The Divining Wand

‘Tis the week of the season when one might wonder what day it is. Well relax, settle back, and enjoy what these authors share. ‘Tis the season…

Trish’s Favorite Christmas Gift

My favorite Christmas gift came from my sister Meg. It was nine or ten years ago. We were both adults, entering those transitional years when husbands and children were being added to holiday celebrations. Part of me (as the sister not bringing new members into our family) longed to cling to the old days, when our family was more simple to outline and understand.

Meg handed me her gift with a certain look in her eye that I knew meant “pay attention.” It was a big rectangle, a frame of some sort. I ripped the paper off with great enthusiasm (as is our family tradition) to reveal a collage: pictures of she and I together at every age: toddlers having a picnic on our front steps, me giving her a piggy back ride, the two of us smiling and grown-up before her high school prom. And in the middle square, toward the bottom, Meg had copied this quote: “Chance made us sisters; Love made us friends.”

I still have that collage. It’s traveled with me through at least six different cities, reminding me of a moment of real transition in our family: when Meg and I knew for sure we’d be friends. Not just because we’re related, but because we like each other.
Trish Ryan (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Love, and Happily Ever After, A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances coming in June 2010)

Katie’s Favorite Music and Movie

I love all Christmas music! The ones I find myself singing all the time are “The Christmas Waltz” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” And my favorite Christmas movie is “Elf.” I have to watch it every year…and I always tear up at the end.
Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA)

Allison Loves This Movie

My favorite holiday movie, and I don’t know if this is considered a classic or not, but it’s still my favorite, is Love, Actually. I love every single thing about this movie and watch it at least once per holiday season. It’s so uplifting yet realistic in a melancholy sort of way – these regular people going about their lives and trying to find a way to infuse those lives with more joy – that is just so touching. And that end scene with Hugh Grant and his assistant? Perfect in every way.
Allison Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life and The One That I Want coming June 1, 2010)

With a slight lull in book releases, The Divining Wand decided to take this time to go beyond its authors pages and discover what favorite books they reread.

Are any of the following on your own list?

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die):

“I find “‘Pride and Prejudice’” rereadable in the extreme. That’s my old standby (and I love the audiobook and all the movie versions, too). Of books I’ve read over the past year or so, I can see myself going back to “‘Story’” by Robert McKee. It’s so densely packed with information that another pass would definitely be useful and no less interesting than the first one!”

Judy Merrill Larsen (All the Numbers):

“I used to reread To Kill a Mockingbird every year or so. Now, there are so many books on my TBR pile that it’s hard to justify re-reading anything, but a few that I’d reread include The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, any Faulkner, and East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath. I like to revisit the masters from time to time.”

Holly LeCraw (The Swimming Pool coming April 6, 2010):

“I reread any book that inspires me. Some of my all-time favorites are: The Great Gatsby: So Long, See You Tomorrow; All the King’s Men; To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway; Evening; Gilead; Atonement; The Unvanquished; the Last Gentleman; and many, many more. I tend to read books like this over and over. You always learn something new, or, if necessary, can use the best books to bring you back to your own center.”

Trish Ryan (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Love, and Happily Ever After, A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances coming in June 2010):

“Right now, I’m working on a novel, so I’m immersed in fiction. I just finished THE PROMISED WORLD by Lisa Tucker, and I’m going back to read all her others–she’s a master at moving the story along without giving away secrets. And Laura Dave’s LONDON IS THE BEST CITY IN AMERICA and THE DIVORCE PARTY show me what it looks like to create an entire world with words. Her books make me forget where I am.

“For memoir/essay, an unsung genius is Heather King. Her most recent book, about her transitions (from barroom drunk to married lawyer to divorced Catholic seeker) is called REDEEMED. Her words and her honesty raise the bar pretty high for those of us who want to write our own stories.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars):

“I re-read books all the time. Some of my favorites: BREATHING LESSONS, Anne Tyler, NOTES ON A SCANDAL, Zoe Heller, THE GREAT GATSBY, F. Scott Fitzgerald, anything by David Sedaris. Also, I haven’t read them a second time yet but I know I will: THE EMBERS by Hyatt Bass and CONFESSIONS OF A PREP SCHOOL MOMMY HANDLER by Wade Rouse.”

Earlier this month The Divining Wand provided hindsight on what some of our authors might have done differently IF they knew then what they know now about writing as an art and a business.

Did your favorite authors answer? Perhaps you’ll discover more insight from the following:

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die):

“I think I learn too much from every experience to wish I had done things differently. I’ve met and worked with amazing people. I’ve found my own place in the YA world, and I’ve been lucky enough to achieve success that I can be proud of. The whole journey has been fascinating and I don’t think I’d take anything back.”

Alicia Bessette (All Come Home coming in August 2010):

“Ask me again in ten years. My publishing career is pretty nascent, so I don’t have the gift of hindsight yet. But so far, I wouldn’t change a thing. The formula of gratitude, never quitting, supporting other writers, and reading a lot, seems to be working for me.”

Tish Cohen (Town House, Commonwealth Regional Finalist, Inside Out Girl, Little Black Lies):

“As an art: spent every spare second reading, dropped out of business school, done more people watching. As a business: I don’t think I’d change much. Maybe I’d have been more aware that female readers like a female protagonist.”

Jenny Gardiner (Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, Winging It: Twenty Years of Caring for a Vengeful Bird Determined to Kill Me coming March 16, 2010):

“I’d probably not have made such a fool of myself with some of the submissions I sent early on to agents and editors. But we all have to start somewhere and I grew more savvy as I learned more about the business. I don’t regret that I started out so naive because it there’s a certain optimism that comes with that ignorance that ultimately gets suppressed with the reality of the industry and that blind sense of great potential is very motivating.”

Trish Ryan (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Love, and Happily Ever After, A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances coming in June):

“I just finished my second book, A MAZE OF GRACE: A MEMOIR OF SECOND CHANCES, which will be out in June. This book was much harder to write than my first, largely because I was so terrified of losing the ideas I mentioned above that I spent the first few weeks of work frantically jotting every thought that crossed my mind down onto post-its, napkins, and any other loose paper I could find. But because I didn’t write out the whole ideas, most of those fragments were indecipherable by the time I got back to them. So on the art side of writing, my new motto is “Take the time to write the WHOLE thing down…or don’t bother.”

On the business side, I’ve learned that you just never know what’s going to happen next. Publishing changes so rapidly: people, business goals, timelines. You just can’t get attached to any one person or plan to make a book succeed.”

Fall, it’s brimming with energy as are our authors — some of whom already have new ventures to share.

Wendy Tokunaga (Midori by Moonlight) whose second novel, Love in Translation, will be released November 24, 2009, premieres the Book Trailer and notes Advance Praise for Love in Translation:

“A delightful novel about love, identity, and what it means to be adrift in a strange land. This story of a search has an Alice in Wonderland vibe; when Celeste climbs down the rabbit hole, one can’t help but follow along.”–Michelle Richmond, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog

“An amusing story of one woman’s quest for her father and the improbable path of love.”—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters

Debutante Joëlle Anthony (Restoring Harmony YA coming May 13, 2010) is delighted to announce a new feature on her website: Wild Card Wednesdays. Join her for author interviews, guest blogs, and book giveaways. This week Sara Zarr will be Joëlle’s guest author.

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die) celebrates fall with an October contest time!. Here’s a chance to win a signed copy of Bad Girls Don’t Die as well as some custom-made stuff!

Although Katie is a talented writer, using of the word “stuff” — to describe her handmade items — is far too modest.

Just look at the stuff given to September’s Contest winner:

So do visit, read the contest rules and enter before 12:01 a.m. PDT this Saturday, October 10th.

We all know the power of words, but when Kristy Kiernan (Catching Genius, Between Friends coming April 6, 2010) wrote Matters of Faith it’s doubtful that she even realized the significant awareness she was casting on food allergies. Yet this November 14th, in Tampa, Florida, Kristy will serve as the Honorary Chair for The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network Walk for Food Allergy Congratulations, Kristy!

[Note: Two copies of Little Black Lies are being given away this week. Please leave a comment on Tish Cohen's Little Black Lies between now and Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. EDT to be eligible for the random drawings. The two winners will be announced here in Thursday's post.]

Having learned how some of our authors spent — or wished they had spent this summer — let’s hear from more of them beyond their pages.
Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die):
“What do I wish I were doing this summer? Exactly what I’m doing! Except maybe in a cleaner house. Although I would love to have the chance to visit my brother and his family in Switzerland, but my short deadline doesn’t really leave much opportunity for that. I also wish I were losing a pound or two a week… ha ha.”

Tish Cohen (Town House, The Invisible Rules of the Zoe Lama Juvenile, Inside Out Girl and Little Black Lies YA coming October 13, 2009):

“Right now I’m finishing up edits on the third adult book (due out next summer) and am listening to French jazz and the soundtrack to Something’s Gotta Give – which is all, you guessed it, French jazz.”

Meredith Cole (Posed for Murder):

“I wish I were writing in a quiet vacation home, preferably at the beach. Instead, I’m writing in my half unpacked/half painted house. I’m not very good at writing when everything is packed and in complete disorder, so I’m not getting much done right now.”

Ad Hudler (Man of the House, All This Belongs to Me, House Husband):

“I wish I were exploring the entire state of Oklahoma, border to border, in my truck.”

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (The Beautiful Being coming September 29, 2009):

“I need to teach and I love to teach, but I wish I did not have to teach so much — Five classes much.”

Holly Kennedy (The Silver Compass, The Penny Tree, The Tin Box):

“I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing this summer. I’m spending time with my kids and husband, then sliding off to Hawaii for 12 days to take in a writers retreat and present at the conference (where I’ll hopefully inspire some upcoming writers.”

Kristy Kiernan (Catching Genius, Matters of Faith, and Between Friends coming April 6, 2010):

“I’m doing what I want to be doing (editing BETWEEN FRIENDS, starting on the new one), but I’d rather be doing it somewhere else…like St. George Island, FL.”

Judy Merrill Larsen (All the Numbers):

“I’m having a great summer–I finished a major rewrite of what I hope will be my next novel on June 30, so now I’m taking some time away from it before going back to tweak it. In the meantime, I’m traveling to Seattle to visit my son and have a reunion with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin (one of those trips we’ve talked about taking for years), and then at the end of August my husband and I are running away to Amelia Island. And of course, I’ll be reading up a storm, trying to catch up.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars):

“I wish I had more time to go camping. I miss sitting by a campfire in the still, cool night.”

Allison Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost & Found, Time of My Life):

“Oh gosh, summer really, really makes me wish that I didn’t live in New York City. I am a beach bum at heart, so I’d much rather be loitering on the beaches in Southern Cali than pounding the asphalt pavement here. Just to wake up at a beach house and step outside and inhale the air…oh, I’m getting depressed just thinking about it. But that said, we’re headed out west for two weeks, so I should get my California fix then.”

[Note: Not only did Allison enjoy her vacation, she just heard that Time of My Life paperback edition has gone into its third printing. Congratulations Allison!!].

[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.”