The Tara Tracks

Welcome to the sixth chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers. You can check out previous interviews here.

The sixth story features YA author Megan Crewe, a super cool redhead who tutors autistic children. And if the photo on her website is any indication, she may be a part-time model too! Still, it wasn’t a pretty smile that scored Megan the representation of highly sought after agent Kristin Nelson. I’ve had the fortune of reading some of Megan’s writing, and the girl has some serious world-building skills.

Another cool thing about Megan? She’s a publisher sistah of mine. Henry Holt BYR will be releasing her debut YA paranormal, GIVING UP THE GHOST, in Fall 2009!

Synopsis (ganked from her website): Sixteen-year-old Cass McKenna would take the company of the dead over the living any day. Unlike her high school classmates, the dead don’t lie or judge, and they’re way less scary than Danielle, the best-bud-turned-backstabber who kicked Cass to the bottom of the social ladder in seventh grade. Since then, Cass has styled herself as an avenger. Using the secrets her ghostly friends stumble across, she exposes her fellow students’ deceits and knocks the poseurs down a peg.

When Tim Reed, the student council V.P., asks Cass to chat with his recently-deceased mom, her instinct is to laugh in his face. But Tim’s part of Danielle’s crowd. He can give Cass dirt the dead don’t know. Intent on revenge, Cass offers to trade her spirit-detecting skills for his information. She isn’t counting on chasing a ghost who would rather hide than speak to her, dealing with the retaliation of an angry student, or discovering that Tim’s actually an okay guy. As Tim sinks into a suicidal depression, Cass has to choose: run back to the safety of the dead, or risk everything to stop Tim from becoming a ghost himself.

Your YA paranormal, GIVING UP THE GHOST, sold a few months back. Congrats again! If the world building is half as amazing as HALFWAY HERO, readers are in for a treat.

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flash cards beforehand. How did you come up with the idea for GIVING UP THE GHOST?

Honestly, it’s a little hard to tell you, because I was half-asleep at the time. I get a lot of my best ideas when my mind is just wandering, as it often does when I am attempting to sleep. During one of those times, the main character, Cass, started to form in my mind—this girl who would rather be friends with the dead than the living, because the dead were less scary (for her) to deal with. Later, when I was awake, I had to figure out why she found the living scary, and what she was going to have to overcome in the book, and that’s when the outlining and index cards came in.

If GIVING UP THE GHOST was a movie, who would play Cass? Who would play Tim?

Hmmm. If I could get a teenaged Thora Birch, she might make a good Cass. Or a teen Anna Paquin. They’re both too old now, though. I can’t think of any actors who look like my mental image of Tim. Obviously, if GHOST does become a movie, I should not be involved in casting.

Pick a theme song for Cass—one that suits her personality. Good. Now, why did you pick that song?

This I can do! “Trouble” by Lisa Germano. It sums up Cass’s internal struggle pretty much perfectly—wanting to reach out, yet catching herself because she remembers how risky that can be; starting to realize she’s not happy with the way she is but hesitant to change all the same.

World building is tough, and the bar is continually being raised in urban fantasy/paranormal. What do you think makes your world believable to the reader? Can you think of any YA urban fantasy novels where the world building really impressed you? If so, why?

I hope my world is believable to the reader! What makes it believable to me, I think, is the internal consistency. I know exactly what my ghosts can and can’t do; I set the rules down early and I don’t deviate from them. And then there’s the very-hard-to-express sense of ‘it feels right’. The way the supernatural elements in my book work, and how my characters respond to them, were written the way that felt the most real and true to me.

Let’s talk about the road that led you to this wonderful place. What did you love about the agent hunt? What drove you nuts?

The best and worst part of the agent hunt was that moment an e-mail appeared in my inbox, or a SASE arrived in my mailbox. All that hope—maybe they want to read more! Maybe they loved it! And all the fear—maybe they hated it and they never want to see one word from me again! Getting requests and positive feedback, knowing agents liked the idea and the pages enough to want to see more, that was great. But getting the rejections, not being quite there yet, not knowing when I would be… Not so much fun.

Is there anything you’d like to share about Call#1—when your agent offered representation? Did your agent tell you what she loved about the book?

I was so excited during that call it’s a bit of a blur. But I do remember feeling that Kristin really got the book, because the things she loved about it—Cass’s voice, her prickly yet vulnerable personality, the idea of using ghosts to learn people’s secrets—were the things I loved most about it, too.

A lot of writers question whether or not an agent is necessary. What do you really love about having an agent?

In the least amount of words, not having to worry. I don’t have to worry about which editors to send a book to, or how to get to editors at closed houses; I don’t have to worry about negotiating contracts or figuring out what terms are reasonable. And that’s time I can spend writing instead. On the less practical side, it’s also a really great feeling having someone on your side, who believes in your work enough to want to get it out there for you.

Did you have to revise before your book went on submission?

I did some relatively small revisions for Kristin before the book went out—line edits here and there, and expanding a couple of scenes.

Response times in the publishing world can be rather unpredictable, but we writerly types love stats. How long did it take you to get an offer after your agent submitted the manuscript to publishers?

I’m fond of telling this story now, but it wasn’t so enjoyable when I was in the middle of waiting. GIVING UP THE GHOST went on submission on January 2, 2007. We got the first offer January 2, 2008. One year to the day!

Did you manage to form coherent sentences during your first conversation with your new editor?

As far as I recall, they were mostly coherent. To be careful I had written out the questions I wanted to ask ahead of time, just in case.

You’re definitely well on your way, but the road trip isn’t over yet. Now that you’ve found a great agent and editor, what are you focusing on (i.e. promotion, revisions, etc)?

Right now I’m focusing on finished revisions on GHOST and getting my next project ready for submission. I’ve been thinking a lot about promotion, too—it seems like so much fun! But it’s a little early for that yet.

If you could design your own book cover for GIVING UP THE GHOST, what would it contain?

I don’t know if this would actually work, but the image I have in my head is a wide gravestone, with two girls sitting on it (visible only from waist-ish down), one fully there and one ghostly, inclined toward each other as if they’re hanging out there talking. And the title would be carved on the gravestone.

**Fun author factoids**

Which character in THE BREAKFAST CLUB were you in high school (the nerd, the rebel, the jock, the princess, the recluse)? And how did you totally blow that stereotype to shreds?

I was probably closest to the nerd—I was best known as someone who got good grades—but I was not a very good stereotype. I was involved in athletics (swim & synchro teams) and artistic things (newspaper, writing contests, murals) as well. I listened to alternative rock. I hated math, and stopped taking it as soon as I was absolutely sure I wouldn’t need it for. Sure, I wanted to do well academically, but the only marks I really cared about (as in, would get upset if they didn’t meet my expectations) were on the fiction assignments in English class.

Name one thing that hasn’t changed about you since you were a teen. Come on, there’s always something.

Um, I write? Okay, okay. I’m still kind of socially awkward, and not very good at starting conversations with people I don’t know well. Or answering questions like this, apparently!

Okay, so let’s say you get stuck in an elevator. But you get to pick one author to keep you company. Who would it be and why?

You didn’t say it has to be an author who’s still alive, so assuming this is all a dream anyway: Roald Dahl. Because he’s been one of my favorite children’s authors since I was a kid, and I’d love to get a glimpse of what he was like in person, ask him questions about his books, that sort of thing. Also, he clearly has a great sense of humor, so I would be entertained while we were stuck.

Yay! Thank you, Megan, for your splendid answers and insight into your upcoming book. I mean–sarcastic girls and ghosts? Sounds like something right up my alley Look out for GIVING UP THE GHOST in Fall 2009, everyone! I know I can’t wait to read it.

Welcome to the fifth chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers. You can check out previous interviews here.

The fifth story features YA author Stephanie Kuehnert, a music lovin’ gal who writes just the kind of books I love to read. Girls with guitars are awesome. Spread the word! And no, I’m not biased at all. Stephanie’s debut novel, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE (MTV Books, July 2008), is about to hit stores, and she has worked very hard to get to this point. I received my copy last night and found it very difficult to put down (it was 3am when I finally gave in). Stephanie has that perfect blend of voice and visceral description that draws me in at page one. There is some gorgeous writing in this book! It’s a perfect example of grrl angst done right. I’ve been brought back to my days of combat boots and shows in stuffy warehouses. Please check out her rockin’ website!

Her fabulous agent, Caren Johnson Estesen of the Caren Johnson Literary Agency, has also sold Stephanie’s second YA book, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. Congratulations to you both!

Synopsis (ganked from Stephanie’s website): A raw, edgy, emotional novel about growing up punk and living to tell.

The Clash. Social Distortion. Dead Kennedys. Patti Smith. The Ramones. Punk rock is in Emily Black’s blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back.

Now Emily’s all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn’t it lead her right back to Emily?

1. So, your debut novel, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, is about to hit shelves. And you just sold a second book, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. Congratulations! Those titles alone reflect your passion for music.

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flash cards beforehand. How did you come up with the idea for I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE?

I got my BA and MFA at Columbia College Chicago and the Fiction Writing Department there uses a really unique teaching method called the Story Workshop approach, where every time you go to class, you sit down and you do these exercises to get you seeing in your mind, then you tell what you are seeing orally and then you write it. One of the key coachings is “Go to a place that takes your attention.” So when I have a novel idea forming, I generally write the scenes that are taking my attention first. Sometimes this comes out in order, sometimes not. IWBYJR was not in order at all, BALLADS was. Then after I get a sense of the arc of the story and the characters, I outline and do flashcards and the whole bit. So I plunge, then I plot.

IWBYJR came from two different places. I wrote a short story with Emily as a character. She was nothing like the Emily of the book other than her personality and sense of humor (ie. in the short story she was in college, not in a band), but my friend really liked her. I was in a class with him and he was like, “Dude, you gotta write another Emily story.” So when we did the exercises in class that day, I wrote the key scene from what would become the first chapter of the book where Emily has the disappointing experiencing of losing her virginity to a wanna-be rock god. I wrote it mostly to amuse my friend, but then I really wanted to keep writing about Emily. Additionally, I had this other character Louisa, who I’d written about, another short story, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her either. I realized that even though I’d set her story in the present day, I could just as easily set it in the late sixties/early seventies, and she could be Emily’s missing mom. At that point, both Emily and Louisa became very insistent, so I dropped the other project I was working on (which would become BALLADS) and started working solely on IWBYJR.

What’s Emily’s role in this punk band? If you were to compare them to an existing band, who would they sound the most like?

Emily is the lead singer/guitarist. It’s kind of hard to compare them to an existing band because I imagine a really unique sound for the band, punk with both bluesy and poppy undertones. So my best comparison is combine the Distillers with the White Stripes and the Ramones and of course combine that with any noise the reader has in their head!

Based on your first chapter, I’m expecting a roller coaster ride as we follow Emily through her teen years. Did you (in a way) get to watch Emily grow up as you wrote? Did you have an idea of who she would become or did she surprise you along the way?

I knew one basic thing about Emily: that she would grow up to be a punk rock goddess. Her journey was full of surprises. I originally wanted to keep my first story about Emily so I wanted her to go to college. Yeah, that didn’t work out at all. But my whole writing things out of order technique really worked well to help me discover Emily. I found my major plot points that way and figured out how Emily would get there.

Now, this second book you just sold—BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. What’s that about?

I’m actually pretty awful at summarizing books. I finally nailed the elevator pitch for IWBYJR like a month ago and that’s because I had the description on the back of the book to work with! The one sentence summary for BALLADS is this: After years of feeling like an outcast in her suburban town, sixteen year-old Kara McNaughton finds her place among a group of punks, skaters, and other misfits who hang out at a local park, but as the teens try to cope with bad relationships and broken homes, life spirals out of control.

It’s kind of a classic coming of age story. Maybe a little darker. There’s a lot of kids with screwed up families and they cope by drinking too much and cutting themselves and doing heroin. But maybe if The Outsiders was set in the early 90s in the suburbs of Chicago, it would be like that. And everyone who knows me is going to think it’s autobiographical, but it’s not. There was a thinly-veiled autobiographical version that I wrote before IWBYJR, but it will never see the light of day.

Let’s talk about the road that got you to this wonderful place. I know you met your agent, Caren Johnson Estesen, in college. What made you decide to go the agent route and how many books did you write before contacting Caren?

I wrote the aforementioned thinly-veiled autobiography. I wrote it fast and furiously in my first year at Columbia (note, I didn’t start at Columbia till I was 21.) I took someone’s good advice and let it sit in a drawer for six months. In the meantime I started writing IWBYJR.

I was actually nowhere near thinking about agents when I met Caren. I was seriously focused on IWBYJR, but I was in the midst of a period of writer’s block, and I could have spent a lot more time writing the book if I wanted because it was my master’s thesis and you have seven years or something to complete that. Who knows how much I may have procrastinated! But every year Columbia has this amazing lit fest called Story Week Festival of Writers. They bring in authors and agents and editors and one of the perks of being a student there is that they select certain students to meet with certain people in the biz. I’d meet with an author before and a publisher from a small press. Both had given me feedback on my work, which was wonderful and that was all that I expected. But I got in the room with Caren and she was like, “I love this, I want this, when will you be done?”

Uhhhh…. Yeah, like I said, writer’s block… But I knew this was a huge opportunity so I told her September, which gave me about five months. I worked my ass off that summer. In the meantime, Caren left the agency she was at and started Firebrand (which she would later leave to start CJLA and I followed her everywhere and would follow her to hell and back, I love her so much). She had me do revisions, and then she signed me. Then I did more a little bit more revising and she started shopping.

On your blog, you’d mentioned that I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE took a year to sell, and it was originally supposed to be an adult book. Many writers, like myself, aren’t good at waiting. How did you keep yourself sane while in limbo and what made you ultimately decide to market it as a YA novel?

I tried to focus on writing another book, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. I vented a lot to friends. I made plans to go back to school for library science if things didn’t pan out because then I’d at least have a job that involved books and made me happy. (I still ponder the library thing for sure, may just do it anyway because I love libraries.)

Caren was the one who decided to pitch the book as a YA. Caren had a lot more faith in IWBYJR than me at many points. She really saw something in and it was a big personal mission of hers to sell it. I really lucked out because that is the most essential thing to have in an agent. She told me, “I exhausted the adult editors, but I want to pitch it as YA.” I said, “But the sex, the drugs, the swearing, the violence… I want to sell the book, but I don’t want to censor myself.” She said, “YA is edgier now. You won’t have to censor yourself. Just trust me.” *Shrugs* So I did. She sold it within a month. And I didn’t have to change much. I toned down the swearing because I tend to overdo it; I just have a pottymouth. There were some adult perspectives in there besides Emily’s mother and we cut those, which made it a better book. My editor changed nipple to breast in one place. That was about it.

What was your reaction the day you got THE CALL that your book had an offer. Who did you tell first?

Well, I actually got an email. Caren forwarded the offer to me and said “call me to talk when you can” because she knew I’d be at work. I didn’t actually believe it was real because we’d had an almost offer before but then it had to go to other people at editor’s office and it got shot down, so I thought this was like that. That the offer would still be contingent on some other people approving it. Still I got all shaky and asked my co-worker if I could use an empty private office because “I think my agent just sold my book.” Then I went to call Caren, and she confirmed it was an actual offer, up to me to accept. Of course I accepted it. Then she said, “Call your mom. You’re a published author.” So I called my mom and she was elated to say the least. Then I called my boyfriend and got voicemail, so I had to leave a message. Then I called the Fiction Writing Department at Columbia. All my friends still worked there, so I told one of them and she screamed and announced to everyone, “Stephanie sold her book!” Then my boyfriend was calling, so I rushed off the phone to talk to him.

Was the editorial letter more than you expected? Were there any scenes you cut, but loved? If so, care to share any details about one?

I had no idea what to expect. Caren told me not to freak out if it was fifteen pages or so, which it was, but that’s because my editor, Jen Heddle, is amazing. There was a like a page and a half letter where she discussed the larger aspects of what she wanted to see and the rest of the pages were line edits and a couple of places where she told me, I just wanted to tell you I loved this part.

But yes, I cut a lot of stuff. I added a lot of stuff, too, which was fun. But I cut a lot. Had to cut those extra adult POVs, and one of those included this beautiful scene between Louisa (Emily’s mother) and her best friend Molly when they were kids and Molly found out that her grandfather died. I think it showed a different side of both Molly and Louisa and my editor loved that scene too, but there just wasn’t room for it. One scene that I cut that I loved that my editor didn’t think was a necessary/love as much as me was a Ouija board scene where ten year-old Emily becomes convinced her mom is dead because a spirit on the Ouija board claims to be her. Yeah, there will be a “deleted scenes” section on my website eventually…

These days, every debut author is expected to do some self-promotion. Not only do you have an awesome website, but you’re integrating music with your tour—which is a great idea! I’m sure a lot of authors feel overwhelmed after selling their first book. Can you share a little bit about your process, like how much you’ve done vs. your publisher?

Basically many people told me that the main thing your publisher will do for you is send out review copies. So I pretty much set that as my expectation and built my own plans around it. I’m lucky to have lots of talented friends who are willing to help me. My webmistress, Jenny Hassler, being a key person and then Sheryl Johnston, a publicist friend, who has really helped me navigate the media and literary scene in Chicago. I’d be quite lost without Jenny and Sheryl. I’d also be lost without Caren. She sent me a ton of materials on promotion and she also sent me an outline for a publicity plan and said, “fill this out, we give this to the people at MTV Books.” So we used that to tell them where we wanted review copies sent and what our angle was. Caren also told me that it can’t hurt to ask for things. So I do ask for things. Sometimes they say yes, sometimes they say no.

But the other thing that has really helped me out is that I come from the punk scene. I come from the world of doing zines and putting on riot grrrl conventions and friends with indie bands and indie record labels. I come from the world of D.I.Y., “Do It Yourself.” I’m used to it. So I came up with ideas like having a street team, which has been awesome. I get to meet really cool people who are passionate about books. They plaster banners of my book all over the web. I send them prizes. It’s fun. I also go out and talk to people in the community. Book stores and other places. I set up weird gigs, like I’m doing a reading at my local record store next week. Caren told me, “Handle this like a band coming out with an album would. Do a ton of readings locally. Do open mic nights.” I did and then I decided I wanted to go on a big vacation to the West Coast to celebrate and I wanted to read there, too. This was against Caren’s advice because she wants me to save my money, but I want to have an adventure, so I’m having it, even if it is ill-advised. This is where the publisher came in handy. They didn’t pay for anything, but I told them where I was going and where I would like to read and they’ve gotten me all my first choice places, so that was wonderful!

Ultimately my advice would be, plan to do a lot yourself, but your publicist at your publisher is your friend (and hopefully they are as friendly as the lovely Erica at MTV Books), so don’t be afraid to ask for help. The worst they can do is say no.

I’d love to hear more about your idea of integrating music with a book tour. What cities will you hit this summer?

Well I did a reading with my friend’s band in Denver, which was really cool. But I’m only doing a musical thing in one city unfortunately. It just really took *a ton* of planning. But the resulting event is called ROCK ‘N’ READ, it takes place in Hollywood on July 13th (my birthday!), and you can find out all about it at www.rocknread.net. I really hope it works out well and I hope to do it in Chicago, too, if it does. I’m doing another reading in L.A. while I’m there. I’m doing a signing in Monterey, California, two events in San Francisco (one of which involves reading with musician/writers so that’s cool) and one reading in Seattle. Then of course I’m doing a ton of stuff in the Chicago area and I’m hitting the Wisconsin Humanities Festival in October. All my events are listed at www.stephaniekuehnert.com/gigs.html

July is getting awfully close. Have any plans for the day of your book release?

Agh, don’t remind me! I still have so much to do!!! But I do have a really nice release day planned. It involves spa type stuff in the morning, probably an afternoon of seeing if the book is in local stores, and then my best friend is a chef at this absolutely amazing, fancy-schmancy, Italian restaurant, so me and my dearest ones are going to eat there and drink champagne. That’s the fancy part of the celebration. Two days later I’m having a party at the dive bar I worked at. That’s gonna be the really fun part.

Did you have any input on the cover? What was your reaction the first time you saw it?

No, they came up with the cover all by themselves. I had some ideas and mentioned them. All the images I suggested were black and white so maybe they took that from it, but probably not. When I first saw it it was probably the biggest OMG moment since The Call. I couldn’t be more thrilled. The image sums up my main character so perfectly. Not to mention it totally looks like me when I was sixteen. And then the guitar picks? And the font? Everything about it is perfect. I really couldn’t have been luckier. I can tell you it was worth that agonizing year-long wait to end up where I did. With the most wonderful editor and as part of the amazing MTV Books line and with the perfect cover!

**Fun author factoids**

If you could join any band, who would you rock out with and what instrument would you play?

Well, if I could bring back dead people, then Nirvana. If I could reunite broken-up bands, then Sleater Kinney (we could sing the song “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone!”) or Hole or The Distillers. If I’m not allowed to do either than there is this punk band I just discovered, Civet. And I’d play the guitar– that is if I could magically learn to play it.

Name one thing that hasn’t changed about you since you were a teen. Come on, there’s always something.

There’s plenty of things actually. My favorite band hasn’t changed (Nirvana) or the guilty pleasure TV show I watch every day (One Life to Live) or my politics (feminist vegan) or even my best friend! The biggest difference is I’m not nearly as insecure as I was (most of the time, I have my moments) and I feel like I’ve found my place in the world (I never really felt like I fit anywhere in high school). I’m also much happier. But I still feel extremely close to my teenage self, which is probably why I write teenage characters!

You and Melissa Marr recently held an awesome contest, requesting suggestions for songs that ooze grrl power. Now, it’s your turn. Give me three grrl power songs to check out.

Ah, that was the contest where I discovered Civet. So I’m recommending them to everyone, www.myspace.com/civet but here are three bands I discovered on my own as a teen who totally got me through high school:

If anyone hasn’t heard Sleater-Kinney’s “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” they absolutely must. Here they are playing it at CBGBs: But Corin’s band before S-K, Heavens to Betsy was what I listened to most during my angriest years. It was hard to find anything by them, but I did find this low quality vid.

Then there is The Gits, “Another Shot of Whiskey” is my favorite, but I couldn’t find it on youtube, however there is a documentary about the band (the singer Mia Zapata was murdered in 1993) coming out this summer and at that website you can hear some music:

Oh man, this is so tough cause there are so many more, but I’ll have to go with my girl power anthem from when I was 13. Pretty on the Inside by Hole.

Bonus question: Is there anything else you were dying to answer? If so, go for it!

Okay, how about what was the best part about IWBYJR being sold as a YA?

The YA readers. Not only do I like being able to talk with teens in general, there is this amazing group of teen reviewers out there who blog on books and they are some of the coolest people on the planet. I feel honored to have met them and I advise all YA writers to start reading some of their blogs and get to know them!

Awesome! Thank you so much, Stephanie, for this very informative and thoughtful interview. It is obvious how much passion, time, and effort you’ve put into making this happen, and I am so excited for you! Those of you reading this have no excuse. Pre-Order I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE now or pick it up at your favorite local or Indie bookstore when it comes out!

Also, please stop by and see her if she’s coming to a city near you. I know I’ll be seeing her in Seattle!

Welcome to the fourth chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers. You can check out previous interviews here.

The fourth story features YA urban fantasy author, Scott Tracey. Scott and I went through the nail-biting process of having to choose from multiple agent offers together. An enviable process, perhaps. But it’s not easy to choose between great agents! His awesome premise caught the eye of up and coming agent Colleen Lindsay, and he couldn’t resist her enthusiastic offer. Scott keeps an informative blog relating to his path to publication–which isn’t over yet. Check out his latest post called Dealing With Voice. It’s very well-written, and I agree with every word of it.

His YA urban fantasy, Witch Eyes, is currently seeking a home at a publisher near you. His talent for delicious visual imagery will surely rope some lucky editor in. And it’s about boy witches–squeeee!

Synopsis: WITCH EYES follows Braden’s journey, as he tries to uncover who he really is, find acceptance, and deal with the perilous life that comes with his gift. Add in a pinch of demons, several cups of witchcraft, a couple of ounces of supernatural mafia, and bake to a golden crisp.

Boy witches, eh? Rock on! Tell me more about WITCH EYES and Braden’s gift. Does he get to turn anyone into nifty animals like hyenas or banana slugs?

Eww, banana slugs? Sadly, no, Braden’s too much of a nice guy to go around turning people into animals. Maybe in the sequel though.

Braden’s gift is an unusual, in the world of Witch Eyes. Not only is he a witch, meaning he has all sorts of fun magical powers, but his vision of the world around him is…unfiltered. The idea that everything that happens leaves an impression; a memory – those are the things Braden can see. Once he ‘looks’ he can’t shut it out – it comes hard and fast and all at once. So he wears sunglasses all the time – it’s enough of a filter to protect him. The witch eyes give him an edge magically, and makes him fairly exceptional. It’s a gift that a lot of people would kill to have on their side.

Braden starts out as a runaway, hoping to find answers to the secrets of his past. What he ends up finding is a town divided by two rival witch families that have feuded for generations, and how both sides want to use him for their own goals. Everyone in town seems to have an agenda, so he’s navigating not only a new school, but new friendships, his first real relationship, and the feud itself.

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flashcards. How did you come up with the idea for WITCH EYES?

I provided only two pieces to the puzzle, and then the story developed on it’s own. I knew it was a story of unrequited, forbidden love – a more modern and gay Romeo and Juliet. From there, I kinda got a sense of Springfield. It’s a small town, divided by these families that have hated one another for generations.

On my way to work last summer, I’d always get struck by how bright it was outside once I left my apartment. From there, I started looking into people who were light sensitive, and those suffering from photophobia. And I wondered what it would be like if there was a supernatural cause, what would it be like? The two of those ideas were what I started with, and the rest just kinda came along on it’s own.

Not outlining was rough, especially at one point when I realized I was missing something crucial. For weeks, I lamented to my best friend about the Lost Day – a day in Braden’s life that I had completely missed. I knew it was important, and I knew that important things were happening there, but I couldn’t figure out what they were. That was probably the worst point of the writing process – trying to unravel what I was missing.

Once I finally got through the Lost Day, I realized the ending I had didn’t work the way I wanted it to. So I scrapped the last twenty thousand words and started over. And the whole thing came out stronger for it. At least I think so.

Pick a theme song for Braden—one that suits his personality. Good. Now, why did you pick that song?

This one is easy. I’ve known Braden’s theme song since I was about halfway through writing the book. “Unbreakable” by Fireflight. If they ever make a Witch Eyes movie, I’d want this to be the song they use in the trailer – it just screams Braden to me. It’s Braden’s song from the minute he steps off the bus in Springfield.

It’s a song that basically talks about personal growth – becoming the sort of person that can stand up against the things that held them down before. It fits for Braden because of the personal empowerment angle – Braden’s journey is one in learning to trust himself, and trust the powers that he has at his disposal. It’s his realization that he is, in fact, “unbreakable.”

The fact that Fireflight is a Christian rock band, and I write about gay witches, is a bit amusing. But I highly, highly adore that song.

World building is tough, and the bar is continually being raised in urban fantasy. What do you think makes your world believable to the reader? Can you think of any YA urban fantasy novels where the world building really impressed you? If so, why?

What I tried to do, with the setting I was going for, was to focus on this one town. I didn’t spend much time debating what was out there in the rest of the world, I wanted to show this one little snippet of supernatural life. I think narrowing the focus in that regard, and choosing to spend more time with my characters and their daily lives, is what helps the story come alive. I’m not trying to convince my readers that this is a world inhabited by vampires, witches, werewolves and darkness. I’m just trying to get them to suspend their disbelief long enough to see what Braden’s life is like. I think by straddling a line between the natural and supernatural worlds, it gives the readers a lot more to gravitate towards. You can see how this guy’s ordinary life is affected by the things he’s going through.

I think the urban fantasy novels that impressed me were the Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld. The world building in the trilogy is something organic. There’s all these weird things in town, but all those weird things have an underlying explanation, an origin. Not only do they all make sense in the larger story, but they’re all interlinked with each other. He crafted a world and a set of rules that consistently infects all these different aspects to the town, and anyone outside the Blue Time would never see it more than local legends and urban myths. I love that!

Let’s talk about the road that led to an agent offer or multiple offers in your case. What did you love about the agent hunt? What drove you nuts?

I equally loved and hated the agent hunt. Knowing that I was sending out a batch of queries, and then eagerly waiting the responses? So much fun! Actually having to wait on those responses? Horrible. I even sent a few queries specifically because I knew those agents had ridiculously fast response times. (Note – I still made sure those agents were a good fit for me, or at least I thought they were). During the agent hunt, I loved talking with other people about the querying process, crafting my own query and then helping others do the same. Having a support system was incredibly important – I had people there to celebrate the successes, and commiserate with my failures.

I think the most frustrating part, though, was the form letters and “I just didn’t fall in love with it” responses. I’m the type of person that, if something’s not working, I want to know what I can do to fix it. In those instances, there wasn’t a lot for me to go on, so I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Okay, I’ve got a rejection, but what does that mean? Is there something I can fix? Or is the whole thing just broken? Logically, I know that not everyone is going to love my book. It’s just hard to separate that part of yourself that’s going to take every rejection a little personally.

So, you got the first call on an unusual day. Did you have any warning beforehand (an email) or was it completely unexpected? Were you able to form coherent sentences?

I got the email stating Colleen wanted to offer on a Saturday night. I had just gotten done watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it was 2 am, and I checked my email just before bed. And there it was. She came right out and said she wanted to offer representation. Right off the bat, I knew she had gotten the book, and gotten where I was coming from. We scheduled the phone call for the next night, so I had almost a whole day to prepare. Even still, I don’t think I was all that impressive on the phone. On my end there was a lot of “uh huhs” and “rights” but not a lot of…genius caliber discussion. I’d done my homework on Fineprint, and I really didn’t have that many questions. Plus, I really couldn’t think!

I always thought getting to choose between agents was a rather enviable position. Until it happened to me. Is it harder than it seems from the sidelines?

It’s terrible! I knew, from that first conversation with Colleen, that she was going to be someone I could work well with. But I had a number of other fulls out there, and wanted to make the most informed decision possible. That was the toughest part, along with the waiting. I spent a little over ten days waiting to hear back from the other agents, most of whom dropped out. If anyone tells you ten days is nothing, that people waiting on queries will wait longer than that? The stakes are SO much higher at that point. You’re not waiting to get a request or a rejection – you’re waiting to hear back about the course of your career. It’s not open-ended anymore. You know that at the end of the wait period, you’ll have an agent. You just don’t know who, and you don’t know what your options are.

I was in a constant state of stress for the entire ten days. I had to pry myself away from the computer at many points, just so I wouldn’t go crazy with the waiting. It was even worse because I was on vacation that week, so I couldn’t even go to work and pick up extra shifts.

So I had another agent offer representation, and after talking to them on the phone, I sat down and made one of those lists. Y’know, pros and cons. Lucky for me I’d taken notes during the phone calls, so I used a lot of that to refresh my memory of what we’d discussed. It was a difficult decision, as I felt like I resonated with both agents in a different way. In the end, my gut instinct was with Colleen, and the fact that she had more Pros and less Cons, made the choice clear to me.

A lot of writers question whether or not an agent is necessary. Why did you choose to go the agent route?

All I really want to do is write and promote my books. Having an agent means that there’s potential for my book to reach editors it normally wouldn’t, and I’ve got someone who’s looking out for my best interests when it comes to signing on the dotted line. That frees me up to do what I love, and not get bogged down. The friends I’ve made who have agents all talk about how helpful it is to have someone there to help you along the way. That was what I was looking for, in the long run.

I read a story by an author who received an offer from an editor at a publishing house. She was ecstatic. But then, the agent haggled with the editor, and she ended up getting a MUCH better deal than she would have on her own. In effect, the agent earned far more than her commission rate at the end of the day.

Now that you have an agent, what are your concerns? Are you nervous about the next pit stop AKA the agented subs trench?

I’m one of those people that’s a worrier. So I’m always looking for the next big thing to panic over. What if editors don’t like my book, what if we can’t sell it to the perfect person, etc.

I’m not actually as nervous over the submissions trench as I thought I’d be. Honestly, I thought I’d be a wreck, and I’m not. I’m just kinda coasting around, dealing with everything else in my life. I suppose if the book sells, I’m going to feel a little differently.

I’ve actually done some Googling about the editors I know who have my book. Not only with Publishers Weekly, but just to see if there’s anything out there about them on the Net. It doesn’t really help or hurt, but it gives me something to do so I’m not staring obsessively at my inbox.

Are you working on anything new at the moment? If so, care to share?

I’m actually working on a couple of different ideas. Playing would probably be more appropriate. Since I haven’t settled on something that just screams to be written (yet), I keep flitting from idea to idea. Eventually, something will stick. I’m a big believer in the muse, and writing what the muse tells you. So when my muse is ready to rock and roll, I’m sure I’ll be looking for a coffee IV to keep me going.

I’ve made a few starts on a sequel to Witch Eyes, but one of the other ideas that really interests me is what I’m calling Souled for right now. It’s about demonic possession, old world ceremonial magic, and identity. What makes us who we are, and how much do other forces have input on who we really are? The protagonists I’ve got in mind are really interesting to me – on the one hand, you’ve got a guy that everyone thinks they “know.” But he’s not even sure he knows himself. And then you’ve got a girl who lives her life on the run, and everywhere she goes she picks up and discards personalities like it’s just another accessory.

If you could design your own book cover for WITCH EYES, what would it contain?

I’m partial to my LJ icon, which is just a picture I found online, cropped out the eyes, and then turned it into a photo-negative. Something with a surreal pair of eyes, giving that little bit of supernatural flair. Maybe a pair of those disembodied eyes hovering over a beach in the middle of night. Lots of pinks and purples in the sky. That’s what my dream cover would have.

Oh, and my name. Because that would be the coolest part. Walk into a bookstore and see my name on a shelf. It doesn’t even have to be in one of those cool fonts. It could be in Courier and I would learn to love it!

**Fun author factoids**

Which character in THE BREAKFAST CLUB were you in high school? And how did you totally blow that stereotype to shreds?

I was probably some mix of the Brain and the Basket-case. I was smart, but rarely applied myself, and I preferred to spend more time on my own than I did with the rest of my peers. Plus, the fact that it was a Catholic high school, and I spent a few years in the hall reading texts on Wicca, shamanism and other New Age texts. That went over well. As I’m sure you can imagine.

Name one thing that hasn’t changed about you since you were a teen. Come on, there’s always something.

I’m still just as obsessed with stories about magic. Yeah, I’m lame like that. Oh, and I love Buffy just as much as I did back in high school. I still watch old episodes all the time.

Uhm, and I’m probably just as sarcastic as I was in high school. But I’m sure that came across already.

Okay, so let’s say you get stuck in an elevator. But you get to pick one author to keep you company. Who would it be and why?

Easy one. L.J. Smith. She wrote a number of YA urban fantasy books in the mid 90s, and those books inspired me to actually write and make an effort at it. I wanted to write novels with characters that resonated with others the way her characters resonated with me. The fact that she’s finally back and writing again, after a ten-year hiatus, just as I finished my novel was an awesome surprise.

Thank you, Scott, for your eloquent and thoughtful answers. You were a pleasure to interview, and I’m itching to see WITCH EYES in book stores in the next couple years. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m already digging Braden

More author interviews to come, including best sellers Jay Asher, Melissa Marr and Lisa McMann. Stay tuned!

Welcome to the third chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers. You can check out previous interviews here.

The third story features YA and soon-to-be MG author Chelsea Campbell. Chelsea is the grammar guru of my super awesome local critique group–The Bham-Critters (although, I don’t think we have an actual name). On her blog, you’ll see lots of stories about her crazy cat, Tiesel (who deserves a book of his own), and her dedication to writing. This girl has been writing and submitting her stories into the big bad world since she was a kid.

That determination combined with a vivid imagination and a gift for voice landed Chelsea her dream agent, Nancy Gallt. Oh, and the girl has mad query writing skills too! Mad skillz, I say. I met Chelsea late into her journey, but I got to see the best part–all that hard work paying off. On ‘fancy stationary’ no less

Chelsea’s superhero YA novel, THE RISE OF RENEGADE X, is currently seeking a home at a publisher near you.

An Elevator Pitch by Chelsea’s friend: Damien’s set to be a supervillain, just like mom, until he meets superhero dad and gets dragged into suburban hell. Now he has six weeks to prove he’s not a hero, but how can he do that while saving his new family from his mom’s evil plans?

So, in THE RISE OF RENEGADE X, Damien has a little trouble with the big V. Care to elaborate?

Okay, so, in the book, superheroes and villains go through a rite of passage. I won’t get into the details of how it works, but when, say, a villain turns sixteen, their thumbprint rearranges itself to form a V. That’s what’s supposed to happen to Damien, but instead he gets an H. He always knew his mom was ashamed of his mysterious father, but now he knows it’s worse than he ever expected: his father’s a superhero.

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flash cards beforehand. How did you come up with the idea for THE RISE OF RENEGADE X?

I was in the car, listening to My Chemical Romance, and I think it’s in the first song on Black Parade where they’re screaming “Save me!” and I thought about how much I could relate, about how much everyone probably wants to be saved in some way, even if it’s not obvious and they’re not, like, tied to the train tracks or anything. And then I went home, sat down, and started writing about superheroes. I’d been having a lot of trouble getting any projects to stick, so I wrote nonsensical journal-ish entries in the MC’s POV for about 35k, just exploring the story and the characters. At some point I started making actual notes and putting scene ideas on flash cards and updating them as I went along. The novel was also a secret at the time, so when I got stuck and needed my friends to help me, I had to come up with creative ways to explain the situation without giving away what the book was about. Those were fun times!

A superhero’s day wouldn’t be complete without girl trouble, and Damien has plenty of that. Do you agree with his choice at the end (no spoilers necessary)?

It’s funny because pretty much everyone who’s read the book confronts me with their opinion on the love triangle and why Damien made the right choice, or why he was stupid and shouldn’t have picked her, or that maybe he’ll end up with the other one later. I like that people get so passionate about it! But anyway, I honestly wasn’t sure who Damien would end up with until I was almost done with the book, and then suddenly it was completely obvious who the right choice was and why it had been that way all along. So, yes, ultimately I agree with who he ended up with.

Let’s talk about the road that led you to an agent offer. How long did your agent hunt last? What did you love about it? What drove you nuts?

Oh, geez. Let’s see… ignoring the stupid attempts I made to send my novels out back in, like junior high, I’ve spent the last five years searching for an agent. In the beginning, I’d just send out maybe five or ten queries, get form rejections back, and decide my book sucked and I should give up on it and move on. Then about two or three years ago I was convinced I had The One and sent that book out to more like fifty agents. I was always convinced I had The One, but this time I meant it. I got my first requests with that book—all two of them—and really believed it was going to pan out. It didn’t. It totally broke my heart, but looking back I can see I read WAY too much into getting requests. It’s a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t mean anyone’s in love. To get back to your question, what was great about the agent hunt was the feeling that every time I finished a novel, it could be the one that finally got me somewhere. Getting ready to send something out for the first time, certain that it’s brimming with potential, is an awesome feeling. And then the rejections pour in. I’d say what really drove me nuts was when I’d get bogged down in rejectomancy. My advice is don’t, even if all the cool kids are doing it, because it’ll just make you miserable.

Us writerly types like stats. How long did your agent have the full manuscript before making an offer?

That gets a bit complicated, since there wasn’t ever really a straight out offer. But to keep things simple, she had the full of Reservations for Loserville (then called A Dragon Ate my Butt) for about sixth months, and The Rise of Renegade X for, um, a week? Maybe two?

Now, your version of ‘The Call’ is rather unique. Not every agent picks up the phone to make an offer. Care to share your story?

This story’s kind of long, but hopefully interesting! I’d originally sent Nancy a query and three sample chapters for Reservations for Loserville, and she called me on the phone two months later to ask for the full, and said if the end was as good as the beginning, she thought we could do business. So I sent her the full, confirmed a week or so later that she got it, and then… waited. A lot. At first I’d obsessively check my e-mail or my phone for messages, but that faded out after months went by without hearing anything. I wrote The Rise of Renegade X in the meantime and made the rounds with that. Six months after that first phone call, I sent Nancy a status check. She said she remembered the book and had read it all the way through—which she said was rare for her–and thought it was salable, but wanted another week to think about it. I told her about Renegade X and she said she’d love to see it, because it sounded funny and original, which was what she liked about my other book. (This was important to me because I was kind of afraid I’d end up with someone who only liked superhero books instead of my writing in general.) She liked it better than my other book, and made some revision suggestions, though she was willing to send it out anyway, as is, if I wanted editor feedback. I made the changes and she sent it out. Somewhere in there we talked back and forth about working together, but there was never an official offer. Eventually I worked up the nerve to ask about contracts—in case I wasn’t really her client and she was just, you know, sending my book out and doing all that work for kicks—and we got that squared away. So! I never actually got “The Call,” or if I did, it was from a query and sample chapters of a different book than the one that got me signed.

A lot of writers question whether or not an agent is necessary. What do you really love about having an agent?

Being able to tell people I have an agent! But seriously, I like knowing my book is somewhere I couldn’t have gotten it on my own, like to editors at big name publishing houses. What I really love about having an agent so far is knowing the agent hunt is over—after years of making the rounds with queries, it feels good for my books to have a place to go when I finish them, instead of in the slush pile.

So, you have a great agent and THE RISE OF RENEGADE X is making rounds in the publishing ether. Do you check your email obsessively or are you finding ways to distract yourself?

I always check my e-mail obsessively! There might be very important LJ comments! But, er, yes, I’d say more than usual. I’m not sure if good news will come in the form of a phone call or an e-mail, so I’ll also admit to a bit of obsessively checking for missed calls and hoping they’re not just from my father-in-law. And, uh, maybe at work when the phone’s for me, I kind of get my hopes up that my agent called my house and my husband gave her my work number and something awesome is happening, but so far that hasn’t happened.

Who will be the first person you tell when you get an offer?

Ideally my husband, but probably whoever’s closest, since I won’t be able to hold it in.

Some writers question whether or not the critique group deal is right for them. Others are content with trusted partners. And some actually do the whole thing solo. What’s your preference?

I have a great critique group, as you know ;), but by the time I met them, I’d already worked really hard on my own, with my husband being my main crit partner. The mostly solo route might have been slow, but I have a weird learning curve and I’m big on self-teaching—I like to get a how-to book and memorize it, and that works for me. (That’s how I learned to knit and how I skipped a year in Latin. I have yet to find something a book and the internet can’t teach me. Er, well, unless you count French knots. I watched a lot of videos, I read several versions of the directions. I still can’t do them.) I’d had several really bad experiences in fiction classes in school, where we did workshops, and I knew that didn’t work for me at all (which was why I dropped the creative writing major and picked up Latin). So when I first got invited to join a crit group, I was a little leery.

But my fears were all for nothing because the group is way cool, and everyone’s serious about the business without taking themselves too seriously. It’s important to have that balance. And I think what’s been really important to me about having a crit group isn’t so much the critiquing as the emotional support. So to sum all that up, I don’t think a crit group is a necessary step for getting published, but don’t overlook the importance of how being involved in a positive group of writers can make you feel a lot less crazy.

**Fun author factoids**

Pick a theme song for yourself. Good. Now, what is it and why did you pick it?

The Rainbow Connection, from The Muppet Movie. Both that song and that movie have been a big influence on my life. I have a really crappy recording of The Muppet Movie on VHS I used to watch over and over as a teenager. Because basically something calls to Kermit, something bigger than just sitting in the swamp, and he sets out for Hollywood and picks up other crazy friends along the way. Finding the right career is one of the movie’s themes, especially a career in something creative or risky. And Kermit has doubts that he’s making the right choices, that bringing all his new friends on this quest for fame and fortune in Hollywood isn’t going to pan out, but he keeps at it anyway, because deep down it’s what he wants to do. I really related to that—and still do—because everyone was always telling me you couldn’t be a writer, you could only have it as a hobby, and maybe someday I’d find an interest in something. And I knew you weren’t supposed to be able to make it, but I also knew that wasn’t going to stop me.

Name one thing that hasn’t changed about you since you were a teen. Come on, there’s always something.

Counting Crows is still my favorite band. EVER. Also I still love most of the same movies I did back then, and I still have the same boyfriend, though he’s been promoted along the way.

Okay, so let’s say you get stuck in an elevator. But you get to pick one author to keep you company. Who would it be and why?

Rick Riordan immediately springs to mind, though I’d probably end up gushing at him about how much I love the Percy Jackson books and going, “Der, we have the same agent! And, um, I know Greek and Latin! That makes us BFFs, right?!” So in the interest of not coming off as a crazy stalker, I’ll go for Louise Rennison, author of the Georgia Nicholson books, because she’s hilarious and I’d love to be able to mutter things like, “Ho hum, pig’s bum,” and “I’m a sham of a sham,” and have someone know what I was talking about. Plus she has a British accent, and that makes everything more interesting.

Bonus question: Is there anything else you were dying to answer? If so, go for it!

Fun fact: Damien’s named after Damien Vryce from C. S. Friedman’s The Coldfire Trilogy. When I got around to naming my MC, I decided I wanted a D name that didn’t suck, and that’s what I was reading at the time.

Awesome! Thank you, Chelsea, for your fun answers and insight into Damien’s little problem. Be on the lookout for THE RISE OF RENEGADE X in the next few years!

There are more author interviews to come! Stay tuned Or bookmarked. Or whatever you want to call it.

Welcome to the second chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers. You can check out the previous interview with L.K. Madigan here.

The second story features YA author Brian Kell. His blog shows off his wonderful sense of humor and even includes a CLUE-like story about his LJ writing buddies. Only it throws in a little twist. Why is ljuser_zero still alive and who saved him?

Brian Kell’s humorous YA fantasy won the representation of hard-to-get agent Rachel Vater at Folio Literary Management.

Synopsis (provided by Brian, shortened by me–so it’s my fault if it’s butchered): CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE is about nineteen year old Briton Bloomfield who is shot dead under mysterious circumstances and arrives, by elevator, into the Realm of Purpose. He’s assigned the position of Cupid and teased about his wardrobe, a diaper and a pair of fluffy wings. Briton is given love lessons by his contemptuous mentor, Kincade Van Wort, and gets assigned to his first target, a video clerk named Raymond Blake Hobson. If Briton misses the shot or chooses the wrong woman for Raymond, ‘a preponderance of violence and death may occur’.

CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE is currently seeking a home at a publisher near you.

So, in your own words, tell me what CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE (awesome title) is about?

Simply put, it is a contemporary take on Cupid. A young man dies, goes to the Realm of Purpose (one post within the afterlife) and is relegated the position of Cupid. Some of the other occupations available are Serendipitists, Shining Rehabilitators, Bereavement Inquiries, etc… Cupids have it the toughest, of course.

Oh… it’s a humorous YA urban fantasy.

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flash cards beforehand. How did you come up with the idea for CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE?

I can honestly remember just sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the phone for some reason. I was thinking about fables and mythical creatures, trying to figure out what was left to write about that would be original. For some reason, Cupid hit me. Right in the nose. As clotted drops of blood dripped onto my leftover Salisbury steak and green beans, I jotted down a few notes. Then I finished my supper.

I wrote most of it straight forward. No outline. But I find that outlining makes it easier now.

Apparently, you have a severed head as a main character in another novel. Do tell me more…

His name is Vladimir Caspar Moses, a noble, pompous knight working for Chancellor Manwaring. He’s cast to seven pieces (head, arms, legs, torso, heart) by an emerging Hag named Charmrot.

The book’s called CHRONIC JOE AND THE HEAD OF VLAD THE SLAYER (humorous MG fantasy). A young boy known as Chronic Joe finds Vlad’s animated head and must help the knight piece himself back together before Charmrot reigns supreme over Mystic Forge.

The book is finished and in the hands of my agent.

Which role would your ‘severed head’ character play in THE BREAKFAST CLUB? (the nerd, the jock, the rebel, the princess, the recluse)

Actually, I picture him as the principal. I can see Vlad walking amongst a group of his men and spouting, “You blundering knuckleheads best shut your yaps or I’m cracking skulls!”

Let’s talk about the road that led you to an agent offer. How long did your agent hunt last? What did you love about it? What drove you nuts?

Good Lord! When I look back at this road… it goes on for miles and miles. With speed bumps, chuckholes, rodent corpses and horse poop. Lots and lots of horse poop. But I’m glad I took it. So very glad.

I started submitting my first book back in 1997, second book in 1999, third book in 2001 with some nice bites but no takers. I started writing Cupid, my fourth book, in 2005 (after a break for five years of college night school to get my engineering degree).

I began the search (with CUPID) in February 2006 and signed with Rachel in August 2007. It took a long time, lots of rewrites, re-submittals, but the result couldn’t have been better; a tight manuscript and the best agent around.

What I love about it is how I’m able to help other authors with the knowledge I gained from the experience. The waiting drove me nuts. (Surprise!)

A lot of writers question whether or not an agent is necessary. What do you really love about having an agent?

The best part is having someone who loves my work so much their willing to spend their own FREE time helping me get published. Next is having an expert with more knowledge about the industry then I could ever hope to learn in my lifetime. Not to mention someone who knows the right editors, knows how to negotiate and will always look out for their authors. Not that there is anything wrong going straight with editors, I just chose this route because it was right for me.

Now, unless something has changed, CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE is making rounds in the publishing ether. How often do you check your email every day?

Actually, my email is always on at work. I’ll get a little blue box in the lower right corner of my screen if I get a new message. So, my answer is literally ‘all the stinkin’ time.’

Have you found ways to distract yourself?

I can physically take myself away from the computer, the books… but my mind is always on it, it seems. Always (ask my family). I’m not sure it’s possible to turn that off.

Who will be the first person you tell after getting The Call?

My wife. Then my kids. Then I’ll change my underpants.

A lot of writers question whether or not the critique group deal is right for them. Others are content with a couple trusted partners. And some actually do the whole thing solo. What’s your preference?

I go the trusted partners route. LJ has been extremely helpful. Besides my wife, so many kind folks (Rhona, Reardon, Robin, Christy, Carrie, Megan, Kzee) have all read my stuff and offered great help. It’s priceless really. Writing is definitely a group effort.

If you could design your own book cover for CUPID IN THE REALM OF PURPOSE, what would it contain?

Man… I wish I could offer up a great idea, but to be honest. I’m blank here. Seriously. The best I can think of is a close-up of the tip of an arrow with my MCs eye just behind it, admiring the lethal point of the weapon.

**Fun author factoids**

Which character in THE BREAKFAST CLUB were you in high school? And how did you totally blow that stereotype to shreds?

I’m the Neo Maxie Zoomed Dweebie. (Is that the term the jock used?)

Actually I was a bit of the nerd/jock/recluse. I played some sports, I played the guitar in a band, and I loved to read books.

I think that’s still who I am, so no shredding here. Is that sad? Maybe not.

Name one thing that hasn’t changed about you since you were a teen. Come on, there’s always something.

I’m still with my girlfriend; I’ve been with my wife since I was 17. I still love Heavy Metal music and Alternative music. Still love to read. Still play air guitar. Oh… crap that’s more than one thing.

If you could nominate one author to rule the world, who would it be and why?

Holy mackerel. Hm. I guess I’d say Stephen King. The man’s been through it all. Seen it all. Experienced it all. And he’s smart and funny. And loves AC/DC. So, yeah, Stephen King.

Bonus question: Is there anything else you were dying to answer? If so, go for it!

Why would an editor, who may be reading this interview, want you as one of their authors?

Gee! There are so many reasons. A boatload, honestly. I do a pretty good Dr. Evil impression. I can make my kids crack up with just a look. I can juggle.

But, as a comic in all seriousness, I’m so set on becoming a bestselling author that, to save us all time, they should contact Rachel and get the proverbial publishing ball rolling. Time’s a wastin’! I will do anything, within the laws of the great state of Wisconsin, to attain my dream.

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To end, I’d like to thank this wonderful lady (I’m drawing a blank on her name again) for allowing me to do this interview. My first. It’s been fun.

Thanks Tara!!!!

And there you have it. Brian Kell, Ladies and Gentlemen. Remember this name–even if he forgets yours. I expect to see CUPID in bookstores within the next couple of years!

Thanks again, Brian! You were a pleasure to interview

Next up is Chelsea Campbell who is represented by Nancy Gallt. She’ll be telling us about a super hero’s trouble with the big V on Monday!

Are you an author or industry professional interested in being interviewed? Please check out this post for further information.

Welcome to the first chapter in Road Trip to Publication, a series of interviews with authors at various stages in their careers.

This first story features YA author L.K. Madigan. She does a fabulous interview series called Authorial Intrusion on her blog. But I figured it would be fun to stick her in the author seat, especially since she just sold a book of her own!

L.K. Madigan and I share an agent, Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. And L.K.’s first novel, FLASH BURNOUT, recently sold to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for publication in Fall 2009.

Synopsis from PW Online: FLASH BURNOUT chronicles a chaotic year for sophomore Blake, who, when he took a picture of a passed-out street person for his photography class, didn’t expect to find himself ditching his girlfriend, prowling skid row and tracking down his best friend’s long-lost mother.

So, you recently scored a two-book deal thanks to your fantastic agent and awesome writing. Of course, I haven’t read FLASH BURNOUT yet, but Jenn has great taste and the premise sounds fascinating. Congrats!

Some writers dream of their ideas, others let their characters dictate the plot, and some plan everything out via flash cards beforehand. How did you come up with the idea for FLASH BURNOUT?

I’m a plunger, not a planner. I get an idea for a story, or a character shows up in my head and starts talking. I pay attention and take notes. Once the notes get really detailed and the voice gets really insistent, I start writing the story.

Blake, the main character of FLASH BURNOUT, is a minor character in the novel I wrote before this one. I loved the setting of the first book so much that it was hard to leave it behind … so I decided to stay. I liked the idea of taking a character from the sidelines of one book and allowing him to step into the spotlight in another. The two main characters cross paths a few times in each book, but they don’t really interact.

Blake’s story was born from a conversation I had with a friend who is a medical examiner. He mentioned that he saw a lot of meth-related cases (he still does), and wondered if I had ever thought about tackling that subject.

I’m writing a male POV for the first time, and getting inside his head can be challenging. What challenges (if any) did you face in writing about a protagonist of the opposite sex? What did you really love about it?

I’ve been boy-crazy since the age of twelve.

I have spent decades staring at, listening to, laughing with, and fretting over boys of every age. I’ve had lots of male friendships, but only one true love. I’ve been able to study him up close for many years … and now we’re raising a boy.

I think perhaps all of that intense focus on the opposite sex might have given me some insight into the male psyche, because Blake’s voice was so real while I wrote that I sometimes felt I was transcribing his story, rather than making it up as I went along. My inner boy is strong! It remains to be seen whether or not readers will believe him, but I was gratified when my editor told me that some of her colleagues didn’t realize I was a woman when they read the book.

Which role would Blake play in THE BREAKFAST CLUB (the nerd, the princess, the jock, the rebel, or the recluse)? Does he have a hobby or trait that seems contradictory to his character?

Blake is more of a class clown … closer to the nerd than the rebel. He has a gift for empathy that he’s not even aware of, because he’s too busy tallying up laughs.

Okay, I’m dying to know what book 2 is about. I’ll give you a cookie for a clue =)

Remember that first book I mentioned above … in which Blake is a minor character? That’s not Book 2, and will most likely never see publication. Its premise is too similar to a book my editor has already published. But that manuscript did demonstrate to my editor that I am capable of writing more than one marketable book, I think. Writers who are working toward publication should keep writing, instead of pinning all their hopes on one manuscript. FLASH BURNOUT is actually the third novel I’ve written, but the first one I sold. And who knows? When an editor has finished reading your book, he or she may ask, “What else ya got?”

But to answer your question, Book 2 is still a work-in-progress at the moment, and my editor has not seen any of it, so I have no idea if it will even appeal to her. It may end up languishing in a drawer. I’m not too worried, though. I have a head full of more books than time to write them.

Let’s talk about the road that got you to this wonderful place. How long did your agent hunt last and how many did you query? Got any suggestions on how to deal with the dreaded form rejection?

Well, first I had to wait for my agent to decide she wanted to be an agent. =)

I finished writing FB in December 2005, and I signed with Jennifer in November 2007. I submitted the manuscript to eighteen agents and two editors during that time. Some people would say that’s not very many rejections before the YES, but it certainly felt discouraging to me while it was happening!

As for how to deal with a form rejection? All I can suggest is what worked for me: keep submitting. Not very many writers find their perfect match right away.

I read your wonderful story about Call#2 (the publisher offer). Is there anything you’d like to share about Call#1—when your agent offered representation? At least, I’m assuming it was a call. Some do email.

I had known Jennifer for a couple of years before we embarked upon our professional relationship. I think she may actually be the first person I “friended” on LJ … I thought her blog posts were funny and smart and scathing. We even met in person a couple of times, once in each of our respective cities. When she was toying with the idea of becoming a writer herself, I invited her to join my critique group. (And if she ever does decide to write a novel, you can be sure it will be devastating.)

I formally queried her with my first three chapters last October, and when she requested the full manuscript, I thought, “Aw, that’s nice of her. I wonder if it will be more or less painful to be rejected by a friend.”

When she emailed to say that she would like to speak on the phone, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope, while bracing for disappointment. She said a lot of nice things about my book, then uttered those beautiful, elusive words, “I want to represent you.”

And we lived happily ever after.

A lot of writers question whether or not an agent is necessary. What do you really love about having an agent?

I could spend pages responding to this with various versions of: “Yes! A good agent is necessary! A good agent knows more than you ever will about the publishing industry in general, and contract negotiations in particular.”

But here’s the short answer: Jennifer found the perfect editor for my book, someone I never would have known to target on my own.

It’s difficult to get an agent, though, so I understand the appeal of going directly to editors. One of my crit partners sold her YA novel without an agent, so it is possible.

Did you have to revise before your book went on submission?

I had done some revisions to the book before signing with Jennifer (for an agent who ended up passing), so it was in pretty good shape. She suggested some minor fixes, which I implemented, then it was ready to go!

Response times in the publishing world can be rather unpredictable, but we writerly types love stats. How long did it take you to get an offer after your agent submitted the manuscript to publishers?

It was a matter of weeks.

I know!

But believe me, I paid my dues in the Writers’ Waiting Room.

Did you manage to form coherent sentences during your first conversation with your new editor?

No.

Sigh.

I blathered.

She asked me what made me decide to write from a boy’s perspective, and I burst out, “His voice was just so loud in my head!”

Yeah. I’m eloquent like that.

We spoke for a few more minutes – it was mostly a get-acquainted conversation – then I hung up, and immediately cursed my loquaciousness. (It’s worse when I’m nervous.) I’m a writer! I don’t haz speech good. But if you let me write it down, I’ll be fine.

If you could design your own book cover for FLASH BURNOUT, what would it contain?

I really really really couldn’t say. I just don’t have that kind of vision. So I am very excited to see what my publisher comes up with. There are lots of actual photos by famous photographers mentioned in the book, as well as fictional photos taken by the main character … so there’s plenty of fodder for inspiration.

Saundra Mitchell, a writing friend whose book, Shadowed Summer, also debuts in 2009, created a fan art cover for me:

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

As soon as I could hold a fat pencil and print words that other people could read.

Bonus question: Is there anything else you were dying to answer? If so, go for it!

Thai food or Chinese?

Thai!

Oooh, I agree! Thai all the way, baby! Thank you so much for your time, L.K. I very much look forward to your book coming out in Fall 2009. All of you reading this must buy it That’s an order.

Next up is Brian Kell who is represented by Rachel Vater at Folio. Just be forewarned: The interview contains severed heads.

If you would like to be interviewed, please read the requirements and follow the directions in the previous post. Thanks!

In the coming weeks, I’ll be interviewing agented authors, authors who just sold their first book, authors with books on the shelves and even those who have scored a spot on the best seller list. My focus will be on YA (young adult) authors, but some of the interviews will include those who write MG (middle grade) and chapter books/PB (picture books) as well. This will be a great chance to read about the experiences of your peers and get a sneak peek at what’s down the road.

I’ve already got some great interviews lined up, so feel free to bookmark or subscribe to this blog!

Also, stay tuned for an upcoming interview with my fabulous agent, Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. In the future, I hope to interview more industry professionals.

Every author has their own road to publication. We might stop at the same gas stations, but our experience is as unique as we are. Cars break down, road construction gets in the way–sometimes there’s a blizzard. But every once in a while, we reach our destination in record time. However, selling that first book is just the beginning of the adventure. And that elusive destination is just the first of many.

There are many different routes to selling that first book. It can be done with or without a tour guide aka an agent.

The agented route:

A good agent knows how to get around the traffic snarls. They probably know some nifty short cuts that will save some gas mileage too. Basically? An agent can save you time and money (i.e. negotiating that contract to get you a better deal). At least–that’s the plan.

So, choose that tour guide carefully. You’re better off going solo than with a bad guide.

1. Researching your route and finding a reputable tour guide isn’t difficult. Google is your friend. So are sites like Agent Query, Query Tracker, Predators and Editors, and more.

2. Keep in mind. These tour guides are picky about who they travel with–as you (the author) should be too. Think about it. You’ll be spending an undetermined length of time in a car with them. At the very least, you should love to belt out the same tunes!

In any event, finding an agent is a series of interviews and bumps in its own right. But it’s only the first of many hurdles. My interviews will focus on life after finding that perfect tour guide/agent.

The route without a guide…

Sometimes authors decide to brave the road solo. And if they do their research, it’s certainly possible to reach their destination without too many bumps. That being said, I’d love to interview some published authors who made the trip without an agent.

Are you interested in being interviewed?

Note: I’m only interviewing authors who write children’s books at this time (Picture books through young adult).

If any of the categories below describe you, I’d love to pick your brain.

1. You’ve scored an agent, but haven’t sold your book yet.

2. You’ve scored an agent and recently sold your first book.

3. All of the above, and your book is going to hit the shelves soon.

4. You’ve sold your book/s to a reputable publisher without an agent.

5. Your books are sitting on shelves, waiting to be plucked by eager readers.

6. You are an agent, editor, bookseller or industry professional who is willing to offer some insight for budding authors!

Please drop me a line and leave the following information: Your name, agent’s name (if applicable), book info (genre, title, and synopsis), publishing date and info (if applicable) and website or blog if you have one.

The male narrator in my WIP has this penchant for nu-metalish stuff. I discovered this as I was listening to a Chevelle song, I believe. It was like, hello, instant connection to the mind of Cole. This song just felt like him. Something he’d like–something he’d sing in his band. Yes, his band is that nu-metalish Linkin Park style. However, he wants his band, Galactic Ferocity, to go a bit more electronica–more like Celldweller.

In any event, when I’m writing his POV–it’s best that I listen to his music. I know this sounds crazy. But when other people have told me my strengths, character development has always been at the top of the list.  So if you have issues with character development, well, sometimes getting inside the head of your character takes a LOT of compromise. As in listening to music you would normally never listen to. Songs that would make you blush if anyone caught you listening to them. Think of it as acting or drama class in a sense. If I’m having trouble connecting with a character, I unlock the door to their world. My key is music. Your key might be–I don’t know–wearing clothes you’d never wear, taking up golf even if you hate it, developing a sudden taste for caviar… you get the idea.

And people think we actually have control over our characters? Psh. Do we have control over real people? No, we don’t. Why should our characters be any different?

I just finished Melissa Marr’s Ink Exchange. What an amazing book. Each character has their own motivation–one I could sympathize with. No character is all good or bad. This is such an important element to have in a story. It makes the story that much more real and memorable. Now I have to wait another year to see these characters again. Ah, well. On a side note, I think I’ll be looking for Irial every time I walk into a tattoo shop. What a vivid character.

My recommended playlist for the characters of Ink Exchange (just a few for now):

Leslie

1. Lennon Murphy: Down The Line

This should be her theme song. It really captures her essence. In the lyrics… the melody. Everything.

2. The Birthday Massacre: Play Dead

I could hear this playing when Leslie goes to the club with Seth and Naill. And Irial officially introduces himself.

3. UNKLE: Bloodstain

Sultry, dark. Fitting for her moments with Irial after the exchange or when she is getting the tattoo.

Naill

1. Filter: You Walk Away

Total theme song. Lyrics, sound–very Naill. I can’t see straight, I can’t be straight. I just want a life of my own. I can’t live hate, I don’t want hate. I just want a life of my own.

Irial

1. Lacuna Coil: Angel’s Punishment

Theme song. Dual male/female vocal. Captures the essence of Leslie and Irial. Perfect. To fight in defense. Forgotten worlds of friendly hate. Can’t you take me away from your lies?

Over the last year I’ve discovered that I really enjoy editing. Granted, I don’t enjoy it as much as writing, but I do love helping others shape up their manuscripts. Editing my own work isn’t quite as fun, mainly because it’s a lot tougher to remain objective.

If you haven’t joined a crit group or snagged a couple crit partners, I highly recommend it. Don’t be shy and don’t just do it to get free feedback on your story. Critting the work of others should not be a chore. Why? First, if you’re a writer–I’d hope you also love reading. Also, helping people out of a sticky spot in their manuscript is awesome. AND the biggest thing. You will probably learn more from critting the work of others than you will from the feedback you get on your own manuscript.

At least that was true for me. Sometimes it took noticing pacing issues in someone else’s work to finally understand the feedback I’d received.

Some of us feel protective of our babies, particularly our first one. Having a bunch of strangers mark up your hard work can be rather intimidating. Usually the scenario/dialogue goes a little like this:

Critter: So, you know your first three chapters?

Writer (nervous smile): Yes?

Critter: Cut them

Writer: Huh? Wait, what?

Critter: Did I stutter? You story begins in Chapter 4.

Writer: Um, no. How can readers get to know Mary if they don’t know what she eats for breakfast or what toothpaste she uses? Plus, I had to tell everyone what she looks like–I mean–

Critter: Which you devoted two pages to. Do we really need to know the color and brand of every pair of shoes in her closet?

Writer: Well, she’s into fashion. That’s part of her character.

Critter: Right, and you have four pages of back story in Chapter 2 covering that. You list every outfit Mary made her dolls between the ages of 5 and 10.

Writer: It just shows how driven she is. I mean, how many little kids MAKE their own dolls clothes?

Critter (bangs head against desk a few times): Okay, what’s your story about? Sum it up in one sentence.

Writer: Mary is an international spy and assassin trying to keep Big Bird and his army of one-eyed raccoons from taking over the world.

Critter: What does that have to do with fashion?

Writer: International spies need a good wardrobe. Haven’t you ever seen Alias?

Critter: Yeah, and I can’t recall an episode where we had to watch Sydney get dressed for the first 15 minutes.

Writer: Fine, I’ll cut out the eyeliner application lesson.

Critter: Let me try this again. Chapter 4 begins with Mary explaining how an eyelash curler can be used as a weapon. Chapter 1 begins with a page long description of her bed sheets. What’s more interesting?

Writer: Um…well, the eyelash curler but–

Critter: But we can learn about her fondness for pouring chocolate milk in her Cheerios later, like you know, after the story starts.

Writer: What about the part where I talk about her relationship with her nasty step-mom?

Critter: Will the step-mom end up being Big Bird’s mistress and accomplice to world domination?

Writer: No, but–

Critter: Then I don’t care. I want to know how Mary takes Big Bird down with a pair of pantyhose. Does her step-mom play a role in that?

Writer: Actually, the step-mom isn’t in the story after the first chapter. I just thought–

Critter: Your book would look good in my fireplace?

Writer: You don’t have to get snarky.

Critter (takes deep breath): One more time. What’s your story about?

Writer: An internat–

Critter (holds hand up): And where are any of those elements mentioned or addressed in your first three chapters?

Writer: Um…

Critter: I rest my case.

Many of us have been that writer. The hardest part is admitting to it