SC Book Festival 2012

So my weekend at the SC Book Festival was awesome! My panel this year was "Write of Passage: Young Adult Writers," and my fellow panelist Kami Kinard (author of THE BOY PROJECT) and I discussed the specific challenges that young adult writers face.  Among the things we talked about were how writing for middle grade readers is VERY different from writing for young adult readers. We also discussed the unique challenges of characterization and the surprises and challenges we encountered on the path to publication.

RIPPER Midwest Book Tour Continues...

So today was an exciting day on the RIPPER book tour.  This afternoon, I visited Leo Jr./Senior High School to give a reading from RIPPER.  I got several awesome questions, including "How do we know Jack the Ripper was a man?" (My answer...we don't.) My evening continued with a RIPPER book signing at the Barnes and Noble at the Glenbrook Mall in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  The signing was a success, and I was able to visit some of my favorite professors from my undergraduate days.

My Exciting Month of May!

So May is a super-duper exciting month for me.  Not only is it my birthday month (Yay!) this year it’s the month of my Midwest Book Tour for Ripper! So what will I be doing?

May 8, 6:30-8:30: I’ll be at a Barnes and Nobles in Cincinnati, Ohio (9455 Civic Centre Blvd, West Chester)

May 11, 6:30-8:30: I’ll be at a Barnes and Noble in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Glenbrook Square Mall)

May 16, 6:30-8:00: I’ll be at the Bookmamas bookstore in Indianapolis. This book signing should be a thrilling time as it will be a joint signing with the YA author Mike Mullin, author of the fabulous Ashfall.  That's right...books about Jack the Ripper AND a super volcano exploding and causing all sorts of chaos--not for the faint of heart.

May 18-20: I will return to Columbia, SC just in time for the SC Book Festival.  I will be on a panel with the authors Kami Kinard and Kiera Cass to discuss YA literature.

And yes, I will post updates and pictures along the way!

The Woman in Black

My New Favorite Ghost Story: The Woman in Black

            So when I told my husband that I wanted to go see The Woman in Black for our Valentine’s Day date, he wasn’t at all surprised. (After being married to me for almost a decade, he knows that if there’s anything, weird, Gothic, or Victorian, well…I’m on it.) Although excited to see the film, I fully expected to be disappointed by it as I tend to be picky with period dramas, and I feared that the movie would cater to modern audiences by creating a slasher movie with a cravat-wearing Radcliffe in the lead somewhat revising his Harry Potter hero role. But I LOVED the movie; in fact, I loved it so much I kind of geeked out and soon read Susan Hill’s book, The Woman in Black.  I found the book to be both beautiful and unsettling. There is nothing so unusual  (check out this link) about a haunted house, curses, and pissed off female ghosts so why did this book hook me so?

I think seeing the solid Arthur Kipp unravel was particularly disturbing. Kipp might have stepped out of a Dickens novel; in fact, the book’s sentimental opening, where a much older Kipp sits around the fire with his family at Christmastime, has a very Dickens-like feel to it. It makes his “breakdown” as his teenage sons begin telling ghost stories particularly dismaying. When he sets out for Crythin Gifford he is not like Catherine Morland, in Northanger Abbey, looking for adventure. More or less, he is looking to wrap up a recluse’s papers and get back to his fiancée.

Secondly, Kipp’s relationship with the ghost intrigues me. The book is able to show an almost Oedipal element to Kipp’s view of Jennet In fact, when the haunting at Eel Marsh begins he feels an almost comforting feel when he hears the rocking chair rocking by itself in the nursery. He is reminded of his nurse, sitting by his bed at night. Kipp’s feelings, I think, mirror, part of the essential horror of the book: what happens when the Victorian mother, the “Angel of the House” decides to “revolt”? What happens when she decides to kill children as opposed to care for them. I do think the Victorians had no greater fear than women bucking against their angel roles. This is why so many of the females, including the man-eating crocodile in Peter Pan, are conniving and murderous; Pipp in Great Expectations needs serious therapy after his relationship with the insane Miss Havisham. And the female Lucy, the “bloofer lady” in Dracula preys on children around Highgate Cemetery.

I think the other terrifying aspect of the book is the senselessness of the ghost’s anger. She killed those who had never wronged her. She killed simply to kill. The movie referenced to her being in a mental asylum at some point. But in the book, there is no mention of this, which makes it all the creepier. She is furious at the injustices done to her by her sister Alice and yet she seeks vengeance upon everyone. Kipp literally finds himself against a force where there seems to be no appeasement, no forgiveness, just a senseless fury.

Guest Post by Tracy Bealer: Like the HUNGER GAMES? Why you should also read DIVERGENT...

Tracey Bealer, blogger at Once More With Geekery, has the following awesome guest post: Read Divergent now, thank me later.

With Hunger Games mania amping up to almost intolerable levels as we approach the film’s premiere in a couple of weeks (squeal!), postapocalyptic YA fiction has never been hotter. The problem is, it’s everywhere, and some of it is, well, the Monkees to the Hunger Games Beatles. Divergent, by Veronica Roth, however, is the Rolling Stones of teen dystopias. Much like Hunger Games, Divergent is the first in a proposed trilogy. The novel was recommended to me by my oracle of YA awesomeness, and she did not disappoint. What follows is a spoiler-free plea for you to read it too. The book has been optioned by Summit, the studio that brought you the Twilight Saga, so you’ll want to imagine your dream cast now.

The Deal: We’re in postapocalyptic Chicago, and the population has been divided into factions that come pre-packaged with certain personal and social expectations: Abnegation (selfless, service); Amity (kind, caretakers); Candor (honest, peacekeepers); Erudite (scholarly, educators); and Dauntless (brave, guardians). Each sixteen-year-old citizen must take an aptitude exam that confirms whether they’ve been born into the correct faction, or must leave their families and continue growing up elsewhere. And then there’s a third option: Divergent kids could fit into two or more factions, and must make a choice. That’s precisely what happens to our girl Beatrice.

The Heroine: Beatrice decides to leave her parents (members of the Abnegation faction) and join the Dauntless. Good call. Though the initiation process is brutal, she feels more herself than she ever has before. Along the way, Tris (you get to choose a new name in Dauntless, which is rad) learns that a massive inter-faction civil war is looming, putting her, her family, and her new love interest Four (I won’t spoil how he chose his name, but it’s incredible) in danger.

The Others: Along with Four, Tris’s mentor and crush object, she meets a slew of new people in Dauntless, some of whom can be trusted, and some of whom will try to kill her in her sleep. Tris is also still worried about her brother, Caleb, who similarly left their parents to join another faction.

The Takeaway: This novel combines political intrigue, feminist self-actualization, and super sexy romance into one satisfying postapocalyptic package. I can’t wait for May and Insurgent, the second installment.

 

Haven't read The Mortal Instruments?Once More with Geekery Says that You MUST...

Tracey Bealer, blogger at Once More With Geekery, has a fantastic guest post this week to let you know why you MUST read The Mortal Instruments Series. I for one, have only read Clockwork Prince. (I started a bit backwards but was completely seduced by the steampunk cover:) Here are Tracey's thoughts on the series... The Mortal Instruments will scratch that Twilight itch

It’s going to be a long wait for me and my fellow Twihards until November 16th brings the further adventures of red-eyed Bella, proud papa Edward, and, well, I’m not sure how to describe Jacob. But if you’re a YA supernatural romance fan looking for some novelistic methodone to ease the withdrawal until Breaking Dawn Part 2 drops this fall, there are worlds aplenty beyond Forks. One of my favorites is the deliciously (and pretentiously) titled Mortal Instruments series. The first, City of Bones, came out in 2007, and the latest, City of Fallen Angels, was just published last April, with one more slated for release in 2012. The first book was recently optioned for a film adaptation and casting is happening right now, so you’re going to want to get in on the ground floor of the latest pretender to the Twilight Saga throne. Here’s a brief, spoiler-free introduction to the Mortal Instruments universe.

The Deal: Vampires, demons, warlocks, werewolves, and the fae live and walk amongst mere mortals, undetected. But we all knew that. Mortal Instruments tells us that there are also wicked ninja warriors called Shadowhunters, born to battle the demonic Downworlders. They’re based in a New York City cathedral, they gain power from drawing runes on their (spectacular) bodies, and though they’re not supposed to be seen by humans, a girl named Clary just made one. Let the games begin.

The Heroine: The aforementioned Clary Fray. This protagonist doesn’t read so much Bella as Katniss Everdeen. She’s resourceful and strong, and there’s a lot she doesn’t know about her single mom’s past . . .

The Boys: Jace would be the Edward, but rather than masochistic and tormented, this Shadowhunter is cocky, cynical, and intimately aware of his magnificent good looks. As much as he tries to dismiss Clary, he can’t seem to get her off his mind. Simon Lewis is Clary’s hopelessly besotted best friend. He’s funny, a little bit nerdy, and utterly committed to never leaving her side as she ventures further into the world of the Shadowhunters.

The Others: Jace has been adopted by the Shadowhunting Lightwood clan (for reasons I won’t go into), which includes sexy Izzy and awesome Alec, who has a hopeless crush on his adopted brother. There are also various warlocks, vampires, fairies, and werewolves who distinguish themselves for good or ill throughout the series.

The Takeaway: If you like arcane mythologies, scandalous family secrets, and tattooed warriors, I highly recommend Mortal Instruments. It’s eminently readable, legitimately surprising, and makes a ballsy move in the second volume that I can’t wait to see translated onto the big screen. If you devour the four volumes before May (when City of Lost Souls is due for publication), give the prequel Infernal Devices series a try, beginning with Clockwork Angel.

Some of my favorite Irish books, poems, and authors...

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180px-Leprechaun_Hat

We’re quickly approaching St. Patrick’s Day, and I can’t resist sharing some of my favorite Irish books, poems, and authors: 1. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth—This Anglo-Irish book, written in 1800, is a short quick read about a dysfunctional Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, the Rackrents. The novella spans four generations of Rackrents, their tale told through the family’s aging steward Thady Quirk.

2. Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu—Le Fanu, a Victorian Irish author, wrote this terrifying and heartbreaking lesbian vampire love story many years before another, more well-known Irish novelist, Bram Stoker, wrote Dracula. The novella portrays the intense relationship between the beautiful and mysterious Carmilla and the young, sheltered Laura. Well-written and haunting, this Gothic read paints very poignantly a story of the paranormal and young love.

320px-Carmilla
320px-Carmilla

3. I love any poem by William Butler Yeats. Among some of my favorites: “Easter 1916,” “The Second Coming,” “Leda and the Swan,”…Rooted in Irish mythology and culture, Yeats’s poems have influenced many current works of art including the works of songwriters such as U2 and the Cranberries and have inspired novels, most recently, Keith Donahue’s book The Stolen Child. I find Yeats’s private life almost as interesting as his literary works, most specifically his romantic obsession with the beautiful Irish nationalist Maud Gonne, and then, years later, his infatuation with her daughter Iseult.

4. A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle—Romantic, funny, and powerful, this novel tells the story of the fictional Henry Smart and follows him through Easter 1916 and beyond.

5. Emma Donoghue—I have to recommend anything written by Donoghue. I was first introduced to Donoghue when I read her novel Slammerkin a few years back. I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in two days. Darkly comic and tragic the book follows the life of a prostitute. I also love her collections of short stories including Kissing the Witch and The Woman who Gave Birth to Rabbits. I have yet to read her latest book Room, but it’s definitely on my list of books I plan to read this next year.

Seven New Year's Resolutions

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011

 ONE: Housetrain my Shih Tzu and make her submit.  At five-years-old she is untrained and evil—biting those who displease her, going to the bathroom in the house wherever she pleases, picking fights with my lab and my husband, and claiming large portions of the couch as hers to sleep on.  I have allowed this thus far, because she is always one step away from death from the hands of my small children.  But no longer.  She must begin acting like other dogs…. TWO: I will read Vanity Fair—the book, not the magazine.  In spite of my PhD in British lit, I have always avoided the novel.  No longer.  Must read and enter the world of Becky Sharp.

THREE:  Thirty minutes a day of silence—this includes from the internet.  Feel like I’m losing something valuable.  Between the kids, the dogs, student e-mails/phone calls, work related e-mails, I feel as if I am a slave to noise, to technology.  I might even step it up to an Internet Sabbath, one day I week where I don’t check e-mail or get online. (See this great article from The New York Times).

FOUR:  More of a goal, than a resolution.  Dr. Who needs a new assistant this next season since Amy Pond is leaving.  His next assistant WILL be me.

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FIVE:   Will develop celebrity crush on a person who is 1) not dead and 2) not in an Austen or Brontë  novel.  P.S. Has anyone seen this site…Bangable Dudes in History

SIX:  Will purchase more locally grown vegetables.

SEVEN:  Currently I’m a running addict.  Will continue this healthy addiction, but will also do the other “slower” workouts.  I will not fast-forward my yoga DVD.

What are your New Year's resolutions?

Holiday Reads....

So I finally have my holiday YA reads lined up: 1) Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake 2) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 3) Jane by April Lindner 4) A Blue So Dark by Holly Shindler

If the Bronte sisters were superheroes...

The 1998 educational commercial (never aired) featuring the Brontë sisters as action heroes, got my attention, and touched on a ridiculous fantasy of mine: What if the Bronte sisters were superheroes??? So this morning, weary from grading, writing, and editing, I let my mind wander…

If the sisters were superheroes, they would undoubtedly have to wake up very early, to train on the moors.  Upon the cold, windy moors, they practice fencing, knife-throwing, all the sharpest training to defeat and control rebellious fairies.  The sisters are a formidable group, keeping the bad fairy population under control.  But their work is not without its turmoil.

1)      EMILY is of course smitten with her broody trainer, Heath— and never can quite separate her work from her personal life.  Emily’s disastrous affair with Heath, is a source of frustration for Charlotte, who, as the eldest, leads the group.  Charlotte would fire the Heath’s Byronic ass if she had a choice.

But she does not.

Simply because Heath is the best trainer west of Russia, the only trainer in England with skilled knowledge of the weaponry of Silat.  So Charlotte endures his love-hate war with her sister—until he decides (villainously) to hang Emily’s favorite toy poodle, Tootles, from a nearby tree; this is a relationship dealbreaker for Emily, and she unceremoniously murders him with his own sickle.

2)      CHARLOTTE, frustrated that her sister can’t maintain better control over her love life (or her rage for that matter) leaves Yorkshire for an important assignment in the country where she has heard that a wealthy gentleman conceals his wife—possessed by a deranged fairy—in his attic.

Charlotte disguises herself as a travelling Methodist missionary and stays at the house just long enough to make the gentleman fall in love with her while she exorcises and destroys the troublesome fairy.   She completes the job swiftly, glamours the gentleman to love his wife again and leaves, hoping the best for them.

3)      Meanwhile, ANNE Bronte disguises herself as a governess ant employs herself to the wealthy Robinson family with six children—one of which is reported to be a changeling.  This assignment is unusually difficult and she is distressed to find out upon arriving that not one, but all SIX children are fairy changelings.  The house is in an uproar—the children are all running about naked, terrorizing the servants and household pets.  She tries to summon Emily as backup, but Emily, still grieving the loss of Tootles and wishing that she had made Heath’s death even more painful—is too distraught to help.  With a deep sigh, Anne decides to summon Branwell…

4)      BRANWELL, the good-for-nothing brother of the Bronte sisters, has never possessed their fighting skills, and is, in all the sisters’ opinions: “handsome and quite daft.”  But Anne is desperate, the children have just strung up their mother up by her bloomers to the front foyer’s chandelier.   To his credit, Branwell helps Anne bring back the human children and restore order to the house—but not before he realizes that he quite likes the sight of Mrs. Robinson’s bloomers, and embarks upon a torrid affair with her.  Anne exiles him from the manor, fearing that he has caused more disorder in the house than the changelings had.

O.k….now back to work.

Five Things You Didn't Know About Hypnotism

I am working on the Ripper sequel and, like every good Victorian drama, mine has to have a hypnosis scene. To make certain that my scene doesn’t fall into any cliché movie scenes—“you are getting sleepy”—I did some research. I found Derek Forrest’s Hypnotism: A History to be particularly helpful. Here are some interesting and quirky things I learned:

  1. German-born Anton Mesmer, the father of mesmerism/animal magnetism, practiced in Vienna and then in Paris in the courts of Marie Antoinette. He was close to the Mozart family and used an iron wand for some of his procedures. No really, he did. I wonder if Ollivanders sells that wand.
  2. The poet Percy Shelley wrote occasionally while in a trance, but he had to stop the mesmerism when his sleepwalking began annoying his wife, Mary Shelley.
  3. Alexandre Dumas was a fan of mesmerism.
  4. Feminist Victorian writer, Harriet Martineau, also loved mesmerism—even claiming that when a veterinarian failed to cure the cow, the animal was revived through mesmerism. I love her quote about the incident: “I am fond of my cow and stand up for her good qualities, but I cannot boast of any imaginative faculty in her.” Ummm…can’t say that I’ve ever known an “imaginative” cow.
  5. Finally, the Scottish physician, the “father of hypnosis” James Braid, could hypnotize his wife with a sugar bowl. Perhaps this is the  key to a happy marriage!