Posted on

Moving from denial to acceptance

Sharp-eyed readers will notice that I have not been able to bring myself to post about my beloved Hoya’s loss to Davidson in the NCAA basketball tournament this weekend.

::chokes back sob::

That’s because it HURTS! They lost! My boys lost! Oh, they tried so hard!! And to Davidson? Where is Davidson, exactly?

Hang on…. I need a moment here…

::flings self on floor, pounds fists, scares dog::
::gathers self::

God, I hate reality sometimes.

OK. Georgetown lost. North Carolina continues to steamroll the opposition. (Yes, Sarah Dessen’s library gets a free copy of my new book when it comes out because, sigh, her team is clearly superior to mine this year. There. I said it.)

So here’s my question for you: which team do I cheer on now? I am teamless. Help!

Posted on

Want to read it before anyone else?

It’s time for an update about our Team for Training run. My husband and I are running the Lake Placid Half Marathon on June 15th in honor of my cousin, Darcy Skinner, who is fighting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training and decided to raise a total of $5,000 for the cause.

Thanks to readers and friends across the country, my part of the effort has reached its goal of $2,500. Now it’s time to support my Beloved Husband. He needs to raise $1485 to meet his goal.

Simon & Schuster has offered to help. Starting today, the next ten people who donate at least $20 to Scot’s run will receive a free Advanced Reading Copy of my next book, CHAINS. The book doesn’t come out until October. If you are one of the lucky donors, you’ll get your copy in June! (One rule – you must be at least 18 years old qualify.)

Donate right now! It’s so easy! Click! Click! Click!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Thank you!

Posted on

Spring on the tundra

Mary Pearson posted gorgeous spring photos yesterday.

Since it was, officially, Spring, i.e. the Vernal Equinox, i.e. Ostara, and I was well enough to get off the couch, I went in search of proof of the event in my own backyard.

I didn’t find much. Down south in Syracuse, they have grass and mud. Up here on the tundra?

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Not so much. This is the end of my driveway. The driveway itself is slushy mud, which is a good sign, but there is still snow on the roof of the house.

::stares at Mary’s pictures again::

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Here are my daffodils.

My Beloved Husband noticed my pout and scanned the horizon for signs of Spring. “Look!” he shouted, pointing to a small building on the farm down the hill.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
I squinted. Put on my glasses. Squinted some more.

“No,” I shook my head. “You can’t fool me. We are going to be trapped in winter for months. And I’ll get the flu again. And we’ll lose power. And… and… and…”

He stuffed me into my (winter) coat and drove me down the road for a closer look.

He was right. Spring really is here.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Because that’s not smoke. That is the sweetest steam in the world pouring out of the sugar shack. The maple sap is running in the Forest. The farmers are collecting the sap and boiling – right inside that wonderful building – into maple syrup.

The Trees are wise. They know. It is Spring.

I feel much, much better now.

Posted on

Ask me questions, please

This medicine the doc gave me is amazing. I am already feeling much better.

Sad, though, about the death of Arthur C. Clarke, whose books, along with Heinlein’s, helped me survive high school. Clarke lived to be 90 years old. I can’t begrudge him getting tired after a while.

I am putting the finishing touches on some stuff for the long overdue website overhaul. I need your help.

One page is just my Favorites: food, season, city, etc. What do you want to know?

Also, I am finally doing the FAQ. What Frequently Asked Questions do you want answered? What Infrequently Asked Questions?

Teachers – I think you should give extra points to any of your students who pose good questions here!

Posted on

I’m not dead yet

In fact, this medicine is definitely helping. I don’t feel great, but I’ve stopped telling BH to order me a pretty coffin with built-in bookshelves. Thank you to everyone who made me laugh yesterday (and this morning, Jerry).

Congratulations are in order for one of my favorite YA librarians, Stephanie Squicciarini, from Fairport, NY. Stephanie is the genius and energy behind the fantastic Rochester Teen Book Festival, as well as one of those librarians able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. And she is one of the winners of the Library Journal’s 2008 Movers & Shakers Award. Brava!

More writing questions.

daimeera writes two questions: First: have you ever written a character (or more than one) whom you’ve personally disliked, but who has been popular with your readers? I ask because no matter how hard I try, I’m not particularly fond of one of my own characters, yet I’ve received feedback that she’s likable (admittedly few people have read the novel, but I was surprised to hear it at all).

Hard question. I don’t think many readers like Teri Litch, from CATALYST, but I really love her a lot. Some day I might a book from her POV. We’ll see. You might want to explore, on paper, why you don’t like this character. As you write about her, you’ll probably uncover more details and layers to her personality. Could be fun.

Two: do you feel it’s dangerous to begin a story with a character who isn’t immediately likable? I’ve heard mixed feelings on this; some people will put the book down within a few paragraphs, others are more intrigued by this type of character. Have you found it makes a difference, or do you have a personal preference?

There is no one correct way to do anything in writing. If you are worried about the impact of your opening, experiment with it. Write a couple of different openings and see how it affects the rest of the story, The most important thing is to write the book that you want to read.

TWISTED good news update: It was chosen for the Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Senior High/Young Adult). It’s also nominated for the Kansas Heartland Award, so thank you, Kansas!

In closing, Bookavore passes on an article about common faults in writing. Wrap your ego in armor before you read this one, fellow scribblers.