GOOD NEWS!

THE BEAST OF NOOR
is now in its 4th printing.








This means the Shriker still haunts the forest of Noor. More readers will have to go on the adventure with Miles and Hanna to end the Shriker's curse.

Do not wander in the deeps
where the Shriker's shadow creeps.
When he rises from beneath,
beware the sharpness of his teeth.

Until next time

fellow travelers walk well

Janet

WRITER VS. WILD

July 5th. After the fireworks, what? Back to the writing desk. My character, Kipp, is in the desert now. I'm in a dry writing spell and feeling a little lost. Maybe we are both lost and trying to survive.

The desert is harsh and spare. I'm reminded of Bear in the show "Man Vs. Wild" wrapping his tee shirt around his head for a turban to protect him from the sun -- of him searching for water. The earth looks flat, tight and hollow as a drum. How does Kipp get out? How do I get out of the dry writing spell? He walks. I walk too -- walk away from the desk and lose myself in the garden for a while. It's not think time but do time. I keep my body busy so my subconscious can work without my prattling conscious mind getting in the way.

The writer in me can't leave Kipp alone and hungry for long.

Until next time,

dream well.

Janet

When I went to Ursula K. LeGuin's book signing for her new book Lavinia (reading my signed copy now) I told her "Your words open my words."

It was a simple and quiet thing to say. There was still a long line behind me, but she looked up and our eyes met and she asked me my name.

Reading her novels always helps me when I hit a writing wall. I will always be grateful to her for her beautiful books.

If you want to treat your ears and heart, take a few minutes and listen to her read the last chapter of A Wizard of Earthsea

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/MP3s/WizardOfEarthsea.html

Beautiful

A TALE IN A TALE -

Where does STORY come from? Writing ideas are a mystery and I like it that way because I love the daily surprises waiting for me in the unfolding words. I recently read THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner, and loved the places where her characters told stories within the story. I did this in THE BEAST OF NOOR with The Shriker's Tale, and a bit in DRAGON'S KEEP and I'm at it again this week.

Right now I'm working on two new books: BOUND BY THREE -- a companion book to DRAGON'S KEEP (Harcourt), and STEALING DEATH (Egmont).

A few days ago I ended a scene in STEALING DEATH knowing my captive character, Kipp, needed to tell a story. I set the scene up one day and ended my writing session by jotting Oh, Boy! A Story! on the page. I left my writing for the next day not knowing what story Kipp would tell, only that I was looking forward to finding out.

Okay here's where the mystery and magic comes in. The bounty hunter has tied up Kipp, left his helper, Billy on first watch, and bedded down near them by the fire. Kipp's purpose for telling the tale is to put Billy to sleep so he can get away from the bounty hunter, but I (the writer) also knew the story had to have a significant connection to the rest of the novel.

What I had going for me: Billy is whittling a spear by the fire, using his knife to intimidate Kipp. Kipp thinks about using the spear Billy is making to draw him into the tale -- okay so the story needed to include a spear.

What else? I knew I had to introduce The Daughter of Time who will appear later in the book -- so maybe a creation story?

What else? My son Josh likes to take my cool collected objects and set them up in his room. Things like candles, glass holders, special stones. Josh recently confiscated my clear glass egg. I found it on his desk and stole it back. So I was staring at the glass egg on my desk when I flipped on the computer.

Kipp began to tell the story. I was amazed at how easily he put all the elements together and came up with in interesting creation tale with a crystal egg, a spear, and The Daughter of Time. I had to tap the keys at a pretty fast rate to keep up with him. The tale was so fun it was a challenge to slow to an ending that would actually lull Billy to sleep. Kipp managed that too, but does he escape from the watchful Billy and the bounty hunter? We'll see about that.

Until next time

dream well

Janet

NEW DRAGON'S KEEP PAPERBACK








When the paperback came out this May I was happy to see the newer, brighter cover. Lord Faul really shows his face and haunting eyes in this new shot. I like the fun font too. The letters are embossed. Run your fingers over them. Don't they feel a little bit like dragon scales?

More reasons to be happy over the new transformation -- I love bringing paperbacks to the school visits and signings, they're so much more affordable. Also Harcourt added a Reader Chat Page at the back with provocative questions for classroom or book group discussions.


Until next time,

Dream Well

Janet

DIVINERS CELEBRATE!

The Diviners -- that's my fabulous critique group -- really know how to celebrate!! Last week we had a double celebration for Justina Chen Headley (Holding the amazing new ARC of her upcoming YA book NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL above) and for moi for signing another contract. More fantasy books are on the way. Hooray!!
Pictured here -- Back row Katherine Grace Bond, Judy Bodmer, Molly Blaisdell, Peggy King Anderson. Front Row: Moi, Justina Chen Headley. Fellow Diviners not pictured, Holly Cupala and Dawn Knight.

Peggy King Anderson brought here pom poms and wrote a cheer for the celebration. I blushed happily and opened the thoughtful gifts with glee.
This is way better than any birthday. I can't wait to celebrate the next Diviner book! Wonder who will be next???

Glorious Day

A perfect morning to journal out on the deck overlooking the lake. Birds are going mad with pleasure chirping, squawking, twittering, flitting. It's warm with a cool fresh flower-scented breeze.

SHADOW ~Image courtesy of Josh Otis~
The sun is to my right. My pencil runs just ahead of its narrow shadow on the journal page. If we step toward the light - our shadows follow us. If we walk away from the light - we walk into our shadows. A natural metaphor. I've come to believe that everything I need for writing is right here in the present moment. I don't need to stretch out to seek the perfect metaphor. It's here and now in the scene. It's staring me in the face. I just have to open my eyes and Look.

May you walk with open eyes today.

Fellow travelers, walk well.

Today Bloggers are Uniting for Human Rights.

One of the best orgs around is Amnesty International.
LINK

Act Globally:
Amnesty International
Bulletin:
Ensure humanitarian aid for Cyclone Nargis victims

Please Please ask the government of Myanmar to ensure delivery of international aid in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

Call on the government of Myanmar to ensure that humanitarian aid is distributed to the victims of Cyclone Nargis and that they cooperate with international relief efforts.

link

Or Act Locally:
Act Locally

We had a blast in Japan! I flew there with my husband, Tom. We met my agent, Irene Kraas, in the airport and were driven to a five star hotel.

On the morning of day one, we viewed the Wenny Has Wings movie (Remember That Sky opening in Japan April 26th) in the Sony studio which just happened to be right across the street from our hotel.
 

Irene and Janet in the hotel room getting ready to view the movie. Note the comfy kimono.
 
The movie was brilliantly done. Somewhat different from the book but that’s to be expected. The actors were perfect for their key roles: Yutaka Takenouchi as the father, Miki Mizuno as the mom, and the brilliant young actor, Ryohie Hirota as Will and the little, Riko-chen as Wenny. (see poster in earlier blog).

Two days of intensive interviews with help from the interpreter, Yoshiko Okura, followed the film -- newspapers to manga to magazines (including Newsweek Magazine Japan) to TV spots. It was a whirlwind and Irene Krass was there with me through it all. We drank gallons of water to keep going!

We left for a school visit and TV spot at Kabara Junior High School where I played the song a wrote for Wenny "You Had To Fly". We had a terrific time getting to know the kids there. Note the green slippers!

Sony Studios not only put us up in a top Tokyo hotel, they also took us to dinner after the interviews. Here we are with the producers, director, Shin Togashi (on my left), Sony senior publicist, Miki, and senior vice president of SonyMusic.

On day three we were free to become tourists. After another night in Tokyo, Irene joined us on the bullet train to Kyoto.

Irene and Janet in front of Temple Gate
 
It rained on the day we toured Kyoto temples but we braved the weather. Tom caught this shot of Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion in the rain.
 

 

Irene sped back to the states. Tom and I took the train with Drew to Koyasan where we stayed in the temple two nights, went to early morning Buddhist services, visited the historic graveyard, and hiked steep trails through a cedar and bamboo forest.

 
 

A wonderful trip.

Traveler may you walk well . . .

Arigato

Janet

Dragon's Keep Party!


Let it be known that we had a blast at the Dragon's Keep book launch party. The revels lasted into the night.

Fine music played as the villagers roamed about the "great hall" drinking green dragon punch and sampling treats.

All were terrified when the dragon swooped in and fought valiant Kye Godrick. But the village folk cheered when the Riddle Master saved Kye by challenging the dragon to a contest (dragons are suckers for riddles). Let it be known that the villagers bested the dragon with brilliant answers to puzzling riddles. Prizes were won, fortunes were told, and there was dancing, and much feasting, and yes a reading from Dragon's Keep.

Let it also be known across all kingdoms that Dragon's Keep has received two starred reviews, is listed on amazons top 100 new books for teens and is on the nomination list for ALA best books for teens. The villagers all cheered. "Hooray!!"

Here are the party photos Heidi Pettit took for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.litartphotography.com

Hats off to Parkplace Books in Kirkland for hosting the party. Sweet thanks to the divine Diviners (my loyal critique group) for all their help. A kiss to Sarah Bond and her amazing Living Illustrations Troupe for bringing the Dragon's Keep characters to life.

And a good time was had by all!

Until the next blog, be well,

Janet

True Confessions

I moved the office from bedroom to upstairs about (let me see) four months ago? I'm still in boxes and have to pick my way across the room to the computer. I was going to put everything away once I had all those deadlines under my belt and BEFORE I started writing another book.

Meanwhile more clutter is piling up.

I need more boxes -- or a bulldozer.

Until the next blog. Be Well

Janet

STARTING OVER
I've sent off the latest revision of Book Two of the Noor Chronicles and turned in copyedit queries for DRAGON'S KEEP (Harcourt) and TALON (Faber & Faber UK). Now I've come up for air. No looming deadlines this week. Ah.

The Seed:
It's time to begin a new tale. Back to the seed stage. Looking at a tiny little idea that might have great potential. I think of the biblical quote "A grain of wheat remains a solitary grain unless it falls into the ground and dies; but if it dies it bears a rich harvest." John 12:24. There is a kind of death at every stage of the writing process. This first stage requires a letting go of the original idea that's been sheltered in the mind for months or years. Burying it in the real soil of existing things and encouraging it to grow.

I was given a tiny opening this morning. This came out of the Diviners Critique Group meeting from friend and fellow writer Judy Bodmer http://writetoinspire.blogspot.com who stressed the importance of dialogue. I'd envisioned the main character alone in the opening of the book. Now I asked myself, "Can I begin with dialogue? How?" And the scene came whistling around the corner.

This was only a glimpse into the new novel but I can lean into it and see where it goes. I know I can't force anything this early on. Time is needed to allow the roots to grow deep not just in the character's emotions and personhood, but also deep into the new fantasy world where the story is set.

In Out of Africa Isak Dinesen talks about shading the young coffee plants ". . . with branches broken from the bush, since obscurity is the privilege of young things." pg. 7.
What I'm telling myself after racing through so many deadlines is that I need to shade this new seedling of a story and nourish the creative process.

Wherever you are in your writing from early seed stage to final polish, I hope you find a way to nourish your own creative process.

Until the next blog -- Be well.
Janet

FUN FESTIVAL!
I just got back from the 26th Annual Children's Lit Fest at Drury University Campus
In Springfield Missouri where I gave presentations to hundreds of kids and signed hundreds (yes hundreds) of books. Met fellow children's authors and illustrators:
C. S. Adler
Sandy Asher
Marsha Diane Arnold
J.B. Cheaney
Vicki Grove
David Harrison
Alexandria LaFaye
Anna Myers
Barbara Robinson
Brad Sneed
June Rae Wood
Judy Young

It's always great to meet the readers and kids know me in Missouri from the Mark Twain Award for WENNY HAS WINGS. This year I got to sign and sell the new book THE BEAST OF NOOR.

I'm still in the dark ages with my presentations (dirty little secret -- I haven't learned power point yet) so I was on my own to present 4 workshops in a row (about 400 kids in all) and nearly lost my voice by the end. I found my voice again (it was in my back pocket) by 8pm that evening when a few writers and illustrators did an Author Slam. That's 4 minutes to present something about your books. I told the strange and magical story about finding the buried glass doorknob while I was writing THE DOUBLE LIFE OF ZOE FLYNN. If you don't know that weird story and you want to hear it -- write me here on the blog and I'll spill the beans (or doorknobs).

One last thing. I was working on the galleys for DRAGON'S KEEP while flying to fro from Seattle/Denver/Springfield and nearly left the manuscript in the airport shop when I went to buy chapstick. Oi!

Until the next blog, be well.

Janet

VISION AND REVISION
http://www.blackjacktools.com/pcat-gifs/products-small/hacksaws-110.jpg

I just sent the revision of my medieval fantasy, TALON, back to my Faber & Faber editor in the UK (one month turnaround. Not bad!). Now it's back to THE ANCIENTS --

sequel to THE BEAST OF NOOR. My Atheneum editor, Susan Burke cried "Shorten!" saying THE BEAST OF NOOR was Long. Could I make THE ANCIENTS about 100 pages shorter than BEAST?

Hum . . . I knew this would be a lot of cutting since THE ANCIENTS was turned in at about 100 pages LONGER than the BEAST manuscript. Still Susan gave me some suggestions about where to begin lightening the load.

I began, as always, with some trepidation and started to remove a paragraph here, a page there, working tenderly with tweezers. As I grew more daring out came the the scissors, clip clip here, clip clip there, scenes dropped to the floor. Finally I pulled out the hacksaw, cutting out whole chapters that "slowed the pace" or "could be turned into a telling little paragraph after all."


To make sure I don't cut anything vital, I'm scanning the manuscript using a Plot Chart I devised to keep track of the the Through Line.

Three weeks to go before I have to turn the revision in.
The race is on.

Until the next blog,
Be well.

Janet

Author Insights

Today I'll take the plunge and share some of the meandering thoughts from my personal journal -- thoughts on the author, the character and the self. Turn ye back if ye do not like to delve a little deeper. Okay fair warning.

Life has been presenting me with some very difficult challenges of late.
What I want:
To understand my life from above and not just from below.
Relief from sorrow.
To have faith in God.
To believe I'm on the right path.
To make the right decisions and move on them.
To live with compassion.

Much of what I want is out of my hands. I'm human, flawed and not "all seeing". I suppose I want the guarantee of a "happy ending" Who doesn't?

MY CHARACTERS are in much the same situation. They want:
To understand the story from above and not just from below.
Relief from sorrow and difficulties.
To have faith.
To believe they are on the right path to solve to story problem.
To make the right decisions and move on them.
They don't always think in terms of "living with compassion" so that's a bit different.

AS THE AUTHOR I can see my characters' struggling.
I DO see the story from above.
I cannot relieve them from their sorrow or difficulties or the story would be over.
I know the characters are on the right path to solve the story problem even when they fail.
I know they don't always make the right decisions but as long as they move and continue moving, they will make progress toward the story's end.
They don't always live with compassion, but though the story seems to be harsh, I as the author have compassion for them.

My characters don't walk away with a PRIZE at the end of the story. They don't always get with they want. They DO walk away with a better understanding of themselves, of their gifts and of their place in the world. This "invisible prize" is something they will always have. It is imperishable/untouchable. No one can ever take it away from them.

I expect no more and no less from my characters than I expect from myself. Insight into the Author's Role/God's Role does not relieve the pain of my daily life. I blunder along as best I can with what faith I have. I'm flawed just as my characters are flawed. But I'm out for the invisible prize.

Fellow traveler,
Walk Well,

Janet

What's your personality? Take the quiz:

The Protector

You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity.
Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is.
You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience.
You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them.

You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

take the quiz: http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/

J

BEAST OF NOOR Party Picture

The book launch party for THE BEAST OF NOOR was a blast! A few came as characters from the book. The Sylth Queen arrived with her entourage of Sylth servants all fanning her and doing her bidding. I gave her a silver goblet (Sylth Queens don't drink from paper cups!) The Sylth Queen was kind enough to toss fairy petals on some lucky partygoers.

Here's a picture of the Sylty Queen, a sylth, the intrepid author, and Brother Adolpho opening the Falconer's chest.

Many left with some Noor treasure, but I have a lot left. Hum. Were folks a bit shy about loading their plunder pouches??

The food from Noor was delicious -- I heard it was anyway. I was only able to gobble two strawberries the entire evening. I ordered a glass of white wine during the book signing but the white was gone and red wine gives me a headache. Ah well.

I chose to read a tale within tale -- the story of how the Shriker came to be, and I'm told the reading went well. After the reading, people lined up to get books signed or went over to watch the cool Search Dog video.

My thanks to all who came to revel. And to all those who bought books. The bookstore was sold out!

Until the next blog, be well

JANE YOLEN THE BRAVE – SCBWI LA Conference

The SCBWI Summer Conference was Golden this year. Here are some more nuggets from my LA visit.

Saturday 8/05
Hunkered down in my room to work on The Ancients (deadline for the revision draws near).

Attended Krista Marino's workshop "Publishing Etiquette: What Not to Do"Krista gathered gripes from her fellow editors. Here are a few things to avoid:
* Don’t send sloppy cover letters. They should be immaculate.
* Avoid adding the minutia of your novel to your synopsis. Instead clearly communicate the storyline, characters, genre and age range. Keep it short,clear and compelling.
* Don’t address editors by first name in your cover letter unless you know them.
* Don’t send to 5 editors at the same imprint. Editors know each other and "do lunch" together.
* Try not to be impatient while you wait for a response. Instead use your waiting time to wirte. Editors work long office hours and have to do ALL their manuscript reading at home. So learn the fine line between persistence and pestering.
Krista then listed all the jobs an editor does in a typical day. My hand cramped just writing them all down! Kudos to all our hardworking editors.

Sunday 8/06
Went to Lisa Yee’s witty “Why Bother to Blog” workshop. Great fun! Lisa shared lots of cool blogging info. (So much to learn!) And she gave us tons of helpful notes. Thanks Lisa! (See more SCBWI conference stuff on Lisa Yee’s blog.)


Monday 8/07

Went to “The Joys and Frustrations of Revision” workshop with Justina Chen Headley and her editor at Little Brown, Alvina Ling.
Took pages of notes on their revision process. Justina showed her cool pre-story collages. Alvina read sections of her early editorial letters for Nothing But the Truth and a Few White Lies. Justina shared tips on how to handle your editors queries and comments. Lots of good-humored jokes between the two, and more than one poignant moment as Tina read from her stunning novel. I give the workshop 5 stars. *****

Monday afternoon -- Jane Yolen's Keynote:
I'd been waiting all weekend for Jane Yolen's address. And my jaw dropped when she was wheeled on stage. We’d danced at the Jade Jubilee Saturday night. Did she sprain her ankle jiving into the wee hours after I left the shindig? Jane soon told her ghastly tale of horrors (full details can be read on her website Journal “Telling the True” see www.janeyolen.com) She'd suffered a bad case of food poisoning. After being sicker than a dog for hours, our fearless conference director, Lin Oliver, rushed her to the hospital where Jane spent the night hooked up to the IV. Still she managed to return to the hotel for her keynote address covering the 10 Rules of Writing gleaned from 40 years of experience and 287 (count um!) books. Here are but a few rules:
· Write the damn novel. Don't just want to write it. Sit down (BIC -- butt in chair) and write it.
· Learn to love revision.
· Listen to your readers.
· The last rule (true to Yolen humor) was -- Don't believe anyone's rules.
Jane ended with a poem. I took down a startling line . . .
"a prayer that sounds like a curse until it's said a second time"

Jane got a standing ovation.
She thinks it was wheelchair inspired "pity applause" but it had nothing to do with food poisoning. Note to Jane -- we would have stood after that keynote if you’d been well enough to do jumping jacks on stage. Bravo! It was a great way to end the conference.

Monday night party:
Last, I attended the party at Lin Oliver’s. Good talk and good eats – apologies to Jane Y.

Tuesday 8/08:
Got up at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to fly home. Then it was time to dig in on my revision of Talon for my UK publisher at Faber & Faber.

Well, Talon beckons. Back to work.

Until the next blog . . .
Be well.

LA STORY: Book Signing, talk about Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster and more.

The SCBWI Conference this year was Golden. Here are some nuggets from my LA visit.

Friday Day #1
Media Escort Book Signing:
Media Escort Lisa Becker drove Tina (Justina Chen Headley ) and I all over LA to hit as many bookstores as is humanly possible given LA traffic and the local speed limit. Lisa Becker was well prepared and she had the bookstore reps. hopping. If a bookstore didn't have our books in stock, Lisa looked them right in the eye and said. "You need to get these books," in a very polite 'make them an offer they can't refuse' sort of a way. She also told us great Hollywood tales gleaned from working in the movie business. Some of the scoop: Meryl Streep is not only the consummate actress we all know she is, she's also a great human being. Ah, good to know. Lisa also talked up Jodie Foster (smart, with it, great mom), Keanu Reeves (the only actor who ever asked her if he could be switched to a SMALLER hotel room)and George Clooney who asked if he could pitch in some cash and pay for the film crew's accommodations (that's about 600 people!) when Lisa was getting flack from everyone about the sucky hotel. We loved her behind-the- scenes stories and we talked non-stop in stop-and-go traffic, so travel between signings was a breeze. I found a new respect for all the unsung heroes in the crew who work in the movie industry. Try 12-14 hour days day in and day out. Bravo to the unsung, hardworking crew!
We singed lots of books -- Tina's NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH AND A FEW WHITE LIES, and my THE BEAST OF NOOR. Last stop was Storyopolis where we viewed stunning framed picture book artwork covering the walls and, I almost forgot, signed books. A great day.

Friday night:
Dinner with friends and editor Krista Marino -- lots of laughs and good eats. In a fit of "healthy living fanaticism" we all decided to walk back to the hotel and had to clamber down a dirt hill covered in netting to cross LA night traffic -- totally nuts but no one was harmed.

See more SCBWI LA conference Nuggets in the next blog.

Until then,
Be well,
Janet

Until the next blog,
Be well,
Janet

CONSIDERING FLIGHT
Monday Night at the P&G Speakeasy Cafe in Duvall, Poet Katherine Grace Bond read from her new book CONSIDERING FLIGHT (Brass Weight Press 2006)

The room was packed and we were entranced by the journey taken from first poem to last. It was sweltering in the cafe but we didn't want to move outside where breezes beckoned until Katherine finished the book.

Katherine's poems centered on the father/daughter relationship. They were riveting --honest, clear, complex, sweet, bitter, raw -- beautiful.

Here's a selection from CONSIDERING FLIGHT

Gentle Into Twilight

In the soft dead of that good night
Are shouts that were not shouted
To shame me
And his retreating back in a rummage sale jacket,
Carrying a plastic bag of Atlantic Monthlies.

His voice I'd like to bottle and keep,
Words the timbre of well-tuned glass,
Too effete for his ears.

His feet, he'd cut off
And walk on stumps
If it kept him a man.

He drowses near his ashtray
Studying the Trojan Wars alone
And Plutarch speaks to him in dreams.

I am his daughter.
I know the aria of the Queen of the Night
And can sing it in the woods
If the need arises.

I can pluck apples from the air,
But his basket will never be full.

I could reach my white bones out
To pull him from that dusk
And find his body heavy,
Spinning empty in my hands.

* * *

To read more amazing poems order CONSIDERING FLIGHT.
Send email to Katherine@Katherinegracebond.com

May poetry find you this week.
May the words surprise you and may your pen flow
in cool dark evening rivers.

Until the next blog. Be well.