Links

For the latest and greatest in all things YA (plus some detours), here are your Friday links:

People unfamiliar with YA often ask me what the deal is with these teen books, and why there’s even a whole section for teens now. Note that most of these people are adults… I usually encourage them to read some of my YA favorites, but here’s a good (oldy but goody) Writer’s Digest link about the genre, and what gives.

In honor of banned books week, read one of these children’s books. I mean, how can you not like Captain Underpants?

Stolen from the Publishers Marketplace news page: Sourcebooks starts a new YA imprint called Fire with books out in Spring 2010; read all about it here.

At FiveAwesomeYAFans (they are pretty awesome), Catherine Ryan Hyde has been blogging the month of September away, some about her book Diary of a Witness, which is on my (dangerously toppling) to-read pile. If you sign up at this group, come be my friend? I’m all lonesome.

Meredith at YPulse interviews author Libba Bray of Going Bovine—not a mystery, but still sounds like an interesting book. Ms. Bray is also part of a chat this month over at readergirlz.

For you children’s writers who want feedback on your work: agent Mary Kole at Andrea Brown will take your query letter in this contest. The winner gets a critique of the first 30 pages of their manuscript—sounds like a sweet deal.

Live in the Colorado Springs area? Check out the Authorfest of the Rockies this Friday and Saturday at the Cliff House in Manitou Springs.

And if you’re a writer, editor, or someone else in publishing, and live in New York, consider this charity organization: Girls Write Now. It sounds like a really cool way to give back, and who can’t use a little good karma, right?

Operation Yes

To back up my goal of joining this millennium and get with it techno-wise, I followed a TweetChat yesterday. It was a back-and-forth between editor Cheryl Klein and author Sara Lewis Holmes—these ladies worked on Ms. Lewis Holmes' book Operation Yes together, so I was very interested to learn more about that.

A TweetChat, I learned, moves superfast, but the cool part here was that I got to ask questions, listen to a discussion, and all without leaving my comfy computer chair and cat on the lap. Pretty awesome, I think.

Anyway, the transcript of this TweetChat is on Sara Lewis Holmes’ blog, so you can get the lowdown on her new book, and a contest she’s running. You can win a signed copy of Operation Yes if you write the winning Jody call. What’s a Jody call, you ask? Well, you can find out here and get the skinny on this contest. This book sounds great; I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy for my daughter and me to enjoy while Dad’s deployed.

And I’m still pretty proud of myself for following a TweetChat. I didn’t even know such a thing existed two days ago.

Digi-Novel Update

I cracked open my copy of Level 26, the digi-novel I told you about a few weeks ago. The story is juicy, creepy, and moved very fast (last night, I almost forgot I actually do have to go to sleep at some point). Good book.

So then I got to the part where you’re supposed to go online and watch something. But the prompt was for a snuff film of one of the victims, made by our psycho bad guy…

As much as I imagined this might have cross-over appeal into YA, I would have to say: major negatory. Level 26 carries a rating of R-plus, if I can create such a category on the fly.

But a good book. The online part, the snuff film? I think I’ll pass…

Mama's Got A Brand-New Bag

I’ve had my share of bad haircuts. The frizzy perm, the angled bob, the short do—they all seemed like a good idea at the time. Sometimes you just need a change. Look at Drew Barrymore's hair if you need more evidence.

My website is such a case. The old one was fine: there was information, short story links, sample chapter—it did the job. But sometimes, it’s just time for a change. So I spent the morning overhauling it, updating, and changing the design just for the hell of it.

Here it is. Hopefully, it’s not just another bad perm…

Let me know what you think.

Grand & Humble

You can stop rolling your eyes now—I wasn’t talking about myself with this post's title. Grand & Humble is a book by Brent Hartinger, and I finished reading it last night. So I thought I would tell you what I thought.

For a quick recap: Grand & Humble is told from two perspectives: Manny and Harlan. Manny is poor, Harlan is rich, to put it simply—though the characters have a lot more depth beyond their economic status. We follow both as they are plagued by visions of their own death, visions they’re trying to explain. The book switches between the two guys’ point of view, which works very well for keeping the pages turning. A snappy, engrossing read.

The story has nice diversity to it: a deaf character, a gay character, which I appreciate a lot. My mind was there anyway, as this has been a topic of late in publishing, and the theme for next year’s YALSA symposium. And Brent Hartinger, like in his previous novels, knows just how to add diversity without making it feel like it was done for the sake of being p.c.

I won’t talk too much more, because I’ll give the ending away. Which was a real whopper I didn’t see coming. Not a mystery as I had hoped (no crime), but a good puzzle with characters who act. Which I like. I’m giving Grand & Humble a 4.5 out of 5, so go read it. Even if it isn’t a mystery.

Friday Links: Ode to the Craft

After reading this article in The Village Voice (warning—lots of f-bombs), I got to thinking. Well, first I was laughing, then I got to thinking. Mostly about how dumb some people are, and then about how incredibly valid this point is: have respect for the years it takes to hone a craft, whether it’s painting, writing, or editing, whatever.

For this Friday link post, I thought I would step away from the usual YA theme, and give you some writing craft related links. Because we could all stand to learn something new. Especially me.

So here goes my Ode to the Craft:

Kelly Spitzer, writer extraordinaire, talks about Rose Metal Press’ Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction, which sounds really interesting. I have a soft spot for short fiction, and recognized some of the names there—will have to check this book out.

I finally sat down and read the 2010 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market. It’s technically a reference, listing agents, book publishers, etc., but like the Playboy fans, I bought it mostly for the articles. Good stuff, with articles on YA writing, revision, and the latest in publishing.

Some of my writer friends have been partaking in a two-week write-a-thon. Kudos to all—and I thought Jenny had some smart thoughts on the whole process, and how lots of bits of writing make a bunch, and eventually a novel.

Barry Eisler has a ton of info for those of us in the trenches, so check out his website.

If you’re out of ideas, check out Writer’s Digest’s prompts to get a creative kick in the pants.

The Gotham Writers’ Workshop has a page devoted to tips from the masters, for those of you who could use some encouragement or guidance.

And if you're frustrated by hearing about the dismal odds of even selling your book, check out Kelly Corrigan’s story. She kicked some promotion butt and beat the odds with a baseball bat—rock on, Kelly.

On that note, this writer is off to write the weekend away…

P.S. Trying out new blog template, hoping it's easier on the eyes. Blogger people: you need more templates. You're hurting the creative people here with your boring choices.

Book List

To start of my list of bonafide YA mysteries, I’m mining my recollection of books I’ve already read. Since my memory is what it is, this list will expand as I remember.

Here it goes:

YA Mysteries (books where the protagonist solves a crime as the main plot):

Acceleration by Graham McNamee (5)
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (5)
Rat Life by Tedd Arnold (5)
Torn to Pieces by Margot McDonnell (3)

YA Crime Fiction (there was a crime, but the protag(s) didn’t solve it):

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (5)
Echo by Kate Morgenroth (4)
Hit and Run by Lurlene McDaniel (3)
What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles (5)

I’ll look at posting this list as a sidebar, and keeping it updated as I read and have stuff to add. The numbers are a rating system 1-5, like Amazon, since that seemed like an easy way to go.

Of course, those are my ratings, which you’re free to ignore. Or argue with. I welcome arguments (but don't tell my kids I said that)