Interview: Holly Schindler

Holly Schindler is the writer of two successful YA novels, Playing Hurt and A Blue So Dark. In Playing Hurt, atar basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone’s admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

We are lucky to have Holly Schindler here to visit us!

1. What are some key factors to remember in developing romantic relationships?

Let’s face it—the story of two people who meet, date, fall in love, and ride into the sunset with no hiccups whatsoever is just…dull. You need some drama—some reason the two can’t get together, something that tears the two apart.

But you know, in all honesty, developing the drama for my romance wasn’t really all that different than developing the drama for my debut, a literary novel—I mean, a literary novel is character-driven…But so is a romance novel, to a great extent.

2. Chelsea goes through a tragedy that stops her from following her dream or living to the fullest. What advice do you have for other people in that same situation?

Wow—what a question! I think that the worst thing you can do is continue to focus on the tragedy. That’s not to say you shouldn’t mourn the loss of something you loved. But you’ve also got to keep moving forward, too…

I never had a life-altering injury, but along the way, as I sought a publishing deal, I had all these, “This is it!” moments, where an agent or editor would express interest in one of my manuscripts, and I’d feel certain that I was finally going to break in…Only to have the deal completely fall apart last-minute.

It can be devastating to go through a near-miss like that. But you really do have to dust yourself off and take another step forward. You’ve got to figure out how to reinvent what you’ve got and keep going. That’s what Chelsea realized she had to do at the end of PLAYING HURT—figure out how to reinvent her life, keeping sports in it.

3. First a literary novel, now a romance novel. Is there any other genre you’d like to try? What genres would you stay away from?



I’m always working on a new novel—and, yes, I’ve written other work in other genres that I’m actively trying to place. There’s probably no genre I’d count out. In that respect, I’m constantly surprising myself. If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d write a novel about a couple of athletes, I’d had said you were crazy. I’m NO athlete—I’m a complete klutz.

4. What other projects are you working on now? Can we expect more novels from you anytime soon?



The sooner the better, I say! Yes—my next novel will be released in 2012, with Dial. And—how’s this for yet another new genre?—it’ll be my first middle grade novel.

Thanks Holly for stopping by. I have to say, one of my friends is currently reading both of your books and I can't wait until she gets back to me on what she thinks! Here's a list of links you can use to find and contact her:

HollySchindler.com
Twitter @holly_schindler
Blog

Author Interview: Christine Schulze

Today, author Christine Schulze is stopping by to have a chat with us!

About the Author
Christine E. Schulze has been creating books since she was too young to even write them in words. The stories from Bloodmaiden: A Fantasy Anthology are only a small part of her vast twenty-seven book collection, The Amielian Legacy. She hopes to inspire readers throughout the world with these books by publishing in both traditional and electronic formats to make them available to all readers.

Christine has published several stories with Calliope and Kalkion magazines and is an active member of the WEbook online writing community. She has also published several Christian/fantasy books which are available at various online retailers, as well as publishing several eBooks via Writers-Exchange. Her latest and most exciting venture is landing a contract for her novel Bloodmaiden with Old Line Publishing.

Christine currently lives in Shiloh, Illinois with her Mom, three dogs and a rabbit.

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1. What first got you into writing?

Honestly, I’ve been making books since I was too young to write them, when I was probably about three or four. Those books were just pictures, of course. When I was around four or five, I actually wrote my first book called Jonny to the Rescue, which has ultimately spawned the existence of one of my current series, The Legends of Surprisers.

I suppose then it’s just something I’ve always done. I consider it a God-given gift that I’m meant to do something great with someday. I love creating fantasy worlds, new races and creatures, deep characters with multiple story-lines all twisting together in an intricate and intriguing plot. I love painting rich imagery so readers can see and feel exactly what I do. I write for myself and hope others will like it too, and I write for my readers because, though I would write even if no one read my work, I have not done my part if no one ever reads my books. But, if at least one person reads and is inspired, I have done my part.

I just love everything about the craft and really hope to use my books to inspired readers around the world someday.

2. How is your typical writing routine like?

“Routine” is actually probably an awful word to use, at least compared to other writers. I’ve heard so many say that writing is to be this agonizing, toiling craft; so many writers are never satisfied with their craft, and it can be hard putting what they see in their head on the page. Many writers also have a set amount they must write everyday.

I’m not like these writers at all. I don’t box myself into a required quota, I don’t consider writing pain-staking, and I only write stories I’m really into, so I’m always pleased with my results! There’s been a couple times that a story really sucked, but I polished it up into something I loved. As for the writing itself, I write what I’m inspired to write, when God inspires me. It comes as naturally as breathing; if I force it, it doesn’t work. So, one day I might write a few chapters, the next day a single scene, the next day a brilliant sentence I came up with, and then might not pick up the book again until two weeks later.

Thus, I don’t write the book in order from start to finish either. I often have the beginning and end done before all the middle; I often like to have an idea of where the main plot is going, at least for the most part, before starting a new book—unless I have an idea for a really great scene that just must be written. Then, later, I might actually develop the book around that scene.

Moods are important too. If I am in the mood to write an action-packed chapter which doesn’t come until chapter 13, I’ll write that and wait until I’m in the mood to write romantic chapter 9.

So, while I am perhaps a very sporadic writer, it works, because when I AM inspired, I write fast. The only thing I usually have to make myself sit down and think about is when I’m trying to connect two story-lines or ideas which don’t seem to have to do with each other—I love doing this; it adds so much complexity and intricacy—or when I’m done with most of the book, all the important scenes, and just have to come up with what I call “filler”, the in-between bits which connect various scenes and make them flow into one another.

3. Can you describe BLOODMAIDEN in one sentence?

An honest answer would be “no”, actually. ^_^

This is the question I always cheat on (sorry, though thanks for not asking me to describe in three words; that one was definitely not going to happen); the best I can give is Bloodmaiden’s tagline, so without further ado:

Four dynasties. Four aria. One brilliant quest.

4. If BLOODMAIDEN were made into a movie, who would you cast?

I am SO thrilled you asked this question! I have always envisioned some of my books becoming movies someday and really, truly hope they do. When I get an idea for a scene, I see it so visually in my head, playing out like a cinematic experience, and then I transcribe what I see onto the page. Some writers have difficulty writing down what they see the way they see it, but God has thankfully blessed me so that I have never had a problem with this. Even as a kid, it came naturally, and many of my readers—especially those who have read Bloodmaiden—have commented that one thing they really enjoy about my books is the imagery, emotion, and my ability to really place the readers in whatever world I’ve created.

All that rabbit-trail completed, I think Bloodmaiden could make for a great film, between its lush worlds and moments of heart-pounding emotion—if done right. I’d want an expert like Peter Jackson on the sets, if possible. As far as actors, well, ever since I was a kid, I always said Elijah Wood had to be in one of my movies. This was when I was around twelve or so and created a character in his honor in my book Loz: Zephyr’s Islands. As for Bloodmaiden, he might do really well as Chalom since I know from Lord of the Rings that he looks adorable with curly hair. BUT, despite his eternal youthfulness, he might still be told for the role at this point. I think he might fair well as Brydon though, or another idea would be if the movie was animated. I always thought it might be cool for some of my movies to be 3-D anime, like in video games, such as Final Fantasy or my favorite Legend of Zelda. Then, Elijah Wood could do all the voice acting he liked...

If it was live cast though, besides Lij, I would need a very sweet, innocent, naive young girl to play Crisilin, as well as someone who displayed a wide array of emotions very well. A younger version of Liv Tyler would please me, if there was such a one. It’s difficult to say, because I always imagined Chalom and Crisilin as being thirteen; but Hollywood might deem that inappropriate and make them at least sixteen. Perhaps Emma Watson? She’s still very youthful and very gorgeous, but with a sweet look about her. She might also work well as Pan though; with her new haircut, she proves she would make an excellent pixie!

Some other possible good choices for Crisilin might include Saoirse Ronan, Sarah Bolger, Joey King, or Selena Gomez (if she could be blonde; she’s so cute!)

5. What advice do you have for young writers today?

Persevere and be patient!

Patience is killer, but very key. While Bloodmaiden is published by a small press, a lot of my other works are self-published. This has been a great and fn experience, and I consider them of just as high quality as Bloodmaiden, having had the chance to work with editors and thoroughly polish them. However, I still hope to get into a major publisher to help get my name out there, and that truly will take time and patience.

Also, keep learning and polishing your craft. Learn the market, learn “the game”, if you will, what it takes to write a successful query or proposal and how to really get your foot in the door. Even if you think you’re not the best out there, you have to market yourself as such, so confidence too is key. Having learned so much through self-publishing and publishing with smaller presses, I feel much more prepared in terms of writing a query and polishing a manuscript to present to an agent. You can always be educating yourself, practicing, and improving. With each new book I write, I find it amazing sometimes the progress and improvements my writing has made.


6. Finally, what are you currently working on?

It is surprising to say I’m really not working on a book right now. For those who know me well, they might ask to take my temperature at this point. Especially as a kid, I was always working on a slue of books at once. I did just finish up my first-ever fan fiction, Silent Hero, which is based on Nintendo’s epic Legend of Zelda games, my favorites, and which is available as a free ebook on sites such as Smashwords.

As for serious projects though, I’m trying not to write but instead work on promotion Bloodmaiden as well as my up-and-coming second release with Old Line Publishing, Tears of a Vampire Prince: the First Krystine. I have, however, just finished re-editting a middle grade fantasy of mine called The Last Star. In a few months, I should be ready to start submitting to agents. I have self-published and published with both small presses and ebooks. I’ve truly enjoyed the experience and learned so much from it; now, it’s finally time to use what I’ve learned to keep climbing up the ladder and hopefully obtain for myself an agent, a first step into the world of big publishing, probably the best way at this point to really get my name known and be taken seriously.

Here’s a blurb of The Last Star:

There were no Stars in Novalight that fateful night; they had all been extinguished save for one: and if Olette, THE LAST STAR, were to lose her Starfire too, then all the land would be consumed by Shadow—and the very world would come to an uncertain end.

Thankfully, the work of the Shadows goes yet unfinished. Hope remains solely in Olette, the tiny winged fox who flies into ten-year-old Christya’s bedroom that dark night. As a Backwards Star, Olette’s life source—her Starfire—cannot easily be snuffed out like all the others in Novalight. Being the smallest and youngest of the Stars, can Olette take up the position of Blue Star and unravel the mysteries of Star Appointment? Can she help Christya and her other new friends discover the truth behind their parents’ disappearances? Together, can they overcome the Shadows with their newfound powers before every last Star vanishes from the sky? Combining the magnificence of the heavens with the allure of magic to create a charming adventure, THE LAST STAR is more than an enchanting tale of light against darkness: it is a story of friendship and forgiveness, one that shows how even the smallest person can become a light of hope after all the others have gone out.

Thanks to Jonny for helping me craft an excellent blurb and query letter. ^_^

Well, that about wraps things up. Thanks so much to Patty for having me here; I truly enjoyed it and hope you will all take the chance sometimes to experience Bloodmaiden and other of my work.

God bless and happy reading!

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We are glad to have had you, Christine, and we hope that you will stay in contact. The review for BLOODMAIDEN will be up soon.

The Treasure Hunters Club: Trailer and Interview

A Treasure Hunting Legend...
Four Ordinary Kids...
Two Magical Medallions...
Pursued By An Ancient Evil...
In One Extraordinary Adventure.

Join the Treasure Hunters Club
as they unlock
The Secrets of the Magical Medallions.

...Some Secrets Are Better Left Alone

Today we have author Sean McCartney stop by to talk to us about his book, The Treasure Hunters Club.

Sean Paul McCartney (He's not related to the Beatle) was born in 1971. He graduated from Alfred University in upstate New York with a Bachelor's in Communications in 1993. From there he played two exciting season traveling around the world with the Washington Generals playing against the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. In 1996 Sean earned his Masters in Education and embarked on a career as a teacher. He is employed by Plain Local Schools in Canton, OH. The first book in the series The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions introduces the four teens Tommy Reed, Jackson Miller, Shannon McDougal and Chris Henderson. The series is a cross between The Hardy Boys and Indiana Jones with a touch of National Treasure.

If someone would make a movie of the books, who would play the main character?
-I believe Moises Arias would be perfect to play Tommy Reed the leader of the Treasure Hunters Club. I have seen him as Rico on Hannah Montana and he is a very good actor.

What was the easiest aspect of writing the book? The hardest?
- The easiest or most fun in writing, for me, is the research that goes into each book. Finding out the little things that make each story unique and special is probably the easiest.
The hardest part of writing are the days when the words are hard to find. You can feel it. The words are going on the paper but they don't work and you know it but to plow on through because it only takes one word to turn it around. If a day goes by when the writing is bad I always know that the next day will be better.

In one sentence, how would you describe your writing?
-I would describe my writing as fast paced, informative and fun.

Who are your favorite authors and books?
- For young adult material I like Rick Riordan, JK Rowling and Christopher Paolini who are well known. Karen McQuestion has written some really good stuff and she is good. For older books I'd say John Grisham and JA Konrath. Their stories are fast paced and very detailed which I like.
As I kid I loved the Hardy Boys mysteries and the Encyclopedia Brown series. Today I read just about anything I can get my hands on that has some mystery and excitement to it.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?
-No, I don't listen to music when I write. I actually like hearing the pencil on the paper during my first couple of drafts and the sound of the keyboard on final copies provide my music.

Now, I've posted up the trailer. Enjoy!




Thanks to Sean McCartney for stopping by!

Author Interview: Holly Schindler of A BLUE SO DARK

Today we have Holly Schindler (for the second time, eep!). She's the writer of A BLUE SO DARK, which I reviewed recently here.

1). After you finished writing A BLUE SO DARK, did Aura’s story end for you or do you know what happens to her after A BLUE SO DARK?

As a reader, when I come to the end of a novel—even a novel that wraps up all the loose ends, nice and neat, big red bow and all…a novel in which the main characters ride off into the sunset, happily ever after—I tend to find myself thinking, AND THEN THEY WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY…


What I mean is, I always think of a novel’s ending as just a pause—a moment to take a deep breath—before the next conflict begins…but that’s just the way LIFE is! We get over one mountain, and barely even get a chance to celebrate before we find ourselves staring straight into the next obstacle we’re going to have to overcome.


I can’t say I have it all mapped out, exactly what would happen to Aura and her mother after the book closes. But they’re obviously not going to have smooth sailing from the novel’s ending on. There will definitely be another mountain for those two, which doesn’t exist on the page…while the book was in development, I found myself constantly imagining new possibilities…


2. Do you believe that creativity can lead you to mental illness? Do you think creativity is a way to get OUT of mental illness?

The brain’s a fascinating thing, isn’t it? Even in our modern age, we know so little—and new mysteries crop up all the time: The recent explosion of autism and Alzheimer’s, for example.


Creativity, I think, is every bit as mysterious as mental illness. And I do think the two probably are linked—that’s not to say that I think one leads to another, or one can CURE the other. But I think that spark of inspiration—that end product that an artist can envision? That’s a little like a hallucination, isn’t it? Neither one really exists, except in one person’s mind! Both are figments that only one person can “see.”


I don’t think it’s absurd to think that what the brain does—what neurons fire, etc.—as a creative idea is born is unlike what happens in the brain when a “vision” or hallucination comes to life. I think when we understand creativity completely, we’ll understand mental illness. And vice versa.



3. Out of many artists who have suffered mental illness, who are your favorites?

I tend to really be fascinated by the artists who remain mysteries: those we really don’t seem to understand, and maybe never will…van Gogh (who was talked about often in the book), for instance: I don’t even think I can count the articles I’ve read, “definitively” explaining the reason he cut off his ear. I’ve read everything from that he did it for a woman, that he did it over a fight with Gauguin, even that he did it because he suffered from chronic debilitating inner ear infections.


I’m not sure we really understand van Gogh—even though we do have a lot of his writing (in the form of letters to his brother). I think so much of a person is lost the moment they pass away, and once the people who personally KNEW them are gone? The jigsaw just doesn’t ever get put back together…especially for a complicated person like van Gogh.


I think the same of Emily Dickinson—not that she’s an example of a mentally ill artist, but I’ve always been intrigued…because she’s someone we will never understand. We’ll speculate. We’ll all have our own theories of who she was. But there will never be a definitive answer, because so little remains of her life (other than her poetry). There’s something about that—about the never-knowing-for-sure—that just keeps sending me back to her work.


But that might be why I tackled a subject like the possible connection between creativity and mental illness. There is no real answer right now, just speculation…In the case of mental illness, though, there’s every chance that we WILL know, that we WILL unlock the mystery—maybe even in our lifetimes! The idea of that is utterly thrilling…


Thanks for a fantastic interview, Holly! Great to have you back and congrats on your success. Visit Holly Schindler at her blog here.

Anna Jarzab: An Interview

Anna Jarzab is the author of ALL UNQUIET THINGS. You can view my review of AUT HERE.

Anna Jarzab's Website.

Please welcome the fabulous Anna Jarzab in this interview brought to you only by Yay! Reads.


Hi Anna, welcome to Yay! Reads. If you could go back to a specific time period, which one would it be and why?

Hm, that's a good question. I'm sort of literal, so I have a hard time putting aside the fact that in other time periods there wasn't as good of sanitation and transportation and communication, but I suppose I could like Regency England? I think the clothes would be flattering, or at the very least everybody would look pregnant so it wouldn't just be me. :) But, you know, this is what I love about literature--I can read Jane Austen and live in Regency England for a while, but I still have indoor plumbing and, like, the Internet and stuff. And my marriage wouldn't be arranged.

That's the great thing about books! You can travel anywhere without actually leaving your home comforts.

Can you describe your writing in one sentence?
Haha: Means well, tries hard, sometimes succeeds.

If you weren't an author and could have any other job in the world, which would it be?

A tour guide. Seriously, I've been giving this a lot of thought, and the thing I love most in the world is telling stories. For a while after college I wanted to work for Contiki as a tour manager, something I might still try to do someday, and I'm KICKING myself for not working at The Winchester Mystery House during the summer while I was in college--it was right down the street! I went on a lot of tours as a kid, because my parents believe in education and travel and education while traveling and they used to drag us to every old house turned museum and national park in the lower 48, and I always looked up to the guides. Imagine KNOWING SO MUCH STUFF ABOUT ONE THING!

I know!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Try not to get discouraged. This sounds simple, but it's so hard, especially when you're a young writer and your creative writing classes are full of young writers and all they want to do is one-up each other and put each other down. It's exhausting. Figure out who is a smart reader with intelligent, helpful things to say about your writing and then ONLY LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE. Forget the haters.

That is great advice and, being a young writer, so true!

If someone were to make a movie of ALL UNQUIET THINGS, who would play the main characters?

Gosh, that's hard. I always liked Amanda Seyfried for Audrey and Leighton Meester or Amber Tamblyn for Carly, although really all those actresses are too old, and Kyle Gallner for Neily, although maybe he's played too many creepy characters to go back and play someone more wholesome? I don't know. Casting is hard. I don't know how people do it for a living.

I love your choices, especially Amanda Seyfried, I'm such a huge fan!

Can you tell us a bit about your next book?

Not too much, since it's not finished yet, but it's about a teenage boy who disappears and his friends who go searching for him.

More mystery, I can't wait!

Finally, what's the weirdest fan letter or comment you've received about ALL UNQUIET THINGS?

I once got an email from a twelve-year-old girl who told me all the things she thought were wrong with AUT, justifying her criticism by saying that her sister writes novels and so she feels qualified to give advice. I wrote back and politely said that while I appreciate the advice, nothing can be changed since the book has already been printed. But I thought it was odd. I was a reader and writer as a kid and I never would've written an author to tell them all the things I thought were wrong with their book! But maybe I was just lazy...

Thank you Anna, for being with us today. AUT was an amazing book and we appreciate you for stopping by.

The Marvelous World Saga by Troy CLE: Interview and Trailer

MarvelousWorld.Net
Blog

Today we have the pleasure of featuring The Marvelous World Saga by Troy CLE and an awesome interview with him. Check it out!

Summary of The Marvelous Effect (Book #1)
He loves listening to hip-hop, racing radio-controlled cars, and hanging out with his best friend, Brandon. Then a mysterious letter invites him to visit the local junkyard. There he finds a secret, underground amusement park like no other in existence. This is the best day of Louis's life. The park even has the most amazing race course for radio-controlled cars. Louis starts racing right away. It's a close contest; he's about to activate his nitro boost to take the lead, when...

This is the worst day of Louis's life. Without warning or reason, thirteen-year-old Louis Proof falls into a coma due to a virus of a mysterious, celestial origin. When he awakens three months later, the world that he once knew and loved is totally out of control. He will learn that his illness is connected to everything that is wrong, and that it's not only his responsibility but his destiny to set things right.

This story is a megadramatic, remarkably true, super action fantasy. Get ready!

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Welcome, Troy, to Yay! Reads. We're glad to have you stop by today. First, if someone would make a movie of the books, who would play the main character?


I am not sure who could play Louis Proof but I would love if Dakota Fanning would play Cyndi Victoria Chase


What was the easiest aspect of writing the books? The hardest?

It is easy to write my books when I am inspired by real events and people. My fist book– The Marvelous Effect, was inspired by my life and friends so very little had to be made up. I just greatly exaggerated the events to turn them into super fantasy. The hardest part of writing is when I have to make everything up like I did with Olivion's Favorites. That book takes place totally on Midlandia, which is the place of the impossible, so I had no real world references for it. That took up so much creative energy that it was beyond exhausting. My next Marvelous World book is primarily based in our world so it should be easier to write.

In one sentence, how would you describe your writing?


That's easy. Mega Dramatic Remarkably True Super Action Fantasy!

Who are your favorite authors and books?


It may sound silly but to this day my FAVORITE book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak


Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?

When I was writing The Marvelous Effect I listened to Coheed and Cambria, Jay-Z, Fall Out Boy, 50 Cent, Hooverphonic, John Mayer, and many others. You can totally see the influence in that book and pick up on a certain rhythms. I did not listen to music while writing Olivion's Favorites. Reading it is a totally different experience than the first one. I will be writing to lots of music for my third book.

Now, here's the awesome trailer!



Sounds fantastic! Thanks to Troy and his team for making this interview possible.

Blog Tour: Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Today I am pleased to welcome Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of GRINGOLANDIA (review in previous post). She has stopped by on her blog tour to answer some questions for us, let's give her a warm welcome!



Though haunted by memories of his father's arrest in Pinochet's Chile,
Daniel Aguilar has made a new life for himself in the United
States--far from politics. But when his father is released, Daniel
sees what years of prison and torture have done. Trying to reach his
father, Daniel, along wth his "gringa" girlfriend, finds himself in
the democracy struggle of the country he thought he left behind.


1. Welcome to Yay! Reads, Lyn! Being a latina myself, I find it very
easy to relate to the story and the culture. How do you think people
of different ethnicities and backgrounds will relate to the story?

I’ve found that people from a wide variety of backgrounds can relate
to the story. Many white Anglo readers find themselves identifying
with Daniel’s girlfriend, Courtney, and follow her as she stumbles
into adventures and misadventures while trying to become part of
another culture. Others are simply fascinated to see another culture
and travel via the novel to a distant and remote part of the world
where there was a lot of conflict, unrest, and danger at that time.

I’ve also gotten a great response not only from Latina/o
readers—including boys who, it is rumored, don’t read—but also from
immigrant teenagers from all backgrounds. Some of my most enthusiastic
readers were recent immigrants from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
who I met when I was a writer-in-residence in their ESL program at a
high school in Connecticut. Several of the South Asian students wrote
me letters afterward asking me, among other things, if a sequel is
planned. (It is.)

2. Did you research for GRINGOLANDIA? How?

I had to do a lot of research to make Gringolandia accurate in both
the facts and the feelings and actions of the characters. The first
way I researched was to get to know exiles from Chile who lived in
Madison, Wisconsin, where I lived at the time. During the 1980s, I
worked with many political refugees from Central and South America,
teaching English, helping their children in school, and organizing
concerts of music from their countries. I spent a lot of time in their
homes and heard their stories of why they left. That’s when I started
to write my novel, back in 1987.

Then, in 1989, I received a work-in-progress grant from the Society of
Children’s Writers and Illustrators to travel to Chile. While there, I
stayed with the families of several musicians whose concerts I
organized. I also witnessed the transition from 17 years of
dictatorship to a democratically elected government. Here, we take our
democracy for granted, but when I was there, still during the
dictatorship, there were soldiers with machine guns everywhere and
people had to be very careful about what they said. Things could get
very scary very fast, as I found out when soldiers pulled over the
cars in which I was riding—four times in a three-week trip.

While I did most of my research then, the book wasn’t published until
last year because I had trouble finding a publisher and gave up on the
novel for a long time. When I came back to it, it was no longer a
contemporary novel but a historical novel, so I had to rewrite it
completely to make it work for readers who weren’t even born when the
events took place.

3. What are your must-haves when writing?

Coffee, Diet Dr. Pepper, and music. I might have to add a more
comfortable chair to the list, though.

4. How would you describe your style of writing?

I find it hard to write for only an hour or two each day. When I’m
working on a first draft, I’ll write for twelve or fourteen hours a
day just to get the story down, but then I’ll go for days or weeks at
a time without writing at all. That’s when I think about what I’m
going to write next. When I’m revising, though, I work more steadily,
a few hours at a time. I know there are writers who have a set
schedule and write during their “writing hours”—usually early in the
morning—whether or not they have anything to say. I can’t do that, and
I usually write better in the evening and late at night rather than in
the morning anyway.

5. What genres do you like most to write? The least?

I’ve written both adult and young adult fiction, and I definitely
prefer young adult because for a lot of the things that happen in the
novel, it’s the characters’ first time. In Gringolandia, for example,
Daniel realizes for the first time that his father may not be the hero
everyone’s led him to believe. That’s a huge thing, learning that the
world is a dangerous place, your parents are flawed, they can’t
protect you, and you might even have to protect them.

My least favorite genre to write? Probably science fiction. I failed
eighth grade science and struggled through the slow classes throughout
high school. Physics? Calculus? Never got anywhere near them.

In the end, a think a writer has to write in the genres she likes to
read. I don’t really enjoy reading science fiction. I love historical
and contemporary realistic fiction.

6. Finally, who are your favorite authors?

A lot of the authors I like have written both for adults and for
teens, among them Edwidge Danticat, Julia Alvarez, Isabel Allende, and
Benjamin Alire Saenz. I love Nicholasa Mohr’s stories of growing up in
the Puerto Rican neighborhoods of East Harlem and the South Bronx and
was fortunate to be able to work with her on editing a collection of
short stories by Latino authors titled Once Upon a Cuento (Curbstone
Press, 2003).


-----------------------------
Lyn Miller-Lachmann is the Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review,
the author of the award-winning reference book Our Family, Our
Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural
Books for Children and Teenagers (1992), the editor of Once Upon a
Cuento (2003), a collection of short stories for young readers by
Latino authors, and the author of the novel Dirt Cheap (2006), an
eco-thriller for adult readers. For Gringolandia, she received a
Work-in-Progress Grant from the Society of Childrens Book Writers and
Illustrators.

Other tour stops:
Feb 1st: Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Feb 2nd: Read Into This!
Feb 3rd: Pirate Penguin's Reads
Feb 4th: The Bookologist
Feb 5th: Yay! Reads

Thanks Lyn! Now you have a chance to win a signed copy of GRINGOLANDIA. Just fill in the form below:

Yay! It's Christmas: Interview with Holly Schindler

Hi everyone! As part of the Yay! It's Christmas celebration I am here with an interview with Holly Schindler, the debut YA author herself! Check them out!

1.  How did A BLUE SO DARK change from the first outline to the final draft?  Did these changes surprise you?

The book was pretty internal when I started…that was the number one critique I was getting from editors as I submitted the earliest drafts.  Each time I revised the book, I included more scenes, more action.  I had to pull Aura out of her head and allow her to interact with the world around her…it wasn’t a surprise, really…it was a delight, because each time I revised, Aura became more and more of a real person.  I loved bringing her to life!

2.  How has your own life influenced A BLUE SO DARK and your writing in general?

When I started to write A BLUE SO DARK, I pulled out all my old notebooks and journals from high school, to reconnect with my teen “voice.”  When I realized how similar my nearly-thirty-year-old voice was to my fifteen-year-old voice, I really was off and running on the manuscript.  (I even included a few of the poems I wrote as a teen in the book—though they’ve been tweaked to fit the events of the novel!) 

Plus, the novel’s filled with the “furniture” of my life—the story takes place in my girlhood hometown, Aura drives the same car I drove in high school, her mother works at the museum here in Springfield…all of my old haunts show up in the book…

3.  You have signed your third book deal, congratulations!  Did it become easier to land deals after signing A BLUE SO DARK?  What did you learn from the publishing process from A BLUE SO DARK?

Thanks for the congrats!  It’s been a crazy, crazy year…to go from no publications to three books in development!  Sometimes I can’t believe my luck lately. 

…I’m not really sure that it’s any easier to sell a manuscript just because you’ve sold one in the past…I think each book kind of stands on its own, and if it doesn’t cut the mustard, it won’t be acquired.  But, yeah, going through the process once takes the fear-factor (or, really, the worry-factor) out of an acquisition.  You know what the process is, so you know what to anticipate, what the next step is. 

4.  Aura seems to be afraid of herself in some ways and shuns her art.  With many teens today expressing themselves through art, do you think that Aura made it even harder for herself?

Most definitely.  But what I think makes it so rough for her is that art is really central to who she is.  That’s pretty much the way I feel about my writing.  If I’m not writing, I’m pretty lost.  I think if you try to cut yourself off from the thing that makes you tick, for whatever reason—it’s not cool or acceptable—you lose yourself.  And that’s a place you never want to be.

5.  What was the hardest and easiest part about writing Aura’s story?

The easiest part was that first draft…it just really flew.  Once I got started, I completed the manuscript in two months!  I polished it up a bit, then began to submit…and the rejection slips started pouring in.  The HARDEST part was then distancing myself from a project I loved and had connected with from the start so that I could identify its faults and figure out how to begin rewriting.  (Sometimes, you feel a little like you’re ripping the arms off your baby when you do a global revision!) 

6.  Can you describe your writing in two words? 

MAN, this is a hard one.  The first thing that comes to mind is literary fiction.  But my favorite books are those that combine the literary (characters and beautiful writing) with great plots.  I want to find myself asking both, “What’s going to happen next?” and, “How will this character change?” as I’m reading a book.  Which is what I try to remember as I’m writing a new manuscript.  (Pretty long-winded two-word answer, huh?)   

7.  How did you come up with the title A BLUE SO DARK?  Were there other title ideas before this one? 

A BLUE SO DARK is actually a phrase I lifted from the manuscript.  And, yes, there were other titles before that one…I submitted the manuscript under four different titles, actually.  When Flux acquired the book, the working title was THE OCEAN FLOOR.  My editor was kind of lukewarm about the title, and suggested I troll the manuscript for other possibilities.  I sent him several, but when I finally shot him A BLUE SO DARK, he immediately sent me a THAT’S IT! kind of e-mail.  Lukewarm no more…

8.  What are your favorite genres to read? 

Uh, all of ‘em.  Seriously.  My tastes run the gamut.  I was a literature major in undergraduate school, and I still do love the classics.  As far as contemporary lit goes, I read everything from children’s books to YA to romance to mystery to horror to fantasy to literary fiction…about the one genre I never really connected with as much as the others was sci fi…but as soon as I say that, I have to remind myself of the William Gibson and Ursula K. Le Guin novels I enjoyed…so, no, nothing’s out!  If it’s in print, I’ll read it!

9.  Who are your favorite authors?

Hear that scraping sound?  Yeah, that’s me dragging my feet.  Every time I start to list my absolute faves, I start to think that there’s just not enough space in the world to list them all.  And the thing is, I know from my own experience how hard it is to break into the publishing world.  So I figure everything that’s in print has merit.  EVERY author has some quality to admire, be it their character development, their ability to infuse the pages with humor, their ability to juggle subplots, etc…I try to learn something from EVERY novel I read…

10.  What would you say are some similarities and differences between you and Aura?

The most obvious difference is that I didn’t grow up with a schizophrenic mother.  But Aura’s voice is probably more like the voice in my own head than any other character's I’ve ever written…her humor, her observations all pretty much just sound like me.

11.  Is there ever any time when you have doubted your writing and wanted to give up?

I decided to devote myself to my writing full-time when I got out of graduate school back in ’01.  And I won’t lie—it got frustrating…especially as three unpublished years turned into four…then five, six, SEVEN.  But I always felt like I was getting a little bit closer to publication, as no-way-hozay rejections were becoming this-was-such-a-close-call rejections.  I felt like if I just stuck it out a little longer, the work would eventually pay off. 

12.  What advice would you give to other writers about the process of writing and the road to publication? 

Just follow your heart.  If you REALLY love writing, sink your nails in and don’t let go.  Don’t allow anybody else to convince you it’ll never happen.  Every writer gets to their first publication eventually…the only way you don’t is by giving up.

13.  Finally, what is the message you want your readers to obtain from A BLUE SO DARK? 

I really don’t want to put a message in my readers’ heads before they even open the book.  I just want them to discover Aura and her story on their own, to draw their own conclusions…which they’ll be able to do, starting May 1, 2010! 

…I can’t wait for A BLUE SO DARK to hit bookstore shelves.  The idea of it gives me goose bumps, actually… 

Thanks, Holly!

You can check out Holly Schindler's website here and her blog is here. Don't forget to get A BLUE SO DARK on May 2010! I know I can't wait :)