New Facebook Page--yeehaw!

Did you know The Fictionistas has a brand-new Facebook page? AND that it's the most fun you can buy? AND...uh, that we're uber-foxy?!? That's right--check us out HERE.

Every time you like our page, an angel gets its wings. A romance heroine gets her happily-ever-after. A fat kid gets cake.

Come on, be a hero.

Also, while you're being so awesome, check out our individual Facebook pages. Here's the list:

--Kristen Painter

--Gwen Hayes

--Mel Francis

--Rhonda Stapleton

--Amanda Brice

Now, go forth and enjoy, my preciousssss!

Wild Blue

I am something of a bird-nut.  I love watching them out on the rivers, harbor, and marshes. I love the slow glides of the swans, and the brilliant little flicks of the nuthatches and titmouses. I even love to watch sparrows and chickadees, pedestrian as they may seem.  I love flicking french-fries at them in the parking lot at the harbor.  But my favorite of all is the great blue heron.

If you have never seen them, you don’t know what you are missing.  We are lucky enough to have a healthy population in my area, and they fascinate me.  They are huge—which makes them hard to miss when they stand along the edges of the harbor or the river, usually on a boggy spot of marsh.  In flight they are gigantic—so much larger than our largest birds of prey.  If those long legs seem awkward on land, the wing span you see in full flight is all magesty and grace.

Saturday evening, on my way home, a male great blue flew over my head.  He was no more than ten feet above me, but it felt as if I could reach up and touch him.  The sun was setting, and his color was amazing: a faded denim blue that picked up peach and rose from the sun.  He took my breath away.

The long, meandering paths along the Green Harbor river and amazing views of the marshes are one of my great joys. Even as a child I wandered these woods, getting covered in muck and dragging home all manner of critters and clippings.  My mom would make me empty my pockets, only to discover a mangled bit of wild sassafrass root, a carefully pocketed feather, or—sorry Mom—something furry.  Moles, mice, newts, and chipmunks… baby ducks who incited near-violence from their mother, and turtle babies my father helped me return to the marsh.  I was quite the manky little beastie, with quite the wild menagerie. 

I don’t bring wild things home these days… unless you count Ahmed.  But I do so love to watch them.  I guess I always will.

N'oreaster

It never ceases to amaze me that people will visit my little hamlet by the sea and fall in love with it... in June. Which is fine. Words like "quaint" get bandied about. Next thing you know some retired person decides to purchase a little cottage.

Yeah. Wait a bit.

We are in the midst of a N'oreaster. In local terms, that's "a wickid stawm offa tha wattah."

This morning I got up, cleaned off the car, and went to the post office. Locals (townies like me) were out and about. The transplanted people were absolutely wigging. Some of them in their driveways acting like snow is nuclear fallout. Some attempting to drive gigantic 4 wheel drive SUVs that are really good at GOING in bad weather, but absolutely dismal at STOPPING in bad weather. And, unfortunately, they don't come with a "fix the jerkwad's driving" button.

I drove around them in my normal-drive Nissan. Picked up my mail, sent out some mail, got dog food and bread, and visited Starbucks. I'm fine.

Most of them are in snowbanks or ditches... and the snowbanks are pretty wimpy. I'm hoping against all past experience that these people have realized that Green Harbor is "quaint" in the summer, but she's a bit of a nasty harpy in the winter. She's... well, she's like me. I, too, can be a harsh mistress. It's easy in the good times. Not so much in the midst of a N'oreaster.

Batten down the hatches, folks.

Fun With Radiation

This past week I began a six week run of radiation for a health issue.  No biggie.  Only the thing is, in comic books all the people who get exposed to radiation—or radioactive stuff—get superpowers.  Like, they fall into a vat down at the treatment plant and wake up with the ability to shoot flaming twinkies out of a secret compartment of twinkanyte in their arms, perfectly placed so that a pair of stylish aubergine gloves, for instance, could be worn to both enhance the twinkie fire power, but also conceal the twinkpockets of doom.

Yaknow… stuff like that.

So far the only things radiation, chemotherapy, cytoxan, and similar chemical experiences have granted me are the abilities to make my hair disappear and my lunch reappear.  Not to complain, but there are no marketable crime fighting skills there.  I mean I really don’t want to be Baldy the Puke Crusader or Vomitta, Mistress of Hurl.  I can’t imagine the get-up would be in a flattering color range. Something in a puse and pea-green spandex/lycra blend?  Not so much.

Plus sometimes I think the way the radioactive stuff manifests is bunk.  Peter Parker?  I think not.  Ever seen a spider that skinny?  Or both red and blue?  Red, maybe, but blue?  No.  And spiders are NOT skinny.  They’re ARACHNIDS.  Helloooo?  Round bulbous critters, those.  So Spidey is full of something other than webbing, if you know what I mean.

Come to think of it… that’s a look I could totally pull off.  I have the bulbous thing going on.  Plus I think I could spin a web of any size and quite possibly catch thieves just like flies.  And if you’re going to toss up gross stuff, why not work that into a venom angle, right?

Right?

Don’t make me shoot silly string at you, dude.  I’m serious.

Caught Up In The Net

Recently I signed up for one of those freebie "who is searching for you" trials out of pure curiosity. I'm still getting the same "someone is looking for you" email alert with the same four searches listed: a female of X age in Y location, etc. I recognized all four, which was reassuring. Ahmed signed up and got a big chuckle out of it-- he signed up with the name he uses on the internet, which is a slight variation of his actual name.

Several people who know him "online" had googled the name thinking to get all kinds of... what? I hope they weren't too disappointed. He got a huge charge out of it.


With the recent movie all about Facebook's founder, and with nearly daily alerts about some scam or another, I guess we should all be careful. I am a Facebook fan, but I don't play the interactive games, or take the quizzes, or respond to "somebody answered a question about you" alerts. I've never seen one posted by somebody who knew me well enough to answer a question about me, but I am flattered anyone cares. As long as it all stays fun, we're good.

Twitter and Facebook can suck a lot of time, though. And message boards start to get addictive. And these days you can't just shut off the computer... we've all got apps on our phones, or stand-alone devices, or... well, too much access, maybe.

But for me it's all worth it. I can keep in touch with family and friends and old co-workers without being on the phone all day. I've never liked the telephone. I always feel like the person on the other end expects me to entertain him or her. Only my absolute most-beloved ones get long phone calls from me or are allowed to place them to me. It's not that I'm wallowing in swamp-witchy hermitage. It's more that I like a quick howdy and a jack-rabbit exit.

So you know... you can always hit me on FB or shoot me a tweet.

September Maybe

I have always been fond of September, and never for the same reasons as most. Or maybe that's in my head. Most people I know associate September with autumn, although we don't enter fall til late in the month. Of course, leaves do begin changing and hurricanes come to my part of the world. But in spite of the month hosting the equinox, which brings a season most associate with endings, I always feel a great deal of hope and renewal in September.

That's probably because we go back to school in this month. Even though my school days are done, I still love that feeling. A new school year is all about promise, potential, and opportunity. It's a clean slate. New clothes, new supplies, new teachers, new class-mates... and a chance to make this the best year yet. Let's face it, most of us found the bloom off the rose a few weeks in. By Columbus Day we'd be watching clocks and drifting off into daydreams during Sociology. The cute guy had said something awful. The former-not-so-b-ff was the new frenemy.

But September was pre-let-down. September was all about possibilities. I glance out the window even now and the leaves have not yet turned. Earle was, it turns out, a big dud. So if nights get cold soon we'll begin to see glorious colors. And maybe the cute guy will smile in stead of sneering. And maybe the BF really WILL be F. And maybe this autumn will go on record as the best ever. And maybe...

It's all about the maybe. I'm very, very fond of the promise in maybe.

Welcome, September. And thanks for the MAYBE!

Accountabilabuddies

We here at Fictionistas have decided to keep one another accountable for word-count, goals, and cetera. Having an accountabilabuddy is a great idea. I often make deals with Ahmed, because I know he will nudge me without being too gentle, but will also back off when he knows I need to ease up. It's a fine line.

I think procrastination and "getting too much in my own head" are my biggest weaknesses. In the past I never missed deadlines, never failed to complete projects, and never gave up on something I started. But I was always working FOR someone, or pleasing another person, or delivering for the "team." I'm not good at doing for myself, and never have been.

So I promised my guy I'd write him a book by the fall. I will, too. This is a project I've been sitting on a while and Ahmed wants it done. Nobody else is interested in a comedy space-opera romance. But Aji wants it bad. So I'm doing it for him, and letting my Nistas bang me on the head, too.

Who is YOUR accountabilabuddy??

Despicable Me

Let us take time away from the grind of writing, deadlines, vampires, angst, romance, and anything else one can think of. Let us escape. Let us embrace the wonder that is DESPICABLE ME.

Not me... Despicable Me. I went to see this with Ahmed this weekend as a complete indulgent escape, and have not been as charmed and swept-away since Aladdin blew me off my theater seat. Steve Carell is that good as Gru.

Despicable Me is old-school animated fun, relying not on 3-D nonsense and trickery, but on great voice work and incredibly good writing. It's gothic, riddled with homage moments (Gru seems to be a combination of Peter Sellers and Boris Karloff with a dash of Boris Bedanof from Rocky and Bullwinkle). It's got a dash of Lemony Snicket without the severity, a bit of Willy Wonka without the absurdity, and touch of Beetlejuice without the esoterica. Roll it all together with Carell's absolutely perfect timing and we're off to the races.

Gru is, of course, the man who aspires to be the greatest villain of all time. He just keeps losing out to another super-nerd villain. In his quest to steal the moon (no kidding), Gru comes up with a diabolical plan to manipulate three little orphans. Intending to use them in his evil plot, he isn't expecting them to sneak up on his heart when he's busy planning dark deeds.

I just LOVED this movie. It was about family, and the true nature of fatherhood, and the power of the human heart. That it's set against a backdrop of not-so-evil super-villainy is brilliant. The Minions-- an army of weenie one and two-eyed critters with an infectiously elusive language of their own-- provide some of the most giggly comic relief ever. They will be the new Gremlins come Christmas-time.

Go see it. Now. Or I shall banish you to the box of shame!

Changing things up

You may have noticed that the blog has recently gotten a mini-facelift with a new background. The lockers are gone, replaced by a mosaic of all the Fictionistas bookcovers. And no, they're not all YA books.

See, we had a little 'nista heart to heart and we realized that we're more than just young adult writers and that the YA focus of the blog wasn't fully serving our purpose as cross-genre writers. To be honest, getting a YA book published has moved to the back burner for me at the moment. Not because I don't want to write YA, I do, it's just that my schedule is pretty full with other writing projects.

In case you don't know, next fall (2011) the first three books in my gothic urban fantasy series, Blood Rights, will be coming out from Orbit. I think it's safe to say that's my main focus at the moment as I'm currently writing book 3.

Then there's my steampunk romnace novella coming out from Samhain this October. The other two books I have out right now are All Fired Up (paranormal romance) and Heart Of Fire (fantasy romance). Not young adult by genre definition, but in my eyes, perfectly acceptable books for a younger person to read.

Let's face it, what person under the age of 21 sticks solely to YA books? Did you as a young reader? I know I didn't. I read everything I could get my hands on, regardless of genre or target market.

And so Fictionistas, in respect of that truth, has decided to become a more fully rounded blog. From now on, you'll be hearing about all aspects of the Fictionistas' writing life and our books. Should make for a more lively place to hang out.

Great Books You've Never Read

Somebody (can't remember whom) was chatting on Facebook last week about great books never read and great movies never seen. I actually think it's an interesting topic. There are not that many on my list that still sing siren songs to me. But there are a few.

This is my list. I'd love it if you shared yours.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe

There are more, but these are the few I feel a tad guilty about.

How about you?

Bully for Us

My home state of Massachusetts recently passed anti-bullying legislation. A lot of people I know were surprised I wasn't thrilled with this, but I wasn't. Frankly I don't see that it solves much. For it to be active somebody has to have already been bullied. I'd prefer we work from the other end.

There have actually been a lot of studies on bullying, which surprised me when I looked into it. None have come up with solutions that work. In my experience with young people, most of the psycho-babble stuff really doesn't do much good. Sit two kids down to talk it out and they give lip service, walk to opposite sides of the room, and go right back to picking sides and planning revenge.

The ONLY thing I ever found that worked when I was teaching? I was as hyper-aware as I could be of kids who tended to be targets, and I targeted them myself... from the other side. If a pimply kid was getting hammered and had no confidence, I would play him up, give him opportunities to be clever, and talk him up with the cooler kids. I'm still, to this day, surprised that kids like and look up to me. But I tried to live by the adage I stole from Dr. Charles Robinson, "they don't care what you know til they know that you care" and practiced it every day. Thank god it worked. If the cool kids hadn't trusted and liked me pointing out how talented Suzy was, or how funny Sammy was, never would have come to much.

I didn't fix everything, but I think by making it my business to pay attention and care... maybe I fixed a few things.

I do remember a woman coming to a school where I taught Psychology, English, and Journalism. She was there to speak about peer support. The kids hated her. They snickered through her presentation, made fun of her demeanor, and giggled a lot.

They dismissed her as a preachy dork. To be honest, she kinda was.

So how do we solve this issue? My only gut response is to watch, pay attention, and support the kids struggling socially while playing to the crowd at the same time. Don't alienate the leaders, but pick up the stragglers. Try to shove them onto common ground and show them how one can lead with humor, energy, and kindness all at the same time.

Other than that I got nothin... but I'm also certain legislating bullying is a pretty flimsy bandaid. And honestly? I would rather we avoid the wound to begin with.

Christmas Means... MOVIES!

The holidays are great for family and lovely, indulgent meals. But I'm one of those weirdos who sometimes goes to the movies. In fact, Ahmed and I often spend Christmas morning buried up in a movie theater for a triple play. I used to be a reviewer... but I will always be a movie nut, either way.

So December 23rd I am lining up to get my copy of Stupid Cupid. Reading it that night. Doing family stuff on the 24th. But I plan to be in a movie theater on the 25th.

These are the flicks singing a siren song to me.



Avatar-- I've actually been saying for a while that this movie will either completely kick butt or be a total flop. Early buzz is astonishing. Every tiny sneak peak I have seen has taken my breath away. I'm not somebody who gets suckered in by special effects, but the story here is deeply intriguing, and James Cameron often gets it right. So yeah... I'll eventually get around to seeing this on the big screen.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel-- Shut up. I know nobody liked the first one, but I loved it. I still listen to the soundtrack. Actually, I prefer the 'Monk version of Bad Day... also their Funky Town is quite good. This will probably be a nephew trip, so maybe not Christmas Day. Definitely going, though.


Nine-- Daniel Day Lewis is enough to get me in the door, but musical montages are a big lure, too. It's like a darker, more contemporary Moulin Rouge, only not. I like Rob Marshall and most of this cast... and the ones I don't care for (remaining nameless)... well, I still want to see them sing and dance. How can I not?

But the biggie? The grand-daddy of them all? The movie absolutely, definitely getting me off the couch and into the ticket line on Christmas Day?

Sherlock Holmes-- The new version of Sherlock Holmes featuring the red-hot-adorable-duo of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. Granted, it's directed by Guy Ritchie. But he dumped Madonna, so who knows? And the tone-- very slapstick with a British wink, bordering on steampunk-- has already got me drooling in anticipation. It's a sure-fire win. Gotta be there.

Any movies on your radar??

Make My Yuletide Bright?

Last week I cancelled Christmas, but it's back on. No, really. I thought it was over, but it's not.

Why? Well I have discovered the gift for the woman who has everything. I no longer want the Droid (ok, I do, but not as much). I can pass on diamonds and pearls. I'm all set with candies and sugarplums. Nope. There's only one thing I want. Start the collection. I give you the ideal gift, the solution to all your fitness problems, the perfect way to firm your abs and spread holiday cheer over the drifts of snow en route to Gramma's house. Keep your Harry Winston trinkets, kids, I'm getting in line for...

THE HAWAII CHAIR!
Seen Below As Demonstrated by Ellen DeGeneres




I wonder if it comes in pink?

The Nabisco People Are Trying to Kill Me

It's not right. The people at Nabisco are clearly trying to kill me. I was minding my own business, wandering right past the cookie aisle, when I was accosted by a display clearly designed by sadistic minions of the devil. There they were: The Limited Edition Mint Fudge Oreos.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Limited edition?" Yes. Limited edition. And it's not just the Mint Fudge edition we need to dodge and avoid like David Beckham on the field. No, as if those fudge-dipped, decadent little orbs of evil weren't enough, the Nabisco psych-- err-- people have whipped up several "limited" Oreo versions. Take, for instance, the Strawberry Milkshake, Peppermint Candy, and Banana Split editions.


Still think they're innocent? Well let me ask you... why LIMITED? Hmm? Why get us all hooked on those new, shiny, beckoning delights with their glorious, dark cookies cradling new, exciting secrets in a clearly salacious and indecent manner? Why not just give us the new indulgence, such as they did with the Double Stuff Oreo? Why wasn't THAT a "limited edition?


I'll tell you why... the double middle was like a trainer drug. It lured us in. It got us hooked. We unscrewed those first temptations, delighted at the sheer luxurious excess, licked them with reckless abandon, and re-screwed the dark discs without realizing our descent into darkness had begun. It starts with double-stuff. Then it's "oh-look-a-special-edition."

Thanks Nabisco. Why don't you just sell them in a handbasket?

Head Start on Holiday Shopping

Have you started your Christmas/Hannukah/Yule shopping yet? I'm starting to poke around the weekend flyers. I love holiday shopping, even in lean years. When my youngest brother and I were the last two at home we used to have a contest to see who could find the cheapest gift for one relative we didn't like that much. It had to LOOK as if it cost as normal amount, but whomever managed to find the cheapest bit of nonsense that would not be blatantly insulting won the round for that year. I believe the all-time winner was a fake ivory elephant figurine with gold tusks for a dollar.

Good times... good times...

I haven't made my own wish list yet. Normally there's a predictible request for books and book store gift cards, but this year (since September, anyhow), I have finally amassed an actual TBR pile. This is a new phenomenon for me-- books were never "to be read" until now. I plowed through four or five novels a week until this little sluggish patch. So I may not be doing many books this year. I know one I have read and loved, sure to top my giving list... and another I will be curled up with on December 22nd with a cup of hot chocolate.

Just in case you are looking for ideas...

In Praise of Cupcakes

Tomorrow is National Chocolate Cupcake Day, not to be confused with National Cupcake Appreciation Day. I'm not making it up. And to be honest, though I find a lot of the "national whatever day" stuff to be silly, I am a huge fan of chocolate cupcakes.

I love cake... but cupcakes are so personal. You don't have to share; they're single-serving. You don't need a plate or fork. It's okay to be sloppy and get frosting on the end of your nose.

Here are my cupcake standards:

1. Frosting... lots. If there's no frosting involved we're really talking muffin, not cupcake, and that's practically health food.

2. No jimmies/sprinkles. I know they're festive, but they really inhibit full frosting appreciation. I find them gratuitous.

3. No "mini" cupcakes. This is facism and censorship at its worst. DO NOT regulate and corrupt the cupcake.

Those are my only rules, really. I actually like chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting as much as chocolate or fudge or coconut... as long as there's frosting.

Discuss...

A Few of My Favorite Things

October is my absolute favorite month... and autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. It isn't just the changing of the leaves, though that certainly ranks pretty high. It's also the crisper air, apple season, and the tension between summer ending and winter beginning. I feel revived, ready to slow down for winter, but also eager to make things and find ways to occupy myself. I write more in the cooler months.

Here are a few other things I simply love about October.


I have a great fondness for dirt roads. I love the way trees meet overhead. I love the way they seem to be moving off slowly to someplace lovely, and inviting you to come along. And I love them best of all with a crunchy dusting of leaves.



I also love pumpkins, even though I won't eat one. And I love-love-LOVE stone walls... the way they stagger along a tree-line on an old estate, or the way they seem to embrace a piece of land that has remained unmolested. I love the really, really old stone walls in New England. They melt back into the earth as if the land will tolerate divisions and markers as long as they are stone and lichen-caked. Ahmed went nuts decorating our stone bridge with pumpkins this year.



I love the leaves before they "peak," with green mixed with the colors... and when they are past "peak," and are scattered all on the ground, too. Peak is over-rated!



I'm nuts for bittersweet. When winter comes the cardinals, bluejays, and chickadees show up against the snow and sit on the bright branches, but in the fall the berries are waxy and fat, and they pop in late October. I like making wreaths and trimmings with the branches. The colors make me think of spices!



And here in my neck of the woods we have swans, who mate for life and stay in the same bogs, lakes, rivers to nest every year. They are gorgeous year round, but somehow the snowy white bodies drifting over pools with colored leaves that fall like confetti down under the water... they're stately and peaceful. Seeing them together always makes me smile.

What do you love about autumn where you are?

Saturday Re-Design

I'm running late and early at the same time today. Routine is something I avoided at all costs in my youth, but it's been a huge help to me in my middle years. I also think rejecting the traditional track of 9 to 5 made me a better writer and freer spirit. So it's a trade-off. These days I like having no job other than a few websites and graphics accounts and my writing. I can do a few things on the side if I want, or not. It allows me to embrace the creative spark when it hits.


Most Saturdays I've tried to post early. I know everybody in the blogosphere is DYING to get here first thing to read my ever-so-important opinions and observations.

Ok... you don't have to laugh THAT HARD.

Actually, it goes back to the routine thing. I love that my life is loose and easy to navigate most of the time simply because... it never really is. I have two little boys in my home three days a week (sometimes more). I have Max, Jeeves, the kittehs, Mo, and some guy with a funny accent. They are sort-of self-cleaning. But today Max had to get a last minute appointment at the groom. While sleeping late on Saturday would have been awesome, leaving Max to walk around with a smiley face drawn in sharpie marker on his side would not. (Did I mention the kids already?)

So my normal Saturday wasn't. Only it sort of was. I got up earlier, posted later, and dropped a grumpy pug at Doggie Stylin' down town. (I'm not making that up... that's his grooming salon's name.)

So life happens and plans change. One thing you can always count on? I'll never forget you! Bore you? Probably. Forget you? NEVER!

Interview with Beth Fantaskey

Today I am pleased to introduce author Beth Fantaskey to Fictionistas and our readers. I fell in love with Beth's novel, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside. Beth is a 43 year old married, mother of two, who lives in the small town of Lewisburg, PA. She says she "must be the longest-running Ph.D. candidate in Penn State University history." She uses her real maiden name-- Fantaskey-- to write.

This month she has featured an absolutely delightful "wedding party" on her website. Writers take note-- this may be the cutest promotional thanks to readers EVER. You can get to know Beth at her home page bethfantaskey.com, and follow her on twitter, too!



Jessica's Guide is a wonderful concept. Where did the idea come from?

Thank you!
My children are both adopted, and we often wonder what their birth parents were like. What if they were different somehow? I took that to the extreme by imagining Jess's parents not only as vampires, but vampire royalty. The rest flowed from there...

You recently included a free, fun, interactive reward for fans on your website ( http://bethfantaskey.com/wedding/invitation.html). What prompted that decision?

So many readers have asked for a sequel, but for the past year I've been absorbed in writing my second book, Jekel Loves Hyde. I've only started to seriously consider a sequel now. So in the meantime, I wanted to thank everybody who's asked to read more about Jess and Lucius by writing some original, free chapters that would help satisfy their curiosity about what happens next. (Hint: Romance!)
When I had the idea to make the event interactive, I was so excited that I could hardly wait to announce it. All summer long, I've been planning and trying to keep it a secret. And the response has been amazing!

Basically, I am a very, very grateful author. I never anticipated how many people would be nice enough to contact me with their thoughts on the book. Some of the readers have become genuine friends. It's important to me to let everybody know how much I appreciate all the support. Without readers - what's a writer, really?

What are some of your biggest influences?

Some of my major influences are right there in my own books. Jessica's Guide has a little nod to Melville and Bronte, for example, and Jekel Loves Hyde draws from the old Stevenson novel. I am also a big fan of Dickens, Austen and Dumas... all the classic writers. (Not that I think I'm anywhere in their league!! I don't mean to suggest that!)

What have you been reading recently?

This will sound strange, but I rarely read fiction. I am trying to finish my doctoral dissertation in mass communication history, so when I read, it's usually old books about female reporters. And I'm about to sit down with "The Art of Public Speaking" to prepare for a class I'm teaching this fall. Not exactly stuff most people are going to rush out and buy for fun, but I have no choice!

You say you love to travel but hate to fly. How do your reconcile your passion and fear?

I remind myself that I only get to live once, and that I'd rather die in a plane crash than miss the opportunity to see the world. Especially since my logical self knows how seldom planes really crash. Still, I'm a nightmare to fly with. I went to Italy with a friend a few years ago, and I clutched her leg so hard that she got bruises that lasted for days. Needless to say, she's never traveled with me again.

You're a mom of two and a writer, too. How do you find time to write while juggling life as a mother?

My children will both be in school this fall, so I am going to have a big window to work soon. However, in the past, it's been a juggling act. I definitely get lots of support from my husband, who is a college professor with a flexible schedule. We basically take turns working and watching the kids.

What's next for you? More vampires or something completely new?

Hmmm... that's still under wraps. Maybe a little of both!

Fictionistas have a few standard, nosy-questions we always like to ask for fun.

What five items are ALWAYS in your purse?

Wallet, make-up, inevitably-dried-up "wet wipe," crumpled tissue of mysterious origin, and this weird "aromatherapy inhaler" that emits a great smell when you open the cap. (Came in handy when one of the kids threw up in the car.)

What music have you been listening to lately?

I usually listen to our local college radio station or Pandora while I work, so I've been hearing everything from Sugarcult to Johnathan Coulton. It's always something new.

Worst High School memory?

The classic Prom Nightmare. Never go with a guy you used to date, just to go. It's a recipe for an awkward, awful time. My hand-me-down dress was ugly, too. I would have had more fun at home watching TV - or going alone... in a nicer dress!

If you could go back in time and say ANYTHING to the high-school-you, what would it be?

I would tell me, "You will be shocked by how cool all these people turn out to be. Someday, they will track you down on Facebook, and it will be like the cliques never existed, because you'll all grow up to be decent people just trying to raise your own kids to be the same."

Judging Books by Covers

Sometimes, let's face it, we judge a book by it's cover. You may not do it intentionally, but it's human nature to be drawn to something visually powerful. And if we're fair about it, the marketing departments are trying to package the book in a way that makes us want to buy it. But as we discovered in Kristen Painter's recent (and quite excellent) discussion of the cover for Liar, sometimes they fail.

The reality is that author's have very little-- if any-- say in covers. I once turned down a rather nice, unsolicited offer from an epublisher based upon this. I won't say who it was. They certainly make a great deal of money and have a good reputation. I just hate, hate, HATE their covers.

But I'm also guilty of the "pre-disappointment dream" of a magical, wonderful, glorious cover in my future. I love Mel's cover for Bite Me, and Rhonda's are so eye-catchingly bright, too!

Here are some books I loved for both what was on the outside, and on the inside. I've bought books with glorious covers that disappointed. These are a few favorites that didn't.

Terry Pratchett is my all-time favorite author. I love his young adult, his adult, everything he does. And his cover artist is Josh Kirby. You have to hunt around for some of the Kirby covers in the US, which pushes the generic, plain ones. I'll never understand that. The UK just has a superior sense of book aesthetics, I guess. This is the cover for Guards! Gaurds!, one of my favorites. There is so much going on in the illustration you could spend as much time looking at it as reading the text inside!

Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series is one of my favorite fantasy series. The Star Scroll, cover pictured here, was an absolute masterpiece by Michael Whalen, a legend in fantasy artwork. He captures a softness, fierceness, and strength all at the same time in his paintings. The colors are gorgeous, but the detail is even moreso.

Anne Bishop, another fave, has darker, more thoughtful covers. She's always been an auto-buy for me. I have every book she has ever written in both hardcover and paperback. But I stumbled upon her because I walked by the New Releases in the Sci Fi/Fantasy section and was arrested by... drumroll... one of the covers for her Black Jewel series. After grabbing it on impulse, I did what I usually do: I read the first few pages... only I had reached page 10 before realizing how long I'd been reading.

Yasmin Galenorn was another author I picked up strictly in response to her covers. I loved the dark, edgy look of them, and particularly liked her tough-looking, lovely ladies. I wanted to know these women, and reading their stories was the natural way to go about it. Picked her up, read two pages, picked up everything on the shelf that day. I've been a loyal fan of this series.

And of course, this is a YA blog. My absolute-favorite-cover-in-ages is Robin McKinley's Chalice cover. It uses the Pre-Raphaelite painting Miranda, by John William Waterhouse. Google him some time when you need to be inspired. I have prints of his work all over the place. Chalice features Miranda from the Tempest as its central image but only die-hard dorks like myself make the immediate connection. She is featured in a gorgeous circle of knotwork with bees at the four compass points. I think I bought this book just as much because of the cover as McKinley's name on it. It's a dream-cover for an author.

What are some of your favorite covers of all time?