tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63797732174958370032024-03-05T22:56:52.358-06:00Anita's EdgeWriting. Skating. Laughter.Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-48870796109503971512017-08-18T17:23:00.001-05:002017-08-18T17:23:45.432-05:00Solar EclipseIn a few days the United States will experience a solar eclipse. An eclipse like this has not occurred since 1918. I've taken the day off, and my husband and I are traveling to Tennessee to observe the eclipse in totality.<br />
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And like so much in the current events these days, viewing the eclipse has also become a point of dissension.<br />
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<i>Don't watch the eclipse. You'll ruin your eyes.</i><br />
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I've got ISO approved solar eclipse glasses.<br />
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<i>No, really. You'll go blind.</i><br />
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I'm an optometrist. I promise there are ways to <a href="http://optometrytimes.modernmedicine.com/optometrytimes/news/top-5-ways-help-your-patients-safely-view-solar-eclipse?page=0%2C0&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_X9FsCeg1Otu9LAcMg3vJpsk1GqAGlDGOASxwEWtkLrhyQSPFpFAC0qt7KGevQxm9Djze_m7fL_XJx3puMPuSz2ympJg&_hsmi=55263209&utm_campaign=Enewsletter%3A+OD+Newsflash&utm_content=55263209&utm_medium=email&utm_source=hs_email">safely view the eclipse</a>.<br />
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<i>You must watch the eclipse. It's a once in a life time experience</i>.<br />
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Actually solar eclipses happen more frequently than you think, they just don't always happen in the United States.<br />
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<i>The traffic is going to be crazy. Stay home.</i><br />
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I'm not going to let a few extra cars on the road, keep me from seeing this rare occurrence.<br />
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In the end, it's your personal choice if you want to view the eclipse, how you want to experience it, and who you'd like to view the eclipse with. Stand firm in what you believe.<br />
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There's also a great <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/david_baron_you_owe_it_to_yourself_to_experience_a_total_solar_eclipse">TedX talk about viewing the solar eclipse</a>.Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-31298421223919774542016-05-07T13:25:00.003-05:002016-05-07T13:25:25.710-05:00Twenty-Five Years of Figure SkatingIt was probably on this day 25 years ago a sad eleven-year old Anita took her first ice skating class.<br />
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I had just moved from Ohio to Alabama and I desperately missed my friends. Frequent moves were taking an emotional toll on me and my only refuge came in reading books. Books took me away to a different place. And it was only in these fictional out of body experiences that I felt safe and happy.<br />
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I still remember my first figure skating instructor's name was Julie. I don't remember what she taught me that day. But I do remember feeling free and happy. Gliding, stretching, moving my feet in ways that are impossible to do on the ground--it was, to say the least, opening the first page of a book that has lead to an incredible journey.<br />
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Figure skating has taught me to persevere in ways nothing else in life has. The triumphs, the failures, the injuries, they've all molded me into who I am today.<br />
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It's taught me the importance of setting goals, and no matter how long the haul, to never give up, and to never give less than all I have. If it weren't for my experiences as an ice skater, I don't think I'd have had the fortitude to endure and give what it takes to be a published author (hopefully one day soon!).<br />
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The friendships. Figure skating friendships are life-long friendships. I have crossed paths with so many different people, and just like a blade etching beautiful edges into the ice, each person I've gotten to know over the past twenty-five years has etched a special place in my heart.<br />
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Competing and performing are experiences that can never be replicated. I've gotten to travel all over the country for competitions and visited states I may have not been to otherwise. The butterflies in my stomach and the flutter of my heart before every performance have sometimes been so intense I wanted to cry and sometimes so calm it was subdued serenity. I've skated after accidentally leaving my blade guards on and sprawling on the ice like a baby deer on wobbly legs in front of an entire audience. I've performed while knowing a dear friend was probably taking his last breaths. I've skated at test sessions where the desire to pass was so much it was incapacitating. I've even performed on artificial ice during Christmas services at a local church. I've performed in freezing temperatures on outdoor rinks, in skimpy skating dresses, with a smile on my face for the morning news cameras even though the goose bumps on my arms felt like needles and I couldn't feel my toes. And I've skated as the half-time entertainment for professional hockey games. I've skated to music played by a live symphony and I've skated when technical issues made the sound system fail at Adult Nationals and the applause of the crowd became my music. I'd have to say though that some of my favorite performances have been skating in group numbers with my friends in home town shows.<br />
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Being a figure skater was also a gateway into two other careers that have enriched my life. I've gotten to share my passion and knowledge of figure skating with other children and adults through being an instructor at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena for the past eighteen years. And for a brief stint I operated Saxena Video Productions, LLC and traveled the south-eastern U.S. with my friends filming competitions and shows.<br />
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I've gotten to learn about the intricacies of what it's like to organize an ice show or for a club to host a large event like regionals or sectionals. This summer our rink is hosing Theater on Ice Nationals. It's a remarkable thing to see how a figure skating club and it's members can come together, volunteer their time, and host events like these.<br />
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But most importantly, I've come to realize, especially in the past few years after I tore my ACL, just how special every day is that I get to be on the ice. It doesn't matter how early it is in the morning, it's such a privilege to see my friends and colleagues and to jump, spin, and ice dance.<br />
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What a blessing and gift it has been to be a figure skater for the past twenty-five years and I pray and hope that I have (at least) another twenty five years more.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of Angela Karen Photography</span></div>
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-11081781766280510772015-10-13T16:23:00.002-05:002015-10-13T16:23:21.044-05:00Day 2: Honk Kong = Delicious + ColorfulYesterday was my first real day to venture out into Hong Kong. My body spent most of the day in a state of jet lag confusion, which kind of feels like having a mild hangover.<br />
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We started the morning with a delicious breakfast at home with Asian Pears, turkey, scrambled egg, egg quiches, and some much needed coffee. Then we took a car ride through the city to join in on the <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org/">BSF</a> chapter here in Hong Kong.<br />
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During the car ride, I saw a really cool tree. I love how the trunk looks like its made of multiple cords of bark woven together.<br />
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I was pleased to see that Hong Kong has decided to go with my favorite color, red, for their taxi service.<br />
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The streets remind me of a mix of the highway's back home and a bit of road travel in the larger cities of India (due to the congestion), save for the fact that drivers in Hong Kong actually respect lanes, unlike in India.<br />
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I got to attend a BSF small group with my bestie and some local ladies. Everyone in Hong Kong speaks English, better than some people in Alabama, I might say. LOL. The English that people speak here has a soft English accent, and it sounds beautiful and proper. A dear family friend is the leader of the entire Hong Kong chapter of the day women's group of BSF, and it was such a privilege to hear her speak.<br />
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Before we started small group, since the jet lag was making me feel hung over, I decided that I needed some sort of liquid hydration So my bestie and I left the building, and boldly crossed the street and walked into the shopping center where there was a sign for a Starbucks. We walked inside, never found the Starbucks, but did find a small grocery store and headed to the refrigerated section. I didn't know what half the bottles were, but my eyes zoned in on these.<br />
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And because the bottles said "Water" I assumed that "POSTONIC" was just the name of the manufacturer. So as we walked back, I opened the cap, and took a sip, and the water was syrupy sweet. That's when I looked at the label and saw that it had TWELVE THOUSAND CALORIES!!!<br />
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It was Diabetes in a bottle. No Joke. I even asked my Uncle and he confirmed that it had TWELVE THOUSAND CALORIES!! He said that people drank it after they exercised. Ummm....why? So they can undo all the calories they burned from working out?!?<br />
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Needless, to say that once I saw the primary ingredient was high fructose corn syrup, plus the TWELVE THOUSAND CALORIES, and the bottle went in the trash.<br />
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After BSF and the water incident, we spent some time with my goddaughter and her cousins and then headed out to here for lunch:<br />
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The restaurant was on the top floor of a building and boasted panoramic views of the Hong Kong skyline:<br />
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From that high up we could even see the equivalent of Hong Kong's white house. It's where the leader who is the equivalent of Hong Kong's prime minister lives.<br />
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I ate dumplings, chicken mushrooms and rice, cucumber salad, and sipped on tea. And then the waiter brought in this:<br />
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Yes, that is a bowl full of floating red chili peppers, under which you will find the vegetables and fish. The dish is called <i>Spicy Sichuan Style Stewed Wild Organic Freshwater Fish. </i>I'm a failure at being Indian because I can't eat spicy foods. So naturally, I thought I'd skip this dish. But, then my Auntie, gave me the idea of giving the fish a bath in a bowlful of water, to wash off the spices and pepper. I felt like Anna from <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i> when she was at lunch giving her grapes a bath. The fish was so moist, and still had a moderate kick to it after I gave it a bath. I can't imagine what it'd taste like straight from the fiery bowl.<br />
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For dessert I had a delicious bean curd custard with sprinkled yellow sugar on top and a gelatinous cake made of coconut and dates:<br />
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On our walk home from lunch, we passed a pond full of beautiful koi.</div>
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After that it was mid afternoon, and with my tummy full and my brain foggy with jet lag, it was nap time. In the evening, we ventured out to the Ladie's Market. No Joke. That is actually what it's called. And, no, they don't sell ladies there. </div>
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Really missing my selfie stick on this trip. I know the #NASASocial media folks are probably like whhhaaat?!? Anita, with no selfie stick?!? On an international trip?!? Don't worry, I've got someone from the states bringing theirs later in the week.<br />
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After the Ladies Market we rode the MTR (the subway) back to Town Center and had another delicious meal at home. Another one of my Aunties made this flavorful crab dish. It was soooo fresh and sooo flavorful. Here in Hong Kong, the tofu literally melts in your mouth. And we had chicken and fish and beef and veggies and wine. And after that, I went to sleep. At 7:30 in the evening. LOL.<br />
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Stay tuned for Day 3 in Hong Kong!Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-38642012232000897892015-10-12T09:29:00.001-05:002015-10-12T09:29:14.837-05:00Made it to Hong Kong!Now that I'm here, and looking at this view out of my bedroom window, the seventeen hour non-stop flight from Dallas was worth it.<br />
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I'm in the heart of downtown Hong Kong looking out at a bunch of skyscrapers that belong to banks. HSBC. Citi Bank. Bank of America. Bank of China. In between the buildings you can see the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and the harbor. I hope to go on the observation wheel soon and see a bird's eye view of the harbor.<br />
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This is a view of the harbor and skyline as we drove from the airport into Town Center. When we were going through immigration at the airport, the lady at the intercom cautioned touching the wild animals in Hong Kong, specifically the camels.<br />
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So...yeah...watch out for those wild camels.<br />
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I'm so blessed to get to stay here with friends (that are really family) and to be with my goddaughter to celebrate her first birthday! Who, by the way, was an absolute trooper. For almost being one year old, she handled the flight pretty well. It did involve chasing her precious diaper butt up and down the aisle of the plane, but over all she handled it fairly well.<br />
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I'll have more to share tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-19051500297588418402015-09-30T06:16:00.000-05:002015-09-30T06:16:05.887-05:00Letter to My Teenage Self: Be Who You Want To BeEarlier this month I was over at Kick-Butt Kid Lit writing a letter to my teenage self.<br />
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<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/RQFD3DERZpPop66g7pKPKQ/129192813530" data-did="abacc062208f2347e81c0c0f9ca9dcde18f65569"><a href="http://kickbuttkidlit.tumblr.com/post/129192813530/letter-to-my-teenage-self-be-who-you-want-to-be">http://kickbuttkidlit.tumblr.com/post/129192813530/letter-to-my-teenage-self-be-who-you-want-to-be</a></div><script async src="https://secure.assets.tumblr.com/post.js"></script>Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-43524952180962490702015-08-04T00:30:00.000-05:002015-08-04T00:30:00.394-05:00Cover Reveal for FROSH!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we have the honor of featuring the cover reveal for <span style="background-color: white;">Mónica Bustamante Wagner's new adult novel, FROSH!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Who is </span><span style="background-color: white;">Mónica you ask? </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was born in a Peruvian city by a snow-capped volcano. Growing up, books were her constant companion as she traveled with her family to places like India (where she became a vegetarian), Thailand (where she *almost* met Leonardo di Caprio), France (where she pretended to learn French), and countless other places that inspired her to write. Now, Mónica lives in Chile with her husband, three boys, eleven hens, and stray dog.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only does she spend time with hens and almost rubs shoulders with Leo, she is also a <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/08/pitch-wars-mentor-blog-hop/">Pitch Wars mentor </a>(if you don't know what Pitch Wars is, I highly suggest you click on the link. Dude. click on the link.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In December 2013, I actually submitted my manuscript to </span><span style="background-color: white;">Mónica in hopes that she would be my Pitch Wars mentor, but she had already fallen in love with another project. BUT, </span><span style="background-color: white;">Mónica took the time to complement my work and told me that she would continue to root for me. Encouragements like this can really help a writer make it through the query trenches. And I'll be forever grateful to </span><span style="background-color: white;">Mónica for encouraging me to push on. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Now that we know that </span><span style="background-color: white;">Mónica is waay cool, one can only logically come to the conclusion that her new adult novel FROSH has to be just as awesome as she is. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large;">*Throws some confetti*</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">*passes out celebratory snow cones*</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">That cover is </span><span style="color: magenta;">HOT</span><span style="color: #073763;">. And the story is even </span><span style="color: magenta;">HOTTER</span><span style="color: #073763;">:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">During welcome week at Hillson University, the FROSH will hit the fan.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #073763;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763;">FROSH intertwines the stories of Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie in Mónica B. Wagner’s sexy NA debut series, about falling in love and falling apart.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I can't wait to read FROSH. If you're just as eager as I am, check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25154047-frosh">FROSH on Goodreads</a>. And if you want to stalk....I mean...err...follow </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mónica you can find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/Monica_BW">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonicaBustamanteWagner?ref=hl">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
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Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-20913597371405584222015-07-28T06:50:00.000-05:002015-07-28T06:50:22.048-05:00First Time: Watching the Movie Before Reading the Book.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past Friday I watched the movie PAPER TOWNS, based on the novel by John Green. I vacillated over whether or not to see the movie because I hadn't finished reading the book. In my experience, the book experience is always richer than the movie experience. And I always, always read a book first prior to watching its movie adaptation.<br />
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But with PAPER TOWNS I did things different. I had started the audio book the middle of last week. The narrative voice hooked me as the did the hi-jinks of the female lead character, Margo Roth Spiegelman. While I was compelled by the narrative voice and the narrator of the audio book, I was a bit disappointed because it <i>seemed</i> the main character, Quentin or "Q," wasn't the one moving the story forward, it was Margo. And then I thought about if maybe Margo was really the main character of the story? Granted, I had only made it through the second audio disc and these were only thoughts and musings going through my head. I was enjoying the book, but I wasn't completely hooked by CD 2.<br />
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So I decided to watch the movie, and I LOVED it.<br />
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You know how movies have to trim out scenes from the book in order to keep the film at a reasonable length? And often I poo poo the choice of which scenes were trimmed. I mean, I would have sat though a four hour long Harry Potter movie, wouldn't you? But, back to PAPER TOWNS--I feel like every scene that was combined into another or cut was done to benefit story pacing. In addition, the beginning of the movie made it quite clear who it was that was moving the story forward, and it was Quentin--the main character, not Margo Roth Spiegelman, the mysterious girl next door.<br />
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I don't know if I'm going to make watching movies before reading the books a habit. But, in this situation it wasn't a bad decision. I'm still finishing up the audio book, and despite knowing the ending, I'm thoroughly enjoying the story. Well, done John Green. Well done. Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-76711503566312214322015-06-25T19:58:00.002-05:002015-06-25T19:58:42.217-05:00The Joys of VolunteeringThis summer I decided to volunteer my time and started a writing workshop for teens and adults. We've had quite the turn out with students ranging in age from fourteen to forty. I've enjoyed working with the budding writers and encouraging their creative spirit as they venture on the journey of writing a novel.<br />
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Last week, middle grade fantasy author, <a href="http://louanders.com/">Lou Anders</a>, came out and gave his very informative Scrip Tips lectures. The writers were little sponges, soaking up all the knowledge Lou had to offer. We are also lucky to have middle grade author and poet, <a href="http://www.irenelatham.com/">Irene Latham</a>, come visit us at the end of the month to talk about finding your writing voice. And for the last class of the workshop, young adult author, <a href="https://twitter.com/SLDuncanBooks">Stephen Duncan</a>, will talk about how to get an agent and write a query. The writing community is so amazing and generous with their time.<br />
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It has been a privilege to work with the writers in the workshop. And I've learned so much week from week as I prepare lectures, come up with in class writing exercises, and critique work. It has been a wonderful experience, but unfortunately it has meant radio silence on Anita's Edge as of late.<br />
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Hope everyone is having a lovely summer! Happy Writing!Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-10289959161279097722015-05-19T00:01:00.000-05:002015-05-19T00:01:00.069-05:00CONVICTION Release Day Celebration PLUS A GIVEAWAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">CONVICTION by Kelly Loy Gilbert</span><br />
Official Release Day Celebration Hosted by MMSAI Tours<span style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Throws confetti and passes out cupcakes*</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Kelly and I are agency mates and I'm so happy to be celebrating the </span><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">release</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> day of CONVICTION! Here's a little bit about the book:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: 107%;"><i>Ten years ago, God gave Braden a sign, a promise
that his family wouldn’t fall apart the way he feared.<br />
<br />
But Braden got it wrong: his older brother, Trey, has been estranged from the
family for almost as long, and his father, the only parent Braden has ever
known, has been accused of murder. The arrest of Braden’s father, a well-known
Christian radio host, has sparked national media attention. His fate lies in
his son’s hands; Braden is the key witness in the upcoming trial.<br />
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Braden has always measured himself through baseball. He is the star pitcher in
his small town of Ornette, and his ninety-four-mile-per-hour pitch al- ready
has minor league scouts buzzing in his junior year. Now the rules of the sport
that has always been Braden’s saving grace are blurred in ways he never
realized, and the prospect of playing against Alex Reyes, the nephew of the
police officer his father is accused of killing, is haunting his every pitch.<br />
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Braden faces an impossible choice, one that will define him for the rest of his
life, in this brutally honest debut novel about family, faith, and the ultimate
test of conviction. </i></span></div>
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FOR CONVICTION</b></span><u style="color: #181818; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“While the
mystery of what really happened on the foggy stretch of highway is the driving
force behind the narrative, it is Braden’s unfolding story that will captivate
readers ... Both hopeful and devastatingly real.” -<span style="color: #741b47;">Kirkus, starred review</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“A poignant look at the messiness
of love, faith and humanity.” -<span style="color: #741b47;"> School Library Journal, starred review</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Braden is a deeply sympathetic
character ... a moving debut.” - <span style="color: #741b47;">Booklist, starred review</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Now go forth and get your own copy of CONVICTION from here:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18398627-conviction" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">GOODREADS</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b5394; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conviction-Kelly-Loy-Gilbert/dp/1423197380" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">AMAZON</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b5394; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/Kelly-Loy-Gilbert" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">B&N</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b5394; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781423197386" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">INDIEBOUND</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b5394; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.powells.com/subjects/childrens/sports-and-outdoors/sports-fiction/baseball-and-softball/coming-soon/" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">POWELLS</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0b5394; line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> | </span></span><a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Conviction/Kelly-Loy-Gilbert/9781423197386" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">BAM</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #424242; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Kelly Loy Gilbert is a fiction writer who
believes deeply in the power of stories to illuminate a shared humanity and
give voice to complex, broken people. She is passionate about social justice,
the San Francisco Giants, and organizing things by color. Kelly studied writing
at the University of California—San Diego and at San Francisco State, and
enjoys serving on the NaNoWriMo Associate Board and leading creative writing
workshops for teens. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family in
a home teeming with books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/KellyLoyGilbert"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TWITTER</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #242423; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> | </span><a href="http://www.kellyloygilbert.com/"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">WEBSITE</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #242423; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
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<i>Ships in US Only. Must be 13+ To Enter</i></span><b><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #242423; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-8068310244848081762015-05-07T06:34:00.001-05:002015-05-08T11:10:50.170-05:00FOLLOW YOUR PASSION: What I learned at Kennedy Space Center<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On March 20th I was perusing Twitter and I saw NASA had tweeted about an opportunity to attend the Space X Falcon 9 launch in April and be a part of NASA's social media team. I thought to myself, how cool it would be to see a rocket launch (especially since I'm writing a novel about space). I filled out the application, became preoccupied with life, and forgot about it. Little did I know how much filling out that application would change my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seven days later I received an email from NASA Social congratulating me as an attendee to the media events and launch of the Space X CRS-6 cargo resupply flight. It was an unexpected e-mail. It was an email I had to read several times before it really sank in. And then I ran up the stairs, hands flailing, grin so wide it hurt, and told my best friend (who was trying to put a baby to sleep) in an excited whisper, that I was going to see a rocket launch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is so much I want to share about my experiences of being a part of the NASA Social Media Team. But today I want to talk about how an astronaut and a massage therapist inspired me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an exciting day of touring the Vehicle Assembly Building; standing at Launch Complex 40 and seeing the actual Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon; gazing in awe at the historic Launch Complex 39A where the space shuttle missions flew from; we got to meet an astronaut! Director of Kennedy Space Center, Bob Cabana, is a marine, pilot, former astronaut, and an American hero. He stood against the backdrop of the Vehicle Assembly Building (which has housed everything from Apollo, space shuttles, and new SLS Rockets) and inspired us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bob Cabana, former astronaut and director of the KSC, speaks to media and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASASocial?src=hash">#NASASocial</a> about changes to the KSC <a href="http://t.co/E0Fi8Cro92">pic.twitter.com/E0Fi8Cro92</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">— Crystal (@crystalli0) <a href="https://twitter.com/crystalli0/status/587679485476151297">April 13, 2015</a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a prevalent enthusiasm that fills Kennedy Space Center for all things space related and for NASA's next goal, which is to put a person on Mars. Bob Cabana, said it best, "I want to see boots on Mars in my lifetime."</span><br />
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Mr. Cabana said that at a recent NASA meeting a distinction was made between being an explorer and a pioneer. An explorer is someone who leaves home goes to new territory, studies it, and returns home. But, a pioneer is someone who leaves home goes to uncharted territory and establishes a permanence, a settlement. </span><br />
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NASA wants to be a pioneer.</span><br />
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I've never heard anyone make that distinction before. It was inspiring. It was exciting. </span><br />
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A NASA Social member, Lauren Phillips (a champion of STEM education), told Mr. Cabana that she would be skyping with an elementary school later and asked if he had any advice for them? He told the children to do their best in school. And if their absolute best was a C, then that was ok. But to always do your best. He went on to talk about finding your passion in life and pursuing it. He talked about the importance of setting goals and never giving up. Mr. Cabana admitted that if he had given up the first time he wasn't admitted to pilot school or the first time he had applied to the astronaut program, well then he would have never been a pilot or astronaut.</span><br />
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Mr. Cabana's words warmed my heart and encouraged and excited me to stay focused and enthusiastic about achieving my own goals. Here's a picture of some of the NASA Social Media Team with Mr. Bob Cabana.</span><br />
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After the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket was scrubbed later that afternoon because of anvil clouds, a group of us decided to go to a mexican restaurant to drown our sorrows in guacamole and cheese dip. While we were there a woman who was dining at the restaurant approached us, asking if we were a part of NASA. Many of us still had our credentials looped around our necks. We told her that we were the NASA social media team. And with no explanation at first, she asked us all to touch a pendant hanging from her neck. One by one, she walked around our table so we could touch this (photo courtesy of Troy Myatt):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a very cool space shuttle pendant, but I honestly had no clue why she had shared her pendant with all of us. She went on to tell us how she had grown up in New York and had been fascinated with space since she was a child, and how no one in her family had understood why she loved space so much. She talked about how important it was to follow your passions and never give up on your dreams. And she told us how the little girl from New York, who loved outer space so much, ended up moving to Florida and became a massage therapist at Kennedy Space Center. How she had the privilege of meeting astronauts and NASA officials, helping them with their aches and pains, and how in her own way she was getting to be a part of the space program.</span><br />
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The space shuttle pendant had belonged to an astronaut who had worn it around her neck when she flew on STS-130 on the space shuttle Endeavour. And when the astronaut returned to Earth she gave the pendant to her friend and massage therapist. </span><br />
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This sweet woman from New York, who is passionate about space and NASA Kennedy Space Center, never gave up on her passion, and says she ended up with the coolest job in the world. She urged us to never give up on our own dreams. Everyday she wears the space shuttle pendant, something that had actually flown on a space shuttle and been in space, and she had shared that with us. We had actually gotten to touch something that had been in space. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I'll post more stories like this in coming weeks, but wanted to start here first, with the day there was a scrubbed a rocket launch, but an astronaut and a massage therapist told us to follow our passion and never give up.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-48853008617096256662015-03-24T12:52:00.002-05:002015-03-24T12:52:18.123-05:00Kick-Butt Kid Lit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRfMDhOarPIsKHPbQGGP2xrN44DbpkwAS2hZG09r1cmXrNQMBTMJf3GWqK8gT1sc23TW_RHtxm0ux_Gscp9vv0ltHIsWUTce2xOYYzxxTQIEpgzKkka2-ocSWG8AbmkBN7crzx7Ur3YY/s1600/KBKLALogo-RndSm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRfMDhOarPIsKHPbQGGP2xrN44DbpkwAS2hZG09r1cmXrNQMBTMJf3GWqK8gT1sc23TW_RHtxm0ux_Gscp9vv0ltHIsWUTce2xOYYzxxTQIEpgzKkka2-ocSWG8AbmkBN7crzx7Ur3YY/s1600/KBKLALogo-RndSm.png" /></a></div>
A few months ago the wonderful <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/">Natalie Parker</a> hosted an Agented Author Hook Up. Through this opportunity I had the fortune of meeting ten lovely ladies. It's been great having authors to chat with who are all in about the same place with their individual writing journeys. We can ask each other random questions, learn, and support one another.<br />
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Along the way, we decided to call ourselves <a href="http://kickbuttkidlit.tumblr.com/">Kick-Butt Kid Lit</a> and decided to have a social media presence. This month we are hosting a Meet the Authors Q&A so you can get to know all of us. I've really enjoyed reading the interviews and getting to know each author better.<br />
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Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or would just like to hang out with us for a bit.<br />
We are on <a href="https://twitter.com/KickButtKidLit">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://kickbuttkidlit.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kickbuttkidlitblog">Facebook</a>.<br />
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The writing community is super nice and supportive. So I encourage you as a writer, regardless of what stage you are at, to reach out to others and network. It will enrich your writing journey that much more.Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-50352041245393492442015-03-02T05:24:00.000-06:002015-03-02T05:24:00.355-06:00Writers Series: Jon and Pamela (J&P) Voelkel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On today's writers series we'll be spending time with Jon and Pamela (J&P) Voelkel who are the author-illustrators of the Jaguar Stones series; Pamela does most of the writing and Jon does most of the illustrating. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their books tell the story of a city boy and a jungle girl - a mirror image of Jon’s wild childhood in Latin America and Pamela’s altogether tamer upbringing in an English seaside town. The Voelkels met in London, where they both worked at the same advertising agency, and now live in Vermont.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here is their latest book in the Jaguar Stone series: </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With his parents in jail and his best friend ignoring him,
fourteen-year-old Max Murphy was pretty sure things couldn’t get much worse.
But that was before a parade of Maya monsters crashed through his house and the
Queen of the Bats tried to sink her fangs into his neck…</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Meanwhile, down in the Maya underworld, the evil Death
Lords have realized they’ll never conquer the mortal world without conquering
social media. So with the bad guys on a charm offensive, it’s up to Max and his
Maya friend Lola to reveal the terrible truth before it’s too late.</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This epic conclusion to the Jaguar Stones series takes Max and
Lola on their wildest adventure yet, north from the teeming rainforest to the
lost city at the heart of America’s past.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How has your travel affected your writing process?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">As we're sure many people find when they set off to research a story, the act of travel has a way of changing everything. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In our case, we started out with a fast-paced Indiana Jones type adventure about a city boy who gets lost in the jungle. It was based on Jon's wild childhood in South and Central America, with the Maya pyramids as a suitably spooky background. But when we took our own kids down to Belize to explore some of those pyramids first-hand, we realized we were writing the wrong book. Firstly because almost everything we'd read about the ancient Maya was out of date; and secondly because the living Maya were just as fascinating as their ancestors. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">After that, we went down to Central America many more times and tried to learn new facts rather than validate old ones. It was talking to a group of Maya teenagers in Guatemala that inspired the character of Lola and she quickly became the center of things. It's a delicate balance because our primary goal is still to tell a fast-paced and funny adventure story. But now we also try to bring alive Maya mythology, make a case for rainforest conservation, and dramatize the predicament of modern Maya people. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hopefully, the social messages are subtly done, but we'd like to think our readers are sneakily educated while they're being entertained. We feel a responsibility to get things right, so all our books are fact-checked by a leading archaeologist. And because there's still so much misinformation about the Maya on the internet, we share our research with teachers via downloadable reading guides and free lesson plan CDs. So you could say that our travels have driven our writing process and inspired everything we've written.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was the hardest thing about writing The Lost City?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The hardest thing about writing The Lost City was knowing it was the last Jaguar Stones book and that we'd have to say goodbye to all the characters we'd come to know so well. It's not that we wanted to extend the series - we always knew where it would end and we'd written the very last paragraph right at the beginning to keep us on track - but the books had become part of our lives. In fact, we were already on borrowed time because the series was originally planned as a trilogy but the story took on a life of its own. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mostly writing The Lost City was pure fun. Unlike the first book in a series, where you're establishing your world and your characters, you can relax and go with the flow. It's the difference between walking into a room full of strangers and going to a party with old friends. When we wrote the first book, Middleworld, we were terrified that readers would lose interest if we stopped too long for descriptions, so the story moves at breakneck speed. By the time we got to The Lost City, which is the fourth and final book in the series, we'd established a rapport with our readers and we knew which bits they liked because they told us. Some of them even emailed us plot ideas and requests. It's impossible not to be buoyed by that kind of support! So it's going to feel kind of lonely starting from scratch again...</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are you writing next?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please ask us anything but this! It's become a kind of superstition not to talk about the next book until we have a decent first draft. It's like you can jinx a book by talking about it too much. You feel almost like the book is written but, in reality, all you've done is talk. And if the Jaguar Stones has taught us anything, it's that the book you think you're going to write may not be the one that wants to get written.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jon and Pamela, thank you so much for spending time with us!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to find out more about J & P you can follow them on Twitter </span></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/pvoelkel">@pvoelkel</a> and </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/jaguarstones">@jaguarstones</a> of <a href="http://www.jaguarstones.com/">Facebook</a>, and their <a href="http://www.jaguarstones.com/">website</a>.</span><br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment-->Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-83707315184740257672015-02-22T11:42:00.001-06:002015-02-22T11:53:25.733-06:00Some Thoughts About Characters in a StorySo I'm working on a revision for an MG (middle grade) fantasy. Ok, its not really a revision. I'm rewriting the whole thing. My agent, Adriann, wants me to focus on depth of character in this version. And I whole heartedly agree. The last book I wrote was a contemporary YA about a figure skater. I was able to really flesh out those characters because I've lived in the figure skating world for twenty plus years. And it wasn't until I received revision notes on the MG from my agent did I realize that I didn't come anywhere close to being as immersed in the world of my characters in this new story.<br />
<br />
So I've been doing a ton of research. I'm practically stalking the NASA website, learning as much as I can about stars, watching YouTube videos on how to operate telescopes, watching ANCIENT ALIENS on Netflix, and I just finished reading a biography about Einstein. What a fascinating individual.<br />
<br />
But research can be a daunting task because I'm coming across many ideas and concepts that will never make it into the actual story. But as I read and watch and learn I can feel the characters coming to life in my head. And as the characters deepen, the plot reveals itself.<br />
<br />
In the past I always thought I had to map out the plot first and then install the characters (I was wrong). With the YA contemporary about the figure skater, even though I hadn't realized it at the time, I knew the characters as well as I knew myself and so the plot unfolded organically.<br />
<br />
This past January I took part in <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/critique/">Natalie Parker's Crit Camp</a> and she said something that was a total light bulb moment for me. She said to imagine your story like a pyramid. The base of the pyramid, the foundation of the story are the characters. The middle section is world building and setting, and the top of the pyramid is the plot.<br />
<br />
I've heard this before, but it was just the way Natalie said it, the way she diagrammed out, that really resonated with me. And it made me realize that all my favorite books are heavily character driven. The characters ARE the story. THE INFERNAL DEVICES. THE SCORPIO RACES. HARRY POTTER. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. THE RAVEN CYCLE. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE.<br />
I fell in love with the characters first and foremost.<br />
<br />
All these thoughts about character have been percolating in my brain since January and then I saw that J.K. Rowling tweeted this recently:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/shannenryan">@shannenryan</a> Character can be plot! Plan, plan and plan, but stay invested in those characters.<br />
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/568152082907312129">February 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
And it just makes sense! When I first started researching for the rewrite I have to admit that I felt like I wasn't being productive. In my mind productivity = word count. But, I've learned that spending some time to get to know your characters and researching what makes them tick can be just as productive and vitally important to the success of your story.<br />
<br />
Happy Writing!<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-70677968608052009892015-02-02T14:14:00.000-06:002015-02-02T14:17:14.579-06:00What We Learned From NaNoWriMo<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today my long time friend Cassidy Savidi (@OptionalD) and I are going to talk about how even though we didn’t “win” NaNoWriMo this past November, we learned some valuable lessons. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me start by thanking Anita for the opportunity to share my thoughts. I’ve known Anita more years than is decent and have always been impressed by her many talents. I was lucky enough to be a beta reader on one of her projects and can’t wait to buy and champion her first book - whatever it may be.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Awww...I was lucky to have you beta read that project and share your thoughts on it. Even though it ultimately became a drawer novel I learned so much from that manuscript. So Cassidy, tell us about your NaNo experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was my first attempt at National Novel Writing Month, and although I only made it to 28,525 words, I learned a lot about myself and my writing in the process. I managed to build a fairly solid foundation to a new world and fleshed out some interesting characters. I did not “win”, but after 30 days of writing, I have 28,000+ more words than had I never attempted NaNoWriMo. Something always trumps nothing.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cassidy, I totally agree. It would take some complicated math to figure out how long we’ve known each other and yes, something is always better than nothing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">November 2014 was my second attempt at NaNo and I wrote 10,435 words of a new YA Fantasy. And like you, I don’t think I would have even written that much had it not been for NaNoWriMo. As I was writing the new project for NaNo, I was also concurrently revising an MG Fantasy. What helped me stay on track was <a href="http://veschwab.tumblr.com/post/98837019198/on-the-star-sticker-method-a-lot-of-people-have">Victoria Schwab’s Sticker Method</a>. It was my first time applying this pacing technique to my writing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bought a cheapo calendar from Walmart and some sparkly stickers that just yelled, “stick me on something.” Tiny star stickers were designated as rewards for small accomplishments and cuddly, glittery panda stickers for big accomplishments. For every chapter I revised I got a star sticker and for every 1000 words I wrote I also gave myself a star sticker. The sticker method may seem silly to some, but there is something immensely satisfying when you look at your calendar and it is full of stickers. And when the stickers were sparse on the calendar, the sad empty white space gave me the extra kick in the rear I needed to get back on track. I will definitely continue the sticker method in my writing routine and for NaNo 2015. Cassidy, how did you start your NaNo journey?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started by reading </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No Plot? No Problem</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. Each chapter deals with a specific week of the challenge and some tips and strategies. I recommend this guide for anyone that attempts NaNoWriMo. I did not have any cuddly, glittery panda stickers, but rewards are central to a challenge like this. The NaNoWriMo website has achievements that unlock when you reach certain page counts, and the book offers various strategies for rewards and punishments to motivate yourself. I will caution first-timers that no plot </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in fact a problem. I’m a pantser by nature, but you must have some sort of sign posts to be able to make it through 50k words in 30 days. At 25k words I realized that I was just hitting the second act while simultaneously writing myself out into thin air like an authorial Wiley E. Coyote holding an “uh-oh” sign. 50k is a short book. It doesn’t feel short when you have to write it in 30 days, but if you’re used to reading and plotting regular length novels then you may find it hard to pace and pants at the same time. This year, I solemnly swear to have a general outline before attempting NaNoWriMo. Probably.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cassidy I’m glad you brought up outlines. Prior to November I actually did make a beat sheet (for those of you who don’t know what a beat sheet is I recommend reading </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save the Cat</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Blake Snyder) and used an act structure diagram to map out the high and low points of my shiny new story. I also wrote one hundred declarative sentences about the main characters. It’s a technique I learned from Mary Kole, back when she was a literary agent. For example, if I was going to write 100 declarative sentences about Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games it would go something like this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katniss loves her sister Prim above all else.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katniss has a sense of duty towards her family.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katniss despises the Republic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think you get the picture.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even though I didn’t write 50k words for NaNo there is something to be said about an entire month dedicated to BIC (butt in chair) and to word quantity. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate quality words. But sometimes that internal editor just won’t shut off for me and thus the quantity of words suffer. But during NaNo I felt like I could just tell the internal editor to take a vacation and there was something freeing about that.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I agree 102% (100 + 2 because I will now add my 2 per-cents). Writing is a muscle. Thirty days of writing at least 1500 words a day is like doing P90X/Insanity/BeachBody on your mind brain. You will learn that writing will not kill you (though it may feel like it is maiming you). You will form a habit by writing every day for 30 days. A writing habit wards off writer’s block. If you take advantage of the NaNoWriMo website, you will connect with other writers virtually and in person at local write-ins. You may not have much quality at the end of the month, but you’ll have something. There will be glimmers. There may even be a nugget of gold. Even if you end up with something that you delete or ceremoniously render unto ash, you have written every day (or almost every day) for a month. You will have greatly strengthened your writing muscles. Can you imagine if I actually exercised my body every day for a month? Yeah, me neither. So this is as close as it gets.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing is seasonal for me. I don’t know why it works out this way, but I usually start new projects in the fall. Take a break for the holidays. And then write and revise from January to early summer. NaNo just seems a great way for me to kick start a new manuscript, and I’ll definitely be doing it next year. How about you Cassidy?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">November is an awful time to try and write every day. It’s a 30 day month. There are two major U.S. holidays (one involves massive amounts of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #980000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tryptophan). The leaves are changing in most areas, and it’s actually morally irresponsible to not go traipsing through them. And yet, November may just turn out to be my most productive month. Thank you, Anita. Good Luck everyone. See you in November. Friend me on the NaNoWriMo website at OptionalD. My mind brain is going to get so buff this year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you for sharing your writerly wisdom Cassidy and for reminding me to ask people to friend me as well on the NaNoWriMo website at AnitaSk8. Hopefully Cassidy and I will be posting again next year to talk about our Nano experiences.</span></div>
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-76109744492396249062015-01-29T15:08:00.003-06:002015-01-29T15:13:45.346-06:00It's All About Execution<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/nx6clEttzLZVIeC22UMbeA/109513996154" data-did="297434373cd83cc54671eced4c86486ab5fbad6f"><a href="http://anitask8.tumblr.com/post/109513996154/its-all-about-execution">http://anitask8.tumblr.com/post/109513996154/its-all-about-execution</a></div><script async src="https://secure.assets.tumblr.com/post.js"></script>Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-75171926084767110222015-01-14T13:56:00.001-06:002015-01-14T13:56:47.364-06:00An Afternoon with LibrariansI always knew librarians were cool people, but never realized just how immensely cool they were until yesterday, when I went to an event at my local library called the Best Books of 2014.<br />
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Katie Jane Morris, who is an outreach librarian at the Hoover Public Library, gave a fantastic over view of staff picks for juvenile and teen fiction books of 2014. Librarians from the Birmingham area and local writers attended. What amazed me about Katie Jane was first how she categorized the books: scary books, animal books, serious books, funny books, etc.. She could pick up almost any book from the list and talk about the characters and the plot off the top of her head as if she had just finished reading the book that day. She confessed to reading about two to three hundred books per year and her enthusiasm for children's literature was absolutely infectious!<br />
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It was also interesting hearing about books from a librarian's perspective. When a teen book was discussed, librarians in the audience wanted to know which titles would be appropriate for older middle grade readers. Katie Jane talked about also how certain titles were shelved. For example, PERCY JACKSON'S GREEK GODS by Rick Riordan is actually a non fiction title, but the library decides to keep it in the fiction section along Riordan's other books to make it easier for fans of his books to find.<br />
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What was really cool was when Katie Jane started talking about HALLEY, a novel by Faye Gibbons, and Ms. Gibbons was actually in the audience. Ms. Gibbons is such a sweet lady and I was honored to have had the opportunity to chat with her afterwards.<br />
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Here is a <a href="http://www.hooverlibrary.org/sites/default/files/shared-files/best_2014_juv_teen_fic.pdf">link to the list of Hoover Library Staff Picks of 2014 for juvenile and teen fiction</a>. There are so many books on here that I hadn't even heard of, but sound like fabulous reads.<br />
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Here are some from the Juvenile list that I am looking forward to reading:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Case-Moon-Base-Alpha/dp/1442494867/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421264675&sr=8-3&keywords=space+case">SPACE CASE by Stuart Gibbs</a><br />
Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Accelerati-Trilogy-Book-Teslas-Attic/dp/1423148037/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421264756&sr=1-1&keywords=tesla%27s+attic">TESLA'S ATTIC by Neal Shusterman & Eric Elfman</a><br />
With a plot combining science and the supernatural, four kids are caught up in a dangerous plan concocted by the eccentric inventor, Nikola Tesla<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Dogs-Terry-Lynn-Johnson/dp/0547899262/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421264838&sr=1-1&keywords=ice+dogs+terry+lynn+johnson">ICE DOGS by Terry Lynn Johnson</a><br />
In this survival story set in Alaska, fourteen-year-old Vicky and her dog sled team find an injured sledder in the wilderness.<br />
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Here are some from the Teen list that I am looking forward to reading:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Illusive-Emily-Lloyd-Jones/dp/0316254568/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421264909&sr=1-1&keywords=illusive">ILLUSIVE by Emily Lloyd-Jones</a><br />
I actually won a copy of this as a door prize!<br />
After a vaccine accidentally creates superpowers in a small percentage of the population, seventeen-year-old Ciere, an illusionist, teams up with a group of fellow high-class, super-powered thieves to steal the vaccine's formula while staying one step ahead of mobsters and deadly government agents.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jackaby%20william%20ritter&sprefix=Jackaby%2Cstripbooks%2C172">JACKABY by William Ritter</a><br />
Katie Jane couldn't stop talking about this one. She said this title was one of her favorite books from last year, which I think is saying a lot coming from someone who reads as many books as she does.<br />
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Newly arrive in 1892 England, Abigail Rook becomes assistant to R.F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with the ability to see supernatural beings, and she helps him delve into a case of serial murder which, Jackaby is convinced, is due to a nonhuman creature.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Knife-Memory-Laurie-Anderson/dp/0670012092/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421265189&sr=1-1&keywords=the+impossible+knife+of+memory+by+laurie+halse+anderson">THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY by Laurie Halse Anderson</a><br />
Hayley Kincaid and her father move back to their hometown to try a "normal" life, but the horrors he saw in the war threaten to destroy their lives.<br />
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There are so many other awesome titles on the list so I encourage you to check it out. And if you ever get the chance to spend an afternoon with a group of librarians-- DO IT. I had an amazing time.<br />
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-68633701291198019242015-01-11T11:19:00.001-06:002015-01-11T11:20:42.383-06:00My Fav Books of 2014What better way to start off 2015 than to talk about the books that I loved last year.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Books That Took Me To Another World</span><br />
I'm talking about those books where you are so absorbed you feel like a part of the cast of characters. Anything that happens to them, happens to you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidl6H4WwbWfP0FHulZBV2Nazgh31AbqKvVO8ZkDMaE6hVy_gih8TQ4cEFSs0XtySutEcrvkiJn6czJfv42gRVd0Aznu-ZBzIA_292ZpI_eERXji-TVb5CCLUNIg505Xq9OnRZ2WfAOc0A/s1600/broken+stars.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidl6H4WwbWfP0FHulZBV2Nazgh31AbqKvVO8ZkDMaE6hVy_gih8TQ4cEFSs0XtySutEcrvkiJn6czJfv42gRVd0Aznu-ZBzIA_292ZpI_eERXji-TVb5CCLUNIg505Xq9OnRZ2WfAOc0A/s1600/broken+stars.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi2GawPTkzhwdSCxod32rIAKYCIp0rjb278QP7p7l6QGPfaXn3zLYQHjXglkcW1pH7t0T0SATzaqCbHdPUu0owUA3O6rYAc1x9u-eMejm88SrpgbIjgwXyWQjoI9mBC29oIu344CB4O4/s1600/raven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi2GawPTkzhwdSCxod32rIAKYCIp0rjb278QP7p7l6QGPfaXn3zLYQHjXglkcW1pH7t0T0SATzaqCbHdPUu0owUA3O6rYAc1x9u-eMejm88SrpgbIjgwXyWQjoI9mBC29oIu344CB4O4/s1600/raven.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Books That Let Me Know That Everything Was Ok</span><br />
A few of my favorite "series" came to an end in 2014. I enjoyed reading these books and finally knowing how everything turned out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNomPr_mMoY2MF-ODklPdgtFoGSNfqwDH1BfgBuI2WXXq9Ea5ougJN9OtR8PM2xcHz7ySGXzjAl2kvKacIsNaUsIxIYeNEZfD2Vb_HqD-Rb36YIuTozH7QUjYpvpSlfftFL-jGiG4xi3I/s1600/isla.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNomPr_mMoY2MF-ODklPdgtFoGSNfqwDH1BfgBuI2WXXq9Ea5ougJN9OtR8PM2xcHz7ySGXzjAl2kvKacIsNaUsIxIYeNEZfD2Vb_HqD-Rb36YIuTozH7QUjYpvpSlfftFL-jGiG4xi3I/s1600/isla.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1I0bu2qgHyE6Q9lUR_-91bhE_CnLVDFQSoPs3_hcrcgBmgBh9plGcbmELZNsxy4KwTeG-lAnKaN-vmui8eLS9aRrdEAwRC2iVVq-7ZLjQiNUpFF4PCWAj9SqsRJlBLMA9GCJrYqBptQ/s1600/princess.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1I0bu2qgHyE6Q9lUR_-91bhE_CnLVDFQSoPs3_hcrcgBmgBh9plGcbmELZNsxy4KwTeG-lAnKaN-vmui8eLS9aRrdEAwRC2iVVq-7ZLjQiNUpFF4PCWAj9SqsRJlBLMA9GCJrYqBptQ/s1600/princess.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Books I Loved From Authors I Hadn't Read Before</span><br />
Kendare happens to be an agency mate. And Natalie, who debuted this past fall, has been a mentor to me the past few years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G40gw1kyUVIsHx2Px2jpySAienyM9Cy55t6x4_4Mohm6IVXfV4oWLpo6RANRLow3GMbb58vduAJlUMoGQAxOiqKz2UFspoKszX4qWiFiiiuyLayfvcDiKJkp3oD0Q2WA_hGNavnwbCU/s1600/anna.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G40gw1kyUVIsHx2Px2jpySAienyM9Cy55t6x4_4Mohm6IVXfV4oWLpo6RANRLow3GMbb58vduAJlUMoGQAxOiqKz2UFspoKszX4qWiFiiiuyLayfvcDiKJkp3oD0Q2WA_hGNavnwbCU/s1600/anna.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHVUV4jQ7e3_gW9NwgCtCQJvZjIEU-Xc5veYL37wxL-d0DrKwOQ2ZC-sssDFlECKt3l1MlG-GWIgzGsCQDbgYx8Qipz3hj998L2OISPdrOp2SMF50TmPO34Lm9Vd64MY0hTn8j3vkbYQ/s1600/beware.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHVUV4jQ7e3_gW9NwgCtCQJvZjIEU-Xc5veYL37wxL-d0DrKwOQ2ZC-sssDFlECKt3l1MlG-GWIgzGsCQDbgYx8Qipz3hj998L2OISPdrOp2SMF50TmPO34Lm9Vd64MY0hTn8j3vkbYQ/s1600/beware.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Book I Loved That Just Might Happen (Hopefully Not!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Mindy who is also an agency mate (I'm surrounded by so much talent!) addresses the question what the world would be like if we didn't have access to water as we do now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Books That Enchanted Me Although They Didn't Have Any Enchantment</span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;">I love contemporary just as much as I like any genre. But I always have to give my hats off to contemporary authors who weave tales with rich characters, settings, and plots rooted in the real world.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkFFLOrR9kMO0esb3rGDh8wv4pUh0shbZz-7wZwdD4ygt-0z5ltxFb8nx5zKDjtHOYRWAJqLb45UZSWkHcAoPTNdVozcqYtwRS578l8NQELS1bRg_hCfaEhH9GmWwng-zdhO4zukxQlw/s1600/fan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkFFLOrR9kMO0esb3rGDh8wv4pUh0shbZz-7wZwdD4ygt-0z5ltxFb8nx5zKDjtHOYRWAJqLb45UZSWkHcAoPTNdVozcqYtwRS578l8NQELS1bRg_hCfaEhH9GmWwng-zdhO4zukxQlw/s1600/fan.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97YZt4VGykqgKz5hz3Sxtsw1hwMz_DV3YUyDBjiNL9u6SLEUcMgUMscLfNVUGHwsVDCQI9zmPPqYy8pr3fkoMMWRUxg1fbpZbYIGK4Y18oypweLNw2y4EbxlYj-wV49LXOAwzVHN8Al4/s1600/distance.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97YZt4VGykqgKz5hz3Sxtsw1hwMz_DV3YUyDBjiNL9u6SLEUcMgUMscLfNVUGHwsVDCQI9zmPPqYy8pr3fkoMMWRUxg1fbpZbYIGK4Y18oypweLNw2y4EbxlYj-wV49LXOAwzVHN8Al4/s1600/distance.jpeg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsRzVYdzb3XceIRwuJ_NZZkwW-qEaHzfnf8p489M7rl8yMtn1dIxlGTdWFA4bbFLYcDeiwyT5CpAhuOiSYYpk4Su7AMxf3szG4IN8LcP5JECMEOMiwgFwzJ51inWDRKMOfMx46JIajQI/s1600/famous.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsRzVYdzb3XceIRwuJ_NZZkwW-qEaHzfnf8p489M7rl8yMtn1dIxlGTdWFA4bbFLYcDeiwyT5CpAhuOiSYYpk4Su7AMxf3szG4IN8LcP5JECMEOMiwgFwzJ51inWDRKMOfMx46JIajQI/s1600/famous.jpeg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Looking forward to all the great books to read in 2015!</span>Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-18493638500654037652014-11-14T09:17:00.001-06:002014-11-14T09:17:33.227-06:00I've Been Tagged!<a href="http://www.kristinrae.com/">Kristin Rae</a> and I became friends over the years through our love of FRINGE and figure skating. She's the author of WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN and her second book, WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED comes out in early 2016. She's been an exceptional mentor and friend, so when Kristin tagged me in a blog hop, I found it perfect for a mid NaNo November blog post.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">What are you working on?</span><br />
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Last week I finished what I believe is the next to last round of revisions on a middle grade fantasy. After that I decided to give <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">National Novel Writing Month</a> a try and I'm working on a young adult fantasy. I'm using some world building concepts from something I wrote three novels ago, but drawing up a fresh new cast of characters and conflict. I'm really enjoying the project. Sad to say though, I'm not quite keeping up with the NaNoWriMo pace. According to the stat tracker on the website, if I keep writing like I am, I'll finish the novel February 17, 2015. And that'll just be the first draft!<br />
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<span style="color: red;">How does your work differ from others in your genre?</span><br />
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I love unique and strange stories like Maggie Stiefvater's THE RAVEN CYCLE trilogy or THE SCORPIO RACES. I'm always aspiring to write that never-done-before story and I hope that shines through in my writing.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Why do you write what you do?</span><br />
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I love music because of the lyrics. And I love books because of the characters. If a story has real, fleshed out characters, then I fall hard. So for me, regardless of something being contemporary or fantasy (which are the two genres I write), it always comes down to writing characters that come off the page and that I can't live without.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">What does your writing process look like?</span><br />
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My writing process has consistently evolved over the past ten years. But, I'll share what I did with my past two novels.<br />
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<li>I make a beat sheet. If you don't know what a beat sheet is, check out SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder. OR I fill in the blanks on a plot diagram sheet, planning out every high point and low point. OR I do both.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbSynyD84KoJNbjt1dbyfetVHgPHdK7gQfHWPyzdIUpXvW94r04sbjY2nzev6oKSKXFX8aHHNuWpvIS3LaO2u3YKWjzlngJkjMI_oupTaeXgnQafbLJhy5khiY-9eR5QkMLgcChglnPk/s1600/Act+Structure+Diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbSynyD84KoJNbjt1dbyfetVHgPHdK7gQfHWPyzdIUpXvW94r04sbjY2nzev6oKSKXFX8aHHNuWpvIS3LaO2u3YKWjzlngJkjMI_oupTaeXgnQafbLJhy5khiY-9eR5QkMLgcChglnPk/s1600/Act+Structure+Diagram.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I write about 20-30k words of the manuscript.</div>
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I revise.</div>
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I put that 20k words through Natalie Parker's <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/critique/">Crit Camp</a>.</div>
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I revise again based on my Crit Camp notes.</div>
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Now, that my novel has a strong 20k foundation, I write the rest of the novel.</div>
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I let that novel marinade for about 6 weeks. I don't open the document. I don't think about it. And I usually catch up on my reading pile during this time.</div>
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I print out the manuscript, read through it, and edit with a red, purple, or green pen (has to be one of those colors).</div>
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It's been 6 to 8 weeks by now, and I'm finally opening the document on the computer to implement edits.</div>
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I send to three or four critique partners.</div>
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I receive critiques and decide which suggestions I want to use to make the story better.</div>
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I revise.</div>
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Send new version to different crit partners/beta readers.</div>
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Decide which suggestions I want to implement in story.</div>
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I revise again, and then will let my agent know I have something new to share with her.</div>
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For the past two novels, this entire process takes about a year. Around bullet point #12 I start thinking about and planning for the next novel.<br />
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Thank you Kristin for tagging me in the blog hop. It's alway fun to chat about writing! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!<br />
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-63943020825356152922014-11-01T20:27:00.003-05:002014-11-01T20:29:00.285-05:00So I've Decided to Do the NaNoDid you know November is <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> or National Novel Writing Month? It's when people buckle down and try to pump out a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I tried to do this many years ago and epically failed for several reasons:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I hadn't given my story idea any thought prior to November. So there was no character sketching. No pre-plotting. Nothing. It's pretty daunting to come up with an idea and write it to completion in 30 days.</li>
<li>I had the misconception that 50,000 words was a full length novel. It isn't.</li>
<li>I didn't have enough time.</li>
<li>I was too tired.</li>
<li>I thought I wanted to do it, but it turns out I really didn't.</li>
<li>I thought my brain was incapable of churning out creativity in such mass quantities.</li>
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So when writer friends asked me if I was doing it this year. I was like, no. Nope. Definitely not. And I listed my reasons about how my writing method did not conform to NaNo. Or about this or about that. Blah, blah, blah.</div>
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But then I got caught up in all the NaNo pre-hype. </div>
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And all my writer friends were doing it. </div>
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And I already have an entire novel pre-plotted, characters all dreamt up, and worlds ready to be built. And I felt this itch to do NaNo. I didn't want to be left out of all the writing fun.</div>
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So I signed up for NaNo today and plan to join the drafting frenzy. My NaNo name is: AnitaSk8. If you're doing it, add me as your buddy, and we can cheer each other on.</div>
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Do I expect to complete an entire YA Fantasy novel this month?</div>
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Heck no, considering your average YA Fantasy can be almost 80,000 words.</div>
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Do I expect to write 50,000 words?</div>
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Probably not.</div>
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Do I plan to have fun and enjoy the camaraderie of writers striving to put words on a page?</div>
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Absolutely, yes!</div>
Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-65967575996826370942014-10-22T14:05:00.001-05:002014-10-22T14:07:29.855-05:00Another Mega Book Gossip TimeI'm excited to gossip about the books and audiobooks I've been spending my time with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwJFRmkKyvk67elXmr9sEVg4hkYGAOkI5M4p8p54e6XMqnI5C4yt2EOW0TrzQXWj88ZGPzvZvOf2SFlrfsT5auFiDJy59xhc5d1UVwVuYiO6fzV-al6IH0sqH-A8nJwKGdvu2mudGb4s/s1600/talker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwJFRmkKyvk67elXmr9sEVg4hkYGAOkI5M4p8p54e6XMqnI5C4yt2EOW0TrzQXWj88ZGPzvZvOf2SFlrfsT5auFiDJy59xhc5d1UVwVuYiO6fzV-al6IH0sqH-A8nJwKGdvu2mudGb4s/s1600/talker.jpeg" /></a></div>
I met the author of TALKER 25, Joshua McCune, on the interwebs a few years ago. He'd comment on my blog posts and I'd comment on his, and a writerly friendship developed. Not only is he a fantastic writer, but has an excellent editorial eye.<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17339959-talker-25">Goodreads has a summary of the novel here.</a><br />
I love the concept and pacing of this novel. As I was reading I kept thinking it was kind of like PLANET OF THE APES crossed with ERAGON, but set in an alternate militarized reality of the contemporary midwest.<br />
I also <i>always</i> get wrapped up in stories about humans vs animals. My heart ends up in my throat and my brain screams, why can't everyone just get along? Ok?<br />
This story is intense. So much so, I had to put the book down when I reached the end of Part One. I just couldn't believe the predicament the characters and the dragons were in. Thankfully, I found the courage to jump back in and finish it. Can't wait for Book 2!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NU-VjPt40ZPDHilNLMZDP32F5McCiMuQxHrvWAH96BtZ03d0lc-3ffzCTx4B7xZU8A2HaHM9j3FkWOav7MyXfw8r09sDZKMoWJFcR-YV5DuR30a0n_1ZhSnoqX2TAvf0p8whWvmVa58/s1600/not+a+drop.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NU-VjPt40ZPDHilNLMZDP32F5McCiMuQxHrvWAH96BtZ03d0lc-3ffzCTx4B7xZU8A2HaHM9j3FkWOav7MyXfw8r09sDZKMoWJFcR-YV5DuR30a0n_1ZhSnoqX2TAvf0p8whWvmVa58/s1600/not+a+drop.jpeg" /></a></div>
Mindy McGinnis, the author of NOT A DROP TO DRINK, happens to be an agency mate. And I'm so honored to be in her company. This is an amazing book.<br />
In fact, on October 19th, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/10/19/357425457/waterless-worlds-the-new-hot-dystopia?utm_source=npr_email_a_friend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20141019&utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_term=">NPR interviewed Mindy </a>and some other authors about dystopian worlds in which water becomes the most valuable commodity.<br />
I always gravitate towards character driven books. Every character in NOT A DROP TO DRINK is so fleshed out, and you can see how by the end of the book everyone irrevocably changes. It's a truly excellent read.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13112869-not-a-drop-to-drink">Goodreads has a summary of the novel here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxEIkdXq8QsBTiC6drDQVmC4S7beHihf4jurL5SMevWLkWpfuPB6fL329zX_EzAP9vUkqblWiChWleF5BNJiDV_3DqCeXQAkWfpX1VuMGlB6g57ALuNuo6341wyypjy9p-UXeGIvpwBw/s1600/dust.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxEIkdXq8QsBTiC6drDQVmC4S7beHihf4jurL5SMevWLkWpfuPB6fL329zX_EzAP9vUkqblWiChWleF5BNJiDV_3DqCeXQAkWfpX1VuMGlB6g57ALuNuo6341wyypjy9p-UXeGIvpwBw/s1600/dust.jpeg" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_582821907"></span><span id="goog_582821908"></span>IN A HANDFUL OF DUST is the sequel to NOT A DROP TO DRINK. And I am not going to put the link to the Goodreads summary here because it kind of gives away (in my opinion) what happens at the end of NOT A DROP TO DRINK.<br />
IN A HANDFUL OF DUST released on September 23rd, which happened to be the day I was in NYC and met our agent, Adriann Ranta. And I remember Twitter was buzzing with the release, and rightly so.<br />
My friend and I often talk about good books that fall flat in the end. How the endings just aren't satisfying. IN A HANDFUL OF DUST has one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a long time. And it was an absolute delight to go on another adventure with the characters from NOT A DROP TO DRINK.<br />
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I'm humbled to say the author of GIRL OF NIGHTMARES, Kendare Blake, is also an agency mate. This book is the sequel to ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD.<br />
Not many people know this, but ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is responsible for me signing with Adriann. After I finished listening to the audiobook of ADIB, I was so blown away by this unique ghost story, I turned to the interwebs and read everything about Kendare. I discovered Adriann was her agent and the agent of another writer friend, Ron Smith. So ANNA played a hand in me sending out my query letter.<br />
But, now let's talk about the book! I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away anything from the first book. But let's say I found myself sitting in my car long after I reached my destination just to hear what happened next to Cass and the crew in this next installment.Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-53146397497702816282014-10-04T10:52:00.002-05:002014-10-04T11:11:12.964-05:00Loving a Flooded GenreSo I'm searching for my next book idea. And they say you should write something that you're passionate about. Well, I LOVE fantasy books! I love dragons, vampires, wizards, werewolves, people with super powers, pigs that can mind read, cats that can predict the stock market.<br />
I just eat it up!<br />
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So one would deduce that I should probably write that next big story about the house cat that took over Wall Street that falls in love with the vampire next door that has to hide his dragon in the basement to keep the werewolves from eating his exotic pet. Yes, that is what one would logically deduce I should write.<br />
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The problem is that there are sooo many stories about magicians and dragons and vampires. And I know that it is possible to take an over done concept like a vampire and to execute that story so uniquely (like the COLDEST GIRL IN COLD TOWN by Holly Black) that it becomes something hot and exciting. But to have that unique vision about something that has been written about so much is not an easy thing to do.<br />
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A writer that has a stupendous ability at doing this is Maggie Stievfvater. Have you ever hear her Ted Talks? Well, here it is.<br />
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Ok, I got a little off subject there. Because Maggie's talk actually doesn't have anything to do with what I'm talking about here. But, why I like to bow down to Maggie is she is so good at coming up with unique fantasy ideas. One of my all time favorite books that she wrote is THE SCORPIO RACES. It's about man eating horses that come out of the sea. And people race these dangerous creatures. Well, it's about more than that. But, still, what a cool concept.<br />
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So wish me luck as I search for that next amazing idea in a flooded genre that I love.<br />
<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-74902121452235449792014-09-30T12:46:00.000-05:002014-09-30T13:00:42.550-05:00I Met My Agent!!It's hard to imagine as I type this from my kitchen island that last week, I was chilling here:<br />
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And I was sitting here:<br />
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Just enjoying the fall breeze, writing for fun, and playing with new novel ideas.<br />
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After playing at Washington Square Park, I met up with my agent, Adriann Ranta of <a href="http://wolflit.com/">Wolf Literary Services</a>, for a lovely lunch. I had spoken to Adriann on the phone and we had exchanged e-mails, but there was just something about meeting her in person that made everything seem so REAL.<br />
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She's exceptionally sweet, smart, professional, and just fun to be around. While she ate her falafel and I chowed down on a delicious chicken salad, we got to know each other better, and she answered my questions about publishing.<br />
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Here we are at lunch. (I'm thankful for the back light blurring my face because it hides my awful hair day in contrast to Adriann's amazing hair day. I lost a pony tail holder in a toilet at a cupcake shop...it's a long story.)<br />
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After our lunch I left feeling quite lucky to have Adriann representing my writing career.<br />
<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-33710285440612465882014-09-17T08:42:00.000-05:002014-09-17T08:42:44.291-05:00The Importance of Waiting Before You ReviseIt has taken me <i>years</i> to actually do what the title of the blog post says.<br />
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Writer Anita of 10 years ago: OMG. I just finished writing a book. An ENTIRE book! Revise? Huh? Nah. My writing teacher said it's good. *as I print out copies and snail mail to every publisher on the planet*<br />
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Writer Anita of 5 years ago: I just finished writing a book! I have to fix it! NOW. There's no point in waiting four to six weeks before diving in revisions. What if the world runs out of agents because I took too long to revise my book?!? What? You say I need fresh eyes? Dude, my eyes are so fresh.<br />
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Writer Anita of the Present: I finished writing a book! Yay! Celebrate with cookies. Forget about manuscript for at least a month. Send it out to my trusty critique buddies. To keep my mind off of marinading novel, I read all those books I didn't have time to read while I was writing. Then after four to six weeks, I read a hard copy of my novel. Mark up my own edits. Then take a look at critique buddies' comments and see what's similar and what's different. And THEN I dive into revisions.<br />
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Why is it so important to wait before revising?<br />
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1. It's true. You need to look at your novel with a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective. Distancing yourself from the world and characters of your novel are only going to help you later truly figure out how to make everything shine. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?<br />
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2. What's the hurry? The publishing industry is SLOW. And it's seasonal. Even if you snag that super star agent, you might have to wait before you go on submissions because it's just not the right time to send your book out. And when you're book is on submission with a publisher, it may take weeks, or months. I have a writer friend who's book sold after being on submission for eighteen months!<br />
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3. Revision is a step wise process and can not be rushed. It's more than just checking for typos and making sure all your commas are in the right place. It's about making your characters and their motivations as real as you can make them. It's about making sure the world you've created doesn't have any holes in it and testing your plot. Do your settings have enough detail? Do they have too much detail? Does every scene move the story forward or do you have a lot of filler scenes? So many things to examine and think about.<br />
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So in closing, take a chill pill after you finish writing that novel you've poured your heart into for months, maybe years. You and the novel deserve not to rush the revision process.<br />
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Happy writing!Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-49431628676235368662014-09-11T07:15:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:04:15.177-05:00Writers Series: Interview with Dr. Barbara Darling Saxena<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is a very special Writer's Series because I get to interview my amazing aunt, Dr. Barbara Darling Saxena. She has been a constant source of support as I pursued my writing career, and when she decided to write her own book I was deeply inspired. </span><br />
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A couple years back Aunt Barbara created a bucket list and one of the items was to write a book. A lot of people say they want to write a book, but nothing actually happens. But she did it! And her novel SOUVIENS is full of history, suspense, science, love, and plot twisting deceit. I flew through the book! </span><br />
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Can you tell us a little bit about your decision to write?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">I frequently share with others that writing this novel was on my bucket list. I also use this endeavor as an example to my patients of “stepping out of the box” and trying new things. Writing this book helped me get through the “empty nest” sadness of my daughter leaving for college and my husband being on the road a lot. Researching and writing SOUVIENS was a creative adventure that re-energized me again! </span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_7198"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">I often hear people say they don’t have time to do something creative. Being a solo practice Family Doc, I work very long hours, seven days a week. Yet I was able to finish the book in two years. <span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_7507">SOUVIENS</span> was a novel written in stolen moments. While doing housework, I imagined character dialogue. While eating my lunch at Subway, I jotted down notes on paper napkins. I actually looked forward to standing in lines or waiting for appointments as precious creative time!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before you created the Bucket List had you dabbled in writing before?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">I have been making up stories in my head since I was a little girl in bed, afraid of insomnia. As long as I could watch “a movie” in my head, I would not dwell on being the only person in the world who was awake! Over the years, I came to enjoy “the movies” so much that I would forget to sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And here is SOUVIENS! I love the cover!</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_7232" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; text-align: start;">SOUVIENS is part medical mystery, part historical fiction, with a tincture of romance. The novel explores the heroine’s belief that she has inherited actual memories from her ancestor. The plot revolves around the 1934 Hotel Kerns fire, a real life tragedy that killed thirty-four people, including seven Legislators, in Lansing, Michigan. The novel alternates between the present day and the 1930’s, weaving the two story lines together. SOUVIENS is a 2013 Independent Publisher Book Award winner.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.5454540252686px;">You can find it available on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Souviens-Barbara-Darling-Saxena/dp/1492138126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410437209&sr=8-1&keywords=souviens">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Souviens-Barbara-Darling-Saxena-ebook/dp/B00GUZYK1Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410437209&sr=8-2&keywords=souviens">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What inspired you to write SOUVIENS?</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_7901"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">Several years ago, while researching my own genealogy, I had this strange sensation that my ancestors’ stories felt familiar. One night while in bed, a idea popped into my head—could actual memories from our ancestors be passed down through the generations? Soon, I began making up “movies” on this topic.</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_7205"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">Also during my genealogy research, I ran across the story of the 1934 Hotel Kerns fire in Lansing, MI, that killed 34 people, including seven Michigan legislators. Five bodies were never identified. I wondered who were these poor souls who never returned home. Soon, “movies” about fictionalized identities began to form in my head.</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_8366" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Then, one night, these two ideas—ancestral memories and the unidentified victims—morphed together in my brain, and the genesis for </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">SOUVIENS</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> was created.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What does SOUVIENS mean?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">The word <i>souviens</i> is French for memory. This is where our word souvenir comes from –memory of a trip. The book explores the idea of ancestral memories. The characters also grapple with whether families are united by common memories or genetic material. Souviens is also the name of a memory research facility which plays a central part in the book’s plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_8400">When I write a novel, sometimes it's smooth sailing and sometimes It's an emotional roller coaster. What was writing SOUVIENS like for you? And if you did hit any roadblocks during the drafting process, how did you over come them? </span>Are you a plotter or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">I knew the beginning and the end of the novel, along with major milestones, at the start of the project. But I ran into several road blocks along the way. The most challenging problem was trying to make an imaginary idea, “ancestral memories”, seem real. I tried to weave enough legitimate science into the plot to make the premise seem plausible. Another writing challenge was placing fictionalized characters into a real tragedy. Many people in my community still have memories of the fire. I wanted to be respectful of those memories, as well as of the victims of the fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any advice on how to write a compelling character (you've got a couple good ones in SOUVIENS)?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I talk to people all day long in my job, and I have discovered that everyone has interesting character traits and has an interesting story to tell. The characters in my novel are conglomerations of people I’ve met over the years. I mixed in my own experiences as well. For instance, one of the characters in the book describes discovering his direct descendent in the 1600’s was hanged in England for his religious convictions. This was also one of my own discoveries during my genealogy research that left an emotional impact on me. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you working on any other projects?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">I continue to make up “movies” in my head most nights. But nothing yet has grabbed me enough to want to live day and night with these characters for two or three years. I greatly miss writing, and I hope soon my next idea will take hold! I have never enjoyed an endeavor as much as I enjoyed writing <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1410434904409_8433">Souviens.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for spending time with us on the EDGE Aunt Barbara! And go check out SOUVIENS! </span></div>
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<br />Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379773217495837003.post-7457725587508403422014-09-05T08:07:00.002-05:002014-09-05T08:07:42.935-05:00Mega Book Gossip TimeI was so busy this summer that I didn't really get a chance to read much. So to end the summer with a bang I've been tearing through some awesome books.<br />
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I can not say enough how much I love Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series. I can't believe I'm saying this (gasp) I <i>may</i> have fallen in love with it more than the Mortal Instruments Series. I <i>may</i> have. Reading a story about Shadowhunters set in Victorian England was enchanting to say the least. I've always loved character driven novels, and the characters and their complex relationships are so rich and real in this series. Will, Jem, Tessa, Charlotte, Henry, Jessamine--they're all characters that stayed with me way after I finished reading. And the ending was absolutely beautiful.<br />
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I had actually started reading City of Heavenly Fire before I read Clockwork Princess. That was a bad idea. If you haven't started the Infernal Devices series, then go ahead and read the Mortal Instruments Series. But, if you're in the middle of reading the Infernal Devices Series, like I was, and then you read City of Heavenly Fire before finishing Clockwork Princess, well, in my opinion, it gives away what happens to some of the characters in Clockwork Princess. So I actually stopped reading City of Heavenly Fire, read Clockwork Princess, and then went back and finished reading CoHF.<br />
But Brava on a fantastic, unpredictable ending to the series! I bow down to you Ms. Clare for tying up the everything like you did and placing my heart in my throat as many times as you did!<br />
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I had marked the release date for this book in my calendar almost a year in advance. I simply couldn't wait to see what had happened to Anna & Etienne and Lola & Cricket and return to Paris for another school year through the eyes of Isla. I devoured this book. If you haven't checked out these books by Stephanie Perkins, I HIGHLY recommend them. Start with Anna and the French Kiss, then proceed to Lola and the Boy Next Door, and then sit down with a box of tissues as you finish things off with Isla and the Happily Ever After. Sending cyber hugs to Stephanie Perkins for tugging on my heart strings like she did.<br />
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And last, but not least, I just finished reading Hexed, written by my agency mate, Michelle Krys. This book was hilarious and dark and is a completely fresh take on witches and sorcerers. I immediately fell in love with Indigo's voice and I loved the fact that the story took place in LA. Some of my besties live there and so as I was reading I could see all the places in my mind's eyes. Fabulous read and I can't wait for the sequel, Charmed, to come out!Anita Saxenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.com1