Creepy!

You know that saying, that when someone shivers it's because somebody just walked over their grave? Well, here's a new take on that old favorite.

Today, I got a Google Alert (all authors know about these, right?) for R. L. LaFevers on FIND A GRAVE! Yowza. Talk about shivers! So of course I had to go check it out. It's the grave of a young RL who lived from 1883-1885, poor little tyke. But still. Kind of creepy.

The Promised News

From Publishers Marketplace....

Author of THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS R.L. LaFevers's first two titles in a new illustrated chapter book series, NATHANIEL FLUDD: BEASTOLOGIST, in which Nathaniel loses his parents, is shipped off to a distant cousin, adopts a gremlin, and begins his travels as a Junior Beastologist tending to the world's mythological creatures, again to Kate O'Sullivan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, by Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency.


I'm so excited to be working with Houghton Mifflin on this new project! Not to mention what a blast writing it has been. Too too fun.

Akhet – the Season of Inundation

First of all, I have to show off the amazing cover for Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. Yoko Tanaka has truly outdone herself. I am so lucky!!

Now a warning: Major Update ahead.

So, I had a great excuse for my absence this time. Honest. Two weeks ago, my iMac went up in smoke. Literally. A little plastic smelling puff of smoke. I took it to the local Mac shop, which is brilliant but s-l-o-w and one week later found out the power pack and the logic board were kaput. It would cost the same to repair as it would to purchase a new one. So I am typing this blog entry from a brand new shiny iMac. Now, I haven’t been very impressed with Macs to tell the truth. I know there are many who are absolutely fanatical about their superiority to other pcs, but I haven’t seen it. And certainly not mechanically. This is the 2nd power pack to go on my machine. However, I am quite fond of their sleek, compact all-in-one design, so will give them one more try. But that’s it. Also, I bought a three year Apple Care package, just in case.

But it did take a whole ‘nother week for me to get into the Mac shop and pick one up. I had work, and went to BEA which was faboo! I got to meet so many of the wonderful people at Houghton Mifflin, as well as booksellers and readers and other authors. Major heaven. Also major crowds. Boy. Talk about sensory overload.

I will have some exciting news to share here in a few days, I’m hoping. But I also need to give you a heads up. The season of inundation is upon me. I have a firm due date for Theo 3 now, and its sooner rather than later, so I must get cracking. Plus, the boys will be home in a couple of weeks for summer, which will greatly impact my free time. I haven’t juggled writing on deadline, the boys, AND a part time job in a long, long time. If ever. So it will be a challenge.

Which is, in it’s own way, a bit of a head’s up that I may to pare down to the essentials for the next few months. I’m not sure yet. I’ll definitely post news or appearance stuff when I have it, but my already sporadic postings may become even more so. Consider yourself warned.

Backstory

So right now I'm working on a story that has tons and tons of backstory. But backstory can be the kiss of death. Nothing slows the pacing like stopping the forward progression of the narrative to shoehorn in something that happened a long time ago. So this was my revelation about backstory:

Backstory should be like a striptease. You reveal just enough to make the reader want more. Then, when they're nearly frantic with their desire to know what happened, you can reveal all. Ideally, it should be at a moment when the backstory intersects in a dramatic way with the main plot.

Conflict

First of all, thanks to everyone who weighed in on the photo decision! I appreciate your input.


Conflict drives the story. How big and how multi-faceted the conflict is determines the scope of the story. Is your conflict big enough to sustain an entire 100 page novel? A 300 page novel? Making the conflict bigger does not have to involve saving the world or life or death issues. It can be just as effective having your character be forced to cross their own personal boundaries and the issues and conflict surrounding that.

The Dreaded Author Photo

When I was young (I mean really young, like 13 years old) I wanted to be a model (as did every other 13 year old girl who didn't want to be an actress or a clothes designer). That was well before I discovered how much I loathe being in front of a camera. Hate. It. Talk about stiff and mannequin-like! Oy. Good thing I switched to a much more practical vocation, like writing. ::snerk::

I have been long overdue for a new author photo as my last one is about three years old and I look stiffer than a corpse. However, since I think they're about as much fun as my annual mammogram, I tend to put it off and put it off until...my best friend grabs me by the ear and drags me to a photographer. Yes, everyone needs a best friend like that.

So, after 68 shots, I have two that don't make me cringe. This is actually an excellent ratio. Usually there are zero that don't make me cringe. Since I can't quite decide which one I should use, I thought I'd see what you guys think.

Me in a jungle gym:



Or me hiding behind a tree.

German Theodosia!

I arrived home late Friday night, dragging in from a long afternoon of work, and found a huge box from my publisher on my doorstep. Truly puzzled, I quickly went in search of a razor knife to open it with.

Imagine my surprise and utter delight when I found an entire box of these!


The German edition of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos! Isn't it a fabulous cover! Only I think in German, the title is The Curse of the Black Cat. I wonder if all German cats wear earrings, because I'm quite fond of the one Isis is wearing.

Desperartely Seeking Cinderellas (or Cinderfellas!)

fAiRy gOdSisTeRs, iNk

Sneaking up on Surprising writers and illustrators everywhere!


SCBWI SUMMER CONFERENCE GRANT
Announcing a $1,000 grant opportunity
for a SCBWI member to attend the
August 1-4, 2008 SCBWI Summer Conference
in Los Angeles.

TO APPLY: Submit a 250 word double-spaced essay
describing what you hope to accomplish
by attending this year’s summer conference.

Send to: fairygodsistersink@yahoo.com

Application deadline: May 15, 2008
Winner will notified on June 1st, 2008

Questions about the grant may be sent to: mlhershey@aol.com

Fairy Godsisters, Ink. is a small, benevolent squadron of children's book authors who believe in the magic of passing forward lucky breaks, bounty and beneficence, as so many have done for us. We are Thalia Chaltas, Mary Hershey, Valerie Hobbs, R. L. La Fevers and Lee Wardlaw.

Back From Hiatus

I guess I’m just going to have to accept the fact that I’m a sporadic blogger at best. I keep trying to do better, but things keep coming up. This last hiatus was precipitated by adjusting to the new PT job (um, that’s part time, not physical therapy) and…tada!...finishing a manuscript.

I’m very happy about that last bit. Finishing a manuscript is one of the best feelings in the world. The only problem is that I am usually so flush and rosy from the joy of having finished it that I can’t read it with even one iota of objectivity. Which is where beta readers come in. So my newest manuscript is off to a few selected beta readers. While I’m waiting to hear back, I’m turning my full creative attention to Miss Theodosia and Book Three.

In other news, the galleys for THEODOSIA AND THE STAFF OF OSIRIS just arrived! Which means we are just that much closer to publication. Yeay! I’ve also had a chance to see the new cover for Staff of Osiris and it is amazing. Once again, Yoko Tanaka has outdone herself. I’ll have to see if I can get permission to post the cover here.

And now, because those of you still reading this blog are true diehards and deserve some acknowledgment, I’m going to have a giveaway!

The first person to leave a comment to today’s post (after my long hiatus) will win a free signed copy of the new paperback edition of THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS.

Which is a fancy way of saying it's out in paperback now! (Although truly, the first person to leave a comment will win a copy.)

And be sure and come back tomorrow when I have a very exciting announcement to make that may just involve a great opportunity for a lucky blog reader!

Catching Up

Wow, you know you're way too busy when you can even find the time to blog good news! I've been trying to fight my way to my computer for the last week to share this tidbit...Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos has been nominated for an Agatha Award! How cool is that??

I'm very excited, especially since the award is named after Agatha Christie, and I cut my mystery teeth on Agatha Christies during my teen years. Absolutely devoured every Agatha Christie mystery that was in print at the time.

I also got the Architexture Workshop behind me. It seemed like it went well and I hope people got a lot out of it. I enjoyed doing it. One of the perks of doing workshops is that I always end up having an epiphany on one of my own works in progress, and this time proved no exception.

I was having a bit of a problem with my current book, feeling it was a little thin. Then during the workshop it hit me, I hadn't drilled down far enough--I hadn't gone far back enough in history to explain this family's rather particular calling.

So I spent a lovely day, immersed in my WIP, up to my elbows in research materials. Happily, I did finally drill back far enough, although I am chagrined to admit that meant going all the way back to the 13th century, even though my story doesn't take place until 1920. I will very likely not use most of it, but apparently I needed to know it to give the characters enough depth and history to come alive for me.