INTERVIEW: Ellen Booraem - Journalist, Award-Winning Writer and Author of "The Unnameables"

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with Ellen Booraem. She spent thirty years as a journalist, including ten years as the managing editor and award-winning writer for The Weekly Packet, a tiny weekly newspaper in Blue Hill, ME.

After a three-year stint as managing editor of The Packet’s parent chain, she continued to win awards as arts and special sections editor for The Ellsworth American, the highly regarded county weekly. She served in that post for six years and continues to work for The American as a freelance reporter and reviewer.

She is a member of the Class of 2k8 with her debut novel THE UNNAMEABLES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, was published October 2008). Her second novel, tentatively entitled Small Persons With Wings, will be published by Dial Books in 2011.

A native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Wheaton College, Booraem lives a cat, a dog and with painter Robert Shillady in the coastal Maine town of Brooklin (population 900), where they built a house with their own hands.

She blogs in a halting and sporadic way at Freelance Ne'er-do-well

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Ellen Booraem -- the woman behind the former journalist, managing editor, award-winning writer and now an author?

E.B I was a hybrid: a bookworm/literary magazine geek who also was a baton-twirler. (How embarrassing.) The city newspaper gave me a column, writing about high school stuff, but I remember it as being pretty brainless. The editor was so demoralized I don’t think he replaced me after I graduated. My father (a former reporter) told me I didn’t have a nose for news and he was right…it took me years to develop one.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you the most?

E.B. Writing doesn’t enchant me much. It’s become more of an addiction—if I go for several days without writing anything I get ill-tempered, and eventually I stop being able to sleep nights. I enjoy developing the characters and doing the research, and revising the first draft. Revision usually is more fun than drafting, which can be scary unless you keep reassuring yourself that you can fix everything when you revise. I do love fixing things.

E.I. Many writers describe themselves as "character" or "plot" writers. Which are you? And what do you find to be the hardest part of writing?

E.B I’m definitely a character writer, and developing a plot is the hardest thing for me. When I get stuck, the characters get me out of trouble: I write character descriptions, explore what makes them tick, or write journal entries in their voices, and eventually all becomes clear. Or clearer, anyway.

E.I. How do you imagine the audience when you are writing? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

E.B My audience is me. Possibly me at age 12, but there’s not much difference. I write reams of notes to myself, many of them on my computer, others scribbled on scrap paper and pinned to a bulletin board or floating around on my desk. No sheets of newsprint or story boards—my office is way too small for that. It’s always a mess, too.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in writing “The Unnameables”? How did you decide what level of details your reader will accept? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

E.B My biggest challenge in THE UNNAMEABLES was making it clear to myself how main character Medford’s journey related to the chaotic Goatman’s, or vice versa. My editor, Kathy Dawson (then at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, now at Dial Books for Young Readers), was a huge help, because she’s adept at asking the right questions to bring out what’s stuck under a brain cell someplace. The answers always turn out to be in your noggin—my goal is to learn how to find them myself without making Kathy do so much work. I think I’m getting better at it.

The details seem to bubble up as a I go along, and usually I think them up to entertain myself. I know I have too many if I get bored when I’m reading a chapter aloud to my writer’s group.

E.I. In “The Unnameables”, How much of Medford Runyuin is planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with your story?

E.B I knew Medford very well from page one, because I did a lot of thinking about his character and his problem before I started writing. I knew how the book would end, but had no idea how I’d get there. I would plan out a couple of chapters in advance but no more than that, and even then I got ambushed by events. One surprise was when Medford’s friend Prudy met the Goatman—I expected her to react one way, and discovered a couple of sentences beforehand that her reaction would be the opposite of what I’d expected.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “The Unnameables” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans? And why?

E.B When I’ve done readings, I’ve assumed that no one has read the book and have tried not to give anything away. With those parameters, my choice would have to be when Medford first meets the Goatman—the Goatman has to be involved, because I like the way he kicks Medford off balance.

E.I How do you weave so many unusual elements of fantasy and information into your stories and yet you keep them so fast-paced?

E.B Details of fictional worlds come easily to me, possibly because I’ve spent so much of my life daydreaming. Pacing is a real problem, also something Kathy Dawson’s been trying to help me fix. My characters have a nasty tendency to sit around and talk when they should be up and doing. Again, I hope I’m improving with experience.

E.I. What did you find to be the hardest part of writing the book? What was your biggest challenge in developing the characters, “The Goatman” and Boyce? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

E.B Both Medford and the Goatman existed as visual characters before I got my hands on them. My partner Rob Shillady is a painter, and he’d made pictures years before that included a guy named Medford Runyuin and his side-kick, the Goatman. After he let me appropriate them, I changed them according to my needs: Medford got younger, stopped being Rob, and became a lot more like me, while the Goatman acquired hooves, a staff, and the ability to call the wind but not control it. I had a pretty good idea what the Goatman’s personality was like from the get-go—as I said above, the hard part was integrating him into Medford’s situation. Boyce came into my head as a whole person, too, although I had to work to understand why he treated Medford the way he did. I wrote myself notes about him, and a journal entry in his voice, and all that helped. And of course you do learn more about characters when you see them in action.

E.I. You are well known in the writing community as the former journalist and the award-winning writer. Do you sometimes ever feel pressure or insecure, or are you able to separate all that from your own creative process?

E.B Actually, I’m not that well known, which keeps the pressure off for the most part. I regularly feel insecure, but I’m used to feeling that way so it doesn’t inconvenience me much. When necessary, I get reassurance from my partner (who understands because he’s a painter, which if anything is worse than being a writer), from my writer’s group, and from my agent, Kate Schafer Testerman. Also from Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD, the single most encouraging “craft” book I’ve ever read, although Stephen King’s is pretty good, too.

E.I. Ms. Booraem, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

E.B A Cape Cod friend of mine once accosted Kurt Vonnegut for writing advice, and he said, “Apply the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair.” That’s pretty much it. Schedule writing time every single day, and if you get “writer’s block,” write notes to yourself about your characters or the setting or what you had for breakfast until it goes away. Don’t feed yourself stories about why you can’t write today or how stupid it was to think you could write at all—everybody has those stories, and they’re hardly ever true.

Thanks for interviewing me—your questions were fun to think about. And good luck with the blog!

Photo of Ellen Booraem by Sherry Streeter

To learn more about Ellen Booraem please visit her web site
To purchase her book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes and Noble

INTERVIEW: Kristina Springer - Author of Young Adult Fiction

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with Kristina Springer. Her debut novel, Espressologist, is about a 17-year-old teenager with an unusual talent. The teen, Jane Turner, takes people watching in a Chicago coffee shop, where she is a barista, to a new level. Moving from the sublime to the surreal, she explores her ability to "match make" by observing nuances in the way customers take their coffee. The premise is a clever twist, and perhaps social commentary, on the coffee phenomena, and the art of people watching.

Inspiration for the book came from Ms. Springer's personal coffee shop experience.
In fact most of the manuscript was penned while the author observed customers as they performed this seemingly benign ritual unaware that every flavor-adding-impulse was being translated into a greater meaning with life altering implications.

Ms. Springer has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education from Illinois State University, and a Master of Arts degree in Writing from DePaul University. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois with her husband, and their four small children.

She is currently working on a new novel, My Fake Boyfriend Is Better Than Yours, which due for release in 2010.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Kristina Springer-- the woman behind the “Espressologist” novel that is being compared to Jane Austen’s writing.

KS I was silly mostly. I often had crushes on cute boys, I loved hanging out with my friends, I was in the swing choir (dancing and singing. We were so NOT Glee. Glee would have kicked our butts big time), I played flute in the band, I loved being in the musicals, and I worked part-time at a grocery store.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you the most?

KS I love seeing where a story is going to go! The first draft for me is always very freeing. And I love surprising myself too. Often when I reread something I wrote I'm shocked that I actually wrote it.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

KS I write for myself but I also write for my audience. I was a technical writer for years and with that you are always just writing for your audience-- never for yourself. So you need to constantly think about what their needs are. But with fiction you are mostly writing what you enjoy. I try to keep a balance of both. And regarding storyboards etc., no-- I don't really have them all over the walls or anything. When I outline (which I do more of now then when I first started writing) I just enter everything into a chapter by chapter outline in a word doc. And when I'm brainstorming I type out notes into another document (usually always cleverly titled notes.doc) or I write them down on post-its, backs of receipts, pieces of junk mail etc.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in developing the character, Jane Turner and her friend, Em in your book “Espressologist”? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

KS I don't recall any big challenges when writing Jane and Em. And honestly this book sort of flew out of me. This was one of the times when I didn't outline or plan. I just showed up at Starbucks a few nights a week and wrote whatever I felt like at that time. And the words always came easily to me. There wasn't a time where I really got stuck or didn't know where to go next with the book.

E.I. How much of their life is planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with any of your characters?

KS Like I mentioned above, with this book I didn't pre-plan anything. In the first book I ever wrote (never published) I did do the character sketches with each character and I knew their whole lives. But with The Espressologist I learned about them as I wrote them. Of course now I love them and I can see their futures clearly in my head so who knows, maybe someday I'll write another Espressologist book.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Espressologist” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

KS Oh, that's a hard one! Maybe the first page to hook them and hope they want to read more. Or maybe halfway down pg 24 through to page 25 where Jane first gets the idea for Espressology.

E.I. How do you weave so much elements of information into your stories and yet you keep them so fast-paced?

KS I naturally write very fast-paced stories. So I just go with it and when I'm finished I go back and add in the needed details.

E.I. Many writers describe themselves as "character" or "plot" writers. Which are you? And what do you find to be the hardest part of writing?

KS I'm definitely plot driven. Once I get a story in my head I'm writing it as fast I can and then I go back and add in the quirks and details. I'd say the hardest part for me is revision. It always takes me awhile to see how something should be different or could be better.

E.I. Ms. Springer, you are well known in the writing community as a YA writer. Do you ever feel pressure or insecure, or are you able to separate all that from your own creative process?

KS I'd say I totally seperate myself from it. When I'm writing I'm just thinking about the story and getting it out onto the screen. Writing is my little escape so I'm not generally letting the rest of the world in while I do it.

E.I. What would you tell those authors considering applying to an M.F.A. program? In your opinion how important is it for a writer to have a writing degree?

KS I think it depends on what you're going to do with it. You don't need a M.F.A. to publish a book. But if you want to learn more about writing and editing and publishing or if you want to teach someday then it's worth it. I loved my Master in Writing program just because I learned so much more than I ever imagined.

E.I. Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

KS Don't quit. If you're dream is to have a published book then you must always, always, always, push ahead no matter what. It's ok if 10, 100, 200, or whatever number of people reject you. Let it roll off your back and just keep trying. It really only takes one yes. And during that time that you're trying your writing will only keep getting better.

Thanks so much for having me!

To learn more about Kristina Springer please visit her WEBSITE
To purchase her books please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

HAPPY THANSGIVING

To my friends and readers,

Thank you so much for your enduring support and encouragement. I am very grateful.

I wish each and everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.



Warmest Regards,

E.I. Johnson


"Thanksgiving is generally considered a secular holiday, and is not directly based in religious canon or dogma".
Author Unknown

INTERVIEW: Environmentalist, Attorney and Author: S. Terrell French

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with S. Terrell French, author of Operation Redwood. A novel about an eco-adventure modern day fantasy book for ages 9-12.

The book is about young people, who put so much on the line in defending the importance of preserving our natural habitats. Our hero is a twelve years old; Julian Carter-Li who lives with his wealthy, high-powered uncle and finds himself embarks on a campaign saving redwood trees.

The author spends her summer sailing and swimming in the Chesapeake Bay, and loves to run around barefoot in the forest as a child.

S. Terrell French, is a graduate of Harvard College. She moved to San Francisco to work with a environmental organization. She loves her job so much that she decides to attend Berkeley Law School and finds a company that practice environmental law. She and her husband have three children.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about S Terrel French-- the woman behind the “Operation Redwood” novel?

STF I loved to read as a child and a teenager. There wasn’t as much “Young Adult” literature then, so I read a lot of classics and Russian novels. In high school, I also played sports, babysat, sang in the school chorus, and worked every summer in different jobs – camp counselor, research assistant, tour guide at a doll house museum. After college, I was able to explore the outdoors more, mostly in California and Alaska, where I spent a summer working for the Forest Service at Misty Fiords National Monument. As a lawyer, I have worked on environmental issues throughout California.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing eco-adventure modern day fantasy book that enchants you the most?

STF I enjoyed the challenge of creating an adventure plot while keeping the characters and setting realistic. The real world is a fascinating place and setting a book here can teach you a lot. In writing Operation Redwood, I learned all sorts of interesting things about tree climbing, John Muir, logging, environmental activism, and the latest research on the redwood canopy. When National Geographic came out with its October 2009 redwood issue and television special, I was excited because I felt like all this amazing material was reaching a new audience.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing your YA novels? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

STF My imagined audience is really myself, or my kids. I wrote the first draft of Operation Redwood in a very linear fashion. I would write one chapter, then plan out the next in my head as I was doing other things. I had only the most minimal outline. Of course, in the editing process, the shape of the book changed somewhat and chapters were rearranged or added (for example, the e-mail chapters).

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in developing the character of Julian Carter-Li, Danny Lopez and Robin Elder in your book “Operation Redwood”? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

STF The children in the book appeared in my mind mostly formed. The main character, Julian, I saw as a boy who is led, quite by accident, into an entirely unexpected series of adventures. Much of his motivation centers around his yearning for something different from his own somewhat lonely life with his mother and his terrible life with his uncle and aunt. Danny was, in part, a composite of my son’s very funny and warm-hearted friends. I didn’t have a lot of boys in my life as a child and watching these boys close-up – their humor, loyalty, imagination – was a novel experience for me. Robin, from her first appearance, I imagined as brave and fierce and a little superior.

E.I. How much of Julian’s life is planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with any of your characters?

STF I’m still working on that!

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Operation Redwood ” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

STF You can click on an excerpt of the book from the home page of my website: www.operationredwood.com. When I read at book stores or on school visits, I usually read the scene in Chapter 3 when Danny “improves” Julian’s first e-mail to Robin. The storm scene in Chapter 24 is one of my favorites, but I don’t usually have an occasion to read it.

E.I. How do you weave so much elements of information into your stories and yet you keep them so fast-paced?

STF I did a lot of research about redwoods for the book, but only put in information I found really interesting. In total, it probably doesn’t take up more than a few pages. I didn’t want Operation Redwood to be a preachy diatribe – kids are already pretty knowledgeable about and interested in environmental issues. In part, I was trying to write was a funny, fast-paced adventure -- who doesn’t like a page-turner? At the same time, the character of Julian really spoke to me, and the book is very much about his journey, his friendship with Danny and Robin, his exploration of what family means.

E.I. Many writers describe themselves as "character" or "plot" writers. Which are you? And what do you find to be the hardest part of writing?

STF I think I am probably a character writer, but in Operation Redwood there’s a lot of plot because I had my own kids in mind. Plot can be tricky in a modern, realistic setting but I was interested in writing a book where kids were engaging in the real world. I wanted to explore how people (including kids) find the courage to stand up for what they believe, where they get their information, how they sort out different messages and decide how far they’ll go.

E.I. Ms. French, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

STF Read wonderful writers and pay attention.

To learn more about S. Terrell French please visit her WEBSITE
To purchase her book please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Bestselling Author, Award-Winning Journalist of Vanity Fair, Vogue, New York Times Magazine & The New Yorker: Marie Brenner

Marie Brenner is a definitive investigative journalist, and a bestselling author. She has published nine books, among them are: On the Border August 2009, Apple and Oranges May 2009, Kay Thompson’s Eloise 2005, Great Dames:What I learned from Older Women 2000, House of Dreams 1988, Intimate Distance 1983, Rookie 1980, Going Hollywood: An Insider’s Look at Power and Pretense in the Movie Business 1978 and Tell me Everything in 1976.

Her work with major magazines is prolific. She joined the staff of Vanity Fair in 1985. Since then she has been a contributing editor to both "New York," and The New Yorker magazines, and her articles have also been featured in Vogue, and the New York Times Magazine. Her work was so resonant and important that it's crossover appeal to the a broader film audience was not lost on Hollywood.

Ms. Brenner's 1996 expose' of the tobacco industry for Vanity Fair was the inspiration for a highly successful feature film released in 1999. Her essay entitled The Man Who Knew Too Much was adapted to film as The Insider, starring Golden Globe winner & Oscar winner Russell Crowe, and Emmy Award-Winning, Golden Globe and Oscar winner, Al Pacino, under the direction of Oscar award winner Michael Mann. Credited with both popular and critical success, The Insider was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

This timely story chronicled Jeffrey Wigand's dangerous struggle to reveal the dark secrets of a corrupt corporate culture. The shocking truth changed the way Americans viewed old corporate America, and provided an ominous foreshadowing of the corporate scandals to follow. It would be the first domino in the chain of scandals of marking what the end of mainstream America's blind faith in institutions like Enron, Worldcom, and Wall Street. Three years later Brenner's 2002 Vanity Fair article, "The Enron Wars," made national news when Senator Peter Fitzgerald used it as source material when questioning witnesses called to testify before the senate committee.

Ms.Brenner’s article “Erotomania” became the Lifetime channel movie Obsessed, starring Jenna Elfman, Sam Robards and Lisa Edestein. The word on the street has it that her article, In the Kingdom of Big Sugar, is being reworked for the big screen. Media sources are not sure if either Oscar and Emmy award winning director Alex Gibney for Tribeca Films, or Oscar winning actress director Jodi Foster for Universal Pictures under the banner Sugar Kings will prevail. Either camp is capable of producing a worthy tribute.

Her talent and achievements are extensive and widely recognized. She is the winner of six Front Page awards for her journalism, and was awarded the Frank Luther Mott Kappa Tau Alpha Award for research.

The playwright Alfred Uhry who’s first non-musical play Driving Miss Daisy has been commissioned to write a play adaption of Ms. Brenner’s book “Apples & Oranges,” for a Manhattan Theater Club production. Artistic director, Lynn Meadow will direct the play, at a date to be announced.

Mr. Uhry who won a Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award for the stage and screen version if “Driving Miss Daisy” is also a Tony Award-Winner for “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” in 1997.

Her book, “Apple and Oranges” is about Ms. Brenner’s difficult and ultimately moving relationship with her brother and her attempts to forge new bonds as adults while she puts her life on hold to help him after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Photo of Marie Brenner by Kate Burton

To learn more about Marie Brenner please visit her website.
To purchase her books please visit Amazon and Barnes & Noble

UPDATE INTERVIEW: # 1 New York Time, Publisher’s Weekly & USA Today Bestselling Author, Alyson Noel

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with Alyson Noel. She has a new sequence of novels call the Immortals series is well received by her fans. The first book, Evermore, is a New York Times Bestseller and it was released in February 2009. Her next book in the series, Blue Moon, was released in July 2009. It also another New York Times Bestseller. Ms. Noel’s third book in the series, Shadowland is now available for Pre-order at Amazon. Shadowland will be released November 17th 2009.

Ms. Noel, has also written the novels Saving Zoey, Kiss & Blog, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, Cruel Summer, Laguna Cove and Fly Me to the Moon.

E.I. Tell us about the Immortals series for Young Adult. What drew you to attract YA readers with a different concept? What sort of feedback do you get from readers that have contacted you about the books?

A.N. Like most of my books, The Immortals was inspired by my own life. I’d gone through this horrible period of grief where I lost several loved ones in quick succession and then almost lost my husband to leukemia. In an attempt to deal and make sense of it, I started writing Evermore on the side (I was under contract to write Saving Zoë and Cruel Summer at the time), and I knew that in order to explore the themes I was interested in, it would have to be a paranormal tale. And since I’ve always been a fan of anything mystical and/or paranormal, I dove in headfirst!

As for the feedback, well, it’s been wonderful! I admit to being a little worried about its release as my first seven books were all realistic fiction, but I couldn’t be happier with the enthusiastic response of readers and how eagerly they’ve embraced Ever and her world!

E.I. What challenge or obstacle did you encounter in creating “Ever” while writing and creating her in your novel?

A.N. Ever was actually very easy to write. The grief I’d experienced easily mixed in with hers, and she just sort of grew and took shape in my mind. Her sister Riley was the biggest surprise, as she ended up getting a much bigger role than I first imagined, and I enjoyed writing her so much I was sad to see her go. Which is why I’m thrilled to announce that she’ll be getting her own series set to debut in Fall 2010!

E.I. How much creative control did you have with Ever and Damen in comparison to your previous teen novels? Do you always know a story's ending when you begin writing?

A.N. I’m lucky to work with such a fabulous editor, Rose Hilliard, who gives me full reign and only enhances but never interferes with my voice or my vision. And while I almost always know how a story will end (it’s the journey that shifts and changes along the way) I have to admit that while writing Evermore, I was so focused on the story at hand, it wasn’t until I’d reached the end that I realized it was really just the beginning, and so we decided to make it a series.

E.I. How do you weave so much information into your stories and yet you keep them so fast-paced?

A.N. That’s actually something I really used to really struggle with, but reading Robert McKee’s fabulous book, Story helped me immensely. He urges the writer to dole out the info only as we need it and not a moment sooner, which really helps avoid those much dreaded “info dumps!”

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in developing the characters, Damen, Jude and Ever? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

A.N. Damen is the one who evolved the most. In my first draft he was far too “good” and “nice” and “perfect” and it just wasn’t working for me—not that I have anything against good and nice and perfect, but it’s not always very interesting! It wasn’t until I really pondered his history, and the fact that he’d been around for 600 years, and I realized he’d probably accumulated his fair share of baggage along the way, and he suddenly became far more complex and more fun to write.

As for Jude, well, I love writing him. He’s so complex, and, at the moment anyway, we’re unsure just whose side he’s really on, and even though he’s pretty much just how I pictured him from the start, he’s definitely taken on more depth as the story evolves.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Shadowland” is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

A.N. Page 233 because it shakes up everything Ever thought she knew for sure—it sets her whole idea of herself, her destiny, and her relationship with Damen off balance.

E.I. Do you find that the real story magic comes in the editing? Does the story continue to evolve for you even beyond the first draft? Do you have any particular approach to editing your work?

A.N. I love the editing/revising part—that’s when it all really comes alive! Though with my deadlines as tight as they are, I also revise as I go. I start each day going over what I wrote before, then I continue on to the new stuff. Then I revise several more times before I turn it into my editor.

E.I. When did you get the first inkling that your books might become wildly popular? Can you describe your feelings upon realizing this?

A.N. Just before Evermore was released a few things happened that hadn’t happened with my previous releases: I sold the foreign rights to Germany at Auction, the dramatic rights were optioned by Spring Creek Productions, and my publisher started getting really large orders from booksellers and retailers, and, we knew it had to be some kind of sign.

When I get the news that it had debuted on the New York Times Best Sellers List for Children’s Paperbacks I was at the dentist’s office getting my teeth cleaned (but I took the call anyway!), and on the way home I learned it had also hit the USA Today list, and that the film option deal had been finalized (it took several months to close), and I couldn’t help it, I just broke down and sobbed like a baby—thinking about the whole, long, difficult journey, from a pretty tough childhood and beyond, and I could hardly believe I’d really just realized a dream.

E.I. With ten books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

A.N. Well, in some ways the writing process has gotten easier, but mostly because I’ve allowed myself to trust in it, to just go with it, and to get the story down, because I know I’ll revise it over and over again later. And in other ways, I feel like it hasn’t evolved at all! I just finished my 12th book, am starting my 13th, and as soon as I filled up the title page with the usual info, I got that same horrified, panicked, sinking-gut feeling—wondering how I’d ever find a way to fill up the next 300 and some odd pages! That, unfortunately, is something that never changes!

E.I. What can fans look forward from you in the coming months? Can you give us a hint as to what it's about?

A.N. Well, sometime in spring/summer 2010, Dark Flame, (book 4 in The Immortals series), will be in stores, then Riley’s series (no title yet) will debut in fall 2010, and there’s a good chance that book five in The Immortals series will also be released in 2010 (though I’m still waiting for a confirmation on that). And I’ll also have a short story in the Kisses From Hell anthology that was really fun to write. 2010 is going to be a very busy year!

Thanks so much for the interview!!
To learn more about Alyson Noel, please visit her website at: www.alysonnoel.com

To purchase her books please visit www.Amason.com

INTERVIEW: Bestselling & Award Winning Author, Jon Clinch

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with Jon Clinch. Mr. Clinch new novel, “Kings of the Earth” is a powerful and haunting story of life, death and family in rural America is due for released in July of 2010.

In his masterful debut novel which springs from Twain's classic story, Mr. Clinch delves into the history and heart of one of American literature's most brutal and mysterious figures: Huckleberry’s Finn father Pap.

His book FINN was named one of the best novels of 2007 by three major newspaper, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor. FINN was name a notable book by the American Library Association and was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle’s first-ever best recommended list and Sargent First Novel Prize.

E.I. Can you tell us a little bit about your short story “The Dog”?

J.C. You could think of it as a missing chapter of my novel FINN, although the truth is that it's a kind of farewell to Finn himself. The short story, like the novel, takes off from the details of his death room in HUCK—only this time, instead of black cloth masks and whiskey bottles and a wooden leg, the object in question is a dog collar.

E.I. What inspired you to release “The Dog”?

J.C. I liked sending it out there as a missing piece of my first novel, the way Twain's "The Raftsmen's Passage" existed as a missing piece of HUCK. There was a nice symmetry in that. I've posted it for free on my web site at www.jonclinch.com, and it's also available for the Kindle at Amazon. The Amazon version is about as cheap as I could make it.

E.I. It seems that FINN attracted a lot of publicity and readers. When are we going to see FINN on the screen?

J.C. Sooner than you might think. All I can say right now is that the story is in the best possible hands. I've read the script, and it's a thing of beauty. We have a mighty director. Casting is under way. I'll keep you posted.

E.I. With two books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

J.C. I guess you're talking about my next one, KINGS OF THE EARTH, which Random House will publish in July. KINGS is a much more modern story than FINN, set in the twentieth century instead of the nineteenth. The book's language and method and themes have a more modern feel as well. With KINGS, and with the project I'm working on now, readers will sense an expansion beyond the high-intensity claustrophobia that marked FINN.

E.I. What can you share with us about “Kings of the Earth” without spoiling it?

J.C. One description of it begins this way: "The edge of civilization is closer than we think." KINGS is about three brothers who live in poverty on a crumbling dairy farm in upstate New York. One of them dies in his sleep, and things unfold rapidly from there.

E.I. Did you feel as much pressure when you were writing “Kings of the Earth” as you did following on the success of FINN? What was your biggest challenge and obstacle while writing and creating it?

J.C. The pressure was huge, and it really got in my way for a while. It's bad enough to be constantly looking over your shoulder—but when the person who's gaining on you turns out to be YOU, it's kind of a nightmare. I finally stopped trying to replicate what I'd done in FINN, threw out an entire novel that I'd spent a year and a half writing, and began fresh with KINGS. Instead of FINN's big, mythic narrative voice, it uses a dozen first-person narrators who tell their own versions of the story at hand. That technique alone freed me up a great deal.

E.I. Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job, the inspiration for your writing, any fun details that would enliven your page.

J.C. My wife, Wendy Clinch, is publishing a very funny mystery novel in January with Minotaur Books, called DOUBLE BLACK: A SKI DIVA MYSTERY (it's the first in a series, set in a little Vermont town like ours).

E.I. We've been married for thirty-three years.

J.C. The best thing the two of ever did is to raise our daughter, who's now a science teacher in New York City.

E.I. What's next after “Kings of the Earth”?

J.C. Another novel set in my home area in upstate New York. More details as they become available. Thanks for inviting me to visit your blog...

Jon Clinch new novel, “Kings of the Earth” is a powerful and haunting story of life, death and family in rural America is due for released in July of 2010.

In his masterful debut novel which springs from Twain's classic story, Mr. Clinch delves into the history and heart of one of American literature's most brutal and mysterious figures: Huckleberry’s Finn father Pap.

His book FINN was named one of the best novels of 2007 by three major newspaper, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor. FINN was name a notable book by the American Library Association and was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle’s first-ever best recommended list and Sargent First Novel Prize.

INTERVIEW: Bestselling Author, Novelist, New York Times & San Francisco Chronicle Journalist: Tom Dolby

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world

Today’s interview is with Tom Dolby. He was born in London, but raised in San Francisco and now divides his time between Manhattan's West Village and Wainscott, New York. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice and San Francisco Chronicle. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he received his BA in the history of art.

Secret Society is his first book for young adults and is now available in every bookstore and on line.

E.I. Tell us about your latest book “Secret Society” for young adult? What drew you to attract the YA readers?

T.D. I had an idea to write a book about a secret society that was recruiting teens, and it seemed like the YA genre would be right for it. Secret societies are full of mystery and intrigue and it seemed like a good fit.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge or obstacle while writing and creating the characters Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story?

T.D. A little bit of both -- I knew the characters before I started, but they certainly evolved as the story developed.

E.I. If you were asked to read a chapter from this book, is there one that you would select to share?

T.D. I like the initiation scene a lot!

E.I. What inspired you to write “Secret Society”?

T.D. I was inspired by real-life secret societies, as well as classic adventure stories.

E.I. As a first time YA novelist, do you feel more pressure, feel insecure or are you able to separate all that from your own creative process?

T.D. I think a novelist just has to write the best book he or she can write -- you can't worry too much about the book's reception, particularly while you are writing it.

E.I. If you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of “Secret Society’’ who would be in it? And who do you think should direct?

T.D. I would love to see a Wes Anderson version of it -- my favorite parts of the book are the quirky moments, and I think he would bring that out. As for casting, it's hard to say -- I'll have to think about that!

E.I. Mr. Dolby, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know you, and your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

T.D. Just keep at it, and try to write every day -- it's important to stay in practice!

Bestselling author, journalist, and editor. He is the author of the best-selling novel

To learn more about Tom Dolby please visit his website at: http://www.tomdolby.com/about/

To buy his books please visit http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tom+dolby&x=12&y=22

INTERVIEW: Updates On Bestselling Author Tish Cohen

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview, I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world.

Today’s interview is with Tish Cohen. Ms. Cohen, is the bestselling author of Inside Out Girl and Town House, as well Little Black Lies for teens and the Zoe Lama series. Her adult novel ‘Town House’ was a 2008 finalist for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Her novel ‘Town House’ was sold to FOX movie producers before it was picked up by HarperPerennial.

E.I. Tell us about your latest book for teens “Little Black Lies”? What drew you to attract the teen readers? What sort of feedback do you get from readers that have contacted you about “Little Black Lies”?

T.C. I was drawn to write a teen novel after writing Inside Out Girl, which features three protagonists, one of whom is a fourteen-year old girl named Janie. I adored writing in Janie’s angsty, lovesick, insecure, fragile voice, and chose to write an entire book from a teen voice. I think the teen years are years we really remember as adults. That coming-of-age time is so fraught with memories good and bad, it is a great place to draw from when writing a story.

Readers seem to relate well to Sara Black from Little Black Lies because she is such an underdog. She’s the new girl at a school for genius kids, her mother has left the family and her obsessive-compulsive father—the school janitor) is inadvertently destroying any chance she has for a social life at school because his condition is growing worse. She’s in a sort of desperate situation.

E.I. What challenge or obstacle did you encounter in creating the character Sarah Black while writing and creating her in your novel?

T.C. It was challenging to show her as a loving daughter, in spite of the things she does to save her social skin. But the truth is, high school is so filled with angst and pressure, and many kids (like my own!) are terrified to even have their parents walk into the school, that a friendless girl like Sara—so desperate to fit in even in a small way—could easily make some bad choices in the interest of social survival.

E.I. Your novels are known for unusual and lovable characters. Do you always know a story's ending when you begin writing?

T.C. Thank you. Character is Number One for me. In terms of knowing the ending, definitely not. I didn’t know how Little Black Lies would end until I wrote the end. It was important to me that the readers’ emotions would be settled, but that Sara not have things in her life be magically resolved. Some things she’s just forced to accept.

E.I. Do you find that the real story magic comes in the editing? Does the story continue to evolve for you even beyond the first draft? Do you have any particular approach to editing your work?

T.C. I felt that for Inside Out Girl, the final scene on the riverbank where you see this broken family facing their next phase, both happy and terribly sad, was the magic of the book. That was one ending I had imagined right from the start. But in answer to your question, the story evolves with every draft, even to the point of adding or removing characters. For me, the story is ripe for change until I sign off on the final proof pages.

E.I. This may be a ridiculous question but do you ever get writer’s block? How do you overcome it?

T.C. I don’t believe in writer’s block, actually. I do believe in writer’s lack of focus and it definitely happens to me. And as much as I love writing, it still terrifies me and I still look for excuses to do anything other than write. But usually once I fall in love with the characters on the page and grow to care about their lives, the need to peruse the Internet or straighten my writing room dissipates.

E.I. When did you get the first inkling that your books might become wildly popular? Can you describe your feelings upon realizing this?

T.C. Well, when I heard the film rights for Town House had sold, I was gobsmacked. Filled with anxiety as well. What would it mean? Would my life change? As happy as I was, I found it terrifying. It’s taken a couple of years to get over that fear of success—the tortoise pace of Hollywood helped with that!—but I can honestly say I’m in a place now where I welcome it.

E.I. With four books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

T.C. I think the books I’ve read in these years have helped me evolve as a writer as much as the books I’ve written. Nothing is more inspiring to me than coming upon a turn of phrase that makes me stop and read it over and over again. I think I strive harder now to create stories, scenes, sentences, that stir the reader in that very way. I don’t know if I’ll ever achieve it but I try.

E.I. What can fans look forward from you in the coming months? Can you give us a hint as to what it's about?

T.C. My next novel for adults will be released June 8, 2010. The Truth About Delilah Blue is about a twenty-year old nude model who discovers a terrible secret about her adored father, a secret she may never forgive.

To learn more about Tish Cohen, please visit her website: http://www.tishcohen.com/

To purchase her books please visit http:www.amazon.com

INTERVIEW: Stan Swanson - Author - The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck

Welcome to “Totally YA". For every interview, I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their books written especially for adolescents and teenagers around the world.

Today’s interview is with Mr. Stan Swanson. Mr. Swanson worked as a writer, columnist and editor for a Denver area newspaper. He also worked as the entertainment editor for Denver Magazine. He formed Stony Meadow Publishing in 2005 as a means to write and publishing additional works

The Dragons of Shadara was Stan’s Swanson’s first book and was released in 2003. His book, The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck, is a juvenile fantasy adventure was published in 2007. The second book in his exciting fantasy series' Pandemonium in Pennywhistle will be available in 2010.

Mr. Swanson currently resides in Colorado with his wife, Joy. He has three children and four grandchildren.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Stan Swanson -- the man behind the author and journalist?

S.S. I was rather shy growing up, but I learned to play guitar when I was about 14. I was in several groups through my college days and soon got over my stage fright. I wrote a lot in my teenage years and was really into science fiction. (I also got into songwriting so you can tell I was really into the creative process in my formative years.)

E.I. Do you enjoy writing? *What is it about this art form that enchants you the most? Why have you chosen to write in the genre in which you write?

S.S. I do enjoy the writing process, but people might be surprised to find out it is work just like any job. Sometimes I can sit down and write quite easily, but at other times I really have to force myself. I don't really believe in 'writer's block'. You just need to sit down and write no matter what comes out of your pen, pencil or keyboard. I think what enchants me the most is creating something out of nothing and then actually seeing it in print. It's like scoring the winning touchdown in a football game. And I actually write in different styles for different audiences even though I really enjoy writing stuff for tweens and teens. Even though the first book I wrote The Dragons of Shadara was aimed at teens, my next two books were non-fiction works for songwriters. I then wrote the first book in the Hobart Hucklebuck series and consider it one of my favorites. The characters really came to life for me and I could really use my sense of humor. However, my latest work is strictly for adults. (Forever Zombie: A Collection of Undead Guy Tales is now available on Amazon along with my other works.)

E.I. Could you describe your path that leads you to publication--any stumble along the way? Is there anything about you that you would do differently, knowing what you do now?

S.S. After many rejections on The Dragons of Shadara, I decided that self-publishing was the best route for me to take. There was a huge learning curve in doing it this way, but it has worked out well as I now have five books available on Amazon and other online bookstores. By the way, The Dragons of Shadara was originally published through AuthorHouse. I re-published recently under my Stony Meadow Publishing company as Dragontooth: The Prequel.

E.I. Was there a central theme that you wanted readers to grasp?

S.S. There was no central theme in The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck. I just wanted to write something that kids would enjoy reading. It has received good reviews, but sales are always hard for the self-publisher who must do all their own marketing, etc.

E.I. Are there any kid or teen books rocked your world while growing up? And why?

S.S. I loved Raold Dahl, but I read mostly science fiction while I was growing up. Most people won't know what I'm talking about, but the Tom Corbett: Space Cadet books were a great series for kids. As far as books go for tweens and teens, you can't ignore the impact that Harry Potter has had upon the reading habits of kids. My only problem with the books was that they got darker and darker as the series progressed. The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck will never take that route. I don't want to alienate my original audience.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

S.S. I've tried everything from post-it notes on my bulletin board to index cards. But I generally develop the basics of my story in my head and don't even jot down many notes the first few days. I usually fall asleep thinking through the plotline. The, when I'm ready, I do a chapter-by-chapter outline so that when I start writing, I know exactly what's going to happen in each chapter. Sometimes that changes as I go, but for the most part, I stick with the outline. I also do character development sheets so I get to know my characters before I start writing.

E.I. Let’s talk about Hobart Hucklebuck, the protagonist in your novel The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck. How much of Hobart planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with his character?

S.S. By the time I started writing The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck. I could visual Hobart as easily as the kid next door. I knew what he was likely to do in any situation, but he's basically an "everyday" kid that most readers can identify. He will grow and mature to a certain extent, but as I stated earlier, I don't want my characters to grow up too fast, so future books will have only short gaps in time from the previous book.

E.I. What is a typical work day schedule when you are in full writing mode? Would you tell us a little about your process for editing, revising, and novel development?

S.S. I try not to do the same thing everyday although If I really fall into a true writing mode, I might write for several days before doing anything else. But typically I will write for 2-3 days, then do some editing on a different book (I usually have 2-3 books going at once.) And some days I will stay away from the process completely and try to enjoy something else so my brain stays fresh and it all doesn't become too "work-like". I edit my books heavily. (Maybe too much...) I edited/revised The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck 9-10 times before I felt it was ready.

E.I. How long did it take you to write “The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck” and The Dragons of Shadara.

S.S. I wrote The Dragons of Shadara over a four year on-and-off period. The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck took about two years. I wrote the second book in the series in about 3 months, but still have several edits to go before it is actually done.

E.I. What's up next? Is there another book in the works? What can you share with your fans?

S.S. I just released Forever Zombie: A Collection of Undead Guy Tales a few days ago. It is a collection of 12 short stories, but they are not your typical 'slice-and-dice' zombie tales. They all have lots of humor and endings you might not expect. I think that even a non-zombie fan would enjoy the stories. The second book in the Hobart series The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Pandemonium in Pennywhistle is basically finished, but still needs a couple more edits. I have also started an outline for the third book in the series. (The second book should be available in the Spring of 2010.) I'm also working on a humorous book titled The Ultimate Survival Guide for Humanity: How to Survive Attacks from Zombies, Vampires, Aliens, Ex-Lovers and Other Scary Stuff which should also be available next year.

E.I. Mr. Swanson, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

S.S. My only suggestion for aspiring writers is just to keep writing. Don't get discouraged by rejections. All authors receive them. Many successfully books (including the Harry Potter series) were rejected many times before publication. Don't believe in writer's block -- just write, write write. And never worry about editing your stuff until you're done with the project. It just slows down the creative process if you try to edit as you go. And good luck!

To learn more about Stan Swanson please visit his website at: http://www.stonymeadowpublishing.com/