Our first contest winner makes it big!

Hi everyone,

Way back in July 2010, our little critique group revamped and moved our blog. To celebrate, we held a tagline contest. We had (if I remember right) over 35 entries. We were all so impressed with all the entries, but one quickly stood out and eventually was picked as our winner. 

The winner, Susan Bradley, won a free ten-page critique from each of us. Susan's opening pages were really riveting. I couldn't wait to find out what happened! And now I don't have to. Because (drum roll please....) Susan's book, Unraveled, has been published by Evernight Teen!!!  

To help her celebrate, I interviewed Susan (who goes by S.X. Bradley as an author). I hope you enjoy hearing about her book as much as we enjoyed being a very (very) small part in "discovering" it. :-) 

Can you tell us a little about your book?

Unraveled is a young adult mystery novel that centers around the relationship between two sisters. When Autumn finds her sister’s, Celeste, body she uses her gift for math and love for forensics to investigate her sister’s murder. She eventually discovers her sister’s killer and sets up a deadly trap to obtain a confession.

Was it difficult to get inside the head of a character whose sister is murdered?

I cried when I wrote the opening scene. I lost a dear friend in my late 20’s and really used that experience to tap into Autumn’s grief. It was emotionally draining at times, but that’s what makes writing such a personal, amazing experience.

Were you a “math geek” like your MC, Autum, when you were a kid? 

I was a total math and science geek. I still am. I’m not gifted like Autumn is, but I sure did love math and chemistry class.


Kirkus called the book “A heartbreaking, impeccably plotted mystery.” What can you tell us about the process about writing mysteries? Did you work with an outline? How did you keep track of all the details?

I’m a panster. I have a beginning and ending in mind, then let everything unfold in the middle. A more organic process works for me. There are times when I feel like I write myself into a corner, and it can be fun to write the unexpected in order to get out of it. Because I write mysteries, I want to make sure I close all my loops. I track them in my head, then make notes when revising to make sure everything is explained.


Did you work with any police or FBI experts to get the details right?

I did meet with two local detectives. They were extremely informative and it was nice to talk to them after I’d written the scene to see what I had gotten wrong. It allowed me to get the emotion I wanted on the page without thinking about the correctness of everything. I put research placeholders in when I write so I know what I need to add. I also spoke with an FBI agent and read several books. Everyone is always so nice and willing to talk to you. Although I always wonder if they think I’m crazy.


Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication? 

When I finished Unraveled, I sent out queries to agents. I got close, but ultimately didn’t get an agent. For the next year, I sent it out to publishers and got feedback that it was too dark. I put the manuscript away, and started working on my thesis. Last November, I saw an open call from Evernight Teen. They were looking for dark, gritty fiction and I thought Unraveled would be a good fit for them. About two weeks later, I got an acceptance email, then we moved very quickly after that.


Are you working on anther book at the moment? Care to share any details?

I am working on the sequel to Unraveled. It’s also my master’s thesis. I’m close to being done, then I have an idea for another young adult mystery set in the art world.


What book (or books) are you reading right now?

 I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and I’m about half-way through Veronica Roth’s Divergent. I don’t get to pleasure read too much while I’m in school, so I have to put a lot of books on my To Read list or listen to the audio book.


Tell us one really interesting or unusual thing about yourself that most people probably don’t know.

 I have a total obsession for Sharpies. They make me happy.


Where can readers find you online? My website is www.sxbradley.com

On my website, you can find my Facebook and Twitter page.

Thanks again for visiting us today, Susan! And congratulations on your book! 

I'M BORED Giveaway Winner!!

Thanks to everyone who commented on our posts about potatoes, boredom and other things to commemorate the release day of illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi's picture book:

We've tallied up the entries and we're excited to announce the winner:

Jaye Robin Brown

 

 

 



If you want to get in on more I'M BORED fun, MiG Writer Christina Farley has an interview with Debbie Ridpath Ohi over on her blog, Chocolate for Inspiration, with another chance to win! (Entry deadline is September 19th).

 



Thank you, Linda Joy Singleton!

The power of the internet and, more importantly, the generosity of the writing community never ceases to amaze me.

The following video is full of inappropriate-for-kids words, but here’s the gist: a young man whose friend is dying asked online if there was any way to get ahold of a copy of the final book of his friend’s favorite series so he could see how it ends. An editor heard about the request and sent an ARC. The author himself even offers to call the dying fan.

http://io9.com/5887804/scifi-author-spoils-his-entire-book-series-for-terminally-ill-fan

I’ve experienced this kind of generosity myself.

A couple of years ago, my teenage daughter fell in love with Linda Joy Singleton’s awesome The Seer series. And being the obsessive sort, she wouldn’t let go. She kept reading the books over and over and swore she wouldn’t read any other books until the final book came out - months and months away. It was frustrating (she was supposed to be reading other books for school) but also, I had to admit, kind of amusing. So I contacted Linda Joy and told her about her diehard fan. I've never met Linda Joy and I didn’t expect anything; I just wanted to reach out because, as a writer myself, I know how we often work in a vacuum.

I can’t tell you exactly how Linda Joy responded. But I can tell you she did something amazing that lit up my daughter’s world and moved me. All Linda Joy asked for in return was that we buy a copy of the final book, Magician’s Muse, when it came out. Not a hard thing for us to promise! (For more information on Linda Joy's work check out her website HERE. I loved her Dead Girl series. It's about a girl with a terrible sense of direction who has a near-death experience and gets lost on the way back - and ends up in someone else's body.)

I don’t think I’ve ever thanked Linda Joy properly for what she did. But the video above inspired me to pay it forward, so I’m holding a random drawing. If you comment on this post from now until March 4th, you will entered to win the first three books in The Seer series!! On me.

All I ask is that you pay it forward someday. Reach out to a reader or a fellow writer and offer a kind word or hand up. I truly believe that the energy we put out into the world always comes back to us.

Thanks!

Release of Carmella Van Vleet’s Latest Book!

The MiGs have more great news! We are thrilled to announce that Carmella Van Vleet’s latest book, Seven Wonders of the World: Discover Amazing Monuments to Civilization has been released!

For more information on her amazing books, check out her website here: http://www.carmellavanvleet.com

We know you want to hear all the juicy details on how this book came into creation from Carmella herself. And she has offered to answer the MiGs’ questions as well as give away an autographed copy of her book!

Here’s the blurb:

Seven Wonders of the World: Discover Amazing Monuments to Civilization is an activities book devoted to the seven ancient—and modern—wonders of the world. (For Ages 9 & up)

Andrea: What did you like most about writing your book? And what was the most challenging part of the process?

Car: I love doing research. I would find one cool piece of information and it led me to something else. (I’m easily distracted!) It was the thrill of discovery.

The most challenging part of the process - besides the 2 year wait between submission and publication - was the seemingly endless job of checking facts. When you’re writing a kids’ book, you’ve got a responsibility to get it right.

Christy (eating peppermint patties): If you could visit only one of the monuments in your book, which one would it be?

Car: The Great Pyramid. It looks seriously impressive. In one of my earlier books on ancient Egypt, I included a scale model project of the Great Pyramid. I have my own wooden version that I take to classroom visits and kids are in awe when I tell them it would take one MILLION of my models just to fit on the *base* of the Great Pyramid.

Debbie: How did your Seven Wonders project get started?

Car: I had written numerous books for my publisher (Nomad Press) and they asked if I’d be interested in writing one on the Seven Wonders. I knew about a few of the wonders already because they were in my other books, so I thought the project would be a fun way to expand on that research.

What's next up on your writing plate?

Car: I am taking a break from non-fiction to concentrate on middle grade and young adult. I’ve written two books and just started a third. These days, I’m revising my MG for a couple of agents who are interested in it.

What was one of your favorite moments in researching/writing your Wonders book?

Car: Hmmm. How about I tell you one of my favorite things about the final project? (Besides the cover!) When I was writing this book, I had trouble pronouncing all the names and places. I decided that if I was having trouble then kids would struggle too, so I did something new for me and included pronunciations. I was delighted to see the publisher kept these in.

How did you prepare for writing your book? (e.g. note organization? outlining?)

Car: The very first thing I did was make an outline. It was quite basic: chapter title and craft idea. (The activities often changed, however.) Next, I created a timeline.

I spent about a week-and-a-half working on each chapter. The first part of the week was spent researching. The second part was spent writing. The following week I’d work the accompanying project and start researching for the next chapter and so on. Some chapters, of course, took longer to complete. But I tried hard to keep on schedule so I didn’t get overwhelmed.

Kate: What skill from writing non-fiction do you carry over most into your fiction writing?

Car: This is a really tough question. Writing fiction is a whole new ball game for me. The process is completely different. For instance, I need a lot more time to think through things before I commit words to paper. My timeline has gone out window!

However, I think my ability to remain calm has carried over from non-fiction to fiction. What I mean is this: when you’re starting a new project and you know you have to produce 30,000+ words, it’s very easy to freak out. You start asking yourself things like “Am I crazy?” and “How will I ever get this done?” I got around this before by concentrating on one chapter at a time. I do the same thing now - One. Scene. At. A. Time.

Fun Facts
Any favorite music when you're writing? I love to listen to Brother Iz (Israel Kamakawiwo’ole). He was this amazing Hawaiian singer whose beautiful voice makes me cry.

What kind of chocolate do you prefer: dark or milk? Dark if I’m eating it by itself. Semi-sweet if it’s going in cookies.

What's your typical writing outfit when you work? Since I typically sit cross-legged while at the computer, I usually wear sweats and slippers. I gotta be comfortable to think. (Yes, Mom. I know sitting cross-legged at my desk is not a healthy work position.)

What was the last thing you finished reading? Does the newspaper count? :-) I tend to read in spurts. That’s because when I’m working on my own project, I have trouble reading fiction. I either start borrowing the author’s voice or get swept up and don’t want to work. The last book I read, though, was “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver.

Thank you so much Carmella! To enter the contest to win an autographed copy of Seven Wonders of the World: Amazing Monuments to Civilizations, fill out the form below and answer the question in the box provided.



Mystery Agent contest

We had so many great entries when we ran our one sentence pitch contest, I thought some of you would like to hear about another opportunity. The folks over at Operation Awesome (isn't that a fun name for a blog?) are holding this contest till the first 50 entries or till the end of Sept., whichever comes first.

Check it out and good luck!

http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/

~Carmella