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How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Saundra Mitchell

 This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here." 

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You’ll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!


Today…Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER!


Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered.

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette’s latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.

What she doesn’t realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

Welcome, Saundra! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Even though I’ve been writing all my life, and had been selling stories and articles, it wasn’t until my second or third year as the head writer  on the Fresh Films series that I realized that writing was my calling and career. So I was a little slow in that regard.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

I loved The Outsiders, the Little House books, The Song of the Lioness series, pretty much everything by Lois Duncan, Zilpha Keatly Snyder, Stephen King, Jack London… this list is actually shorter if I list the books I loathed as a kid. (The Red Badge of Courage, if anyone’s curious. Why, Stephen Crane, whyyyyy?)

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

My high school English teacher, Mrs. Redman. She got me. She just got me in a way none of the other teachers did, and she let me learn instead of making me conform. She was the first teacher who actively encouraged me to do more than read the text and spit out the approved answers. More than once, she said she was a great lover of words, and in her classes, I learned to be a great lover of words, too.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge.  When and where do you write?   Do you have any special rituals?  Music?  Food & beverages?

Mostly, I just need people to leave me alone. I like to have a cocola, and some music, and a heating pad in my lap. But mostly, I just need my family to fend for themselves unless there’s blood involved!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

I like to order my revision notes- easiest (things like spelling errors or badly-worded sentences in need of rescue) to hardest (adding in an entire storyline, rewriting large portions of the story.) Then I print them out so I can check off each revision as I complete it.  When I do it this way, I can see what I’m accomplishing, so it doesn’t feel like such an endless task.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read. A lot. And don’t let anyone tell you that fan fiction is NOT a great way to learn to be a good writer. In my opinion, it’s the *best* way!

What’s special about your debut novel?

Though I always strive for honesty and truth in my work, I think Shadowed Summer is different from a lot of books right now because it’s not stark. It reflects the reality of being suspended- in youth, in poverty, in ignorance- without insisting on the inevitability of hopelessness.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

This book was hard for me to write in a lot of ways. Mostly, I wanted to tell a wicked ghost story. That was the specific goal. But Shadowed Summer was also a way for me to ask *why*, and explore the answers, and the silences that come in response.

Would you like to share part or all of your successful query letter with blog readers? 

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother believed he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, but twenty-five years later, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out for sure. Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette’s latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts in search of the truth. What she doesn’t realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

My name is Saundra Mitchell, and I have been a working writer for twelve years. For the last four years (and currently,) I’ve been the head writer for Dreaming Tree Films’ short film series, "Book of Stories," with over forty short film productions, and next year, principal photography will begin on my first feature, "A Rain of Blood." I have published fiction with ATM Magazine and Smokelong Quarterly, poetry with Poems Niederngasse, Doll World Magazine, and Parnassus, non-fiction with @Internet Magazine and The Familiar Magazine, among others, and I am a member of SCBWI.

"Incident" is my first young adult novel, however. It’s complete at 70,455 words, and I’d like to offer it to you for your consideration. As requested on Agents Actively Looking, I’ve enclosed the first chapter, and an SASE for your reply. Thank you in advance for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

(When I wrote this query, in 2003, Incident was the original title for Shadowed Summer. The book is now complete at about 45,000 words, and since then, I’ve written and produced over 300 short films! What a difference 6 years, a million revisions, and publication make!)

~ Shadowed Summer ~
Delacorte Press
www.shadowedsummer.com

You can pick up SHADOWED SUMMER at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore(they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Stacey Jay, author of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME, will be stopping by on Friday, February 20th.

Why I *Heart* Kids Heart Authors Day

What started with an idea Tweet from author Mitali Perkins turned into quite a party this morning, when authors and kids and parents gathered at independent bookstores all over the country.  I spent an amazing morning at Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vermont.

Flying Pig co-owner Elizabeth Bluemle had the kids laughing out loud as she shared her two picture books MY FATHER THE DOG and DOGS ON THE BED.

Tanya Lee Stone was there with her upcoming release ALMOST ASTRONAUTS. (I’ll be curled up with my copy in front of the fireplace shortly!)

I also met Ann Cardinal, a contributor to the anthology SISTER CHICAS, but Flying Pig was such a bustling place today that Ann had disappeared by the time I went to find her to snap her photo after the signing.    I did manage to catch Ray Montgomery and Shannon Gilligan, though.  That was a special treat, since I grew up on Ray’s CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE series, which has just been released again. 

Meeting kids at an event like this is always a joy, but every once in a while, something happens to make the day extra special.  Today, that "something" was courtesy of my new friend Madison, a fifth grader who came by to meet me and show me HER first published work — a review of my Lake Champlain historical novel CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE that she wrote and had accepted for publication in the KidsVT family newspaper!

Madison and I made a deal….  I signed a copy of my other historical novel, SPITFIRE, for her, and she signed a copy of KidsVT for me!  She’s a talented young woman writes her own stories as well as book reviews, and I have no doubt she’ll have a book on these shelves some day, too.

Thanks to Elizabeth and Josie at Flying Pig, along with Mitali and Deborah Sloan for making this awesome event happen.  It was a great morning, absolutely full of book-magic.  I hope your Valentine’s Day was wonderful, too!

Kids Heart Authors Day in Vermont!

Who loves books?

Who loves independent booksellers?

If you’re waving your hand wildly now, I’m right there with you, and here’s one of many reasons why.  When my husband and I walked into Flying Pig  Bookstore a few weeks before Christmas, we were, as usual, trying to fit too many errands into a couple hours.  Josie, one of the fabulous owners, quickly plucked book suggestions off the shelves for everyone on our list.  Really, really perfect suggestions.  Like this one…

…which had my usually very serious 12-year-old son laughing hysterically and reading passages aloud nonstop for two days.  After we bought our books,  she reminded us what time our favorite computer store closed and told us where she thought we should eat dinner after we finished shopping.  (She sent us here, and it was amazing.)

That’s a pretty unique retail experience in this 21st century world of ours, and it’s one for which I’m thankful.  That’s why I’m spending this Valentine’s Day participating in Kids Heart Authors Day at Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne from 10:00-noon.  I’ll be signing copies of my two Lake Champlain historical novels, SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE and sharing some related food and artifacts (hardtack and powder horns, anyone?). 

Fantastic authors like Elizabeth Bluemle, Tanya Lee Stone,  Ann Cardinal, Shannon Gilligan, and Ray Montgomery  are signing books as well.  And I hope you’ll be there, too – if  not at  Flying Pig, then at your local indie.  Click here for a full list of participating bookstores!

Creating Characters

I’m teaching a brand new elective at my middle school this semester — Advanced Creative Writing — and I’m lucky enough to be working with ten of the coolest, smartest 7th graders you ever did meet.  They’re working on independently selected writing projects, from novels to short stories to screenplays.  Along the way, I’ll be sharing some of our activities and asking for some of your favorite strategies to get the creative juices flowing.  I emphasize the concept of "mentor authors" in this class, encouraging kids to study what really works in their favorite authors’ writing and learn from it, so I’m hoping some of you writers out there (published and pre-published) might join in our conversation!

This morning, we worked on some introductory character development, answering these questions as our main characters:

What did you have for breakfast today?
What does your bedroom look like?
What are you worried about right now?
What do you want more than anything?
Who’s your best friend?
Who’s your worst enemy?

I always scribble along with the kids when we have a writing prompt, and today, I discovered some interesting things about a brand new main character who’s been starting to whisper in my ear. 

What about you?  What are some of your favorite strategies for getting to know your characters?

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Erin Dionne

This is the first in a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here." 

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You’ll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!


Today…Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES!

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.

Welcome, Erin!  Please tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Hmm….I guess it was the short story I wrote in fourth grade about a girl who hid while watching the colonists plan the Boston Tea Party. I loved the feeling of concocting my own version of the story. I still have it.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Too many to list. Off the top of my head: The Little House on the Prairie series, the Great Brain books, Charlotte’s Web, The Westing Game, Hotel For Dogs; Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley & Me, Elizabeth…

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

Yes! Mrs. deBaerstrand, my 4th grade teacher encouraged my outrageous reading comprehension skills by giving me books to take home and devour, and she would quiz me on the contents when I finished them–often the next day!

In high school, Mrs. Baron encouraged my writing. I never had her as a teacher, but she was the faculty adviser to the school’s literary magazine, which I edited. She encouraged me to write as much as I could.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music?

Most of the time I write on my laptop, either at the dining room table or in my local library. Since I have a new baby, I write whenever I get the time!

I always listen to music when I’m working–typically mellow, background stuff like Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, or Sting. But I’ll sneak a Red Hot Chili Peppers song or Linkin Park on my playlist to wake me up every so often!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

I have an elaborate kabuki ritual around revision. I wish I were a one-or-two revision writer, but I’m not. In order for my work to be good, I have to go through a lot of steps:

I print the manuscript, make handwritten notes on it and tag the pages with post-it notes. Then I input the changes into the computer, making additional tweaks as I go. I print the manuscript again, make the edits–I did this 7 times when working on MODELS. Then I put each scene on a color-coded index card to evaluate the book as a whole. And I go back to the manuscript two more times.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read a lot. Write a lot. Love it!

What’s special about your debut novel?

What’s special to me is that it shows how hard work can really pay off! What’s special to readers…well, I hope readers find something special that they relate to.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best parts were when the words came in a rush, and when writing some of the scenes I cracked myself up. There weren’t any "worst parts." Going to the keyboard was tougher some days than others, but overall I loved every minute of it.

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I found my agent through a recommendation from another author, but she wasn’t ready to take on children’s book writers at the time. About a year later, she was adding children’s book writers to her client list, and MODELS was ready to go out. Voila!


Ready to dig into this tasty novel?  You can pick up MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER, will be stopping by on Monday, February 16th.

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Sarah MacLean

This is the first in a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here." 

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You’ll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!

Today…Sarah MacLean, author of THE SEASON!


Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn’t fit into the world of Regency London — she’s strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.

Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It’s a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex’s heart be stolen in the process?

Romance and danger fill the air, as this year’s Season begins!

Welcome, Sarah!  Please tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

I’ve wanted to be a romance novelist for as long as I can remember.  When I was 13, I wrote a romance short story for my 7th Grade English class.  I don’t remember much about it, but I do remember the heroine was named Chantel.  My teacher, who was a man, posted it on the bulletin board outside his room, and it became a big gossipy thing in my school because the hero and heroine French kissed.  That’s when I knew I might actually pull this crazy career off someday. 

What books did you love when you were a kid?

I cut my teeth on Roald Dahl (James and the Giant Peach was my favorite book for AGES), Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin and the Sweet Valley High Books.  And then I found Jane Austen, and never looked back.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

There isn’t one…there are dozens.  I was so very lucky to have a collection of incredible teachers and librarians who encouraged my crazy ideas and were willing to go along for the ride.  Off the top of my head: Ms. Brear (4th Grade); Mr. Sullivan (6th Grade); Mr. Slattery (8th Grade Geography who never once complained when I spent every free moment in his class with a romance novel in my hand); Mrs. Moylan (who made history come alive for me in high school); Ms. Nolette, Mr. Boudreau and Mrs. Deriso (who did the same for literature). And Ms. Long (my high school librarian who is still there…and still a big fan). And that’s all before college! 

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge.  When and where do you write?   Do you have any special rituals?  Music?  Food & beverages?

I have a day job (like most writers), so things are particularly challenging in my world. 

The short answer is, I write whenever I can. I’m on a really tight schedule for my next books, with one due every 6 months for the next year and a half, so I can’t really afford to have a ritual. Mainly, I write on the subway, waiting in restaurants for friends, at the laundromat, and at my dining room table while my husband watches The West Wing. 

When I am at home, though, my writing almost always involves classical music.  Mozart was really popular in the Regency, so I listen to a lot of that…and Johann Strauss, Jr.’s waltzes always get me in a ballroom-scene-kind-of-mood.

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Trust your gut and slash and burn. If I second guess a sentence or word, it gets cut or rewritten. No questions asked.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Writing is not a talent.  It’s a skill.  Write every single day and you’ll eventually be a pro.

What’s special about your debut novel?

I hope that Alex and her friends are what’s special about it.  My goal going into it was to create a world and a group of characters who were fun and feisty and, most importantly, good friends to each other.  I hope I accomplished that.  

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

I’ve said it before…writing The Season was the most fun I’ve ever had.  In my life.  Meeting these characters, spending time with them, enjoying them, it was all so fun.  It wasn’t so fun being on deadline.  And it’s not so fun waiting for reviews and reader response.  But the writing was SO FUN!

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

My editor found me, actually…she knew I was thinking about a Regency novel and suggested I try one for YA. I actually didn’t have an agent for it…but I now have one–best thing I ever did.

Would you like to share part or all of your successful query letter with blog readers?

Again, it was slightly different for me…but here’s the first paragraph of the query I sent for an agent…after the purchase of The Season.

Lavish ballgowns, extravagant parties, juicy romance and a fair share of adventure fill my young adult regency romance series–which follows three best friends as they navigate their first London Season during the spring and summer of 1815. The first of these books, The Season, has already been purchased by Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, and is set for publication in March of 2009.  I am writing to you with a somewhat strange query; I was unrepresented for The Season  and would like to avoid being so for the next book!

The Regency World of Sarah MacLean. 
Be there…or be talked about.
http://www.macleanspace.com

So…would you rather be there than be talked about?  You can pick up THE SEASON at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, will be stopping by on Wednesday, February 11th.

best tracker


The Long Road to 2009

First of all, congratulations are in order again.  Two more of my fellow 2009 debut authors have books on the shelves!

I cannot wait to read these two! Congratulations, Sarah MacLean and Erin Dionne!

I also want to let you know about a series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow Debs, called "How They Got Here." 
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You’ll even be able to read a successful query letter or two!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!

The series of interviews starts Monday, February 9th with Sarah MacLean, author of The Season.

Thankful Thursday

Much to be thankful for today…

  • My good friend marjorielight  has FINISHED drafting her first YA novel.  For those of you who write, remember how that feels…to finish that first book that seemed like it would go on forever when you started writing?  (Wait…I’m on my fifth novel, and it still feels that way when I start.)  Congratulations, Marjie!  
  • I am FINISHED grading state English tests, which means that instead of being locked in a conference room with bubble scoresheets today, I get to be back in my classroom with my kids.
  • I am still full of major thankfulness for the retreat I attended last weekend, Kindling Words.  I posted pictures earlier this week, but for those who would like to see more (including a shot of me drumming with wayyy too much enthusiasm), you can check out other photographic KW posts from halseanderson , saraclaradara , and eluper .
  • Today started better than yesterday, which began with a broken plate and a mouse in my kitchen, all before 7am.  It is now 7:30, and the kitchen is quiet.

What’s making you feel thankful today?

Winnie’s War by Jenny Moss


Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, so I celebrate any time a great new historical novel shows up in the world.  Tomorrow is cause for celebration indeed because it’s the release day for Winnie’s War (Walker Books for Young Readers) by Jenny Moss.  In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that Jenny and I share a publisher and are online friends, but I’d be crowing about this book even if I’d never heard of her before.

I had the good fortune to read an ARC of Winnie’s War a few months ago and was absolutely swept away by this story of a small-town Texas girl standing up to try and protect her family from the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic. This is the very best kind of historical fiction – full of rich characters, vividly detailed history, the suspense of a threatening pandemic, and even a touch of romance in the form of a sweet little first-kiss scene that made me smile for weeks after I read it.  Teachers of grades 4-8, in particular, will want to snatch this one up for their classrooms and school libraries.

Kindling Words

This weekend, I attended Kindling Words, a retreat for published authors, illustrators, and editors of children’s books.  KW is a little difficult to describe because the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.  There were workshops and readings and informal discussion.  There was also painting, yoga, South African drumming, a January bonfire, writing time, and lots of dessert.  Together, it added up to four days of magic.

Click here for many KW photos…