Welcome Back Joy Preble to MCBF 2014

Welcome Back to MCBF, Joy Preble!

Joy Preble is Texas girl who was born and raised in Chicago and a former high school teacher who now writes full time, which means she gets paid for making up stuff. Joy’s THE SWEET DEAD LIFE series (THE SWEET DEAD LIFE and the forthcoming THE A WORD (May 2014), both from Soho Press) is part of the new Soho Teen imprint. Kirkus hailed THE SWEET DEAD LIFE with “Hallelujah! A paranormal tale of angels…that breaks the mold.” She is also the author the DREAMING ANASTASIA series (Sourcebooks) that combines paranormal romance with Russian folklore. DREAMING ANASTASIA was nominated for a Cybil Award in the Teen Sci-Fi/Fantasy Category in 2009. It was named a Best Book for Children, Teen Category in 2009, and was featured in Justine Magazine. Joy also has a contemporary mystery/romance on the way: FINDING PARIS will be out in Spring, 2015 from Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins When she’s not writing, you can find Joy eating guacamole and unsuccessfully battling her Bravo channel addiction.

 To learn more about Joy, visit her website: http://joypreble.com/.

Joy took a few minutes to do an interview with us.  Read what she said here:

 

Do you outline before you write or just dive in?

I used to just start writing when a character or idea came to me. But now I am an outliner, although a rather loose-ish, bullet-point type outline. Partly this is because I tend to write stories with mystery elements and you really do have to know where you're going. Partly this is because I need to see if there's actually a story under there to work with. Writers -- or least this one-- tend to have these brilliant-sounding ideas pop into our heads, but sometimes there really isn't enough to the premise. Like I might think, hey! I'm going to re-imagine Goldilocks and the The Three Bears as a YA novel! And then I realize, hmmm… not so much plot here. (Although now that I think about it, maybe it could be a NA novel… okay, no.) And I also outline because my editor at Soho Press wants to see one for each project. That's the thing when they pay you for books-- you do what you're told, particularly because it helps develop a collaborative partnership and allows us to create better books. Honestly, I can't imagine NOT outlining anymore.

 Why do you write for Young Adults?

 

I write for young adults because that is the age where everything is new and fresh and emotional. First loves, first losses, first taste of independence… these things happen earlier and later, but there is just something about 14-17 and the intensity of what we feel that is often diluted as we get older and our responsibilities grow greater. You know lately I've been joking that I must have a huge amount of issues to work out still from when I was 14 because Jenna Samuels, my protagonist in THE SWEET DEAD LIFE series, has been my easiest and favorite character to write so far! Think about it: when you're fourteen, you're starting high school and it's a hugely important time in your life so far, but you are totally powerless about so much, including driving a car. I think it's been easy and fun to tap back into that angst!

 What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

In junior high, I wrote Star Trek fan fiction, often focusing on getting Mr. Spock a love life. Yes, J.J. Abrams, I thought of it first! Also in high school, I dated the first marching band chair bassoon player. Amazingly, I emerged unscathed from this. 

Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

We have a boxer/basset mix named Lyla. We rescued her 2 years ago and now she is queen of the house, which she totally deserves since whoever had originally had her had just kicked her out onto the street! She is VERY long and very funny and very verbal and is also the first dog I have ever had! When I write, she lays next to me in whatever patch of sunshine is available. Often she snores--loudly. Occasionally she heaves a huge sigh, as if to say, "Oh! I'm here where it's warm and happy and there is kibble in my bowl."

What books or authors have most influenced your writing most?

Everything I read influences me in some way or another, but a few that come to mind right now are: Sarah Dessen, Libba Bray, Maggie Stiefvater, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

Zombieland, the movie, because it has the survival rules mapped out. (Double tap! Check the back seat! Cardio!)

Antiobiotics and water purifier because I read Ilsa Bick's ASHES series and I know I'll need some.

At least 3 weaker, slower friends.

 

Meet Joy as she joins us again at the

2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on February 15th at Lone Star College - Montgomery.

Introducing Stasia Ward Kehoe to the 2014 MCBF Author List!

Welcome Stasia Ward Kehoe...

Stasia Ward Kehoe grew up performing on stages from New Hampshire to Virginia. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and an MA in Performance Studies from New York University. She now lives in western Washington state with her husband and four sons. THE SOUND OF LETTING GO is a Junior Library Guild selection and just received a starred review from PW.

Visit her online at www.stasiawardkehoe.com.

 

Meet Stasia at the festival in February, but read more about her now!
 

At what age did you start writing?

I STARTED WRITING IN EIGHTH GRADE, INSPIRED BY A FANTASTIC ENLISH TEACHER, MR. ARENA. HOWEVER, I NEVER ASPIRED TO BE A WRITER. EVEN IN COLLEGE, WHEN READING AND WRITING WERE MY FAVORITE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES—AND I WROTE POEMS AND PLAYS AND PAPERS AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS. IT WASN’T REALLY UNTIL I STARTED WORKING ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY, AND BEING EXPOSED TO MANY, MANY WONDERFUL BOOKS, THAT IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I COULD TRY TO BE AN AUTHOR IN MY OWN RIGHT.

Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

I USUALLY BEGIN WITH A CHARACTER WHO BOUNCES AROUND MY HEAD FOR DAYS, WEEKS, YEARS…UNTIL HE OR SHE COLLIDES WITH A “WHAT IF” SORT OF QUESTION. IN THE CASE OF MY NEWEST BOOK, THE SOUND OF LETTING GO, I BEGAN WANTING TO WRITE ABOUT A COOL, TOUGH, TRUMPET-PLAYING GIRL. THEN THE QUESTION OF “WHAT IF SHE LIVED IN A HOUSE WITH AN AUTISTIC BROTHER WHO COULDN’T BEAR LOUD SOUNDS (LIKE TRUMPET) OR UNPREDICTABILITY (LIKE JAZZ IMPROVISATION)? AND THE STORY GREW FROM THERE.

Do you outline before you write or just dive in?

I DO NOT OUTLINE AND TEND TO WRITE CHRONOLOGICALLY (BEGINNING-TO-END). I CANNOT WRITE SCENES TO “PUT IN LATER,” THOUGH I KNOW AUTHORS WHO CAN AND DO. THAT SAID, I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO COMPLETELY REWRITE AND CHANGE MAJOR PLOT AND CHARACTER ELEMENTS IN REVISION. So, IN A WAY, I LOOK AT MY ENTIRE FIRST DRAFT AS A SORT OF OUTLINE. NOT SUPER-EFFICIENT BUT THAT’S HOW I ROLL.

Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adult (whichever is pertinent)?

I DON’T. I WRITE STORIES THAT INTEREST ME ABOUT CHARACTERS WHO INTEREST ME. AND THEN MY AGENT AND EDITOR TELL ME THEY ARE YA. IN MY HOUSE, I HAVE A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD WHO ACTS FORTY AND A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD WHO CAN BE SORT OF IMMATURE. SO, I GUESS I FEEL LIKE YOUNG ADULT (LIKE EVERY OTHER READING CATEGORY) IS A STATE OF MIND. DON’T KNOW HOW ONE COULD WRITE TO A STATE OF MIND…

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

THREE? ONLY THREE THINGS? I WRITE 400-PAGE NOVELS ABOUT ENTIRE TOWNS! SHORT LISTS ARE NOT MY FORTE. AND I’M NOT GOOD A CLEVER, SUCCINCT SNARK. SO…

--A BLACK FLEECE TRACK SUIT (I LOVE ANYTHING MADE OF SUPER-FUZZY FLEECE AND DARK’N’WARM SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA)

--COFFEE (LIFE IS ALWAYS BETTER CAFFEINATED AND I IMAGINE IT’D HELP WITH THE RUNNING-FROM-ZOMBIES ACTION)
--THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (PREFERABLY MADE OUT OF SOME SORT OF EDIBLE, CHOCOLATE-FLAVORED PAPER, JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, I GET REALLY HUNGRY)

Come meet Stasia at the

2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on February 15th at Lone Star College - Montgomery.

Welcome Back Nikki Loftin to MCBF 2014

Welcome Back...         Nikki Loftin returns to MCBF

Nikki Loftin is the author of two middle grade novels: THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY (winner of the 2013 Writer’s League of Texas Book Award), and NIGHTINGALE’S NEST (coming February 2014), both published by Razorbill/Penguin. Nikki’s short children’s fiction has appeared in Boy’s Life and Pockets magazines, and she is a contributor to Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves (Zest books, Nov. 2012).

Nikki lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country, surrounded by dogs, goats, and rambunctious boys. She prefers scary stories over sweet ones, reads so much it’s embarrassing, and loves ice cream almost as much as she loves writing. Say hi at www.nikkiloftin.com.

 

Find out more about Nikki in her interview below:

 

At what age did you start writing?

 

Why do you write for Children?

I write for children because I like them best.

Not that you adults aren’t all lovely people, I’m sure you’re great. It’s just that I prefer the honesty and fierce sense of social justice, the humor, and the emotional truths of kids.

I also feel like a part of me – an important part – is still nine or ten years old. I may look old on the outside, but inside, I’m still that little girl who climbed out on the roof to read until it got dark every night, whose best friend was a sycamore tree. I think I’m writing her stories.

Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

I have two dogs and two goats. Honestly, I don’t think their presence affects my writing at all! (Except when the dogs insist on being walked or petted in the middle of an important scene.) But the animals do help my emotional state when I’m dealing with the business side of things. I mean, have you ever seen goats jump around when they’re playing? They are adorable. Almost adorable enough to make a writer forget all those rejections.

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

My kids and I have given this one some thought. (Zombie Apocalypse is a favorite road trip game.) Definitely I would take duct tape. You can’t go wrong with duct tape –you can use it for a bandage, to tape yourself in a tree to sleep at night, etc.

I’d also take my son’s water purification filter – the one he’s using for his science project on water quality. You could suck up a mud puddle and be fine, and since I’d be heading for the forest, I’d need one of these.

Last? A machete. Of course I have one. Don’t ask why. And don’t ask about those stains on the blade.

We are so lucky to have Nikki making

a second appearance at the

2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on February 15 at Lone Star College - Montgomery.

 

Don't miss your chance to meet her!

Welcome Heather Reid to the 2014 MCBF Author Lineup!

YA Author, Heather Reid joins the 2014 MCBF Author Line-Up

Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and working on the sequel to her Young Adult paranormal debut, PRETTY DARK NOTHING.

Find out more about Heather at her website, www.heatherlreid.com and in her interview here:

Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

Each story is different. For Pretty Dark Nothing, it started with a ‘what if’. As a child I suffered from Night Terrors and sleepwalking. Later in life, I struggled with depression. These experiences let me to wonder what life would be like for a teenage girl in high school if her nightmares started to manifest into her reality. What were these nightmares, what did they want, and why her? The idea of the nightmares turned into demons that exploit insecurities and manipulate negative thoughts. From there I moved on to character development.

One of my other stories started with a character. Her voice came to me so strong that I couldn’t ignore it and had to find out more about it.

Another novel I’m working on was inspired by a documentary I watched on the dust bowl, so the germ can come from anywhere and everywhere as long as you are open to finding it.

Do you outline before you write or just dive in?

Dive in! I like to feel my way through a story, to let it grow organically and see where the characters take me. I don’t like trying to stuff them into a box.

In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

I didn’t fit neatly into any one category. I was the overachiever drama/choir girl who got along with almost anybody and who was also a book nerd and a gamer geek. You could often find me playing old school dungeons and dragons on a Saturday night with my guy friends.

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

I have a dagger hanging on my wall and that would be the first thing I would grab. Great for plunging into a zombie’s brain!

I would need to pack a backpack with as many gluten free foods as I could. I have celiac disease, which means I can’t have any wheat, bread, oats, or anything that contains wheat. It’s not like a normal allergy, if I get wheat in my system, it kills the villi in my stomach which soak up nutrients and deliver it to the body. Without nutrients getting delivered to my body I would eventually I would starve to death . So gluten free foods would be essential for my survival.

My car keys. Let’s hit the road and get as far away from the city as possible.

Meet Heather at the 2014 Montgomery County Book Festival on February 15th at Lone Star College - Montgomery. 

Introducing Kristin Rae to the 2014 MCBF Author List

 

Introducing Kristin Rae...

Kristin Rae was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she lives with her husband and their two boxers. She’s addicted to books, music, movies, crafty things, and chocolate. A former figure skating coach, LEGO merchandiser, and photographer, she’s now happy to create stories while pretending to ignore the carton of gelato in the freezer. Wish You Were Italian is her debut.

 

Kristin is a hometown darling!  Read more about her in her interview here:

 

Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

It's not uncommon for me to start with a title. I know. Weird. I keep a running list of potential titles and I've developed story seeds for each of them.

Why do you write for Young Adults?

I love how enthusiastic YA readers are, and the intensity of feelings, hopes, dreams.... It's such a unique time in life, and through my characters I'm able to relive so many of those firsts in a more dramatic way. It's just so fun to write!

Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

I have two boxers, Duke and Mylie. Mylie's pretty independent, but Duke can often be found curled up on the floor next to my desk. They only hinder my writing the hour and a half leading up to dinner time when they stare me down and take turns whining.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Gene Kelly. I'd love to dance with him.

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

Assuming I had an Undetectable Extension Charm on my backpack: I'd take my entire bookcase because clearly there would be no electricity to recharge an ereader, my chocolate stash because I'd spend the last known days of my life eating whatever I wanted, and my toiletry bag so I could keep brushing my teeth and washing my hair until supplies ran out.

 

Meet Kristin, a true hometown darling, at the 2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on February 15 at Lone Star College - Montgomery.

Welcome Back to MCBF, Krissi Dallas!

 

Welcome Back, Krissi Dallas

Krissi Dallas loves pop music, mismatched socks, and fried chicken. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her youth minister husband, Sam, and enjoys hanging out with her quirky middle school students and building the magical, and mysterious world that makes up the Phantom Island series. Be sure to check out Windchaser, Windfall, Watercrossing, and the latest release, Watermark. Krissi loves connecting with teens, as well as readers and writers of all ages! You can stalk her online at www.KrissiDallas.com.

Find out more about Krissi in her interview here (by the way she is ADORABLE!!):

Why do you write for Young Adults?

Working with teens is my heartbeat. As a junior high teacher and the wife of a youth pastor, I've seen teenagers change the lives of others and impact a society in powerful ways. With that age group, everything is do or die, life or death DRAMA, and I love that about them. If you can set the heart of a teenager on fire, they can and WILL accomplish great things. My writing flows out of those real-life experiences and tries to somehow capture the urgency and passion of that age group and all that they can (and want) to be.

Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?

I think my favorite character I've written is my main villain in the Phantom Island series. I won't say who it is exactly (that's part of the fun of the series - figuring out who to trust), but I will say that it is a female. I find myself fascinated by her--by understanding what makes this woman tick, why she makes certain choices, and what she truly believes. She's the hero of her own story, however twisted it is, and I both love and hate her. It was only after I wrote her that I realized, she's ME. The darkest part of me. The person I might become if I gave into my every self-serving, innately dark desire. She's the Anti-Krissi and, by extension, the Anti-Whitnee since my main character is based off of a lot of my own traits.

What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I want readers to know that I love Jesus. Above all other things I fangirl about, my relationship with Christ is the most satisfying and most motivating aspect of who I am. It's just as simple as that. And everything I write, the light AND the dark, funnels through that worldview.

In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

I had two sides - the girl who sat and got lost reading books and writing stories in spirals in the back of class when she should've been studying (NERDY!) and then the girl who sang and acted onstage, took leadership roles, was voted Class President, etc (BOSSY!). If my life now speaks anything of my life then, it says that I spent my teenage years making a lot of loyal friendships and strong relationships with people who still matter to me today and support my endeavors. Best teenage years ever.

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes??

Are you kidding? In a zombie movie, I'd be, like, that first extra who gets killed off in the opening scene. I'm not built to survive. So I guess I'd take my husband and my two Yorkies - and hope that they've got the skills to get us through. My little five-pound pups are FIERCE, y'all.

If you didn't get the chance to meet her last year, don't miss it at the 2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on February 15 at Lone Star College - Montgomery. 

 

 

MCBF 2014 welcomes Kay Honeyman to the author lineup

Introducing Kay Honeyman...

Kay Honeyman grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Baylor University, graduating with a Bachelors and Masters in English Language and Literature. The Fire Horse Girl (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic) is her first novel. She currently teaches middle school and lives in Dallas, Texas. You can visit her online at www.kayhoneyman.com.

 

 

Kay answered a few questions to give our readers a little extra info about her.  Read her responses here:

Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with a character or setting or something else?

It takes about three or four grains of sand before I can start turning them into a story. I usually need a character, a situation, and a setting. For THE FIRE HORSE GIRL I knew that I wanted to write the story of a girl immigrating to America through Angel Island (the Ellis Island of the West off the coast of San Francisco). I also knew that I wanted her to be strong-willed and stubborn, and I wanted her to feel out of place. I had written several chapters before I discovered the Fire Horse women.

Women born in the year of the Fire Horse (a year in the Chinese zodiac know for strong, bold women) are seen as dangerous, even cursed. Birth rates can plummet in some Asian countries. The description of Fire Horse women fits some of my favorite women, real and fictional. That was the last grain of sand I needed.

Do you outline before you write or just dive in?

I much prefer just throwing words on a page like an over-caffeinated monkey and then wondering why it doesn’t turn out perfectly the first time around. It is not the most productive system, nor is it recommended by any of the writing books I’ve read, but it does result in endless revisions. I am working on getting better at outlining, but I am a slow learner. I think of my first draft as a rough outline and build from there.

In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

I fell in the cracks between all of these. Maybe that is why I love to write about labels and identity.

What books or authors have most influenced your writing?

I am most influence by writers like Jane Austen and Edith Wharton. I love they way they pick at society, pointing out people as beautiful, ridiculous, noble, and fascinating creatures. I have read To Kill a Mockingbird every year for the past decade. If you ask me what I’ve read recently that I love, it’s usually the last book I read, because that is the story swimming in my head. 

It’s the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes?

This one stumped me, so I did what any author would do when blocked by lack of knowledge, I googled it. Based on ten minutes of research, I have decided to pack the following: a baseball bat (many sites chose this as the weapon of choice), matches (fire, historically been valuable and handy), and a tent since I will be getting out of highly populated areas. I think I would be zombie meat against a horde, but I like my chances mono-e-mono. They are slow moving and not known for their intelligence.

 

Thank you for taking a few minutes to answer our questions, Kay!

 

Meet Kay with the other authors at the 2014 Montgomery County Book Festival on Feburary 15th.