pear-tree post to more tree love than you can imagine.