Debut Author Interview: Alison Cherry

I am so excited to be able to introduce debut author Alison Cherry! Alison grew up in Evanston, IL, then went to Harvard and got a degree in photography. (Yes, that is possible. Although they like to call the visual arts "Visual and Environmental Studies," for some unknown reason.) Then she spent the next three years as a freelance lighting designer for various theaters throughout the Northeast. Eventually, Alsion got tired of hanging out on ladders and wrestling with faulty electrical equipment for 80 hours a week while getting paid almost nothing. I know—shocking. She spent the next four years working as a photographer for the Metropolitan Opera. Alison represented by the lovely and amazing Holly Root at Waxman Leavell.

Her book RED, which is available now, is about Felicity St. John who has it all—loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note:

I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say "strawberry blond." Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?

Sarah: OMG, that is outstanding. First of all, as a redhead, I LOVE the idea of a place where the Ginger's rule the roost! Sign me up! So, where did you come up with the idea for RED?

Alison: In early 2010, I read a very alarmist article that said redheads were likely to go extinct in the next one hundred years. Since I'm a natural redhead, I found this very upsetting, and I wondered if I should archive my DNA for scientific purposes or something. Fortunately, it turned out the article was just a hoax perpetuated by a hair dye company—the genetic mutation that makes red hair happen is safe and sound. But the whole experience got me wondering what would happen if redheads really WERE an endangered species. Would people work to save them from extinction the same way biologists work to protect pandas and snow leopards? That led to the idea of a National Redhead Sanctuary called Scarletville. I essentially have a news ticker of ridiculous ideas scrolling through my head at all times, so I remember emailing my mom and asking, "Is this incredibly stupid, or could it actually turn into a story?" She thought it was funny, so I decided to give it a shot, and RED was born.

Alison: If you take Felicity at face value, she and I are pretty different. Having red hair is the only thing that matters in Scarletville, so Felicity is significantly more popular than I've ever been, in high school or after. And because she knows she'll lose everything if her secret comes out, she's willing to do some pretty reprehensible things to maintain her status. I like to tell myself I'd never sink so low, but it's unfair of me to berate her—Felicity wasn't lucky enough to grow up like I did, with loving, supportive parents and a diverse community where being different wasn't considered bad. Scarletville is all she's ever known, and if I'd been in her shoes, who's to say I wouldn't have acted the same way? If Felicity had gone to my high school and had been allowed to focus on the things she loved, we might actually have been friends. We have very similar interests; we both took dance classes all through our childhoods, and we're both passionate about visual art. I majored in photography in college, just as Felicity wants to do. I can totally picture us working side by side in the darkroom and commenting on each other's portfolios.

Sarah: I think characters who are hiding something are my favorite to read! I totally connect with them. So, let's talk about the process. How long did it take to complete the project starting with the idea and ending when you signed your book deal?

Alison: I started writing RED in April of 2010, and I got my book deal in October of 2011.

Sarah: Okay, now that all the readers and green with envy, what about your agent? How did you find her?

Alison: My agent is Holly Root at Waxman Leavell, and she is ridiculously awesome. I found her through AgentQuery, which is a fantastic resource for anyone looking for an agent. I actually queried her with an entirely different book in early 2010, and when she read it, she contacted me and said, "I really love this story, but I'm positive I won't be able to sell it." She asked me if I was working on anything else, and the first three chapters of RED were in pretty solid shape by that time, so I sent them her way. She told me she was smitten with them and that I should write the rest of the manuscript and send it to her right away, so I spent the next six months furiously drafting and revising. Four days after I finished, she offered to represent me. Moral of the story: when an agent rejects your manuscript but asks you to send her the next thing you write, DO IT. She's not trying to let you down gently—she sees something she likes in your writing, even if that first project wasn't the right fit for her.

Sarah: So, now that you're behind the gate and walking among the published, what surprised you most about the publishing process?

Alison: The WAITING. For some reason, I thought that after I sold a manuscript, things would zoom along and I'd have a finished book on the shelf in no time. NOT SO, my friends. RED's publication date is almost exactly two years after the date I sold it, and that's pretty standard. The word "soon" starts to mean anything from "next week" to "five months from now." This isn't anyone's fault—there's a ton of stuff I don't even understand that goes on behind the scenes in publishing. But it was definitely an adjustment.

Sarah: I've heard that before! So, any more advice for the "not yet published" writers out there?

Alison: In the words of the great Maureen Johnson, don't be afraid to suck. You're not going to write a perfect book on the first try. You probably won't do it on the second or third or fourth try, either, and that is TOTALLY FINE. That's what revisions are for. Even your very favorite books by your very favorite authors started out as totally crappy first drafts, I promise. None of us get it right the first time around.

Sarah: Words to remember! What's next for you? Any new projects coming up? Is there a sequel to RED in our future?

Alison: RED is a stand-alone, so there's no sequel in the works. However, I do have another unrelated contemporary YA coming out in late 2014. It's called FOR REAL, and it's about a pair of sisters who go on reality TV to take revenge on a cheating ex-boyfriend.

Sarah: Every author has that one line in their book that they love. Care to share one with us?

Alison: "All of the furniture was strangely undersized, as if it had been harvested before it was done growing."

Sarah: Love it! It conjures an image of a giant walking up and down the field picking off beds and couches and vanities. Alison, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me! I am so excited to read RED,in fact, I'm on my way out the door to pick it up now! Cancel all my plans, followers! I'm heading to Scarletville! And remember, always read what you are PASSIONATE about!

Debut Author Interview: Romily Bernard

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I published this earlier in the week over on The Writer Diaries blog, but I'm posting an encore presentation for those of you who may not follow us.

Today I’m highlighting an up-and-coming debut author who is as talented as she is funny! Romily Bernard, author of the novel FIND ME, which will be released on September 24, 2013 is definitely someone to read now... or in a week, actually. Here’s the jacket blurb:

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

Now to the interview! Romily, thank you so much for agreeing to talk with me! Where did you get the inspiration for FIND ME?

I had an idea for a scene where a girl hacker was inside her bedroom, watching a dirty cop circle her house. No idea why the cop was circling the house. Or why the girl was a hacker because I am beyond computer-inept. But I decided to sit down and figure out why.

And I, for one, am so glad you did! I love the idea of a female hacker! What, if any, characteristics do you and the protagonist, Wick, have in common? How are you different?

We’re both incredibly stubborn. By the time I wrote FIND ME, I had 246 agent/editor rejections and I was sitting down to write with a “I will do this if it KILLS ME” attitude. When I’m being nice, I say that I’m driven. When I’m being realistic, I acknowledge I’m pig-headed. Wick’s very similar. She runs her own hacking business on the sly, looks out for her sister, and, eventually, avenges a dead classmate.

Right… typical girl stuff. Ha. How long did it take to complete the project starting with the idea and ending when you signed your book deal?

I wrote FIND ME in about nine months then, after I was agented, we spent another four months re-writing it twice before Sarah pitched it at the Bologna Book Fair. It sold to Phoebe Yeh at HarperTeen about two weeks after…so, a little over a year?

I’m sure every writer reading this is green with envy. Speaking of your agent, how did you find her?

I’m rep’d by the amazing Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary. I found her online then cross-referenced her information with Publisher Weekly deals and supplemented all of that by researching her current authors. Sound a touch anal-retentive? It probably was, but I wanted a clear game plan of who I would approach once I completed my first YA. I created an Excel spreadsheet so I knew exactly who my top agent picks were and what materials I needed to send them.

I like to think it was an organized plan of attack…I’m sure to outsiders it looked like I was creating a hit list. Sarah was my first pick and, luckily, she wanted me as well. And what happened to that trusty spread? It’s up on my website if anyone wants to download it to create their own agent wish list.

The right agent is a must for a successful career! What surprised you most about the publishing process?

For an industry that trades in dreams, publishing is all about product. That sounds heartless, but it’s not. As a HarperTeen author, I’m lucky to have a team of talented publishing professionals all pulling for FIND ME to be the best it can be. Sometimes that means we have to make hard decisions about what’s right for the book, but also what’s right for the market. Scary? Yes. But you have to trust the people you surround yourself with. I researched publishers the same way I researched agents so, when I accepted Harper-Collins’ offer, I knew what caliber of professional I was getting. The trick? I have to get out of the way and let them do their job.

So, given everything you’ve gone through on your publishing journey, what advice would you give to all the "not yet published" writers out there?

Learn to separate constructive criticism from negative criticism. There are going to be people who are never going to like your writing. Repeat: never. You could do phone book entries and they’re still going to find a way to hate the way you did it. Ignore those people.

On the other hand, there are going to be some really scathing reviews where you’re going to say “You know that’s really harsh…but she/he has a point.” Learn to tell the difference. And, more importantly, learn to internalize those scathing constructive reviews in a way that you can access later without sending yourself into a shame spiral.

Then write another book about how you learned to do that. Sell it to other writers. Make millions. Retire to the south of France.

Sounds like a great plan, although I’m prone to retirement in Ireland, but I get what you’re saying! What's next for you? Any new projects coming up? Is there a sequel to FIND ME in our future?

Yes! FIND ME’s sequel, REMEMBER ME, is due September 2014.

Every writer has those lines that they just love. Care to share yours?

Hmmm. What about my favorite kiss scene?

Sure, let’s read it!

****

“We should probably get going,” I say.

“Sure thing.” Griff starts to ease closer and I freeze. “But we don’t have rush off. I have my bike. It’ll take less than twenty minutes to get to Joe’s.”

“I…I…” I don’t know what to say. We’re only inches apart now and my brain has stalled. Griff’s body slides lower along mine and I have to stifle a gasp. He still smells like grass and chlorine from last night and his hair has dried in messy spikes.

Griff smiles and, for a second, I think he’s going to kiss me again, but he turns his head so his whispers rush past my ear, making my skin leap like it’s electrified. “I like waking up to you, Wicked.”

I dig my fingers into the covers so I don’t dig them into him. “I thought you were awake because I kept kicking you.”

“Yeah, you were.” Griff’s hand drifts up, up, up my neck until it’s cupping my jaw. “But, mostly, I was up because I wanted to do this.”

His lips press against corner of my jaw…my cheek…my mouth. I roll into him and he pushes me down, pins me to the bed.

“Again,”  he breathes.

Wow! Very hot! Well, thanks again for talking with me and good luck as FIND ME hits the book stores on September 24^th! Until then, stay PASSIONATE about the writers you love!

I have a blog planner

No, it's not a person who shows up every day and tells me what my topic is and supports me while I work diligently (or consider dusting the floor boards for the first time in ever)... but that does sound nice, doesn't it?

What I have is a paper... yes paper... as in not digital... planner that I created (by stealing other ideas from pinterest). What does this mean?

In theory it means I will be more organized about what I'm posting and most importantly, when.

There are a few things I am horrible at. One is knowing where commas go. I know, I know... as a writer, I should be better about that. But it's like career kyrptonite. I just can't remember all the rules. And then there is painting... or sculpting... or drawing a straight line. If you require me to be artistic there better be a computer and printer around. Or a Cricut. (Shout out to the scrapbookers in the house.) Other than that, I am a mess! And finally, I'm really bad about following a schedule. (Ironically, I rarely miss deadlines... which is not to say I'm using my time wisely, but that's another story.)

So this blog planner, the holy grail of organizing my world is being put to the test as we speak. It's like a six million dollar man make over of the social media/platform building variety. (Except it didn't require six million dollars. Only ten to cover the year of site-hosting. And I am, in fact, NOT a man. But other than that, that's exactly what this is.)

So stay tuned for a few changes and surprises.  Now get to being PASSIONATE about your latest WIP or I will be forced to stalk you using this GIF.

This is exactly what I look like when I'm on a roll!

How Librarians Can Help Writers with Marketing and Platform

When you hear the term “Librarian”, what comes to mind? A stogy, bun-wearing matronly lady? I heaving buxom of a beauty hidden behind bad clothes and pointy glasses? (There may be a few guys who read this blog.)


Think again. A Librarian wields some serious literary power. Sure, publishing houses can pay big money to get prime placement in a brick and mortar book stores and writers can pay for ads on Facebook. But book placement in a library is entirely up to those who work there. A little time can mean the difference between getting lost in the stacks and getting “pimped” out.

So what can you do to earn some love from the librarians of the world? And what can you get out of it? Here’s one idea: if you are a debut author, or even a midlist author with a second or third novel coming out, do free Skype visits. We’re not talking forever, just 20 or 30 minutes of your time can mean a ton of free publicity. For example, Gina Damico, author of the CROAK trilogy, is going to Skype in to our teen writing club in October. So for the month of September, we will be promoting her books with professionally designed posters and flyers and press releases, etc. All the teens in the club will be encouraged to read her novels prior to the meeting. And having met her before, I’m pretty sure Gina is going to capture more than a few fans. So if an opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to say yes. And all it’s costing her is 20 minutes of free advice to her target demographic.

Another idea: If you have postcards or bookmarks, sign a few and send them to teen/children’s librarians. We’re always looking for inexpensive (read free) give always to entice teens to attend programs. Plus, if I were to receive a package from an author, I would make sure to move their book to the top of my TBR pile. And, if I love the book, you can bet I would have it on display. And, if word of mouth means anything, Librarians book lovers with a podium. Two of my favorite historical fiction novels are Scarlett by A.C. Gaughen, who happens to be another author Skyping in with our teens, and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Whenever a teen comes in looking for something different, these are my go to books. Every Librarian has one. Play your cards right and you could be that one!

Remember, writers aren’t the only ones who are PASSIONATE about books!

Psst... I've got a secret!

MIDWEST WRITERS WORKSHOP

IS 2 DAYS AWAY!

I KNOW, RIGHT!!!!!

More to Come!

Guest Blog Post: Writing and Rule Breaking

By Josh David Bellin

The best writing breaks rules.

Name a great book. Rule-breakers all.

Slaughterhouse-Five. Moby-Dick. Ulysses. To the Lighthouse. Beloved. On the Road. All of them, rule-breakers.

But okay, maybe I’m talking about classics of literary fiction, and I should be talking about popular fiction. Most of us aspire to write the latter, not the former. Isn’t popular fiction more rule-bound than literary fiction?

Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean it’s so rule-bound as to be rule-hobbled.

There are thousands of writing “rules” floating around out there, and there are just as many aspiring writers being, I fear, misled by them. Whenever I encounter one of those rules on some agent or other authority’s blog--whether the rule be, “never start your novel with a character waking up” or “never have a character describe herself in a mirror” or “never delay the inciting incident to chapter two” or “never insert a scene with a dancing pink hippo into your novel”--I find hosts of grateful comments from aspiring writers: “Thank you so much, Divine Agent! You have shown me the error of my ways and likely saved me from a lifetime of public humiliation! I will certainly never insert a scene with a dancing pink hippo into my novel ever again!”

But you know, maybe your novel needs a scene with a dancing pink hippo. Maybe your novel needs to begin with a dancing pink hippo waking up, looking at itself in a mirror, and then having a philosophical conversation with the ghost of Albert Einstein, thereby delaying the inciting incident until the second chapter. Maybe those are the particular rules your novel needs to break.

There is no rule in writing so ironclad that it can’t be broken for the right reasons. Just as it’s ridiculous to insist that all novels begin with dancing pink hippos, so is it ridiculous to insist that no novel can begin that way.

What’s the test? How do you know which rules to break?

The test is the story itself. Each story creates its own needs, its own form, its own rules. It’s the writer’s job to know her or his story well enough to know which rules to obey, which to bend, which to ignore. If you don’t know that, then really, what do you know?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to return to writing my big dancing-pink-hippo scene. Trust me. It’s killer.

Josh has been writing novels since he was eight years old (though admittedly, the first few were very, very short). He taught college for twenty years, wrote a bunch of books for college students, then decided to return to writing fiction. SURVIVAL COLONY NINE is his first book, but the sequel's already in the works!

He loves to read (mostly YA fantasy and science fiction), watch movies (again, mostly fantasy and sci-fi), and spend time in Nature (mostly catching frogs and toads). He claims to be the world's worst singer, but plays a pretty mean air guitar.  He also like to draw, and will be putting up some of his artwork on his website as soon as he can. 

Oh, yeah, and he like monsters.  Really scary monsters.

You can find out more about Josh David Bellin and SURVIVAL COLONY NINE at http://www.joshuadavidbellin.com. 

How an Agent Changed My Life

Last week, I had the pleasure to cross something off my bucket list. Did I broker world peace? Cure cancer? Figure out the value to humanity of the slug? No, but any of those would be cool. Alas, all I did was SIGN WITH A LITERARY AGENT!!!

Yes, it’s true, and trust me, there is a blog post in the works describing how I got my agent. But this post isn’t about that. It’s about how finding my agent, Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency, has already changed my life.

1. Free time is now a precious commodity. In order to enjoy more of it, I am decluttering the house and hiring a cleaning service. Let’s be honest, I don’t like cleaning in the first place, but having someone come in every week will certainly give me reason to do the small pick-ups in between!

2. I have realized that it is possible to be so tired from late nights of revision that food becomes an option.

3. I have been weaned off Facebook games. Good-bye Candy Crush.

4. I really don’t have much interest in watching TV, well, except for The Foster’s on ABCFamily. (Shameless plug for Dan Richter.)  I’ve even stopped watching Big Brother. The true test will come in the Fall when the new season starts.

5. I can no longer say I’m bored. There is always something to do and most of the time, I want to do it. (I’m talking about revisions. What’s that? No. I’m not insane.)

6. I was forced to seek out alternative sources of carry-out. The natives threatened to revolt. Apparently there is a such thing as too much pizza.

7. I’m earning Starbuck’s Rewards faster than even before.

So that’s it. Seven ways that signing with an agent has changed my life. Okay, it’s only been five days, so I can only hope that my life changes in other ways. Until then, BE PASSIONATE about what you love. Someday it might change your life!