These books deserve your undivided attention

By Candy Gourlay

I visited my dentist the other day and had one of those inadvertent fillings.

Lovely Chris the Dentist, as dentists are wont, plied me for the latest information about my book sales as he dug around, searching for my tonsils.

He was rather shocked to hear that since I visited him last (to have an inlay reseated), I had failed to inform the little bookshop next door to his clinic that I am an author and that they should stock my books.

Jon Mayhew doing a drive by signing
Photo from Bookabook

You see, I've been a bit shy around bookshops, unlike Mortlock author Jonathan Mayhew who is known the world over for his drive-by signings (indy bookshops watch out - he's the guy always followed by a couple of scary oversized crows).

I just didn't feel I could walk in and say I was an author and be welcomed with open arms. Besides, anyone could see that the bookshop didn't have Tall Story on its shelves.

But Chris wouldn't hear of it. He said I  had to go. He said I could use Tall Story's nominations and shortlistings as an excuse to introduce myself. And because I make it a policy never to argue with men holding dental drills, I went.

And the bookshop lady didn't bite me or spit on me. She said she would order one hardback to have in the shop, and more when the paperback comes out in January. And I politely bought a packet of Christmas cards and promised to return with a poster.

There's nothing wong with visiting your local book store.

There. Done. It didn't hurt really. And I might even get up the courage to visit the other bookshops in my North London neighbourhood.

Might.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post. The other thing I do when I'm slinking around a bookshop wondering whether I should reveal I am an author, is check to see if the books of my favourite authors and my author friends are in stock.

Most of the time, they aren't.

One of the first things I learned when i became a published author was that writing the darn book isn't going to be the hardest thing you've ever done. It's getting the darn book noticed.

So this post is about all the books I want you readers to notice. You may have noticed them already, but it never hurts to look again.

These are really GOOD books. And it's CHRISTMAS. A time of good cheer and charity towards AUTHORS (I'm sure I read it in Dickens somewhere).

And if you are really feeling the good cheer, why not pass the list of books on to your friends, neighbours and countrymen? You won't regret it.

My pal Jan Markley (she's an author in CANADA!) says we authors can 

help each other by the simple act of talking to someone else about each other's books - just like Heather Locklear says in this commercial. So today, I'm talking 

So why not start with Jan Markley, since she brought up the idea.

Jan writes mysteries for 8 to 12s - she calls them "Nancy Drew for the ipod generation" - super cool! Her book Dead Bird Through a Cat Door, the second of her Megabyte series (the first was called Dead Frog on the Porch) has just become available on the Amazons (as in .com, .ca, and .co.uk - although there's a lying glitch on .ca which says it's not available - it is!) 

These books are cool and funny like Jan herself - and are based on Jan's terrible penchant for dragging dead animals around wherever she goes (that might be a lie, but you'll have to check it out to find out).

And what about the famous Jon Mayhew of drive-by signingdom? Jon's gothic horror Mortlock is gorgeously produced by Bloomsbury with BLACK endpapers. I went to his amazing book launch in March. But I'm not recommending it just because I went to the book launch. 

Mortlock has been shortlisted to book prizes galore - the Warwickshire Book Prize, the Worcestershie Prize, the Chester, and the Nobel Peace Prize. So if you know any young horror fans - this is a really good one. 

And Jon plays the mandolin. (thought I'd throw that in).

Speaking of horror, my other favourite scary author is Sarwat Chadda, though when I hear about his US publishers (they happen to be Disney Hyperion) flying him to the States to visit Harry Potter world, my envy runneth over. 

The sequel to his dark thriller Devil's Kiss came out this year - it's called Dark Goddess. Sarwat's high concept is injecting Islamic mythology into the Knights Templar theme of his book - coupled with his brilliant writing, it's a rich seam. 

Sarah McIntyre must be one of my coolest and most prolific friends. Looking her up in Amazon is totally exhausting because this year she has produced not one not two not three but four beautiful books! And yet she has time to do kind things for her friends - if you check out the Facebook page of Tall Story - that profile pic is a Sarah McIntyre. I used to stalk her blog way back when and despite that, we've become friends! Woo hoo! (Morris has just won the coveted Sheffield Book Prize - coveted not just by me btw)

 

 

I am told on good authority that my friend Ellen Renner lives in a castle. So it's probably not surprising that her adventure books for 8-12s are set in castles. Ellen's had rave reviews - Castle of Shadows was picked for the Independent's 50 Best Summer Reads ... City of Thieves came out this summer and both books have been chosen for the Times Recommended Children's Books for Christmas. If that's not endorsement enough, what else is?

 

One of the absolutely outstanding debuts last year was Keren David with her book When I Was Joe. It's been nominated for everything that's going and for any prize to do with teen readers, so you can't go wrong with this book.

But if you're planning to give it to a teen reader this Christmas you might as well save time by getting both When I Was Joe and its sequel Almost True - because these are unputdownables and your teenager won't be able to wait while you try to figure out how to fire up the browser to order the next book.

 

Okay. Maybe this blog post is getting a bit long. I've got to go do Mum things like watch my daughter's play. I will just have to apologize to other author friends who I didn't manage to mention - but you folks can see this is already a mighty long post.

I have one more book though. And it's not something for you to buy anyone else.

It's a book I keep hearing about on the internet, on Facebook, on Twitter. I've got to have it - and not just because it's Mary Hoffman's choice for YA Book of the year (read her glowing Guardian review).

It's by Gillian Phillip and it's called Firebrand.

If you know my husband or children, please tell them to get it for me.

***

Finally .... Shhhh!

I've just visited Kathleen Duey's facebook profile and her status is: 

"I am writing writing writing and it is going really WELL"

Which is FANTASTIC for me and my kids because we can't wait to read the final installment of the Resurrection and Magic trilogy. I am in awe of Kathleen Duey's writing. If you are writing fantasy, these books are a requirement.

If you live in the UK, you'll have to order them though, you won't get them in the shops, nor will you be able to borrow them from me.

And this just in: Tall Story has been shortlisted (it's a very short shortlist) for the Blue Peter Favourite Story Prize. This is turning out to be a brilliant year. Sigh.

Open Book and Mariella Frostrup Interview YA authors

by Teri Terry

Is a bit of your brain still a teenager? If so, YA may be just the thing…

I’d like to think that one day, Mariella Frostrup might interview me on my latest best seller.
There is one flaw with this, though: she is just way too scary. That could turn from dream to nightmare in seconds.
She’d probably have me quivering in the corner with insightful questions, spot every flaw in my writing from beginning to end, and make me realize that I’m just playing at this writing malarkey and should go home and knit.
And she would do it nicely, too.

Mariella Frostrup: Book Goddess

On 21 November, Mariella presented a special edition of Open Book on BBC radio 4, exploring the recent boom in fiction for young adults. She spoke to authors Marcus Sedgwick, Malorie Blackman and Gemma Malley.
How could I resist, with the divine Mr M involved?

The Divine Mr M (Marcus Sedgwick)

And she didn’t shy away from the big questions. Is the YA boom a construction of the publishing industry, or does it fill a needed gap? In years past, children went straight from reading children’s to adult books: did stretching in our formative years do previous generations any harm?

Mariella began by putting them in the spotlight: what did they read as teens?

Mariella started them off: she went to Georgette Heyer and DH Lawrence. Marlorie Blackman impressed with Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Rebecca. Oh, and Jacqueline Susann. Marcus Sedgewick admitted he read good, and bad: lots of science fiction and fantasy – just like me! – though no names admitted to, except that Merlin Peak was a big thing that grabbed him at age 14 or 15. Gemma Malley read Judy Blume, Virginia Andrews and… Dostoevsky. Really?!

Is one of the hallmarks of teen fiction that the central protagonist is almost always a teenager themselves?

Marcus noted this isn’t essential, though Malorie said it is easier for readers to empathize and identify with protagonists of similar age. She writes for the teenager inside herself: books she would have loved to read at that age. Gemma, on the other hand, didn’t set out to write a YA book; her protagonist was a teenager as this was needed for her story.

An extract from Boys Don’t Cry, Marlorie’s latest, was read. This novel tackles issues of teenage pregnancy, homosexuality and attempted suicide. How is responsibility to young readers balanced with responsibility as a story teller?

Malorie noted endings in her books may not be happy, but they are hopeful; and teens don’t always believe there is a happy ending. In writing this particular book she set out to give teenage dads a say.

Malorie Blackman

Is it a hallmark of YA that endings aren’t neat and happily ever after, but are often bleak or enigmatic?

Gemma noted that teens are in transition from the black and white world of the child, to an adult shades-of-grey world; they are starting to realize their parents aren’t necessarily always right, and that they have to think things through for themselves.

Marcus says he tries to do two things: to not be boring, and – like Gemma – to suggest that life is not black and white.

Mariella noted that girls read more than boys: does Malorie’s Noughts and Crosses appeal to black boys?

Malorie hopes so. She said when she was growing up, books did not feature black characters, and that fiction engenders empathy, and gives an emotional vocabulary.

And now for the big issue: YA is the space between children’s and adult books. Was it created by a marketing push? Does YA really exist?

Marcus mentioned Catcher in the Rye, and that SF and Fantasy were there for YA readers: YA has always existed, but it is now a recognized genre that is published into by publishers. Gemma agreed there have always been books that tap into teens.

BUT are we holding kids back by the idea of teen books instead of going straight to adult books?

Malorie noted that some teens get disaffected by reading adult books, and Marcus that the idea that teens should always be stretched to the limit of their reading ability is false. We don’t do that as adults: we might want to read a trashy novel on holiday. He said ‘why not just feel free to read what you want to read at any time.’ Brilliant advice.

Mariella notes that Marcus’s White Crow doesn’t shy away from posing difficult questions about life after death: would have been different if written for adults?

Marcus said probably not, though noted publishing decisions affect editing, and there is a responsibility to have some notion of hope and optimism. But more to have an engaging story.

Can you tackle more when writing for children than adults?

Gemma said yes: teens can accept all sorts of things, and don’t have the same parameters. Marcus said it is exciting writing for children as you can write about anything; with adults, you are constrained by genre, trends, and what is and isn’t acceptable.

Mariella discussed Gemma’s dystopian world in The Declaration, in which she critiques the very premise of children.

Gemma was interested in developments in science: do we want to live forever? If so, we can’t have children. Using a future setting gives more freedom in the plot as can expand reality, and, no research is necessary.

Mariella quoted Nicholas Tuckers’ Rough Guide to Books for Teenagers, where he criticizes upping the tragedy in books for teens.

Malorie noted her books have both humour and angst. Marcus said Tucker missed the point. There are two types of books: good, and bad. And those about issues with a capital ‘I’ can do it badly, or well; you shouldn’t sweep away the whole genre or approach.

Why write YA?

Marcus said honest children’s writers all admit, there is a bit of their brain that is still a teenager.

Finally: what are the themes of the future in YA? Are there different genres within?

Marcus says publishers hate the label SF; Malorie notes that if you want to write innovative fiction, YA is the place to be; and Gemma that YA doesn’t seem to be subdivided too much – there is a huge amount of freedom.

My Conclusions?

Since I am mentally 14, still trying to work out shades of grey, don’t like doing research and am writing an innovative dystopia set in the future without calling it SF… I guess I’m in the right place.

Guest Blogger Maureen Lynas: Writerly Incompetence Can Be Cured

Part One of a Series
Read Part Two - If You're Incompetent and You Know It Clap Your Hands

Maureen Lynas is an ex-teacher and literacy consultant who believes that with a bit more work and a load more willpower, resolve, fortitude, doggedness, tenacity, persistence, diligence, grit and determination, she will eventually win a publishing deal for Boggarty Bog’s Tasty Teeth. Or Kissy Wissy. Or Hatty’s Splendiferous Hats. Or one of the many other stories in her ‘finished’ folder.

Maureen is currently feeding her writing obsession by associating with members of SCBWI British Isles and has taken on the role of North East Regional Advisor. You can see Maureen’s reading scheme at the Action Words website 

Incompetent – moi? No!

Tick if you have ever done any of the following:

 Slumped in an emotional heap crying, ‘Do I really have to know the difference between an idiom and an idiolect – what sort of an idiot would think that was reasonable?’

Or

 Thrown the laptop with frustration - or wanted to, but thrown a cushion instead. Laptops don’t bounce.

Or

 Chosen to show your nearest and dearest exactly why they shouldn’t have said, ‘Yes, but what’s his motivation?’ Instead of merely telling him.

Do not despair if you have ticked any boxes.

You are merely suffering from incompetence. It can be cured.

The first step is to identify exactly how incompetent you are and from then on you must be treated with care.

There are four stages of incompetence, no matter what the subject or activity. But as we are all authors I thought I’d focus on writing, if anyone wants to contact me on how to be a brain surgeon then – you need to have your head examined.

Cartoon copyright Mike Luckovich from Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stage One is Unconscious Incompetence.

Ah, bliss. A wonderful stage to be in. We do not know what it is that we do not know.

You could say we are delusional at this stage because we actually say things like – I have an idea! For a book! Wow, I’m going to write a book! I’ll be rich. I’ve read lots of books therefore I can write a book. I used to write a lot a school and it was good. I’ll be rich. I can use a pen. I have paper. I’ll be rich. I can use Word. I’ll type it. I’ll be rich. And it shall be a great book, and it shall wow the world with its uniqueness. AND I’LL BE RICH! After all, how hard can it be? It’s not brain surgery, is it?



Poor us. We have no idea. No idea of what is involved in the process of writing a book, how to approach a publisher, or what a writer’s life consists of. Ignorance is bliss! But not for long.

At his stage we also do things that demonstrate our ignorance.

We write the book. It may take as long as a couple of months (Phew! That was hard!), or if we write quickly (picture books are short) a night.

We stick a pin in a list of publishers and cry – He’ll do!

We kiss the book, printed off in Gigi (such a pretty font), single-spaced with COPYRIGHT 2010 on every page, and send it off to the publisher recommended by a friend who’s had a book published called History of the Railways 1898-1899 Vol 1.

And we wait.

And we wait.

And we wait.

Then we cry. Literally. Then we cry a different cry of – ‘Why!!!! Why have they rejected me! Why do they not love my book?’

I shudder when I recall myself at this stage. I want to curl up and die when I remember the first submission letter I sent out. Forty pages long. No, that’s an exaggeration for comic effect; it’s just grown that big in my head over the years. But it was about six pages. I even seem to remember, and how I wish this was not true, I even seem to remember calculating (with an actual calculator) how many picture books I’d read over the years as a reception teacher, and quoting this number as evidence that I knew my subject and was an author worth publishing. They were so kind, they did reply. It was a no. But it was a very supportive no. However, I was too busy crying the, ‘Why!!!!’ cry that I didn’t recognise it as supportive for many years.

Maureen cuddling up to the
lovely David Almond,
author of Skellig

This stage is the beginning of the writer’s journey. The idea has been planted. We begin to write a book not realising that we have started on an exploration of what it is to be a writer of many books, not an author of one book.

The next stage is a little bit more complex and will require another article.

Coming to you soon.

Help, I’m Consciously Incompetent!

Read Part Two of this series - If You're Incompetent and You Know It Clap Your Hands



Maureen Lynas also blogs on her own blog which she creatively named - Maureen Lynas