Talk Back Thursdays: Dianne Salerni

Welcome back for the second episode of Talk Back Thursdays. Today we are we are talking to Debut YA author, Dianne Salerni.

Hi Dianne! Welcome to Talk Back Thursdays, and thank you for agreeing to be a part of this month’s spotlight, Authors in April.

Your book, WE HEAR THE DEAD debuts next month. Tell us about the book.

WE HEAR THE DEAD is a historical fiction novel that retells the true story of Maggie Fox, a young girl who, in 1848, accidentally invented “the séance” and founded spiritualism with a high-spirited prank. Maggie and her younger sister Kate pretended they could speak to the dead. When their older sister realized the money-making potential of the prank, she took custody of the two girls and set them up as spirit mediums. Maggie and Kate became America’s first teenage celebrities – but fame came with a price. The girls were living a lie; they faced accusations of witchcraft, and when Maggie met the love of her life – the heroic and dashing explorer Elisha Kane -- her unconventional occupation stood in the way of their future happiness.

I’m no history buff, so historical fiction seems like a tall order for me. What was your research process like? Did it help that you’re a teacher?

No, it didn’t help. As a full time teacher and also a mother, I couldn’t travel to do any research in person. I read biographies of the Fox sisters and Elisha Kane. Most helpful to me were excerpts from Maggie and Elisha’s love letters. I also read Elisha Kane’s own book, Arctic Explorations, to help me understand him better – his voice, his humor, and his personality. The only “research” I did in person was to visit Elisha’s grave in Philadelphia. I wanted to pay my respects, so to speak, but the visit also helped me write the scene in which Elisha takes Maggie to the Kane family vault as part of a romantic outing. Yeah, that was a 19th century guy’s idea of a date! Go figure!

When did the idea for WE HEAR THE DEAD come to you? Was it influenced by the East Coast preoccupation with witches? What was the biggest challenge you faced in converting it from an idea to a novel?

I was less interested in witches than in séances. I was toying with the idea of writing a YA book about séances, having been inspired by reading the adult book Inamorata by Joseph Gangemi back in 2004. However, when I began my research, I stumbled onto Maggie Fox’s story, which was cited in every book as the starting point of spiritualism. Maggie’s tale began with a ghost story and ended with a love story – and it seemed perfect for adaptation to a novel. The biggest challenge I faced was filling in the gaps of history – understanding the motives for people’s recorded actions and making them believable in my novel.

How did you find your agent and what’s your relationship like?

I don’t have an agent at this point. I’m one of those rare, un-agented authors who stumbled into a publishing deal on her own. Sourcebooks has been wonderful to me – supportive and helpful and encouraging. However, I am beginning to search for an agent now because I realize I need a “minder” – someone to keep me on track, point me in the right direction, help me sort out my priorities, even take me by the shoulders and shake me when it’s necessary! So, that’s the kind of relationship I’d like to have. Here’s hoping he/she is out there!

Any fortune cookie jewels of wisdom for aspiring authors?

Opportunities appear in unexpected places and sometimes the path to success heads in unusual directions before ending up just where you wanted to be all along. Keep writing – and it doesn’t matter whether you are writing stories or poems, blog posts or reviews, or participating in conversations online. Be generous to the universe, and hopefully the universe will pay you back tenfold!

Thank you for joining us this week for Talk Back Thursday. Good luck on the book.

WE HEAR THE DEAD is due for release on May 1, 2010. Get thee to your nearest online book store and pre-order it now!

Take a gander at the book trailer!

Talk Back Thursdays: Kiersten White

Welcome to the first edition of Talk Back Thursdays. I've designated this month "Authors in April" so the first few issues will be with authors.

For the first interview, I present Kiersten White. Also stop by and check out her blog.

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Welcome to the first episode of Talk Back Thursdays, and the first edition of Authors in April, Kiersten.Congratulations on your new novel. So you’ve got your first copy of PARANORMALCY in hand. Does it feel real yet?

Every stage feels a little more real than the last! Although I do sometimes forget, and seeing that cover with my name on it is always a happy surprise. It's actually happening! How odd.

Tell us a little about your publishing journey.

I started writing about five years ago, after my first child was born. Initially it was just a hobby, something to pass the time. I didn't get serious about pursuing publication until I started writing YA novels. I wrote the first one of those in June of 2008 and signed with Michelle Wolfson, my agent, that November. I wrote another novel that December, and PARANORMALCY that January. When the first novel didn't sell, I decided Para was the one to pursue and spent several months editing it. Michelle went out with it the end of July, and by mid-August we had a three-book deal with HarperTeen, and my brain exploded with joy.

I don't think my brain has quite recovered yet, in all honesty.

Right now I've turned in the first sequel, am editing a previous project, and drafting an entirely new book that will hopefully turn into something wonderful. I like to keep busy.

From your ravings (and Tawna’s) I deduce that Michelle Wolfson is either a superhero from another planet or an angel. Is it possible to be both? What’s your relationship like?

Michelle is fabulous to work with. She's warm and funny and approachable, but also very aggressive. I never doubt her drive or business savvy, and I know she got me the best possible home for my books. She responds quickly to any and all questions, is always professional, but also delightfully (and occasionally wickedly) funny. I adore her.

You’re a fulltime Mommy and wife. How difficult is it to squeeze in writing? What’s a typical day like in the Kiersten White household?

My days involve feeding kids, dressing kids, feeding kids, re-dressing kids, running errands, feeding kids, and putting kids to bed. And feeding them. So yes, the days are very, very full and it can be hard to get in any writing time. Typically I try to write in the evenings after they go to bed, but anyone who has kids can tell you how frequently bedtime is either challenged or messed up. So, like anyone else, finding the time is always the challenge.



So PARANORMALCY? Interesting name. Tell us about the book.

PARANORMALCY follows Evie, a sixteen-year-old girl working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. In a world surrounded by the paranormal, Evie desperately wants a little normal. But when someone--or something--starts murdering immortal paranormals, she's got to decide which is more important--figuring out how to be normal, or accepting who she is and, you know, saving the paranormal world and stuff.

Evie sounds awesome. Is she a lot like you? What would be Evie’s ideal Saturday night? Does she like mayonnaise on her French Fries? (I mean inquiring minds are dying to know!)

Evie has a similar sense of humor, but that's about it. Evie's ideal Saturday night would be to go on a date with a cute boy and have as normal a teenage experience as possible. So, if she thought putting mayonnaise on french fries was normal no doubt she'd at least try it. But I'm pretty sure that's the strangest thing I've ever heard...

Finally, any advice for those aspiring to get to where you are?

Work. Writing is wonderful and fun and engaging, but if you are determined to get published, you really, truly have to work at it. Hard. A lot. It's gonna take some sacrifices, and a whole lot of drive on your part. So decide whether or not it's what you really, truly want. If it is, full speed ahead!

Thank you Kiersten, for your time. Good luck with the novel.
PARANORMALCY will be out September 21st. Get thee to the store nearest you and pre-order it now!
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Stay tuned next Thursday for the next installment of Talk Back Thursdays. I hope you enjoyed it!

Lies-es and Suprises

Hey my lovelies,

Lots to tell you today, but first check out Tawna's post on how inappropriate jokes cause leather balls. :)

Okay, back to the regularly scheduled madness. Last week, you were supposed to try to pick the truth from a pool of lies. Here, finally are the answers.

I've eaten deer, rabbit, crocodile, snail, horse, ostrich and kangaroo.
FALSE. Last summer, as a part of my VOCK'd up weekend, I had Venison (deer), Ostrich, Crocodile and Kangaroo. I first had rabbit and horse in Colombia in 2005, and I've also had horse here in Japan. As a young impressionable school exchange student (15-ish) in Martinique, I refused to eat snail on principal, but I still ended up eating conch and sparrow.

I narrowly escaped arrest in Colombia.
FALSE. In Colombia, all males have a mandatory military service. I think you can get out of it if you go to university, etc. When you've done your service or been exempted, you get a document to say this. You're supposed to walk with that document at all times or, if you're a tourist, you have to keep your passport on you. One day, 2 of the guys from my group forgot their passports and were taken into custody. 2 girls had to race back to the hotel to get their passports before they got shipped off to fight the cartel or something.

While I was in secondary school I played netball.
FALSE. I despise netball. It's like basketball in stopmotion. EW! When I was in school, I played one of the greatest tomboy sports ever invented- field hockey. GRRR!

I met George W. Bush while training in the US Coast Guard.
FALSE. I met George Bush Sr. He came to the academy to do a lecture (which included a hilarious diatribe about broccoli- lol). I was walking across the campus when I heard a gun salute. I was stuck there, cuz you can't move during the salute. Then a train of SUV's pulled up. A bunch black, one maroon. SS guys hopped out, and he got out of one of the black ones. He nodded at me! Also in my CG days, I met Maya Angelou, Robert Ballard (who found the Titanic), Sugar Ray ( the band not the boxer- on a red eye to Miami) and narrowly avoided meeting Mark Curry in Colorado. Plus various important-y military types.

I have never been to a music festival.
FALSE. I went to Summer Sonic in Osaka last year. 3 days- 300 bucks- Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Keane, Ne-yo, Nine Inch Nails, Elvis Costello, Joan Jett, The Tings Tings, Solange, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, All American Rejects... I was HAPPY :) And I discovered that, I as a black person, CAN sunburn.

I have never broken a bone, but I did sprain my wrist once.
FALSE. No broken bones- no sprains either.

I have been to 15 US states.
TRUE. That's training in the military for you. During my time at the United States Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, I visited 11 states, and 4 I got to on my own over the years. I've never been on the West Coast of the US though.

Noone guessed correctly. Truth is more boring than fiction sometimes.
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Now for the Surprises!

As I told you guys, I'm all excited for April, so I decided to do some special stuff.

1. I'm going to have my first contest at the end of the month. The prize is going to be a supercool Super Japanese prize, so stay tuned.

2. Also, I'm introducing Talk Back Thursdays- a new interview feature on the blog.

3. I'm declaring April: Authors in April ( you know I love alliteration- although this is technically assonance) and I'm bringing you interviews with some amazing authors. I've currently secured two authors whose debuts come out later this year, and one New York Times Bestselling Author! (I was so psyched about these interviews that I couldn't sleep til 4 am last night:S)

Every week, I'll give you hints about the author to be interviewed, and I'll reveal the name on Wednesday. Remember the interviews go up on Thursdays.

Welcome to the beauty that is April folks. I really hope you enjoy!

Next week's author: female...