TEN WONDERFUL BOOKS, ONE OF THEM MIGHT BE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR by Kitty Griffin

Ten of my Favorites
by Kitty Griffin

Is Underground by Joan Aiken

I dare you to find a more delightful adventure with a more daring heroine than "Is". She must find out why the children of London are disappearing. Where she goes, what she finds is an extraordinary tale of courage. Good for middle-graders, but your fantasy loving YA will also enjoy.

Truckers by Terry Pratchett

A colony of nomes live under the floorboard of a department store. Their wonderful life is about to be upended, for the store is to be demolished. "Truckers" is a riotous adventure full of humor as only Pratchett can deliver. The next two books are "Diggers" and "Wings" so if you buy the first, go ahead, get the next two.       

A Dark Horn Blowing by Dahlov Ipcar

This is haunting story has stayed with me since the first time I read it. Nora is called away from the two loves of her life, her husband and her baby. She finds herself in Erland, kidnapped by the wicked Erl King. He wants her to care for his newborn child, Prince Elver. The King promises Nora that she may leave as soon as the Princeling can walk on his own. Full of characters who enchant, plot twists that break your heart, this YA book is hard to put down once you start reading.

Tum Tum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn

This is for a younger reader/listener. A tender sweet book where two little mice, Tum Tum and Nutmeg take on the care of two young children who move into the house. Charming black and white illustrations only add to the delight of this book.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

So just why was Dr. Frankenstein so determined to reanimate a dead body? What in his past lead him to this stunning scientific experiment? Why, a dark endeavor of course. Richly told with haunting characters, this story leads the reader to a place where one see why a young man might challenge the boundaries of science. YA.

Skellig by David Almond

What would you do if you found a creature in your parent's garage and you realized it needed your help or it would die? Would you ignore your gravely ill sister? Would you ask your friend, Mina, to help? Weaving several taut threads together, Almond presents a tale mysterious and yet, fragile. Borders on young adult, but a clever young reader will enjoy this.

Mortal Engine by Phillip Reeve

This is one of those books that every time you catch your breath you're thrown off a cliff. The book opens with the city of London chasing a smaller city in order to capture it. Yes. London is mobile. And it's hungry. This stunning adventure stretches the imagination all the while giving remarkable characters whom you really care about. It's the first of the "Hungry Cities Chronicles". It's good for adventurous middle grade readers, it is YA.

East by Edith Pattou

What if? What if you took a small fairy tale and turned it into a complex novel? That's what Pattou has done with "East." Rose, an adventurous girl, leaves her family and her home in the company of a giant bear. While she thinks she's saving her family, the one she's really saving is herself. Middle-grade to YA.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

I have given this book to many adults when they aren't feeling well. This book isn't a fantasy. It's a delightful, can't-put-it-down read that is for all ages. The name of the first story is "Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night Above Ground" and it makes me giggle just writing that. Full of humor and honest feelings, this book is stunning. Did I tell you I love it? Middle-grade readers all the way to grown up grown ups.

Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson

I love anything by Eva Ibbotson, but most of all, I love love love this book. Arriman the Awful, a very handsome Wizard who hails from the North, has decided it's time to get married. But which witch? Well, he'll marry the one who manages to perform, shall we say, something with a touch of wickedness and a sprinkling of dreadful? Belladonna doesn't want to be a good witch, but she is. And, she's very much in love with Arrriman. A recipe for disaster becomes a tale of delightful humor. Don't miss this! Wonderful for middle-grade and YA.

The Next Big Thing

by Marcy Collier

The Next Big Thing is a global blog tour to showcase authors and illustrators and their current work. I was tagged by the very talented Kate Dopirak.

I’ll answer the interview questions based on my current work in progress.

1. What is the working title of your next book?

ADMIRE

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

My second son was a newborn. I can remember sitting on the chair nursing while my husband read the newspaper online and played an audio clip from the article. The story was about a woman from our area (graduated from the same high school as my husband) who became the first female commercial airline pilot. I knew nothing more about this amazing woman except that there was a local park named after her. I spent the next year researching her life.

3. In what genre does your book fall?

The book began as a picture book biography based on one amazing endurance flight. After the Rutgers-One-On-One Plus conference last year, my mentor convinced me to write it as a YA novel.

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your character in the movie rendition?

I would choose Jennifer Lawrence for the part of my main character.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Fifteen-year-old Alana Mills dreams about becoming the first female to skydive from space, but first she must learn from her ancestors on how to triumph over tragedy.

6. Who is publishing your book?

This is currently a work in progress.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I wrote the first draft during Nano-Wrimo last November. I had never participated before, but completed a solid rough draft during the contest. Rewriting has been a much longer process.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

That’s a tough one. My novel is kind of a mash up between fiction and nonfiction. I’m not sure who’s work I would compare it to since every author has such a distinct, unique voice.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Reading about the courageous woman fliers and their journeys to do what they loved.

10.What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

The book is built around strong female characters who learn to overcome adversity when faced with tough situations.

Thanks for stopping in and sharing my “Next Big Thing.” Now, I’ll tag my good friend and amazing author Kitty Griffin and the talented Angie Azur. Check out their blog entries after Monday, July 28^th to hear their answers about the Next Big Thing!

11/11/11 - 11 Ways to Make the Most After the Conference

by Marcy Collier & Kitty Griffin

Tri-Conference SCBWI Agent Panel

Kitty and I attended the SCBWI Tri-Regional Conference in Gettsyburg last weekend. For the first time, the regions of Eastern and Western Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia joined together for an action-packed weekend. We heard delightful and inspiring tales from Patricia MacLachlan, Jim Murphy, E.B. Lewis and Lin Oliver. We participated in exciting workshops and got to know many of the agents and editors. On the ride home, we discussed strategies on how to make the most AFTER the conference.

1. Write thank you notes:  If there was an agent, editor, author or illustrator who you enjoyed meeting or talking with at the conference, send a handwritten thank you note. Not an email or a tweet, an honest-to-goodness handwritten note thanking them and letting them know you appreciated meeting them at the conference.

2. Type up your conference notes or if you jotted them on your IPAD, decipher your scribble. An attendee’s head is filled with industry information after a conference. If you wait a week, your notes may not make sense.

3. DON’T – and yes, this is a shouting – DON’T – mail out your manuscript the moment you return home. Consider what the panel said about your first page. Allow the criticism you received during the manuscript review to percolate for a while. Sit down and make the suggested changes. DON’T send your manuscript until it’s ready or as Jim Murphy so eloquently put it, “Your manuscript doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be good enough.”

4. Identify the agents or editors who you feel would best represent your work. It is important to meet these professionals in person. You get a good feel for their tastes and their personalities. That is why conferences are so very important.

5. Research. Research. Research. Research the agents and editors from the conference. Read books that they have published before you send to them.  

6. Check out publishers’ and authors’ websites and guidelines. If you’re going to submit, read the guidelines and pay attention to the rules before you submit.

7. Keep your query letter to the point. Tell the editor or agent why you’ve targeted them specifically. Do not argue or become defensive in your query letter. Keep your letter focused.

8. Stay in touch with other writers or illustrators you’ve met at the conference. Think of your colleagues as fellow travelers who can help you on your journey. You will inspire, encourage and share stories with the people you met and make lasting friendships.

9.  Challenge yourself. Pick one weakness in your writing (plot, characterization, voice, etc.). Go to the library. Read as many books as you can on craft. Study. Work hard until this aspect of your craft soars.

10. Embrace social media. Expand your social network. If you sign with an agency, you are expected to use these social networking tools. Many of us fear the technology because it is new to us. Learn it and use it. The Route 19 bloggers have been fearful to join Twitter for a long time now. Kitty and I listened to some interesting conversations regarding social media. Based on what I heard, I signed up for a Twitter account today.

11. Give yourself a deadline to submit to an editor or agent. Don’t become a revision addict. Do not make excuses or procrastinate. Get the manuscript ready and send it off. Be polite, have business sense and believe in yourself and your work.

And if you do as Kitty and I have suggested, you will make the most out of your conference!

2011 Rutgers One-on-One Plus--tips for making the most of the Conference

A round-table with Route 19 Rutgers veterans.

Participating: Kitty, Susan, Cynthia, Dave. They've been invited to combined total of 10 of these spectacular Conferences. (Kitty's also served as a Mentor, twice.)

BEFORE

Susan: Plan your networking. Find the list of Mentors posted on the Conference website.

Dave: Then research who and what they've published. Using Publishers Marketplace, you can go back five years or more and see every book and writer they worked with. This lets you focus on the Mentors most appropriate for you.

Susan: From that, create a target list of Mentors you want face time with.

Kitty: Write questions down in advance so you don't forget any.

Dave: Make two lists. First, questions about your ms and anything else you want to discuss with your Mentor. You'll use this list for the 1-on-1 critique. Second list: questions relevant to the writing business, for the 5-on-5 roundtable session.

Susan: Know your lines. Memorize your one-sentence author bio and your one-sentence elevator pitch(es). Practice out loud until they trip off your tongue.

Dave: Bring your own business cards. You'll pass them out to other writers. This is a perfect chance to network, make contacts, and make your name known.

DURING

Kitty's ABC: Always Be ready to ask for a CARD. (Jot notes on each card—e.g. "looking for MG or YA"—and build a file of editors and agents)

Cynthia: For the overall Conference--be bold. You don't have to prove to people that you're a good writer--they know that already. Don't hesitate to buttonhole any Mentors you're interested in. Give each a very short elevator pitch, and ask for their card.

Dave: Feel completely welcome to approach any Mentor. They've all come to this Conference to find writers.

Susan: Don't socialize at Registration. Well, do—but not until you check your folder to (1) identify your Mentor; (2) identify which additional Mentors will be part of your 5-on-5; (3) cross those names off your Target list (because you're guaranteed face time with them); (4) reread the schedule so you have a clear idea of the shape of the day.

Now you can relax and mingle with the other writers.

Cynthia: In your 1-on-1 critique, be receptive and have the right kind of expectations. Don't expect your Mentor to offer you a contract--or even to ask you to revise and submit to them. Do expect to learn a lot from them.

There's a good chance your Mentor doesn't handle the kind of stuff you write. My first Mentor was a fellow writer; my second a fabulous editor who didn't edit the type of ms I'd sent in. But both were great writers/editors, and we really delved into my ms. I was amazed at what I learned in that short amount of time.

Susan: Don't eat lunch. At least, don't waste time standing in the long buffet line. Chomp a handful of almonds to stay the pangs, and "work" the line. It'll be full of Mentors. Grab your sandwich once the line's gone.

Dave: However, I was surprised to find that because of the sheer numbers of Mentors present, you'll have plenty of time to approach. And don't be surprised to see a Mentor sitting alone.

Susan: But the coach does turn into a pumpkin! The Conference ends rather abruptly, and most Mentors disappear like so many Cinderellas, running for the train back to Manhattan. So don't expect leisurely networking at the end of the day.

(However, if you lodge in a Manhattan hotel, like Kitty usually did, you can ride the same train. Kitty has done lots of networking on trains.)

Kitty: Wear comfortable clothes, it's a long, long day.

AFTER

Kitty: If someone answered a question or helped you with a block take time and send them a personal thank you.

Susan: Thank the dedicated and hard-working Conference staff, too.