Tantalize Fan Trailer by Jaden; Darren Shan Fan Art; Official Soul Encilada Trailer

Thanks, Jaden! See also the official Tantalize trailer.

By the way, new Darren Shan fan art is now online. See demons and vampires and read a Cynsations interview with Darren.

On a more official note, remember yesterday's trailer for Soul Enchilada, a debut novel by David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow, 2009)? Here's the "Bug" version:

Cynsational News, Links & Giveaways

PaperTigers offers three great new features:

-- "Great Expectations: Breaking Down the Wall of Assumptions" by Debbi Michiko Florence; peek: "It's not enough that a main character in a book is Asian-American in physical description, but he/she should also share that melding of cultures."

--interview with Linda Sue Park by Aline Pereira; peek: "I have always been grateful that I started my writing life with poetry. I feel strongly that the discipline of writing in poetic form for many years taught me to pay the closest attention to language and to make every word count."

--interview with author-publisher Icy Smith of East West Discovery Press by Marjorie Coughlan; peek: "We are an independent publisher specializing in multicultural and bilingual children's books with a mission of promoting history, culture, and social justice."

More News & Links

Interview with Elizabeth C. Bunce by Julie M. Prince of Off to Turn Another Page... at The Edge of the Forest. Peek: "Don't get me wrong—I'm a huge fan of girls with swords! But there are many ways to be heroic, and I wanted to show a quieter sort of heroism, one that girls who maybe aren't tomboys could relate to, and one that hasn't traditionally been as visible in fantasy for young people." See also Julie's interview with Linda Urban; and Time for Prom (or Not) by Little Willow of Bildungsroman.

Book Buyer Blogs: Voodoo Curses and Refreshments from Editorial Anonymous. Peek: "It is better to be a brand-new author with nothing but fresh-faced innocence, a big grin and a shiny new book, than to be a ho-hum writer with a few books that have lousy-to-meh sales histories." Note: includes factors for reconsideration and more.

The Summer Blog Blast Tour 2008 Schedule from Chasing Ray--don't miss out!

Presenting...Claudia Gray: an author interview from Journey of an Inquiring Mind. Peek: "I've been a vampire fan for a long time, and I really enjoyed the TV show 'Alias,' which had an immortality cult as the baddies, so I suspect I've spent more time than most people thinking about how weird/difficult/great/bizarre it would be never to die."

Finding Flow in a [Writers'] Group by Helen Hemphill (author interview) at Through the Tollbooth. Note: quotes a few of my favorite Austin authors--April Lurie (author interview), Frances Hill Yansky and Brian Yansky (author interview). See also Kimberly Willis Holt on her perfect "first reader" and a Cynsations interview with Kimberly.

ACPL Mock Geisel: a discussion of the year's best early reader books from Allen County (Indiana) Public Library. Source: Children's Book Biz.

An Interview with Agent Rosemary Stimola by Siobhan Vivian from The Longstockings. Peek: "I want to see an author grow and blossom and move along with them through different stories. Want to be a part of that ascent." See also a Cynsations interview with Rosemary.

Debut author Shana Burg offers a new blog! Peek: "Please join me to explore civil rights issues, examine historical tidbits, and sit beside me as my first book hits the shelves."

Monthly Special: Heroes from The Horn Book. Read a Cynsations interview with Horn Book editor Roger Sutton.

Present Your Portfolio Like a Pro by Elizabeth O. Dulemba. Peek: "Feel free to jazz up your portfolio to show some personality, but keep in mind, the main thing is to keep it simple and clean so that your artwork can truly shine."

Question of the Week Thursday: Jill Esbaum from Robin Friedman's JerseyFresh Tude. Robin asks: "What are the differences between writing picture books and novels?" Read Cynsations interviews with Jill and Robin.

Children's Writing Web Journal: From the Editors of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers. Note: recent posts include: a link to "YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Author Simon Rose Interview;" a loaded "Video Interview with Walter Dean Myers;" a link to "10 flagrant grammar mistakes" and much more.

Giveaways

Author Susane Colasanti at Creative Visualization is sponsoring an exciting contest! The second runner-up will receive a signed copy of When It Happens (Viking, 2006). The first runner-up will receive a signed copy of Take Me There (Viking, 2008). The grand-prize winner will have their writing published in her third book, Waiting For You, which will be released next summer. The grand-prize winner also will receive a signed copy of Take Me There. Learn how to enter!

Win a copy of the picture book In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Tricia Tusa (Harcourt, 2008) from Susan Taylor Brown. Deadline June 1. Learn more about entering. Read a Cynsations interview with Susan.

Three Cynsations readers won copies of Violet by Design by Melissa Walker (Berkley Jam, 2008) this week: Jenny in North Carolina; Megan in Louisiana, and Swapna in Virginia. Note: some folks queried as to whether international entries are eligible, and the answer is always yes.

The Cynsations grand-prize May giveaway is an autographed paperback set of all three of Lauren Myracle's New York Times bestselling Internet Girls novels (in chat-room-style writing)--ttyl, l8rg8r, and ttfn, all published by Amulet!

Read a Cynsations interview with Lauren. Read Lauren's blog, and visit her at MySpace!

To enter the giveaway, email me with your name and snail/street mail address by 10 p.m. CST May 31! Please also type "Internet Girls" in the subject line. Note: one autographed set will be awarded to any Cynsations YA reader.

Shooting Stars Mag is giving away a Sanguini's T-shirt and a marked-up hardcover copy of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008). Note: Sanguini's is the vampire-themed restaurant featured in the novel. I made notes in the margins about the writing of the book, the characters, the Austin setting, and much more! The deadline is midnight EST May 31. See more information! And thanks to the Shooting Stars!

On a related note, Jamie has created an "I Never Drink...Wine" fan image celebrating Tantalize and its literary roots in Dracula by Bram Stoker (1987). She suggests using it as wallpaper; I'm using it on my desktop.

More Personally

Cynsations works differently than many blogs--it's pre-formatted and scheduled up to five months in advance. Consequently, it's difficult for me to participate in blog tours without "bumping" interviews that are already in the queue. However, I'm happy to highlight tours in Friday's news-and-links round-ups. Please feel free to write me with related announcements.

Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith (HarperCollins, 2001)(Listening Library, 2001) is included among books featured in Booktalking Authentic Multicultural Literature: Fiction, History, and Memoirs for Teens by Sherry York (Linworth, 2008).

From the promotional copy: "Bring authentic multicultural booktalks to your students by using this well-researched, easy-to-use book of recommended titles and talks.

"Offers a focus on contemporary multicultural fiction, history, and memoirs. Highlights award winning, well-written fiction. Allows the library to serve and reach underserved populations. Recommended titles and talks written by some of the best authors around. Inspire your NCLB subgroup students to read by booktalking these culturally responsive books! Indexed by subject, title, and by author.

"Encourage secondary students to read more, read thoughtfully, and think critically. Engage all students, promote cross-cultural understanding, increase diversity, and help prevent dropouts."

Congratulations to Amanda King, whose fresh and fascinating Gothic fantasy YA novel manuscript has made it to the final round in a contest in conjunction with the Writers League of Texas Agents and Editors Conference!

Greg and I saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last weekend at The Alamo Drafthouse Theater on South Lamar. I recommend it. I liked the departures from the book--yes, including the romance--and didn't mind it's "more serious" tone. I plan to see it again at the theater. Austinites: the Drafthouse is serving a Narnia-themed menu. See also "From Page to Screen: Andrew Adamson's 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'" by Anita L. Burkam from The Horn Book.

Finally

Take a peek at Me Hungry! by Jeremy Tankard (Candlewick, 2008)(inside spread)! From the promotional copy: "'Me hungry!' the boy pleads. 'Me busy,' say his preoccupied mom and dad. So the boy decides to go hunting, setting his sights on an elusive rabbit, a prickly porcupine, a too-mean tiger, and finally, a like-minded mammoth who's more than happy to help. With comical, energetic illustrations and a simple, repetitive text, this child-friendly tale will have little listeners fully engaged right up to the funny final twist. An inventive Stone Age boy takes matters into his own hands in a humorous, satisfying story for every young child who wants something now."



Check out the video trailer for Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fisher (Dutton, 2008)! Learn more about the Class of 2k8, and read "Introducing Debbie Reed Fischer and Braless in Wonderland:" an author interview from Alex Flinn at alixwrites. Peek: "I wanted elements of Alice in Wonderland to be woven throughout the story, so the title had to reflect that. Miami Beach is very Wonderland-esque." See also a Cynsations interview with Alex.



And wouldn't you just die to read Soul Enchilada, a debut novel by David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow, 2009)?

Author Interview: Lisa Schroeder on I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Lisa Schroeder, a native Oregonian, is an expert juggler of all things, including kids, work, writing, cooking, and cleaning. But when her arms get tired, you'll probably find her curled up in a corner with a cup of tea and a good book.

She's the author of the picture book, Baby Can't Sleep, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli (Sterling, 2005) the young adult novel, I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Simon Pulse, 2008), and two forthcoming books, Little Chimp's Big Day (Sterling, 2010) and Far From You (Simon Pulse, 2009).

Visit Lisa's Little Corner of the Internet, check out her MySpace page, and learn more about the Class of 2k8! See also the 2k8 blog and visit The Class of 2k8 at MySpace!

Could you tell us about your path to publication? Any sprints or stumbles along the way?

Lots of stumbles, like most writers. I started out writing picture books, and around the 100th rejection (on various books), I received an offer from Sterling on my picture book, Baby Can't Sleep.

For the first few years that I was seriously writing and submitting, I didn't think I'd ever write a novel, even though I've always loved reading novels for kids and teens.

But then the picture book market took a nose dive, and I was ready to challenge myself and try something new, so I decided I'd never know unless I tried.

I ended up writing three mid-grade novels over the course of a couple of years, none of them published. I see those books as my schooling. With each one, I learned things about novel writing, the publishing industry, and a lot about myself as a writer. I still hope I can publish a mid-grade novel someday, because I have such strong memories of reading books at that age.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me was the book that landed me an agent and became my first published novel.

Congratulations on the release of I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Simon Pulse, 2008)! Could you tell us a little about this new title?

It's a novel-in-verse about a fifteen-year-old girl, Ava, whose boyfriend dies and comes back to live in her house as a ghost. More than a ghost story, however, I believe it's a story of love, loss, healing, and hope.

What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

I had a dream about a girl whose boyfriend died but loved her so much, he didn't want to leave her. I got up the next morning and started writing. It was an amazing thing. I wish it'd happen more often!

I've always loved verse novels but hadn't ever tried writing one. When I sat down to write, that's how it came out. I think the verse created a special atmosphere for the story.

What was the timeline between spark and publication, and what were the major events along the way?

Let's see, I had a first draft finished in like six weeks. That was in the spring of 2006. I was so excited about the book, and the story came really easily, which was a real gift. After that, I spent some time revising, had some trusted writer friends read it and give me comments.

By the fall, I felt it was ready to go out. I queried a couple of agents, and had some, uh, interesting responses. One agent told me flat out that with such a low word count, I didn't have a novel, I had a novella. Another one told me he wouldn't know a great verse novel from a lousy one, so he definitely wasn't the agent for me.

I kept querying, mostly getting rejections, so I decided to try a couple of well-known editors. I had two requests really quickly, which gave me a new hope.

I tried a couple of more agents, and mentioned I had some requests from editors in my letters. I had a quick response from Sara Crowe (agent interview), asking for the full manuscript. A couple of weeks later, she offered representation. I was thrilled!

I did some revisions for her, then she sent it out in November of '06. We got some rejections, and one revision request, wanting me to make the story darker and scarier. I thought about it a long time, but ultimately, I decided that wasn't the story I wanted to tell. I have to thank that particular editor, however, because she gave me some other suggestions that resonated with me, so I incorporated them into the story and they really improved my manuscript!

In March, 2007, we received an offer from Simon Pulse. A few weeks later, I had an editorial letter, with a due date fast approaching. They were working toward a publication date of January 2008, so we had to work quickly. The editorial letter was fantastic, though. I could tell my editor really got my book, and all of his suggestions made the book much stronger.

I'm excited to share that a couple of weeks ago, I sold another novel-in-verse to my editor at Pulse, tentatively titled Far From You. It's slated for publication some time in 2009!

What were the challenges (literary (especially poetic), research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

The actual writing of the book came pretty easily for me. I'd get up in the morning, eager to write, grudgingly go to work, and then when I got home, I'd race to the computer to get back to the story. That had never happened to me before. It was awesome!

I was a little worried about the believability of the ghost. I did some research--reading message boards and watching ghost specials on TV and just hoped that I wasn't doing anything too far fetched.

In general, a verse novel is challenging because it should be poetic, but it also needs to be accessible. It's a fine line at times, and I'd often find myself asking, is this poetic enough, and if not, how can I make it more poetic? Some dialogue is necessary of course, and that's when it can be particularly difficult.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you were beginning writer, what advice would you offer?

I would probably tell her to stop worrying so much about publication and instead, worry about writing the best book possible. I think when you're first starting out, you're hungry for validation of some kind. But sending books out too early is one of the worst things you can do.

I would also tell her to not be afraid to try new genres, new formats, new stories, because that's how you learn and grow as a writer.

Mostly, I would tell her what I've told myself all along. Keep working hard. Keep writing. Keep believing. It does pay off. It really does!

Giveaway of an Author Marked-up Copy of Tantalize

Shooting Stars Mag is giving away a Sanguini's T-shirt and a marked-up hardcover copy of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008).

Note: Sanguini's is the vampire-themed restaurant featured in the novel.

I made notes in the margins about the writing of the book, the characters, the Austin setting, and much more!

The deadline is midnight EST May 31. See more information!

And thanks to the Shooting Stars!

National Children's Choice Book Awards Announced

NEW YORK, NY-–The Children's Book Council (CBC) in association with the CBC Foundation, announced the winners of the first annual Children's Choice Book Awards at a gala in New York City, hosted by Jon Scieszka, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

Children across the country voted for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com. Close to 55,000 votes were received.

The Children's Choice Book Award winners are as follows:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year

Frankie Stein written by Lola M. Schaefer (author interview), illustrated by Kevan Atteberry (Marshall Cavendish)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year

Big Cats by Elaine Landau (Enslow Publishers)

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year

Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee (Scholastic)

Illustrator of the Year Award

Ian Falconer, Olivia Helps with Christmas (Simon & Schuster)

Author of the Year Award

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic)

The Children's Choice Book Awards program was created to provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them and to help develop a reading list that will motivate children to read. The program is a new component of Children's Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country.

About the Children's Book Council

The Children's Book Council, established in 1945, is the nonprofit trade association of publishers of trade books for children and young adults in the United States. The CBC promotes the use and enjoyment of trade books for young people, most prominently as the official sponsor of Children's Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country. The goal of the Children’s Book Council is to make the reading and enjoyment of books for young people an essential part of America's educational and social goals, as well as to enhance the public perception of the importance of reading by disseminating information about books for young people and about children's book publishing.