STACKED

books

12 Days of Class 2k12 @ STACKED: Wrap up

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Thanks for stopping by and reading through the posts by some of the members of the Class of 2k12. This is only a handful of the members of this group of debut novelists, so I encourage you to drop by their website and find out more about those who will be releasing their novels later in the year.

If you want a chance to win a pre-order of any one of the books talked about in our Class 2k12 series, make sure you’ve read and commenting on a post or two from the series (you can see them all right here). I’ll pick a random winner and announce that later this evening.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m excited to experience a host of new voices in the coming year! I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I did and hopefully, you found a book or two to add to your 2012 reading lists.

Guest Post: Lynne Kelly on her collection

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The last guest post in our 12 days of the Class of 2k12 comes from Lynne Kelly (Chained, FSG, May). She’s here to talk about her collection — and it’s one that shouldn’t surprise you too much!
I’ve always loved elephants, but I wasn’t until I was writing CHAINED that I started hoarding collecting them. They sit on the writing desk as inspiration. Certainly I have enough, but it seems like I always find another one that really, really wants me to take it home.
Here’s one of the more recent additions, from an Etsy seller in Greece:


Adorable, isn’t he? And he looks great with the rest of the family:

I should introduce the rest of the herd:
  • The dark wooden one I found on eBay
  • Horton, of course
  • In the back is a leather bank from Bookpeople in Austin
  • The light-colored figure is from a shop in Hawaii where the little shop owner nearly tackled my mom when she tried to leave without buying anything
  • The set in front are metal, from the Chautauqua bookstore when I was there for the Highlights Institute in 2008
  • And the round metal thing is an elephant bell, also from eBay.
That’s not even the entire collection–there’s also a wooden mother and baby, and a wooden elephant bell I ordered when I was writing a scene for CHAINED in which a character carves one. (So that one was really necessary, wasn’t it? It’s research!)
And I have enablers. Sometimes people who know I love elephants will pick up elephant things for me…

…and people love to tell me about cute elephant things they’ve seen, and of course I have to check them out and maybe buy them.

I can stop anytime I want, really.

Twitterview: Lynne Kelly (Chained)

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Lynne Kelly, author of Chained, a middle grade novel due out from FSG/Macmillan in May, is the last of our featured authors to stop by for 12 Days of Class of 2k12. She’ll share her Twitterview today and tomorrow, we’ll share her guest post, since hers comes complete with images. You can find Lynne Kelly on her website.
Pitch your book in 140 characters:
Two friends, one a boy, one an elephant, want to escape the circus and return to their homes, even if it means saying goodbye to each other.
Who will this book appeal to?
Readers who love elephants! Also anyone who’d like to read an adventure about a kid trying to find his way back home.
Favorite moment or character in your book:
I really liked writing about one of the secondary characters, Ne Min, because he has an interesting back story.
What’s your writing routine?
It varies a lot, like my work schedule, & starts when I finally convince myself to get off the Internet & write.
What’s your best piece of writing advice?
Find a good critique group you trust and listen to their advice.
What’s been the most surprising part of the publishing journey?
How everything takes so long, when everything else seems to fly by.
What did you do when you learned your book would be published?
Reminded myself that running up and down the halls screaming at work would probably get me escorted out.
What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Even if you don’t feel like writing, sit down to do just 15 minutes’ worth; you’ll probably end up doing more. Works for housecleaning too.
What are your top three favorite books?
The Sky Is Everywhere, Looking for Alaska, The Hunger Games
What’s next for you?
A humorous YA mystery that’s close to home, so it requires far less research!

Guest Post: Sarvenaz Tash on her literary party

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I’m so glad Sarvenez Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost, Bloomsbury/Walker, April 24) chose to write about her literary guest list, dinner menu, party games, and other activities for her guest post. I promise I don’t say that only because she talks about the importance of glitter. Or handcuffs.
 
First of all, I LOVE throwing theme parties. My birthday is right before Halloween and for the past few years I’ve taken advantage of that and made my friends put those costume sales to double-use! I’ve thrown an 80s party, a 1920s murder mystery, a 90s prom, and a Beatles Rock Band party, to name just a few…

A literary party would be right up my alley. In fact, I may be getting an idea for next year [twirls imaginary mustache]…
   

 
Anyway. Guest list:

  • Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy (because the romantic banter would be killer)
  • Ron Weasley (for comic relief)
  • Hercule Poirot & Sherlock Holmes (I expect this dinner party to turn into a murder mystery and I would love to see these two butt heads over how to solve it)
  • Dolores Umbridge (well, if it’s going to be a murder mystery, someone has to die, right?)
  • Turtle Wexler from The Westing Game (I bet she could even teach Poirot and Holmes a thing or two)
  • Harriet from Harriet the Spy (I’m guessing she and Turtle would get up to some precocious shenanigans)
  • Jamie Fraser from Outlander (just for the dreaminess factor: I had to do it!)
  • Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factor (who I imagine will add a healthy dose of insanity)

For dinner, I expect an elegant 4-course meal of roast pheasant, etc. such that Mr. Darcy is accustomed to. Dessert will likely be a preposterous 20-course affair such that Willy Wonka is accustomed to.

Obviously, the game that we’d play would be “Who Killed Dolores Umbridge?” I imagine this would take up much of the conversation as well (barring, of course, the romantic witty banter and comic relief).

As for parting gifts, someone is leaving in handcuffs! The rest, with the knowledge that justice has been served. Oh, okay, and something glittery. In my expert opinion, all parties are more successful with glitter.

Twitterview: Sarvenaz Tash (The Mapmaker and The Ghost)

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Sarvenaz Tash is the author of the forthcoming The Mapmaker and The Ghost, a middle grade novel due out from Bloomsbury/Walker April 24. You can find her on her website here.

Pitch your book in 140 characters:
Goldenrod is an 11-year-old explorer in for an adventure of a lifetime when she decides to map the forest behind her house.

Who will this book appeal to?
Boys, girls and anyone who likes adventure stories and funny going-ons (and maybe belly button lint).

Favorite moment or character in your book?
There’s a point where “the Ghost” first appears to Goldenrod (my MC) and his dialogue makes me laugh to this day.

What’s your writing routine?
Write a few pages, do some character sketches, outline, write a terrible first draft. Revise, revise, revise.

What’s your best piece of writing advice?
Don’t worry if you feel your first draft is rubbish: ALL first drafts are.

What’s been the most surprising part of the publishing journey?
How much waiting is involved even after your book is accepted for publication!

What did you do when you learned your book would be published?
I went to Barnes & Noble and took a picture of the spot it would occupy on a shelf there.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
From one of my fave screenwriting teachers: the ending needs to be inevitable yet unpredictable. (Very hard to do!)

What are your top three favorite books?
So hard! I’ll say Pride and Prejudice, the Harry Potter books (cheating, I know) and Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

What’s next for you?
Working on a couple more MG books. One is a fantasy adventure and one is a contemporary mystery.