Beth Fehlbaum, YA fiction author

YA Writer Wednesdays is happy to welcome Laxmi Hariharan, author of THE DESTINY OF SHAITAN! Comment on my interview with Laxmi for a chance to win her e-book, THE DESTINY OF SHAITAN! I'll draw the winner at random on Tuesday, August 14! 

About Laxmi Hariharan: (In the author’s words) I am a writer, technophile and, dare I say, a futurist, with a penchant for chai and growing eye-catching flowers. Wanderlust drove me out of my home country, India, to travel across Asia, and I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong before coming home to London. I am inspired by Indian mythology; I draw from the stories my grandmother narrated to me as a child. It is in acknowledging my roots that I found my voice. When not writing, I love walking in the woods with my soulmate, and indulging my inner geek. My debut novel, The Destiny of Shaitan, is available on Amazon (e-book).

Welcome, Laxmi! What's your book about? 

Partially set in a futuristic Bombay, The Destiny of Shaitan is a coming of age story painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world. When Tiina, a young seventeen year old, accompanies her ex-boyfriend Yudi on a mission to save the universe from the ruthless Shaitan, she seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. Driven by greed and fear for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying everything in his path. Tiina wants Yudi to eliminate Shaitan, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the autocrat being killed by his son, but she finds that Yudi is hesitant to do so. The final showdown between Yudi and Shaitan has unexpected consequences, for Shaitan will do anything in his power to win the fight—including getting rid of Tiina. The stakes are high and the combatants determined. Will Shaitan's ultimate destiny be fulfilled?

What inspired you to write it?

I am inspired by Indian mythology. My grandmother narrated for me these amazing stories of Indian Gods and Goddesses and their fantastic adventures when I was growing up in Bombay. So I think the seeds of this book were sown when I was a five year old. I hope The Destiny of Shaitan will introduce an entire new generation around the world to Indian mythology – in a very cool, easy to understand fashion.

When is your book coming out / When did it release?

The second edition of The Destiny of Shaitan released on July 1. If you have read it, I'd  love to profile you my reader in my Reader Avatars series on my blog . E-mail me to be included: laxmihariharan@yahoo.com . 

Has the reality of being published been different than you thought it would be?

With being published comes the enormous responsibility of giving my readers the best experience my words can afford. I found I had to be very true to myself about acknowledging why I write. I write to be read.

What's the best part of being published?

The best part is to be read! I write to introduce a new generation of people around the word to the magnificent wonders of Indian mythology and culture. If I have managed to move even one person, I am fulfilled.

FIND LAXMI ON https://www.facebook.com/laxmihariharanauthor" target="_blank">FACEBOOK!  SHE'S @laxmi ON TWITTER, AND SHE'S ALSO ON PINTEREST . CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE, TOO! 

What is something about publishing that you wish someone had told you in advance?

That it is no cakewalk  and that there are no real monetary rewards at the end of it. I don't think you can write to make money. You write because it is a compulsion and there is no other way out!

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"?

The Destiny of Shaitan is a sheer seat of the pants story which grew from a very organic space. The characters were off having mad adventures and I had to make sense of it all for the reader. With my next one, The Seven Islands, I am going to plot first--then write!

Who's your favorite author? What is it about his or her writing that has made you a fan?

George R R Martin is my favourite. His characters drive the story forward. And he does not hesitate to kill them off and come up totally new and even more intriguing ones. Fantastic!

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"?

My day job is working in a creative media house. I am fortunate that my job nurtures my soul and pays my bills so I can write!

Why YA as opposed to some other genre?

I not only write YA, I am YA. In fact I have my own quiz to help you figure out if you are also a Young Adult:

a. Do you have more in common with your girlfriends’ fourteen year old (especially your love for Hunger Games, Twilight, et al)?

b. In workplace meetings or in ‘grown up’ parties or at the pub, are you the only one who knows Formspring (or for that matter, Twitter)?

c. Are you health-conscious (in fact, probably vegetarian?) and also probably love to take extra vitamins in the hope of staying perpetually young?

If you got even two of the above three right, chances are that, like me, you are YA forever.

Who's your agent? Take this opportunity to brag on him/her if you'd like!

I’d very much like to talk about my PR representative and my all around favourite woman, Pavarti K. Taylor. You must read her new novel, Shadow on the Wall. Its bold, daring and unputdownable! She is a phenomenal lady who just keeps going, never gives up!

YA Writer Wednesdays is excited to welcome ERIC DEVINE, author of TAP OUT, a YA title releasing September 1, 2012 from Running Press! Comment below to win a free signed copy of TAP OUT! I'll draw the winner at random on Tuesday, August 7! 

Welcome, Eric! What's your book about? Tap Out is the story of Tony Antioch’s struggle to get out of the horrendous environment in which he’s been raised--abusive father; drugged out mother; subsequent abusive boyfriends; harsh poverty; the pull of the local meth-slinging biker gang. He keeps his head low and his act clean, praying that his Vo-Tec training will someday provide employment and possibly a way out, and that his mother will stay clean long enough for him to do so. But, Cameron, his mother’s latest boyfriend, has different ideas. The only bright spot in Tony’s life is his friend Rob, who convinces Tony to join the local Mixed Martial Arts gym in order to protect himself from Cameron. Tony finds refuge within the walls of the gym, but they are not strong enough to keep the weight of his world out. With pressure from Cameron, the gang, and a downward spiral of his own dire circumstances, Tony has choices to make. Each comes with a consequence he doesn’t want to live with, but has to. 

When is your book coming out? September 1, 2012.

Who's your publisher? Tell us your story-- how'd you come to be a published author? Running Press, an imprint of Perseus Publishing Group, is releasing Tap Out. This is my first major release, but I have another novel and a handful of short stories out there. I followed the traditional advice in order to become published: Write what you know. I did, non-stop, for years. Then I joined a critique group and got serious about my writing. I found and lost two agents, but the third time was the charm. Kate McKean offered impeccable advice and I followed every word. I continued to write and to listen to my students (I teach HS English) and incorporate their struggles. I hit on the concept for Tap Out, wrote a few chapters and knew it had legs. I ran the concept by Kate. She again offered her advice and I got to work. A little over a year later Kate sealed a deal with Running Press and editor Lisa Cheng.

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"? Both. I outline but deviate as needed and then outline again, deviate and on and on. I write before work, early in the morning, so I need a concrete structure to return to each day. It helps to have a sense of where I want to go, but an ability to let go of that direction if something else just feels more appropriate.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"? I work full-time as a high school English teacher, part time as a personal trainer, per diem as an educational consultant and I write. However, I think about writing all the time. My stories are with me always and I will often write notes while teaching and training. My mind is always turning over my work. And I feel fortunate to be with high schoolers every day. I teach freshman through seniors and get to witness the development of my students, their conflicts with friends, school, identity, societal pressure. I live in their world and then translate it onto the page.

Why YA as opposed to some other genre? I have yet to fully grow up. I am intrigued by adolescence, how it’s morphed since I was a teen, and yet how so much has remained constant. Even though I am an adult--am married, have two daughters own my home--I have yet to let go of my teen self. I am not him, but I can remember vividly so much of my own trials that to not use them as fodder would be a waste of insight. I also write YA to better understand my students, to be able to relate to them on a more personal level, because education is not solely about tests and data, it is very much about the individual, and his or her dignity. And I hope I can continue to write YA so that I will be better prepared for when my daughters are teens.

Who's your agent? Take this opportunity to brag on him/her if you'd like! Kate McKean is brilliant, witty, and all-around amazing. She and the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency took a chance on me. I had little to no credentials and a manuscript that needed work, yet Kate saw something and chose to guide me. And that is exactly why a writer needs a fabulous agent like Kate. I write a mess of a story, clean it up and then let her have at it. She nudges me about how to make it more than I saw it could be. She has an uncanny ability to sense potential and to provide careful nudging and encouragement. I couldn’t ask for more.

YA Writer Wednesdays is pleased to welcome Michael Taylor, author of SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST! Comment on my interview with Michael for a chance to win signed copy of SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST! I'll draw the winner at random on Tuesday, July 31! 

Welcome, Michael! What's your book about?

Survival of the Fittest – The Last Hope for the Human Race is about teenagers who are genetically altered before birth. The genetic mutations come from alien DNA. Governments of the world were made aware of the impending alien invasion and these genetically altered teens were created to fight the aliens.

What inspired you to write it?

My inspiration for writing my book was to engage students (I’m a Language Arts teacher in Frederick, MD) who are reluctant readers to want to read. I figured that students would enjoy reading something they knew they could critique, positive or negative, with the author.

FIND MICHAEL ON FACEBOOK!  @AuthorMTaylor ON TWITTER!

CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE!  AND BLOG! 

When is your book coming out / When did it release?

Survival of the Fittest – The Last Hope for the Human Race was released last November 2011. The follow-up, Survival of the Fittest – The Closest Enemy should be out in about 6 weeks.

FIND SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST ON AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, AND THROUGH IUNIVERSE. 

Has the reality of being published been different than you thought it would be?

It has been different. I had those stars in my eyes and thought, published equals famous. Well, fame doesn’t happen overnight. So, reality sunk in, and it was hard in the beginning, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have made many indie author friends, and they have been the greatest support.

What's the best part of being published?

I’ve realized a dream I’ve always had.

What is something about publishing that you wish someone had told you in advance?

That publishing isn’t simply writing a book. There are processes to go through. And some of those processes aren’t always fun, like editing, 10, 20, 30 times.

Who's your publisher? Tell us your story-- how'd you come to be a published author?

I’m an indie author. I’ve published the book through iUniverse. I did a lot of research until I found an organization that was going to work with me throughout the publishing process. I’ve met some very good people who really want to see authors reach success.

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"?

Pantser! I never know where the story is going to go until I sit down and begin writing. A humorous story, well, at least humorous to me is, I created this character and honestly, she was a pain in the butt. I couldn’t stand her. It took me until near the end of the second book to finally get rid of her. Now the strangest part, SPOILER ALERT! she’s back in the third book. I guess the character is like “antser in the pantser.”

Who's your favorite author? What is it about his or her writing that has made you a fan?

I love anything by Neal Shusterman. I’ve read everything he’s written and it’s just WOW! What really made me a huge fan of Shusterman are two books he wrote, Bruiser and Unwind. I don’t see how anyone could read either of these books and not fall under the Shusterman-spell.

What's the last book you read that you still haven't been able to shake off? What was it about the book that stayed with you?

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. He wrote two chapters near the end of the book that left me a little disturbed. Not disturbed in a negative way, but disturbed in the way that leaves a reader questioning how an author could come up with something so unique.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"?

I have a full-time day job. I’m a teacher. I teach middle school Language Arts in Frederick, MD. When people find out what I do, they usually groan a little, but honestly, I love it. I don’t think there’s a day that I don’t find enjoyment in what I do.

Why YA as opposed to some other genre?

I write YA because I teach young adults. I want to encourage kids to pick up a book, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, etc. and put down the video game. Kids need to be able to develop their own imagination and I don’t believe video games help with that.

Who's your agent? Take this opportunity to brag on him/her if you'd like!

No agent, but would love to have one.

YA Writer Wednesdays is thrilled to welcome Dave Hendrickson, author of CRACKING THE ICE! Comment on my interview with Dave for a chance to win a signed copy!  I'll draw the winner at random on Tuesday, July 24! 

Follow Dave on Twitter: @DHWriter! Friend him on Facebook! 

You can buy CRACKING THE ICE on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

What's your book about? It's 1968 during the height of the Civil Rights struggle. Jessie Stackhouse is a fifteen-year-old black hockey player who gets recruited to break the color line at an elite, all-white prep school. Although the headmaster who recruited him is very idealistic and is trying to make changes, the coach doesn't want Jessie there and neither do most of his teammates. Jessie must overcome not only the team in the other locker room but also the one in his own.

What inspired you to write it? Over the course of many years, I've built a substantial audience for my college hockey writing and earned several awards for it. I've coached the sport and watched my son go from Learn-to-Skate all the way to becoming co-captain for his college team. Hockey is in my blood. As a result, it was natural for me to turn to the sport for a Young Adult novel. Every novel needs conflict and I thought there was no more dramatic conflict than that of an African-American athlete during the Civil Rights era playing the whitest of sports. Those years in our history have always fascinated and horrified me. Putting together those two interests (or perhaps obsessions would be a more accurate term) led me to start writing and researching Cracking the Ice. Many different sources helped make the book come to life. In particular, I'm indebted to Richard Harris, a black hockey player during that era, who spent hours talking to me about his experiences. Cracking the Ice is a novel -- Jessie Stackhouse's story -- but I'd like to think that all that research led to a book that rings true.

What's the best part of being published? Hearing those magical words, "I couldn't put it down." That puts a huge smile on my face, and I've heard it over and over with Cracking the Ice. I view myself as a storyteller over and above everything else. If my readers can't put my book down, I've done my job.

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"? For me, a detailed outline would kill all creativity. I write notes to myself about where things are going, but I need my creative subconscious to provide a lot of the most interesting twists and turns. Sometimes I'll write what I call a development draft. As I write, I learn about my characters and where they need to go. Then perhaps I set that aside and armed with what I know, I start afresh. In the case of Cracking the Ice, I wrote the first draft straight through then evaluated what I had. I threw out chapters two through nine because they didn't work at all and began from scratch on a new Chapter 2 and all the rest of the material that got Jessie to Chapter 10.

Why YA as opposed to some other genre? To be honest, I'd never considered YA until I took Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith's Master Class. As part of it, each writer participated in something called The Game, which simulated the life of a full-time freelancer. Each day, in addition to our classes and other responsibilities, we had to write a specified number of novel pitches to a pretend board of publishers made up of four full-time writers. You got to stay a full-time writer if you could sell enough to pay the bills. If you're writing four or five pitches a day, you pretty soon get outside of your comfort zone, which in my case was fantasy, horror, and mystery. I needed pitches so I considered YA for the first time. Cracking the Ice came from that pitch, which the pretend board of publishers liked as did a senior New York editor who arrived near the end of the Master Class. Two weeks later, I began Jessie Stackhouse's story.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"? In my day job, I write embedded software that makes ultrasound systems work. I also have two part-time jobs, teaching in the evenings at two universities and covering college hockey for uscho.com. As a result, writing fiction would become quickly crowded out if I didn't make it a priority. But because it is a priority, I make the time, whether it's easy or not. I have little patience for people who say they want to become writers but don't follow through with a commitment to write on a regular basis. If you aren't writing, you aren't a writer.

YA Writer Wednesdays welcomes Lina Rivera, author of VIZCAYA! 

Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of VIZCAYA! I'll draw the winner at random this coming Tuesday! 

Lina's on Facebook and Goodreads! 

What's your book about? Vizcaya is a coming of age, young adult novel about three teens that are starting to learn the challenges that come with first loves and unexpected friendships. Nikki is a self-motivated teen whose life is exactly how she wants it, but that all changes when she goes to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens to work on a school project. There she meets a spoiled rich girl named Nelli who is only interested in one person - Nikki's boyfriend, Diego. In this coming of age novel, an unlikely friendship is born as the three teens embark together on a path of self-discovery, but that friendship is threatened when Nelli finally tries to make Diego hers. Nikki and Diego's love story fell apart when they met Nelli. But then again, maybe that's when it really began.

Vizcaya Links:

Official website 

 Amazon 

Facebook 

Goodreads

What inspired you to write it? While in Miami, I visited the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and instantly fell in love with it. It’s an enchanting place with gardens and the sea, and it’s located in the perfect tropical location of South Florida. I wanted to move in, but since that wasn’t physically possible, I decided to mentally move in and create a story that centered around it.

Follow Lina on Twitter: @TheLinaRivera

Has the reality of being published been different than you thought it would be? I went into self-publishing having done a bit of research, so I knew it was going to require a lot of effort on my part. It was all in my hands, from making sure it was professionally edited to marketing and everything in between. The only thing that’s been different is how out of my shell I’ve actually been able to get. Once the momentum started, I found myself more along for the ride than even I could’ve predicted.

What's the best part of being published? The best part for me is feeling like I’ve finally laid down the ground work for everything I want to accomplish. When I was still waiting for my dream agent to love my query letter, I always felt in limbo. I had my writing on my website, but even that felt like it was just aimlessly floating around. Publishing Vizcaya gave me a platform to use for helping me with my visibility and online presence. When people ask, “Who are you?” I can say, “I’m the author of Vizcaya, and here’s what I’m working on next.” It makes it a little more solid than just saying, “Oh I’m a writer, but I haven’t published anything yet.”

Who's your favorite author? What is it about his or her writing that has made you a fan? I have so many favorites, but lately the one I keep referencing the most is Philip Pullman. I’m a huge fan of world building, and when I read The Golden Compass, I just couldn’t believe how quickly I was pulled in and how lost I got. It’s one of the most extraordinary books I’ve ever read, and it’s all because Pullman has a way with words that is incredible. I often go back just to re-read the first page, just so I can be in awe all over again.

What's the last book you read that you still haven't been able to shake off? What was it about the book that stayed with you? Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I love the simplicity of the book because it reminds me a lot of what I did with Vizcaya. With all the trends in YA right now, the success of her book shows that there is an audience for a simple, contemporary lit story as well.

Why YA as opposed to some other genre? I fell into YA by accident, but there’s something addictive about creating characters that are on the cusp of self-discovery. They’re at that age where they still think they can change the world, and that they’re invincible. Emotions are also high at that age. It’s just a great genre to play around with.

I'm particularly excited to welcome Elaine Wolf, author of CAMP, to YA Writer Wednesdays, because I've read CAMP and loved it. Check out my review, here! Leave a comment below to win a signed copy of CAMP! The winner will be drawn at random on Tuesday, July 10! 

Welcome, Elaine! I already know how awesome CAMP is, but tell our readers about it! 

CAMP is a coming-of-age novel about a high school girl who faces bullying at summer camp as she begins to discover the truth about her mother, who holds a dark secret.

Here’s the jacket flap copy:

Every secret has a price. For most girls, sleepaway camp is great fun. But for Amy Becker, it’s a nightmare.

Amy, whose home life is in turmoil, is sent to Camp Takawanda for Girls for the first time as a teenager. Although Amy despises summers at home with her German-immigrant mother, who is unduly harsh with Amy’s autistic younger brother, she is less than thrilled about going away to camp.

And her worst nightmare is about to begin. At Takawanda, she is subjected to a humiliating “initiation” and relentless bullying by the ringleader of the senior campers. As Amy struggles to stop the mean girls from tormenting her, she becomes more confident in herself and in her convictions.

But then her cousin reveals dark secrets about Amy’s mother’s past, setting in motion a tragic event that changes Amy and her family forever.

CAMP is a sensitive and compelling novel about bullying, mothers and daughters, and the collateral damage of family secrets. It is certain to be a strong addition to recommended reading and summer reading lists, and it is appropriate for anti-bullying programs. Mostly, though, CAMP is a mother-daughter story for mothers and daughters to share.

SEE THE CAMP BOOK TRAILER HERE! 

What inspired you to write it?

A confluence of thoughts and events brought me to CAMP. My mother died 24 years ago. She was a German immigrant who lost family in the concentration camps. I miss her terribly––but, as I get older, I’m increasingly sad that I don’t know her full story.

Like the mother in CAMP, my mother never talked about her life in Germany. While my mother was dying, I re-read Robert Cormier’s short story, “The Moustache.” There’s a transformational line in that story: “My parents exist outside of their relationship with me.”

I thought of that a lot as I said goodbye to my mother. Who was she outside of her relationship with me and my siblings, I wondered. Who, really, was this woman I knew only as “Mom”?

Many years before I wrote CAMP, my son told me of an incident that scared him when he was a camper. His group was on an overnight camping trip, and the counselors took off––leaving the boys all alone in the darkest night in the middle of nowhere. My son admitted he had been terrified. And I started to think that the adults we charge with keeping our children safe often fall short.

Years later, I was in a writing program in New York City. The facilitator gave us an in-class exercise: “Describe a ‘happy place’ from childhood.” Because sleepaway camp was actually my favorite place when I was young, I started my in-class piece with these words: “Six brown cabins with peeling green shutters sat in a clearing.” A long time after I wrote those words, they found their way into CAMP. Yes, those exact words appear on page 32!

Lastly, I’ve always been moved by the courage of immigrants and displaced persons who must cobble together splinters of the past to create news lives in new places. I often think about the trickle-down impact of war (and displacement) on future generations. So the mother’s past in CAMP severely affects and shadows her relationship with her daughter.

CHECK OUT ELAINE'S WEBSITE! 

FIND ELAINE ON FACEBOOK! On Twitter, she's @AuthorEWolf!

When was your book released?

CAMP was “officially released” on June 1st. My author copies arrived two weeks earlier. I was so excited that you might have heard my whoops of joy––even if you live across the country from me!

My next novel, DANNY’S MOM, will be out on November 1st. It’s a bit crazy having two books published in a five-month period. But when my agent got a good offer on DANNY’S MOM, I couldn’t resist. When opportunity knocks, I don’t think you get to say, “Hey, thanks. But how ‘bout coming back in a year?” So I’m working hard now––and loving every minute of it.

Has the reality of being published been different than you thought it would be?

Being published is even better than I thought it would be! I still don’t believe that CAMP is actually on bookstore shelves (and on e-readers). Whenever I pass a bookstore, I run in to see CAMP! And, yes, I pull out my iPhone to snap a photo. (Yes, I know that’s nerdy!) And when I break away from the computer and race into Zumba or aerobics or dancercise classes at the gym, people actually come over to me to say they’re tired because they stayed up all night reading CAMP! Somehow I still can’t believe that my book is actually in readers’ hands.

You can find Elaine and CAMP on Amazon,Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, and authorsden.com! She's also at http://www.authorelainewolf.com! 

What’s the best part of being published? Well, I’m certainly sleeping a lot better! I used to wake up at least ten times during the night wondering if my agent would hear from editors soon, and if editors would like my work, and if someone would make an offer, and if…and if…and if….

YA Writer Wednesdays welcomes C.L. Bledsoe, author of SUNLIGHT (Etopia Press). Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of SUNLIGHT! I'll draw a winner at random this coming Tuesday! 

Check out C.L.'s blog! 

What's your book about? Sunlight is a story about innocence and holding on to the idea that there’s magic in the world. Sol is a teenage boy whose mother recently died. His father can’t handle him, so he dumps Sol off on Sol’s aunt and uncle, who live on a sunflower farm Sol’s mom grew up on. But once he gets there, weird things start happening, and Sol starts to realize a fairy tale his mother told him when he was a child just might be true.

What inspired you to write it? The book is set on a farm in Arkansas, which is a similar place to where I grew up. I wanted to capture the tone of Arkansas, which is something I haven’t seen in many books. It’s an odd place – mostly very rural. The people tend to be fiercely independent.

Has the reality of being published been different than you thought it would be? I’ve been publishing stories, poems, plays, etc. in journals for about a decade. I’ve got a couple of poetry collections out, and a short story collection, in addition to Sunlight. I’ve also got a novel and another poetry collection coming out next year. I don’t really know what I expected from publishing, but what I do know is that publishing, itself, isn’t that difficult. Promoting books is difficult. You’ve got to get out there and do readings, interviews, blog, etc. etc. I love doing readings – I try to do them as often as I can (1-2 a month) but it’s been difficult since my daughter was born.

Do you write from an outline or are you a "pantser"? I have a really tight schedule – I work a lot, my wife and I have a 1 month old daughter, so I don’t have a lot of time. So I tend to write from outlines just because of the time issue. I do a lot of work up front getting ready for the book, so that when I sit down to write, I can move through it pretty quickly. 

Who's your favorite author? What is it about his or her writing that has made you a fan? I have a few favorite authors. One who comes to mind is Terry Pratchett, who writes the Disc World books. These are sort of parody fantasy books. Pratchett is hilarious. I highly recommend him. I also love Italo Calvino, who wrote magical realism. Lately, though, I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction, mostly historical books on race, anthropology, and some philosophy. Oh, and zombie books.

Are you a full-time writer or do you have a "day job"? What do you do in your "day job"? I’m a high school teacher and college counselor. As a college counselor, I work with mostly juniors/seniors to help them find and apply to colleges. I also visit lots of colleges so that I can get a feel for them and figure out if they’d be a good fit for my kids. It’s very time consuming in the fall, though around the beginning of the year, I have a little bit of time to write.

What's the last book you read that you still haven't been able to shake off? What was it about the book that stayed with you? Right now I’m reading After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh, which is exactly what it sounds like – stories set after ‘the apocalypse,’ whatever that means – some of them are about zombies, some occur after a plague. The thing that makes this stand out is they’re really smart stories with a global perspective that use the conceit of being post-apocalyptic to deal with some really important issues like globalism, xenophobia, etc. I’m about halfway through it. I review a lot of books for various journals when I can, so I read a lot of recent small press poetry, short story collections, and novels. Honestly, most of these don’t stand out.

Why YA as opposed to some other genre? I don’t tend to write YA. I wrote Sunlight as YA because that’s what the story was. I think the teen years are some of the hardest to get through because there’s so much change going on, and that makes for great stories. Also, teenagers’ brains are different from adults – they’re still developing, which means they have different and interesting perspectives. I think I have a couple more YA books in me, though I will continue to write non-YA books as well.

I'm so looking forward to YALSA's Young Adult Literature Symposium in November!! I'll be on a panel with some extraordinary ladies: Ellen Hopkins, Jo Knowles, Selene Castrovilla, Shannon Delany, and Deborah Heiligman!

http://yalitsymposium12.ning.com/

From the website:

A Fickle Future: YA Authors Discuss Trend-spotting and Timeless Keys to Literary Success when Facing the Disconnect of the Digital Age

How can books better connect with teen readers? Must we mix both content and flair and can the next big thing be predicted – or created? Authors Selene Castrovilla, Shannon Delany, Beth Fehlbaum, Deborah Heiligman, Ellen Hopkins and Jo Knowles discuss past teen literature trends, their personal experiences, and debate what the future holds for not only the story but also the personal connection we strive to make with readers in a digital age. Presenters: Selene Castrovilla, Shannon Delany, Beth Fehlbaum, Deborah Heiligman, Ellen Hopkins and Jo Knowles

I'm feeling really good about ICING, my 4th book. Colby Denton's world is blown apart when she finds a photo of her father, the minister of one of the biggest churches in town, kissing a woman who is NOT his wife. Her mom, a teacher and former Miss Texas contestant, flees with Colby and her oh-so-perfect little sister, Drew. They find themselves living with her dad's sister, Leah, the black sheep of the family whose son, Ryan, is gay. Colby is forced to confront secrets she's kept about herself -- such as the binge eating disorder she's refused to acknowledge-- as well as whether the vitriol her father used to preach about homosexuals is really true.

YA Writer Wednesdays welcomes Ellis Nelson, author of INTO THE LAND OF SNOWS (Jupiter Garden Press, 2012). Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of INTO THE LAND OF SNOWS. I'll draw a winner at random on Tuesday, June 19, and Ellis will contact you!

Welcome, Ellis! What's your book about?  Into the Land of Snows is a YA adventure novel set in the high Himalayas of Nepal. The main character, an American teenager named Blake, is sent to Base Camp on Mt. Everest to be with his father who is working as the team doctor for a group of mountain climbers. Blake’s parents are divorced and after Blake gets in trouble at home, his parents think some time with Dad might be needed. A short time after his arrival, an avalanche forces Dad to reconsider and, for safety sake, he sends Blake off the mountain with a Sherpa guide. Before Blake leaves, a Sherpa boy gives him an old camera as a token of friendship. Turns out this camera may be the one carried by George Mallory in his 1924 attempt on Everest. Blake holds in his hands the possible solution to the biggest climbing mystery ever. Did Mallory make it to the top? Will the camera prove it finally? The problem is that Blake is on the trail and the magical Himalayas hold many other adventures for him. His whole idea of reality and what is real will be challenged and tested. Is the Mallory mystery then, just a means to an end?

What inspired you to write it? In a certain way, the book is a kind of spiritual adventure that followed my own path as I learned about mystical and Buddhist concepts. With the internet, I was able to take classes given in faraway Dharamsala (India) by a master teacher who fled Tibet with the Dalai Lama. I value that experience as an opportunity not many get.

Ellis's website is http://www.ellisnelson.com 

When did your book release? The book officially released in February and I’m delighted to see the first copies out in the hands of readers.

Do you write from an outline or are you a “pantser”? This book was written using a rough outline and most of my books are the same way. However, my latest manuscript is not behaving itself and refuses to allow me to outline it! This is a bit uncomfortable, but I’ve decided to trust the process and let it evolve on its own.

Who’s your favorite author? What is it about his or her writing that made you a fan? I really like David Almond (Skellig, Kit’s Wilderness, Clay). He writes magical realism and has a subtle, sophisticated hand letting the story take us places we never imagined. His tales are eerie and poignant as the same time.

Into the Land of Snows is widely available. Check it out!