The Divining Wand

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.

[Note: In honoring The Debutante Ball Class of 09, we've come full circle since Kristina Riggle -- the fifth and final Deb to take her bow -- did so right here on launch day of The Divining Wand. Many already know that Kristina's Real Life & Liars is a "quiet little book" that deserves this last hurrah.]

Although The Debutante Ball will continue its 2009 season until the end of August, tomorrow — Tuesday, June 16th — Kristina Riggle will become the fifth and final member of the class to take a bow when her debut novel, Real Life & Liars, becomes available for purchase online and at bookstores everywhere.

To become aquainted with this talented writer who loves the meaningful pleasures of family, home, and Michigan, a visit to Kristina’s Bio on her website will tell you that:

“Kristina Riggle lives and writes in West Michigan. Besides her debut novel, Real Life & Liars, she has published short stories in the Cimarron Review, Literary Mama, Espresso Fiction, and elsewhere. She is also a freelance journalist writing primarily for The Grand Rapids Press, and co-editor for fiction at Literary Mama. Kristina was a full-time newspaper reporter for seven years before turning her attention to creative writing and freelancing. On Mondays, she can be found blogging at The Debutante Ball, a group blog of authors debuting in 2009. As well as writing, she enjoys reading, yoga, dabbling in (very) amateur musical theatre, and spending lots of time with her husband, two kids and dog.

“Real Life & Liars is set in Charlevoix, Michigan, a town close to Kristina’s heart as the home of her grandparents where she has visited often over the years. Some recognizable Charlevoix landmarks appear in the novel, as well as fictionalized versions of real places. The home of the Zielinski family on Dixon Avenue is based loosely on the house where her grandmother grew up.”

More…

Approximately two months after experiencing her first goosebump moment of seeing her novel on a bookstore shelf, Kristina tells of yet another:

“My [other] goosebump moment was a woman at my book launch signing who told me, because of a scene in my novel, that she went out and scheduled a long-delayed mammogram. The fact that my scribblings motivated this woman to take charge of her health just about knocked me over. I didn’t set out to do anything noble — I just like to tell stories — but this was a wonderful bonus.”

[Next week as they bid fond farewells to their debutante status, all five authors will most certainly share personal bonuses. Do drop by The Debutante Ball for Auld Lang Syne.

And next week The Divining Wand rolls out The Red Carpet for EXCLUSIVE upclose and personal interviews with The Debutante Class of 2010 as they prepare to enter The Ball. You won't want to miss these about-to-become authors beyond their pages...]

[Note: In this farewell tribute (which continues through tomorrow) to The Debutante Class of 09, authors/friends may begin to sound familiar, particularly YA novelist Katie Alender. Deb Katie has been mentioned frequently on The Divining Wand -- a site she helped to build -- for several reasons, yet it's her writing that truly earns a toast.]

Having been a daily guest at The Debutante Ball for its first two seasons, Katie Alender
shared the joy and excitement of other authors’ debuts. Yet this season Katie is a Deb and tomorrow — April 21, 2009 — will be her turn to take a bow and be celebrated when her Young Adult novel, Bad Girls Don’t Die, hits bookstore shelves or ships from your favorite online retailer.

Imagine what an added thrill this Debutante must feel by following in the tradition and legacy of the Ball’s Founders! In fact in her first post, My dog ate my pearls, by Deb Katie, she acknowledges Mia King’s Good Things and Sweet Life even before introducing herself as a “…hopeless homebody.” But please do not be fooled by Deb Katie’s self-effacing description for, in truth, she’s a multi-talented and ever-curious dynamo who brings passion to every one of her eclectic interests/loves.

Consider, for example, that she began the first draft of Bad Girls Don’t Die in 2002 and, over the next couple of years, she revised it when there was time or when inspiration hit. In 2006 Deb Katie was ready to make her statement and ended up selling the book by the end of the year. As she notes: “A lot of people say they have two “‘practice’” books hidden in a drawer. For me, this was the practice book! I just kept hammering away it it until it was good enough.”

What was so important about this story to keep Deb Katie writing? Well, although the tale has certainly evolved from its original “evil ghost” action thriller, the message has remained constant. It’s a book about strong teenage females who have their own problems and find their own solutions, doing so without being dependent and reliant on males. The author’s heroine, Alexis, figures out that she has the strength and intelligence to not only fight her own battles but to be victorious…not that it’s easy, of course.

Here a Synopsis of Bad Girls Don’t Die:

“When 15-year-old Alexis Warren suspects that her younger sister Kasey’s strange behavior is more than just angst, she thinks she can handle it on her own. But creepy parlor tricks are just the beginning, and it soon seems that Kasey may actually be living out the violent legacy of the Warrens’ gothic home. Alexis is forced to seek out the help of her arch-rival, cheerleader queen, Megan Wiley. Working together, they’re the only ones who can save Kasey. But what if the green-eyed girl isn’t even Kasey anymore?”

And here is a sensational Bad Girls Don’t Die Book Trailer

If THAT scared you, wait until you read the book! Seriously though, having read an Advanced Reader Copy, I’ll tell you that Deb Katie’s writing creates as much realistic magic as that video does, with her words conjuring up mental images that reel into scene after scene. When reading a book, especially a novel, I usually read word-by-word since that’s how the author painstakingly wrote it. But that was impossible to do with Bad Girls Don’t Die. Simply put, the book is a visual, rollercoaster ride that you cannot stop…nor do you want to!

In subtle and not so subtle ways, the plot revolves around how everyone has a personal battle to conquer. For Alexis the battle was loneliness and she convinced herself she simply didn’t belong. Does that sound like teenage angst? It might have been except the author doesn’t allow her heroine to wallow. Instead Alexis rationalizes that the reasons she had to act out were good enough to justify her actions. No this is not a bad girl, but she is defensive and judgmental. And confronting that underlying issue provides her with greater strength, understanding as well as — most importantly –trust.

Ironically, Deb Katie accepts and embraces the fact that readers will judge her book from their own POV and she addresses this in the January 20, 2009 post, The magic of someone else’s eyes, by Deb Katie. What a terrific, optimistic perspective! And what a smart move to seek out her target audience online, provide them with ARCS, and have them review the novel. Visit the writer’s Reviews page to read Praise for Bad Girls Don’t Die, most from teen literary sites!

While delighted with these reviews, this writer has been surprised that readers have literally been scared by the story and “consider the ending to be a bit of a twist.” After all it was never her intention to write a mystery. What Deb Katie did want her writing to do was…remind people that things aren’t always what they seem. And if knowing that makes one teen be nice to another teen somewhere on the other side of the country, what a difference for those two young adults and possibly their futures.

Also Bad Girls Don’t Die is rated PG — a conscious commitment on the author’s part to avoid the issues of sex, drugs, and cell phone tapes. She knows that a lot of teens are dealing with these subjects, but there may be just as many who don’t deal with those things every single day. Why then add to the media hype, especially when Alexis has more than enough to contend with?

Layered with honest and revealing intimacy, this “ghost story” novel exposes one teen’s demon(s). Yet as innocent as it is scary, the author’s empathetic writing comes down to trusting and protecting the people we care about most. Of course you can gift Bad Girls Don’t Die to your daughter, niece, babysitter AND don’t forget yourself. For you will not only be entertained by Debutante Katie Alender, you also will likely remember the importance of listening to young adults — something to cherish and enjoy!

Having had a book published this year is a dream come true for Katie Alender and her fellow Debs, but what about next year and the next dream? Well this is what Katie shares:

“My next dream, aside from finishing book 2 and having it be well-received, is to really settle into the life of a writer. Right now, I still feel like I’m playing at it, to some degree. I want to really make my office into my ideal space, learn how to manage my time better, and continue to devote attention to treating my body better through diet and exercise. I’ve had the experience in the past of shutting down every other aspect of my life to get a book written, and I can see clearly that it’s not ideal or sustainable to live that way. So I’m going to be pursuing balance–between writing, marketing, staying in touch with family and friends, managing my household (and myself)! I have a feeling this little dream will be one of those lifelong tasks.”

[Note: It's mid-week of the continuing celebration for The Debutante Class of 09 and it's time to spotlight Eve Brown-Waite's adventurous memoir which debuted in April.]

From the cover of her memoir, Debutante Eve Brown-Waite’s “eye” peeks out from behind the jungle foliage of either a Latin American, Asian or African country, and one can only imagine what she has seen. Perhaps it’s something exotic, dangerous, or yet another test of daily survival during her years in the Peace Corps? But tomorrow — April 14, 2009 — readers throughout America can follow her journeys when they pick up and purchase First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life. And yes, that’s correct, it all began in her quest for love…well, sort of.

By reading (and you know you will) the brief bio, on the back flap of the book’s dust jacket, you’ll learn:

“Eve Brown-Waite was a finalist for both an Iowa Review Award and a Glimmer Train Award, and the first runner up for the 2008 New Millennium Writings Award for stories she wrote about her time abroad. She lives with her husband and two children in Massachusetts.”

You’d like to learn more, wouldn’t you? Well, to immediately know and love Deb Eve, all you have to do is read her September 5, 2008 Debutante Ball post, Last One Out … or Eve in a Nutshell. This writer with the large and engaging personality may only be 5′ 2″ but TRUST that most of her is all heart.

Since Deb Eve has written a memoir — which she has told us is all true and funny –, the backstory of what inspired and/or motivated her to write the book should be obvious. However it’s the December 5, 2008 post, Do the Dictionary and Thesaurus Count? OR My Love Letter to Anne Lamott, by Deb Eve that explain the real reasons. Hmm, a book that changed her writing…what could reading First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria do for you? Here’s the Synopsis:

From Booklist
“College graduate Eve is looking for a meaningful endeavor and settles on the Peace Corps. Though she’s not sure a life without creature comforts is for her, she is certain of one thing: John, the Peace Corps recruiter, is the guy for her. The couple faces a two-year separation when Eve receives a placement in Ecuador. Reluctantly, Eve leaves John and heads to South America where, after a time, she finds her niche reuniting lost children with their families—until a coworker’s rape brings up traumatic memories for her and she’s sent back home. Though her stint in the Peace Corps is over, a future with John means a life less ordinary, and soon after their marriage he accepts a job with CARE in Uganda. Once there, Eve finds the people welcoming but the lack of amenities—the power is turned on for only three hours at night—and the persistent insect population daunting. With an appealing, down-to-earth voice, Brown-Waite chronicles her adventures abroad in an accessible, humorous tone sure to appeal to armchair travelers.”

And the literary trade journal, Kirkus Review says:
“A laugh-out-loud debut . . . a refreshing voice . . . As revealing as it is entertaining.”

Why not test such high praise out right now by reading, Chapter One In the Beginning (There Was John).

Now how’s that for a tease? Deb Eve “hooks” us without even leaving home! A few weeks ago, though, she finally shared a few of her adventures by writing: “One of my sweetest and most fulfilling memories of living abroad – and specifically in northern Uganda – was finally mastering the art of cooking – fine meals – up in the bush.” To be truly amazed, read the entire post, The Real Reason, by Deb Eve.

It’s the fun in life that this memoirist seeks out, just visit her website and click The Author to learn:

“We had a saying in the Peace Corps: “‘If you go to Latin America, you’ll come back fomenting revolution; If you go to Asia, you’ll come back spiritually enlightened; And if you go to Africa, you’ll come back laughing.’” All of which begs the question: what happens if you go to Antarctica? Well, I can’t answer that question. But I can tell you what happened to that wacky girl who graduated (after only five and a half years) from the State University of New York College at Oneonta (school cheer: “‘Give me an O; Give me an N; Give me a beer!’”). She went to Latin America, Asia and Africa, and she came back a weird amalgam of Che Guevara, Mother Teresa and Erma Bombeck! She also came back with malaria and roundworms. But at least she’s never alone!

“For seven years, I lived in Ecuador, Uganda and Uzbekistan – sometimes with the Peace Corps, sometimes with CARE, and sometimes just following my big, brave, do-gooder husband around the world. I am neither big nor brave, but that doesn’t seem to stop me from going to some pretty far-out places and getting into some pretty dicey predicaments (or jail or someone else’s civil war). I live in Western Massachusetts now (with the guy I call “‘St. John’” cause he hates when I refer to him as “‘the live organ donor,’” and with the two kids we made with stuff we had lying around the house). Being back in the states hasn’t stopped me from writing about life in the rest of the world – and it hasn’t necessarily kept me out of trouble (or jail) either.”

So what does Deb Eve hope to accomplish — in addition to entertaining you — with First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria? After much serious thought, she shared her purpose in the recent post, Calling All Angels, by Deb Eve. And for anyone who didn’t click the linked “How much good can a do-gooder do with one good book?,” here are the writer’s Causes.

Almost ready to head on over to your local bookstore or order First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria online. Eve Brown-Waite will take you places that even she never dreamed of going, but she did and those experiences changed her life. And, while merely reading about her adventures likely won’t change your life, it could very well change your perspective on living in this world…enjoy!

For every author the first time they see their book on a bookstore shelf brings on a goosebump moment, however there are other such moments and Deb Eve agrees:

“It was an entire year of goosebumps. A year of goosebumps and frustrations in a funny way. But one of the goosebumpiest, most joyful moments had to be on the evening of my book release event – the big one in my hometown. It started with a window FULL of my books in the local bookstore. What a thrill! Then two and a half hours of people LINING THE STORE waiting to get my autograph! People kept asking if my hand was getting cramped. But the honest truth was, I could have happily signed books forever! I really felt like a celebrity as John and I walked down the street to my party. I had flowers and balloons and people were waving and cheering. Then we walked into the party and my jaw dropped. Everyone stood up and applauded as I walked in. I was absolutely speechless (and that does not happen very often for me!). I felt like a superstar. St. John took the stage and said the sweetest things and then I had to speak. I talked about why I had felt compelled all these years to write the book. Why I just couldn’t give up. Why I HAD to share the story of where I’d lived, what I’d seen and how I knew we really all were connected. And people cried! They actually cried. And then lined up to buy some more books! We sold 186 books that night. It was the most amazing evening of my life.”

[There are goosebbumps galore too for Deb Founder Tish Cohen who announced hat “film rights to Inside Out Girl sold to producers Steven Pearl (Untraceable, The Baster) and Rosalie Swedlin, with the wildly talented Allison Burnett (Fame, Untraceable, Autumn in New York, Feast of Love) adapting for film” with Tish herself signed on as consulting producer! Congratulations Tish!!!

[Note: In continuing to spotlight The Debutante Class of 09, today our attention focuses on Meredith Cole's mystery debut published in February.]

Debutante Meredith Cole — an established filmmaker, screenwriter and director of two feature films (“Floating”and “Achilles’ Love”) — will add novelist to her credits when her mystery, Posed for Murder, is released tomorrow, February 17th. And, although there are no authors’ early praises on the book’s front cover, there is a gold seal that reads: “Winner of the Malice Domestic Best Traditional First Mystery Competition.” In other words, this book is already a winner, just as its author is.

Introducing herself in the September 3, 2008 post, White Gloves and Waltzing, by Deb Meredith, she writes:

“My name is Meredith Cole and I’m delighted to be a debutante at last. I begged my mother when I was twelve to let me go to Cotillion and learn how to waltz. I thought it would be like going to a ball in a Jane Austen novel, complete with a fabulous dress and white gloves. But my mother, a college professor, had no interest in paying for me to learn to be a “‘lady.’” So now I can never remember where the forks go when I set the table (something I’m sure they covered in the first lesson).

“I live in New York City with my husband, my 4-year-old son, and my two cats. I try to swim everyday (I wrote a short story called “‘Exercise is Murder’” set at my pool for the June 2008 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). I also love to go on long walks, entertain friends, eat dessert, and play cards (my family has cutthroat Pounce tournaments where there is no mercy for anyone of any age).

“I began my career as a filmmaker, and directed two feature films (“‘Floating’” and “‘Achilles’ Love’”) when I was in my twenties. I wrote a lot of screenplays that are still sitting in a drawer, but the birth of my son forced me to reevaluate my career. I wanted to spend time with my baby without completely abandoning my creativity. Since I love to read novels, it seemed natural to write one myself.

“I found the inspiration for my mystery in the vibrant arts community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I made my heroine, Lydia McKenzie, a fine art photographer. In her photographs, she recreates historic murder scenes using her friends as models. And when she finally achieves her dream of having a show of her work in a New York gallery, Lydia discovers to her horror that someone is killing her models just like her photographs.

“My book POSED FOR MURDER will be released in February 2009 by St. Martin’s Press, and I’m hard at work writing the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to blogging this year with such a talented group, and celebrating everyone’s exciting debut. Now – what time do we waltz again?”

Did you catch the fact that Posed for Murder is the first in a series? And that means, for readers of any genre, tomorrow launches not only a debut novelist but a new character to follow as well. As an amateur detective, could Lydia McKenzie become the 21st century’s Miss Jane Marple? It’s certainly possible considering this admission in the December 3, 2008 post, The Books that Made Me a Writer by Deb Meredith.

Yet wanting to write a mysery novel and actually writing one that was (very) good enough to be published proved a learning proces for even Deb Meredith. In an interview at Jungle Red Writers blog, the January 21, 2009 post, Meet Meredith Cole allowed the author to describe her backstory:

“I’ve always loved to read, and mysteries have been some of my favorite books. So I used some of my downtime during my pregnancy to write a mystery with a setting that was dear to my heart—my artist neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I made my sleuth, Lydia McKenzie, a photographer since I’ve done enough photography to know my way around a camera, and crafted a plot I thought was downright entertaining. The trouble was I spent pages and pages giving the backstory of my characters before all the entertaining stuff kicked in. Needless to say, no one was particularly interested in my first novel.

“But I loved my characters, and, since I’m incredibly persistent and stubborn, I came up with another book idea for them that was even more closely tied to my characters. This time Lydia is having a gallery show of her murder recreation photographs, and she finds out that someone is killing her models just like her photos in POSED FOR MURDER. I began to shop the book around and I also entered it into the St. Martin’s/Malice Domestic competition in October 2006.

“While I was waiting to hear back from the competition, Lydia still wouldn’t get out of my head. So I wrote a couple of short stories featuring her and her neighbors and friends. One called “Out in the Cold” ended up in the anthology MURDER NEW YORK STYLE, and the other, “Exercise is Murder,” was in Ellery Queen Magazine’s Department of First Stories in June 2008.

“In February 2007, I found out from my judge that I was a finalist. I was incredibly excited but I was also knew I had to be realistic. Only one book out of all the hundreds written and entered could win. So no one was more shocked than I when I got a call from Ruth Cavin, an editor at St. Martin’s Press, telling me that I had won…”

Now mystery novels are difficult to review, after all any slip of a detail could give away the entire plot, but there is this brief Synopsis:

“In POSED FOR MURDER, Lydia McKenzie, an edgy art photographer who recreates murder scenes in a film noir style, finally achieves her
dream of putting her art on display. That night, Williamsburg homicide cops find the model of one of her photographs murdered, her body arranged in the same fashion as one of Lydia’s photographs. When another of her models disappears, Lydia is determined to protect her friends and find the killer using everything she’s learned in her day job as an assistant to a team of private eyes. But time is running out because the killer pictures her as his next victim.”

And what about Lydia McKenzie, what’s she like? Deb Meredith parcels out bits and pieces of her protagonist, allowing us to get to know Lydia clue by clue beginning with the October 29, 2008 post Fighting back against fear by Deb Meredith, where the author states:

“We all have moments of pulse pounding fear in our lives that are forever seared into our brains. Thank God I’ve never mugged, or raped, but I’ve been terrified. Mind-numbingly terrified. And I’ve been angry at injustices and everything that make us afraid. That’s probably why I like to read and write mysteries. In a mystery, there may be violence and murder, but in the end all is resolved. The bad guys pay and the innocent get justice. Not at all like real life.

“Growing up in the country, I didn’t have a lot of exposure to the “‘mean streets.’” But knowing that I was going to move to a city, I took a self-defense class in college. In Posed for Murder, I have Lydia McKenzie take a self-defense class because the experience was important to me, and I wanted to write about it.We all have moments of pulse pounding fear in our lives that are forever seared into our brains. Thank God I’ve never mugged, or raped, but I’ve been terrified. Mind-numbingly terrified. And I’ve been angry at injustices and everything that make us afraid. That’s probably why I like to read and write mysteries. In a mystery, there may be violence and murder, but in the end all is resolved. The bad guys pay and the innocent get justice. Not at all like real life.”

From the nitty-gritty of Lydia, there are then parts of her behavior told in What’s your sign? By Deb Meredith on November 19, 2008.

Why I’d Rather Take the Subway by Deb Meredith posted December 10, 2008 describes the differences between the writer and her main character, while January 14, 2008 My Secret Sweet Tooth, by Deb Meredith provides more Lydia revelations.

However the piece de resistance — and probably what you’ve be wondering about — was only told this past week (on February 11, 2009) in Putting Passion on the Page, by Deb Meredith. Hmm, and now there are two mysteries — the one the novel revolves around and Lydia’s love life. To discover the truth about both, “You’ll have to read the book.” as Debutante Meredith Cole suggests.

Posed for Murder hits bookstore shelves tomorrow and, although mysteries are a great read any time of the year, there something about curling up with a “whodunnit” on a cold winter’s night…enjoy!

Despite what many readers and “daydreaming” hope-to-be authors might think having a book published will not change one’s life. Glamour, wealth and fame are bestowed on a very few but every author is changed by that life experience. Six months since her debut, here’s how Meredith feels:

“Since I became a published author, I have become much more self confident. During my book tour, I’ve had to speak in front of lots of groups, get interviewed on television and radio, and navigate strange new cities on my own. None of it was easy, but after each event, I’ve felt more prepared to deal with the new and unexpected. And the self-assurance has also extended to my writing. I’ve taken a book from start to finish, written the next book in the series, written newspaper articles and press releases, and posted a blog every week on the Debutante Ball for a year. I’m not really intimidated by the blank page–or the blank screen anymore. And that feels wonderful.”

How wonderful indeed!