The Divining Wand

Throughout the year she’s watched, applauded, supported her fellow 2010 Class Members dance across the ballroom floor to launch their books and celebrate with tours/signings. However this Thursday, August 5, 2010 it’s Debutante Alicia Bessette’s turn to take a bow when her first novel, Simply from Scratch, appears in local bookstores and ships from online retailers.

Of course, truth be told, this book is not Alicia’s first published “composition.” As a self-trained musician, she’s been playing the piano since childhood and her original solo piano pieces can be heard on radio stations around the world. Reservoir, the first CD, was released in 2002 and the most recent, Orchard, received a nomination for the 2009 “grassroots grammies.” For more about Alicia’s music please visit, Alicia Bessette pianist/composer.

Yet in her Wednesday posts at The Debutante Ball, Alicia rarely mentioned music except for a brief nod, such as this, in the September 2, 2009 post, In which Ms. Wednesday introduces herself, and her book!. Here’s what she shared in that first post:

1. I’m married to my college sweetheart, novelist Matthew Quick. In 2004, with the shared goal of becoming full-time novelists, we quit our jobs, sold our house, and moved in with my parents. Five years later, Matt and I are on our own, back in the Philly area, publishing novels and doing everything we can to continue living the dream.

3. Does it have something (anything) to do with France? Or dogs? Movies? Music, of any kind? Yoga? Travel? If so, I’m probably very interested!

In that same post the new Debutante also offered a brief synopsis of her novel:

I once heard an inspiring piece of writing advice: “Write the book only you can write.”

Simply from Scratch is peopled with lively small-town heroes. You’ll meet a chainsaw artist in her seventies. (Because really, isn’t it time American literature boasted a strong, chainsaw-wielding older woman?) And you’ll meet Ingrid, a young girl scheming to get to know world-famous TV chef Polly Pinch, coquettish star of a hit cooking show. You’ll meet other characters too.

Marisa de los Santos, bestselling author of Love Walked In offered early praise:

“This story of a young widow edging warily back into the world is full of vivid characters and grace. Imbued with hope but blessedly lacking in sentimentality, it is a fresh, stirring take on the devastation of grief and the holiness of friendship.”

And the buzz of anticipation for the book began.

While more Praise is offered, the REAL treat is an Excerpt of Simply from Scratch Chapter 1 in its entirety!

That first chapter introduces many of the storyline’s characters, while leaving the reader with a variety of unanswered questions. It’s not meant to confuse but to pique interest as the author deftly withholds telling backstory details all at once. Instead she scatters bits of information like breadcrumbs to keep the reader following and engaged.

On the other hand, there may be one character who “knows” almost everything from the start. In response to an interview question (posed by a chain bookstore in Germany) — What is the role of the non-human character, the greyhound, Captain Ahab? –, Alicia answered in the July 21, 2010 post, Knowing things:

Greyhounds are a little bit odd. They’re different than other dogs. Their affection is subtle; their presence is calm and cool; and they have many quirks (they rarely sit, for example).

But I think part of her knows all along what’s in that box. Some readers might know it, too.”

Knowing what’s in the box (I didn’t) or any other of these characters’ unspoken truths doesn’t matter. In fact it’s part of the enjoyment of getting to know the town that Alicia has created. A cross between two brilliantly written TV shows, “Northern Exposure” and “Men in Trees,” Simply from Scratch offers a comfort zone despite having grief, guilt, and a general feeling of indecision exist within its pages. Yet even as Zell mourns — as does everyone else –, there is hope. Why? Well they all must deal with the loss of a husband or friend and start over, simply from scratch.

Charming, thoughtful, and heartfelt, this debut novel gathers seemingly unrelated, significant details together to create a tale that’s both tender and true. But how did the author transform fictional quirky characters and events into what could pass for a realistic human interest story? Alicia explains:

I’m not sure how they all came together. When you’re working on a book, you devote so many hours and an unthinkable amount of thought (!) to it. After a while, all the random little pieces of your story — events, details, characters and what they want — all these things start to synthesize, start to make even more sense than you realized. I hesitate to use the word “magic” in conjunction with the writing process, and I don’t want to sound flaky … and yet, I do believe that when you’re writing, you’re in a very receptive state, and at some point, subconscious takes over, or some kind of inner awareness — perhaps the magic of creation? — and it guides you in drawing connections.

Simply from Scratch connects on all levels, including the double entendre of its title. Alicia Bessette’s “magic of creation” is present on every page and in every character, none of whom you will soon forget. Treat yourself to this warm-hearted novel and enjoy!

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Alicia Bessette’s Simply from Scratch in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in Thursday’s post. If you enter, please return Thursday to possibly claim your book.

Soon after Robin Antalek debuted with her first novel, The Summer We Fell Apart, on January 5, 2010, it was selected as a TARGET Breakout Book. Perhaps you’ve already read it and understand the reason for these insightful words:

“A preoccupied playwright father and a cult-actress mother are the stars of the Haas family in Antalek’s well-crafted and cunning debut novel…. a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and to the importance of family ties regardless of family history, making this an endearing and easy-to-relate-to dysfunctional family drama.” – Publishers Weekly

However, if you’ve yet to discover Robin’s first novel, what a more appropriate time than now….during the summer? The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of The Summer We Fell Apart for Monday, June 28, 2010 but today is the opportunity to meet the author through her “official” bio:

Robin Antalek’s work has been published in numerous literary journals. She lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with her husband and two daughters. The Summer We Fell Apart is her first novel.

And to get to know Robin, in her own words, simply read what she’s revealed:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Full house: children, dogs, food and my guy.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Kindness first.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Serendipity – the unplanned moments.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: That I won’t know when I’m at the end – whether metaphorically or on the manuscript page.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: The pristine beaches of South West Florida circa 1975 or the rush of Manhattan.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: Charlotte de Berry

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: It would have to be plural: my daughters’.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: Give me a minute. Not now. Yes.

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: Eating good food without gaining weight.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Where I am right now in this very moment.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: Impatience!

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: The ability to see past impossible.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: Losing touch with people who mattered along the way….

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: I really don’t think like that – I love the life I have.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: Laughter – I laugh all the time – sometimes inappropriately.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Cherry Ames, Student Nurse. She always had a patient with amnesia – fascinating.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Okay – this stumped me!

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I’m not a sports person – however, I would like to meet someone who has sailed solo around the world.

The idea of one person against the power of the sea is pretty awesome.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Mean people.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: As far as I’m concerned these three are interlocked as one: Reading, cooking, and eating.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: I’m living the dream.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Humor, honesty and the ability to dream.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Pasta

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
God Bless The Child – Billie Holiday
The Very Thought of You – Ray Noble
Halleluiah – Jeff Buckley
People Get Ready – Jeff Beck /Rod Stewart version

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: This is a TOTALLY unfair question! Just five??
Mary and O’Neil by Justin Cronin
The Annunciation by Ellen Gilchrist
In The Land of Dreamy Dreams by Ellen Gilchrist
Chilly Scenes of Winter by Ann Beattie
The Good Mother by Sue Miller tied w/ The Wonders Boys by Michael Chabon

Gracious, with an optimistic, thoughtful perspective, discover even more about Robin Antalek by becoming her friend on Facebook and read her Blog: Robin Antalek.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away a copy of the triple memoir Three Wishes by Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand with Three Wishes. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is tonight, June 16, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

[Today's guest post features Allie Larkin debut author of Stay coming out next Thursday, June 10, 2010.

The book has earned both literary praise:

"A charming debut…. Smart and with emotional depth, this is a cut above." Kirkus Reviews

"Larkin debuts with a funny and touching story about love, loss, and dog ownership." Publishers Weekly

And commercial recognition:

"Feel-good debut novel…" People Magazine

For Stay, as Allie explains, is about unconditional love at its messiest best.]

My friend Lady is my messy friend. She is the person I can call when I’m laughing or crying so hard that no one on the planet would ever be able to understand a single word coming out of my mouth. She’s the friend I can have over without vacuuming and shoving dirty laundry into closets first. She’s seen me when I’m crabby, she’s seen me when I’m sick, she’s talked me through broken hearts, failure, and self-doubt, and she’s celebrated with me through new love, great successes, and total joy. I’ve done the same for her.

Everyone is messy. The type of mess can vary greatly from person to person, but somewhere in every person lurks a big old tangled mess of something. Some people’s internal mess keeps them obsessed about external perfection. If you compulsively need to vacuum your house three times a day, your house might be spotless, but your need to vacuum is your mess. Some people hide it better than others, but hiding the mess comes at the cost of intimacy and connection.

I love Lady even more because of the messy times. I love her because I’ve seen her at her best and at her not so best. I know the nuances of her little quirks and flaws, the same way she knows mine. There’s an intimacy to that kind of honesty in friendship.

I love that kind of honesty in characters, too. Pippi Longstocking is headstrong and sloppy, and has little regard for social convention. Anne from Green Gables was stubborn and had a habit of saying things she should have confined to her thoughts. Bridget Jones won our sympathies over diet failures and costume mishaps. I think these characters stay in our hearts because they are flawed like real people, and they’d make excellent messy friends. Pippi would not be concerned about the dog hair on your couch. Anne would get worked up with you about your latest injustice. And Bridget would cry along, if your heart were breaking. We wouldn’t feel the same way about them if they were perfect girls with perfect houses and perfect clothes and hair that didn’t even frizz in the middle of a monsoon. If Pippi were a well-behaved child who always followed rules and remembered to say please and thank you, there wouldn’t even be a story, and there certainly wouldn’t be a horse on the front porch.

When I wrote STAY, I knew I didn’t want Van to be a perfect girl. I wanted readers to see her disorganized home, her less than stellar eating habits, and the way she runs her mouth a little too much. I didn’t want her to be someone you wished you were. I wanted her to be someone you felt like you were friends with. She’ll let you put your feet on the furniture. She won’t think any less of you for eating an entire carton of ice cream by yourself. She doesn’t have the energy to notice if your shirt has clues as to what you had for lunch down the front of it, because she’s too busy worrying if you’ll notice the coffee stains on her jeans. And she won’t judge you for your drunken indiscretion with that guy you met at that bar, as long as you don’t judge her for accidentally buying a 100 pound German Shepherd from Slovakia off the Internet.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Allison Winn Scotch’s The One That I Want in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Allison Winn Scotch and The One That I Want. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is tonight, June 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

There’s great buzz about Allie Larkin and her debut novel, STAY, releasing June 10, 2010. And why not with this appealing description (from the Advance Uncorrected Proofs back cover):

Something Borrowed meets Must Love Dogs in a big-hearted, unforgettable debut about friendship, love, and a German Shepherd named Joe.

Literary critics agree:

“A charming debut…. Smart and with emotional depth, this is a cut above.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Larkin debuts with a funny and touching story about love, loss, and dog ownership.”– Publishers Weekly

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of Stay on Tuesday, June 9, 2010 but — as is tradition — let’s meet Allie through her “official” bio:

Allie Larkin lives in Rochester, New York, with her husband, Jeremy, their two German Shepherds, Argo and Stella, and a three-legged cat. She is the cofounder of The Greenists.com, a website dedicated to helping readers take simple steps toward going green. Stay is her first novel.

Hmm, interesting…but it’s time to discover what else Allie might reveal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Full of friends, dogs, books, blogs and love.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Be kind.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: I find a lot of happiness in the imperfect.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Jello. No, not really, but the way it moves weirds me out.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: I would love to get to hang out with all my far away friends, but the where doesn’t matter all that much.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: I think any writer feels some connection to the writers who came before them.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: My husband.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases
A: Oh! I have the “like” and “um” disease. Trying so hard to break it.

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: I am quite possibly the world’s worst dancer. It might be nice to be less embarrassing in that capacity.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Having a marriage that nurtures personal growth and creativity. STAY is very much a product of my husband’s belief in me and his endless support.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: I wear my heart on my sleeve.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: I care.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: I regret little things – drinking one too many cups of coffee, not going for a run last night – the big stuff is just a chance to learn and do better next time. I’ve learned too much from my mistakes to regret them.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: I’ve always wanted to be a mermaid.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: My hair has a life of it’s own.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Pippi Longstocking

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: I really like grey characters – the ones who aren’t quite good and aren’t quite bad.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I don’t really follow sports, but maybe a question about what it felt like to not get picked last for kickball in grade school?

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Burp talking. Go ahead and burp, but keep the alphabet to yourself, please.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Spending time with my husband. The world is a better place when he’s around.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: This one.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Compassion, humor, patience

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Haddock. And no, I’m not joking.

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: Yellow Brick Road – Kris Delmhorst, On the Way Up – Peter Mulvey, One Wind Blows – Toad the Wet Sprocket, Peace of Mind – Boston, Hannah & Gabi – The Lemonheads

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: Song of the Lark, The Bean Trees, Of Mice and Men, Little Women, The Ordinary Princess

With a delightfully fresh voice filled with wit and charm, Allie Larkin is a new author to follow on Twitter and become friends with on Facebook. By doing so, you can say: “I knew her when…”

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Emily Winslow’s
The Whole World in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Presenting Debutante Emily Winslow and The Whole World. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is tonight, May 26, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

AND

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Barrie Summy’s
I So Don’t Do Makeup in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Barrie Summy and I So Don’t Do Makeup. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is tonight, May 26, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

With a BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon University’s elite drama conservatory, and an MA from Seton Hall University’s Museum Professions program, Emily Winslow adds novelist to her professional background when her literary mystery, The Whole World, debuts tomorrow May 25, 2010.

And the title of novelist may be the most personally rewarding for this member of The Debutant Ball (Class of 2010 ) who moved to Cambridge, England three years ago. Although her husband grew up in the city, Debutante Emily was a foreigner fascinated by “the most physically exquisite places” to which she’s ever been. Further describing Cambridge as “rich with honest, passionate, unsnobbish intellectual curiosity,” she suddenly found words for her new home and created an American protagonist to describe and explain it. Which is is how the novel’s backstory came to be:

Two American girls come to study at Cambridge University. They become best friends, they fall for the same charming grad student…and he disappears.

About the “missing student?” Emily admits, “it’s just one of my favorite plots. It’s a fascinatingly awkward situation for the other characters. How long to keep hoping? When to choose to
grieve?”

She also explains the major theme, format and title of her mystery:

“You know how someone says ‘”That means the whole world to me.”‘ Maybe they’re talking about a job, or a romance, or some kind of victory or achievement. That one fraction of life feels to them to be bigger than everything else, and that skew can lead to poor judgment and disproportionate reactions. I have five narrators sharing the plot, but each of them has only their own small ‘”whole world”‘ fraction of it, limited by their obsessions, assumptions and expectations.”

In The Debutante Ball’s April 5, 2010 post, Backstory Feast, Emily details the goal of backstory for her narrators by writing:

“THE WHOLE WORLD begins with a narrator struggling to get past memories that actively get in her way. For the first two chapters, we watch her struggle against these invisible enemies. Finally, in chapter three, she’s forced to confront them. Only then, when she stops resisting, is the reader let in on what those memories specifically are. Their release into her present consciousness is as present an action as anything physical that had come before.

My hope is to show how the past affects the present for all the characters, how it informs their choices and skews their perspectives.”

Indeed this literary mystery is a first-rate psychological drama that initially has the reader wondering “what happened?” and then eventually “whodunnit?”

From the book jacket:

The investigation raises countless questions, the newspapers report all the most salacious details–from the crime that scars Polly’s past to the searing truths concealed in the photographs Gretchen cannot see. Soon the three young lovers will discover how little they know about each other, and how devastating the ripples of past actions can be.

Would you like a sneak peek into The Whole World? Please read the first page.

For years Emily Winslow wrote logic puzzles for Games magazine, embedding traditional logic into longer and more complex stories. And her debut mystery novel might well be thought of as one jigsaw puzzle pieced together by the five narrators. Occasionally their perspectives overlap in the present time yet the key factor here is that their pasts don’t.

Are there red herrings? Not really, but there are secrets along with evasive behavior. The charm of this story is that it’s set in the elegantly described confines of Cambridge — another whole world unto itself. There, five other whole worlds meet and collide based on almost inevitable, personal motivation. It’s logical yet surprising and, in the end, shocking.

Perhaps the book’s most fascinating aspect is realizing that what happens in The Whole World could happen anywhere at any time…and does. For each individual views their respective circumstances and personal priorities as the whole world — and it’s not.

Intriguing, thought-provoking and entertaining, Debutante Emily Winslow’s literary take on The Whole World is available tomorrow. Do read it to discover how slices of life become entangled to complicate the world as a whole.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Emily Winslow’s
The Whole World in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in Thursday’s post. If you enter, please return Thursday to possibly claim your book.

AND

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Barrie Summy’s
I So Don’t Do Makeup in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Barrie Summy and I So Don’t Do Makeup. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in Thursday’s post. If you enter, please return Thursday to possibly claim your book.

[As Emily Winslow awaits the launch of her debut novel, The Whole World on May 25th -- one week from today --, she reflects on her journey, mixed feelings, and the fact that it is a celebration and you're invited to the party.]

Getting past the query stage to agency representation, and then a book contract, is huge. I’ve reveled in the relief and then security of those milestones. But there are other kinds of rejection ahead: reviews and sales. Essays and blog posts aimed at aspiring writers have become meaningful to me again, now that my book is about to launch.

An old favorite is Slushkiller by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, which gives an editor’s view of rejection. To the writer, rejection is personal and bloody. To the editor (or agent), it’s necessary, impersonal, and fleeting. The wording in form letters is meant to be kind, but there is no way to make ‘no’ nice to hear. After reading Slushkiller, one learns to empathize with the so-called “gatekeepers” of publishing.

One comment in the long response to that post has always stood out to me. It’s number 109, by someone called Madeline. She writes:

“I think I’ve got the answer to the “why do they take it so personally?” bafflement, though, or at least one good answer… I imagine that everyone reads over their [own] story and thinks, “I think this is great! People like me are going to just eat this up!” Then the rejection comes back: “There are no people like you. We’re all over here, and you’re all by yourself over there, where the wolves will be certain to pick you off first.”"

The offense of rejection hurts on many levels, most obviously on the level that you who want publishing are being told you can’t have it. But the realization that Madeline describes, that this story makes profound sense to you but not to others, is emotionally isolating. Like Holly Lisle, I’m keen to avoid the too-common metaphor that a book is like a baby. Nor is a protagonist necessarily an avatar or mouthpiece for the author. But a book is, often, an expression of an author’s view of how people work, how relationships work, how the world works. When it’s rejected, one can feel painfully misunderstood, as a person.

Slushkiller is about rejection from publishers, but rejection comes also in the form of reader reactions (whether in reviews or with their wallets). I feel like I’ve come full circle, from humbly querying agents and editors to humbly peddling my published book to readers. In the month that I think I’m supposed to feel the most triumphant, I feel the most vulnerable.

Am I happy? Yes! Excited, and proud, and pleased, and nervous and self-conscious and exposed. One of the small themes in my book is that emotions don’t dilute each other. You can be “thrilled” and “wary” at the same time, and they don’t mix to create a kind of neutral state. They both just are, side by side. Nor do I believe that the negative of any two emotions is by definition the “honest” one. Often, the positive emotion is interpreted as a “brave face” covering up the “truth” of the negative one. But I don’t think that’s so. I think both can be real, together.

So here I am, in my publication month: thrilled and wary, proud and vulnerable, bold and shy. I’m happy too. Not happy all by itself, but happy along with everything else. It’s not the moment of pure, awesome triumph I imagined when I was querying. It’s a good time, in that real way that’s three-dimensional with self-doubt. It is, for all that, a celebration. It’s an open house. Come on in.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Thaisa Frank’s Heidegger’s Glasses in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Thaisa Frank and Heidegger’s Glasses. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in Thursday’s post. If you enter, please return on Thursday to possibly claim your book.

While getting to know Debutante Joëlle Anthony through her Friday posts, visitors to this season’s Debutante Ball have been treated and enlightened by somewhat of a Renaissance woman. Truly it’s difficult to imagine a challenge this writer can’t resolve (in a practical or unique way) and one needs only to read her YA novel, Restoring Harmony, debuting tomorrow — May 13, 2010 — for proof positive.

Of course by introducing herself with “Deb Joëlle’s real talent is…,” expectations were set high:

“My name is Joëlle Anthony, and I’m pretty sure I was chosen to be a Deb because I know how to make butter. It’s true. You see, when I applied, there was a section on the application for ‘“other things we should know”’/ or something like that, and since I didn’t really think I should admit right then that I have trouble with commas, I decided to explain how to make butter. I am thinking that the 09 Debs read that and thought, ‘“Now there’s a well-rounded girl.”’ Or not.” More…

Her comma trouble (there’s an editor for that) became a non-issue for this superb storyteller who read an excerpt from James Kuntsler’s book, The Long Emergency, that predicted the end of oil and discussed a transition period. Joëlle’s interest wasn’t in the end of oil but of the time period where people dealt and bounced back from it.

The idea for Restoring Harmony was born from that, although Joëlle believes Mr. Kuntsler would say the world she created is much too tame.

Here’s the synopsis:

The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapse—one of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities.

Restoring Harmony is a riveting, fast-paced dystopian tale complete with adventure and romance that readers will devour.

The critical literary reviews are glorious despite the fact that some have categorized this as a dystopian novel. For Joëlle tends to disagree by noting: I think of dystopian as some sort of natural disaster or something that happens way off in the future, in a different world. Restoring Harmony is set only thirty years from now, and is very much this world. The problems people are dealing with are mostly from economic collapse, not something wild or futuristic.”

Also one reviewer pointed out that in most dystopian novels it’s the collapse of technology that affects the characters’ daily lives, not new technology. And as this debut author says, “…that’s why I never thought of it as dystopian. It seems like things are sliding backward in RH, instead of moving forward.”

Indeed, backwards to core family values. In fact Joëlle Anthony describes her book in this one sentence: “It’s an adventure story about music, family, and food.”

And the Book Trailer — featuring musician/model Sarah Tradewell with photography by Victor Anthony — captures the storyline perfectly.

The October 16, 2009 post, Leap by Deb Joëlle, tells:

“Writing Restoring Harmony was one of the biggest chances I’ve ever taken. It is a departure from everything I’d ever written before. I had been a safe writer. I’d taken “Write what you know” to heart and never strayed from the familiar path of my own self-knowledge and life experiences. But Molly’s story is different. It’s an adventure. It required research. It made me work.”

Those words piqued my interest and remembering them long after reading The Advanced Reader Copy, I asked the author what type of research she did for this amazingly authentic adventure tale and if she ever considered changing Molly into a Michael? Her response is amazing too:

“I did actual physical research, like traveling Molly’s route. And I listened to a lot of fiddle music. I chose tunes I knew for the book, not just random fiddle tunes. Although one serendipitous thing happened as far as the tunes go. There is one in the book called Peekaboo Waltz. When I lived in Tennessee, I heard it on a CD of my husband’s and I asked him to learn it on guitar because I liked it so much, and he did. When it came time to pick a waltz for the book, I knew exactly which one to choose. What I didn’t know is that, ‘“every Western Canadian fiddle player knows the Peekaboo Waltz.”’ I sat in on a fiddle workshop with the master fiddle teacher Gordon Stobbe, and that was what he told his students. And then he taught it to them. I knew it was a traditional tune and played all over, but I didn’t know it was considered something any Western Canadian fiddler should definitely know. That was pure luck.

Also, pretty much all the gardening in the book was research. I now know a lot about gardening as we’re growing a lot of our own food, but at the time I wrote RH, I didn’t know anything about gardening.

Molly was always Molly. I do think that it’s interesting that while most children’s writers are women, a strong female character is considered noteworthy. It seems to me that as a woman, it’s my responsibility to write strong female characters. It doesn’t mean I can’t tell a story from a boy’s POV, but I do consider gender roles very carefully when writing. Like the principal of a school is so often a man, but why? Habit. That’s something I like to challenge with my writing.”

Simply put, I adored this book and Joëlle’s writing of Molly. This realistic character — imbued with enough innocence to be a 16-year old “farm girl” — is also bright, resourceful, caring, hardworking, brave and ready for anything. The truth is that the more YA novels I read, there’s more feeling of hope restored. Molly restored harmony, changing the lives of so many, by her own confident optimism and action. No supernatural powers were necessary, no gimmicks, Molly was merely being the best she could be and what a message to convey to adolescents. Or, for that matter, to anyone.

The world had changed, yet Molly only knew the good times of family, truth, and thoughtfulness. Perhaps that’s what is so compelling about this YA adventure as it takes us back to similar childhood and adolescent years.

How good to be reminded of what we had and how good of Deb Joëlle Anthony to share what our children still might recapture. Restoring Harmony, the book, can be yours tomorrow…while restoring harmony, universally, remains a work in progress.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Joëlle Anthony’s Restoring Harmony in a random drawing to anyone who comments on this post today, before the deadline of 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

AND

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away one copy of Meredith Cole’s Dead in the Water in a random drawing to anyone who comments only on this specific post, Meredith Cole and Dead in the Water. Comments left on other posts during the week are not entered into the contest. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

Critically acclaimed for her short story collections, Thaisa Frank (A Brief History in Camouflage, Sleeping in Velvet) debuts with first novel, Heidegger’s Glasses, on May 25, 2010.

Set in the final days of World War II, the novel explores an underground compound of scribes hidden deep in the German forest. And, as imposing and dark as this book may sound, please think of Grimm’s fairy tales. The Divining Wand is scheduled to present/review Heidegger’s Glasses on Monday, May 17, 2010 but, for now, meet Thaisa Frank through her “official” bio:

Thaisa Frank grew up in the Midwest and the Bronx, the granddaughter of a Presbyterian theologian and a Rumanian Chassid, who consulted each other about Aramaic texts. Her father was a professor of medieval English and her mother a director of small theater groups.

She earned an honors degree in philosophy of science and logic from Oberlin College, studied graduate linguistics and philosophy at Columbia and worked as a psychotherapist before becoming a fulltime writer. She has traveled extensively in France and England, and currently lives in Oakland, California.

With this impressive background and gifted talent, what surprises will Thaisa reveal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Had it all but not all at once.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Somehow I get things done.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Great sex.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Falling from a great height.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Under the night sky of the other hemisphere.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: Jonathon Swift.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: My son.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases
A: Totally. (And some expletives.)

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: The art of great tango dancing.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Getting out of my completely crazy family of origin.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: Impatience.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: Impatience.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: Not having more children.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: A cat with a person’s consciousness.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: My sense of the absurd.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Piccoline in Par Lagerqvist’s The Dwarf.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A:I would like to meet someone who participated in the ancient Greek games. And I would say that I was amazed to meet them.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: People who play emotional karate.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Staring into space.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Doing something creative that involves other people but is also steady work. For example–being a great Off Broadway director.

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Compassion
A sense of the absurd
Generosity

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Fresh tomatoes

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: Dreams (the Cranberries)
One Arm One Love (Bob Marley)
Anything that Cat Power sings (don’t make me choose!)
Motherland (Natalie Merchant)
Solomon ( actually Saloman in German) Lotte Leyna)

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: The Dwarf by Par Lagerqvist
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
The Axe (in four separate books) by Sigrid Undset
All short Stories and parables by Kafka
Remainder by Tom McCarthy

To read more of Thaisa’s fascinatig thoughts/writings, please visit her Redroom blog.

[Book Giveaway:] The Divining Wand is giving away two copies of SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR in a random drawing of all comments left on this post. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please visit tomorrow to possibly claim your book. Good luck!

The fact that Matthew Quick earned both popular and critical success with his debut adult novel, The Silver Linings Playbook (now in Paperback), one might wonder why he would choose to switch genres and debut as a YA author of SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR, officially being released tomorrow?

The business answer is simple. Having already had written a second adult manuscript before The Silver Linings Playbook was published, Matt discovered that his adult-market editor was swamped and unable to read/work on the new book immediately. Rather than waste time in waiting, “Q’s” agent suggested he return to his high school English teaching experiences and reach out to teenagers by writing about them. And that led to the personal reason when the author realized, “I can do that.”

Indeed he did! For Matthew Quick’s perspective on young adults is a positive one, acknowledging that when at their best they still have “a beautiful innocence” about them. He also believes that though caught in between the desire to be thought of as adults and yet wanting to hold on to being kids, they are capable of doing amazing things while coming into their own. And those thoughts created the novel’s backstory as Matt says: “The teen years are sort of like a beautiful sunset. Brief, but powerful. I wanted Amber to represent this.”

SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR synopsis:

Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom’s boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). But Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. Instead, she focuses on bettering the lives of her alcoholic mother and her quirky circle of friends: a glass-ceiling-breaking single mother raising a son diagnosed with autism; Father Chee and The Korean Divas for Christ (soul-singing ESL students); a nihilist octogenarian; a video-game-playing gang of outcasts; and a haiku-writing war vet. But then a fatal tragedy threatens Amber’s optimism—and her way of life. Can Amber continue to be the princess of hope?

With his zany cast of characters and a heartwarming, inspiring story, debut YA author Matthew Quick builds a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope. This world is Amber’s stage, and Amber is, well…she’s sorta like a rock star.

Of course Amber lives up to her title by being powerful, positive, and facing most challenges head-on, yet it is through the strong voice-driven storyline that the reader accepts, believes, and embraces her. TRUTH: Amber’s distinctive voice will fill readers’ minds, causing an almost instant connection from page one. The fact that the thoughts and feelings of a 17-year old girl could be expressed with such believability by a male writer is also fascinating.

However Matthew Quick has a simple explanation for this ability. First, the author notes that he’s counseled many teenage young women and listened to them. Then, with a bit of empathy and a good ear, he believes it’s possible to capture anyone’s voice.

On the other hand, Matt admits how much his writing needs that ability: “I write voice-driven stuff so I need to find a voice before I can write a novel. Amber’s voice just sort of popped into my head one day. I loved writing in her voice. It was a very emotional experience. I’m sort of an emotional guy, which people don’t get by looking at me. But I’m actually very intuitive and sensitive. True.”

TRUST: Simply read these Reviews and you’ll sense the critically high emotional feeling for this book. Please also read the 6 Comments to “Matthew Quick Shines A Writer’s Light”, giving special attention to:

Kent says:

“Sorta Like A Rock Star is considered a YA book. However, its message and story is so universal that even this 34-year-old male with a penchant for horror movies and punk rock records was left in awe. It leaves you wanting to be a better person.”

Yes Kent is Kent Green of Emerald Productions — one of “Q’s” friends and the filmmaker of the Book Trailer video — BUT his reaction and feeling are based on sincere truth.

Have you viewed the SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR Book Trailer yet? If not, do enjoy now.

After receiving the SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR Advanced Reading Copy from Little Brown to review, I fell under Amber’s spell as well. Her voice, her spirit, her hope and her faith are 100% contagious. She’s a teenaged girl in dire need and, though well aware of that reality, Amber chooses to help and buoy others rather than wallow in any type of pity. Why? Because she believes in the good of the world despite having experienced the bad. And, also, because she believes in God — JC, the ultimate sorta like a rock star.

Amber talks to God, prays to him and believes he’s listening to her most of the time. Her hope comes from this faith — a trusting belief. Matthew Quick’s writing is pure, realistic, and captivating as he manages to project Amber’s strength and optimism without a hint of Pollyanna. However this teenager did feel reminiscent of someone from my childhood tales…who?

The Pied Piper initially came to mind, only to be rejected. It wasn’t until the day after finishing the book that the answer came: Amber Appleton spread seeds of hope everywhere she went and, in time, those seeds grew and yielded much more than hope. Amber Appleton = Johnny Appleseed. Word.

What Matt has written could well become modern day folklore. And, if Amber Appleton is SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR then “Q” must be KINDA LIKE A GENIUS MANAGER! True? Please, whatever your age, read SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR and discover how true this is!

[Book Giveaway:] The Divining Wand is giving away two copies of SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR in a random drawing of all comments left on this post. The deadline is Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in Thursday’s post. If you enter, please visit on Thursday to possibly claim your book. Good luck!

A few weeks ago Ivy Pochoda revealed intellect, humor and passion in her responses to this post, yet she certainly didn’t tell all. Instead this debut novelist likely left you wondering where The Art of Disappearing would beckon and tomorrow – September 15, 2009, its release day – all readers will be able to fall under Ivy’s storytelling spell.

Simply visit the PRESS page on the author’s website to discover elite critics and peers who have already been beguiled. Here’s a sampling:

“Ivy Pochoda has written a lyrical novel that will enchant you with a love story and with poetic, evocative prose.” 
— Marilyn Dahl, Shelf-Awareness

“Pochoda’s seductive debut novel is a phantasmagoric exploration of the ever-shifting line between destiny and coincidence.” 
— Carol Haggas, Booklist

“Ivy Pochoda has written an uncommonly good first novel about the unlikely love between a lonely woman and a most unusual magician. It’s a magical story, full of passion, heartbreak, and wonder.”
— Peter Hedges, author of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

“The inside of Ivy Pochoda’s head must be a very loud place. In this beguiling first novel, she brings an acute eye and vivid imagination to the ordinary details of life. The result is magic itself.”
— Rebecca Johnson, author of And Sometimes Why

“Ivy Pochoda’s language is hypnotic, her story refreshingly original. Most important of all, the characters she conjured made me ache. Prepare to let go of the mundane and embrace the fantastical in this well-imagined debut. It is utterly spellbinding.”
— Amy MacKinnon, author of Tethered

Amy MacKinnon’s words are what initially attracted The Divining Wand to discover this debut author beyond her pages. After all any Fairy Godmother is required to seek out magic. However, with regard to Ivy, what was found combined practical magic, extreme talent, and characters who talked her through the story.

Raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. by parents involved in publishing, a young Ivy attempted to deny her dream of writing fiction. Her reason: “I was worried people might have perceived my desire to write as something that came from them [her parents] not from myself.”

Another rather telling part of the writer’s background can be found by reading her Athletic biography. Taking up the sport of squash at age eight, only two years later Ivy was on the U.S. Junior squash circuit. And, while majoring in classical Greek at Harvard, she also led their squash team to three national championships and was named a four-time All American athlete. After graduation professional competition followed and the writer, documenting her experiences and observations for Squash Magazine, earned international ranking along with three gold medals in her appearances at the Pan American Federation Cup.

Significant? Absolutely! For the voice of The Art of Disappearing has both a bold confidence and subtle finesse to its tone that promises the reader from page one that it will take this story to the edge without compromising or giving in to traditional expectations. As lyrical, lushly vivid and poignantly philosophical as the novel is, it’s believed that Ivy’s mental discipline and sportsman’s courage makes it so.

Also remember Rebecca Johnson’s praise of the author’s “acute eye” because once the book is opened every page becomes alive to the reader. Whether it’s the neon glitz of the Las Vegas strip, its desert outskirts, rushing rivers, the Red Light District of Amsterdam and, of course, the magical acts, all are as detailed as possible. That may seem like magic in itself but, again, consider an athlete’s trained eye to take note, being aware of everything.

For a perfect example, read an EXCERPT from The Art of Disappearing.

And so begins this exquisite novel of a magician and a textile designer based on the question of whether love can be real if so much else is an illusion.

Since much of the story’s enchantment comes from these two characters, I asked Ivy about their backstory. But, as might be expected, neither has one. According to the author: “Well, both Toby and Mel were born entirely from my imagination. There is no aspect of either of their characters that is in any way inspired by anyone I know. This made it both wonderful and difficult to write them. I could be as inventive as I wished, but I had nothing to fall back on when I was unsure of how they would speak or act. They are a truly strange and interesting pair.”

Strange? Well actually Toby is not the only one who offers up real magic by waving his hands or dipping them into the air around him. He can seemingly create anything, but then there are Mel’s hands. With her touch on fabrics — of any type — she can hear music, voices and even life stories. In fact what the magician’s wife listens to from other’s patterns weave into her crowded being to cause worry as well as wonder.

For the romantic reader Mel and Toby are apt to be considered soulmates. Both are lonely, both are searching for a lost loved one and both want to believe in happiness. Yet happiness for one may never feel the same for the other.

After reading about seventy pages of this book, my mind began repeating the phrase, “happiness is just an illusion.” An experience that’s never happened to me before! Mid-way through the story, the phrase became this lyrical sentence: “Happiness is just an illusion filled with sadness and confusion.” And by The End, this had been added on: “What becomes of the broken-hearted who had love that’s now departed? I know I’ve got to find some kind of peace of mind maybe.”

Although familiar with the song, “What Becomes of the Broken-hearted,” I haven’t heard it in years. Yet, since words are powerful and Ivy’s story is filled with magic, could it be that as my hands turned the pages they picked up an appropriate theme song? Maybe.

The Art of Disappearing is brilliantly enchanting. Ivy Pochoda will dazzle you as well as provide pause for reflection on what creates true happiness. In other words this novel is pure magic…no wand required!

As the book appears on local bookstore shelves tomorrow, it can also be purchased from these online retailers: IndieBound|Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Borders

And then there is The Divining Wand’s Book Giveaway. To enter please leave a comment describing a magical reading experience you’ve had. The deadline is this Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winner to be announced in Thursday’s post.