About Lee:

Lee Wardlaw’s first spoken word was ‘kitty’. Since then, she’s shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time!) and published close to 30 award-winning books for children, tweens and teens, including Won Ton – A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, winner of the 2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the enormously popular middle grade novel 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents.

Lee has a B.A. in education, and taught school for five years before deciding to write full-time. She earned her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego, and will receive her M.Ed. from Loyola University, Maryland, in 2013. She still enjoys teaching, and presents a variety of lively programs each year for students, educators, librarians, parents and writers at schools, workshops, and conferences.

Lee’s books, which have sold more than a million copies world-wide, have been honored by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the International School Librarians Association, and more. Lee is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, the Authors Guild, the California Reading Association and, yes, even the Cat Writers’ Association!

Lee lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband, teenaged son, and three former shelter cats. Her newest books include 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies (ages 10-14) and Red, White and Boom! (ages 2-7).

For more info about Lee and her books, visit her site here and don’t forget Facebook!

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received? 

Everything between page 1 and The End (page 118) of  Art and Fear – Observations of the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland.  This brilliant little book is, uh, brilliant! I re-read it at least twice a year.  One of my favorite quotes:  “ …[remember that] becoming an artist consists of learning to accept yourself, which makes your work personal, and in following your own voice, which makes your work distinctive.”

What is the worst advice you’ve ever received?

Years ago, an editor-who-shall-not-be-named advised I remove what I thought was an important subplot in my middle grade novel Seventh-Grade Weirdo.  I balked.  She insisted. We discussed. We argued. I pleaded. She won.  Publisher’s Weekly gave the novel a scathing review, complaining it was “…scanty on plot.”  ARGH!  (The book went on to win the Florida Sunshine State Young Reader Award and was on the Texas Lone Star Recommended Reading List, so nyah, nyah, but still…I miss that subplot!  Even my readers sometimes say:  “You know, it seems like there’s something missing here…”)

Most embarrassing moment?

I’m too embarrassed to tell you!

What do you miss most about being a kid?

How loooooooong summer vacation seemed!  Three whole months. Wow. An eternity.  Now, June feels like Friday; July, Saturday; and August a quick Sunday.  Pfffffft – - gone!

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?

I love bodysurfing in Hawaii. The waves!  The warm water!  But ten years ago, I ruptured a disc in my neck that required surgery.  Doctor’s post-op orders?  No more bodysurfing!  Now, beachcombing for sea glass is my only ‘extreme sport’.

Ever had something happen that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for the best?

Yes, yep, oh yeah!  My first contract was for Corey’s Fire, a Y.A. novel based on my family’s experiences when our home and neighborhood were destroyed in a California wildfire. A small hardcover publishing house bought the manuscript and set the pub date for the 10^th anniversary of the fire. I told everyone the fantastic news –friends, family, neighbors, even the mailman (he was all-too-familiar with my SASEs!).  A local bookstore coordinated a big book launch.  Our local paper did a huge story on me. Then, a month before publication, my editor was fired.  Her replacement canceled my contract. Devastating?  Yup.  I hit the ground like a safe. My career was over before it had even started!  Fortunately, my agent resold the book to Avon/William Morrow. The novel debuted three years after the original pub date, received excellent reviews, several awards and honors, and is still in print (with a different publishing house) 22 years later!  As for the company that dumped me: it was eventually absorbed into a larger house, then disappeared altogether…

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Dead:  Thomas Jefferson.  Alive:  Hugh Laurie. Both are fascinating Renaissance men.

When you have 30 minutes of free time, how do you pass the time?

I nap!  Napping is highly under rated.  Just ask any cat.

If you were reincarnated as an ice cream flavor, what would it be? 

Vanilla.  No question.  See, I’m a clotheshorse.  I love wearing different kinds of outfits, colors, styles, fabric, jewelry, etc., depending on my mood.  Vanilla ice cream is similar.  It’s delicious plain – - but you can also dress it up with hot caramel sauce or fresh raspberries or a gooey, chocolate-y brownie, and voila!  Even yummier than before.

What story does your family always tell about you?

My mom likes to relate the details of the morning I decided to visit my friend Patrick, who lived at the end of the block. This was in Erie, PA; it was seven a.m., the middle of winter, snowing, I was three years old, and wearing only a nightgown and my bare feet.  I still remember Mom standing at the front door in her bathrobe, face frozen with shock, disbelief and horror as she watched me trot down the dirt road. I tried to reassure her with a wave, but…

What mischief did you get into growing up?

See above paragraph, which is just the tip of the iceberg. (I was fond of early-morning ‘adventures’.)

What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received?

A lamp in the shape of a purse.  And the purse fabric was faux tiger fur!

What age did you become an adult?

Fifty.  Ish.  (Still working on it.)

Ever written a book that never got published? Ever think you’ll give it a second chance?

I’ve written a bunch of ‘em!  Some will never be rescued from the Black Hole (my file cabinet); others I’ve cannibalized, using bits and pieces of them in different stories.  There’s one book, though, a Y.A. mystery-romance-thriller (similar in style and tone to the old TV show “Moonlighting”) that I wrote in 1987.  It’s been rejected something like 62 times!  Judy Blume read and critiqued it at an SCBWI conference in the early 1990’s; she loved it and couldn’t understand why it hadn’t sold. She even graciously allowed me to use her name in my query letters.  I received one nibble after that, but the editor wanted the book to be part of a series of romantic thrillers.  That sounded great, until I learned I’d have to write a new book every six weeks.  Talk about panic!  I practically had a coronary just thinking about it.  I’m not a fast writer, and tend to freeze up when faced with those kind of deadlines.  So I passed on the offer.  I revisit the novel every now and then. I still like it, and have considered turning it into a middle grade. Maybe someday…

Outliner or Seat-of-the-Pantser?

Both.  With novels, I outline.  I have to know where I’m going, how I’ll get there and with whom I’m traveling – and WHY – before I back the car out of the garage.  With picture books, though, I start out seat-of-pantsing. Then I outline. Then I SOP again.  And then I revise.

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?

In the late 1980’s, I had a hairstyle similar to Princess Di’s.

My husband and I honeymooned in Barbados, which is where Di often vacationed. Boy, did I get a lot of double and triple takes!  And numerous people, especially waiters, approached me with:  “Are you….?”  or  “Has anyone ever told you, you look just like…?”  When I hit my 60’s, I would love to be mistaken for Helen Mirren.

About Cat:

Cat Patrick is an author of books for young adults including Forgotten (June 2011), about a girl who remembers the future instead of the past; Revived (May 2012), about a girl in a top secret government trial to test a drug that brings people back from the dead and The Originals (May 2013), about three clones living as one person in order to hide their past. Cat lives outside of Seattle with her husband and twin daughters, and is both obsessed with and afraid of zombies and America’s Next Top Model. Check out her site here. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

From my agent: When you finish a novel, set it aside for at least one month before re-reading or sharing it with anyone else. Unfortunately books aren’t born perfect—at least mine aren’t—and weak points are a lot easier to spot with a clear head and a little distance. It’s sort of the whole “forest through the trees” thing, only applied to writing books. 

When was the last time you were nervous?

Yesterday? I get nervous a lot. In fact, I would go ahead and classify myself as a Nervous Nelly. My top two nervous-making things are flying and speaking in public. I’m always nervous before book signings and author panels, but my excitement about meeting readers/booksellers/librarians/fellow writers always seems to make it go away. 

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, what do you do?

I read, or watch a funny TV show. Right now, I’m reading the third in Holly Black’s Curse Workers series, Black Heart. Some of my favorite funny shows are New Girl, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. 

The best part of waking up is?

Greeting my kiddos. I have three-year-old twin daughters and they (typically) wake up in adorably sunshiny moods, telling stories about what the day will bring. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when they’re smiling at me and saying, “Mommy, I love your hair!” 

What piece of advice would you give the younger you?

Channel more of your self-confident preschooler. In high school, I definitely bullied my own reflection quite a bit. Now, as a parent of young children, I see how amazingly self-confident they are…and I want them to retain it. They tell me, “I look beautiful today!” “I’m the fastest runner!” I think it’s really wonderful to be able to see your own strengths like that. I’d love to tell Teen Me to smile at the mirror a bit more. 

If you were reincarnated as an ice cream flavor, what would it be?

Well, I don’t really want to be eaten, so maybe something disgusting like black licorice? I guess if I’m choosing based purely on flavors I like, I’d be mint chip or vanilla with crushed Heath bar. Yum. 

Outliner or Seat-of-the-Pantser?

Seat-of-the-Pantser. I’ve been much more successful with books that started as mental vomit on the page, and were fine-tuned from there. 

About Bethany:

Bethany Hegedus’s middle grade novels Truth with a Capital T and Between Us Baxters were both named Bank Street Books, Best Books in 2010 and 2011. Forthcoming is the picture book Grandfather Gandhi, co-authored with Arun Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma. Bethany teaches privately, speaks across the country, and operates The Writing Barn, a writing workshop/retreat space. She also serves as the Editor of the Children’s and Young Adult section of Hunger Mountain. 

Tell us about The Writing Barn! How’s everything going? Who inspired the idea? And did I hear rumors you just held your book-themed wedding there? Do tell! 

The Writing Barn is the brain child of me and my husband, Vivek. He has owned 7.5 acres of land in South Austin for over ten years. On it, sat his office (The Cabin), a once working horse barn, which was filled with furniture and cobwebs, when we met—and his home, which was being renovated to turn the home into a workshop center—for yoga, lectures, etc. But, as we grew more and more serious, we decided our home needed to be our home. It was Vivek’s dream to have floor to ceiling bookshelves—so we transferred that dream from the house to the barn at the back of the property. Work began on turning the structure from a barn with a hay loft to a library and workshop space with a guest/instructor bedroom.  The open window where horses used to stick their heads in is now a big picture window. The stalls were screened in and a porch was built and wala…The Writing Barn was completed last October. 

My need for an office and our desire to host workshops of a variety of types is what really was behind The Writing Barn becoming what it is. We opened to the public late last year and have held a variety of events: a book launch parties—complete with mini-horses (Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby’s Harness Horses, Bucking Bronco’s and Pit Ponies);  poetry writing workshops, a Zen writing meditation retreat given by Saundra Goldman, a student of Natalie Goldberg’s; a yoga and writing workshop;  and now we are hosting Write Away Weekends—where a writer rents the space from Friday at 5pm until Sunday at 5pm to have 48 hours of uninterrupted writing time. We look forward to hosting many other inspiring classes and events and hosting writers from across the country for solo or writing group retreats.

And, you heard right! The Writing Barn and its surrounding grounds hosted 150 of our friends and family as Vivek and I said our do’s under the two big Live Oaks that stand tall in front of the Barn. And, there is another Writing Barn Wedding booked for October! We are soon to list a Wedding page to the website with information on Writing Barn Weddings, with lots of book-themed vendors. 

Brittney, it’s so surreal to be chatting with you about the Barn. It’s more than a dream come true to be able to share The Writing Barn and what it offers; it’s the dream I never knew I had. I am enjoying every minute of it and love seeing the multiple ways it can be used. I also teach there privately—meeting with my one-on-one novel and picture book students—and write my own work there, as well. All that creative energy in one place feeds both me and my fiction. 

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? 

If I could be any fictional character, I would be Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. I love that man. His moral center. His heart. His strength. His courage. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books. As a teen and young adult, I read it at least once a year. I love Scout, Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, and Calpurnia—but it is Atticus whose closing argument I read out loud each time I got to that page. As a younger reader, I may have wanted to be Scout and to sit on his lap and read the newspaper, but as an adult, I want to be the parental figure—the one who doesn’t have all the answers, but who has the courage to speak out against injustices, and has the ability to hold all that pain and who teaches Scout and Jem about who and what a true Southern gentleman is not by words but by actions. 

Ever had something happen that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for the best? 

I moved to NYC in my twenties in the hopes of becoming an actress. I studied with one teacher who said I was the shyest person she ever met. (Most folks reading this who know me are thinking—what? Bethany, shy?) I also auditioned for an acting class that two of my best friends, whom I moved from Georgia to NYC with, were in. They were accepted, I wasn’t. I was ashamed and mortified and struggled with not having the talent that I thought I did and that when I was younger others thought I had. I wasn’t me when I was acting. (And to me that is the point—revealing parts of the self while inhabiting another character.)  I was torn between acting and writing—though I had always acted and never really wrote anything but poetry and personal essays—which I never attempted to get published. My best friend, who was and is still an actor, said to me—“Bethany, there are some actors who can write but they aren’t writers and some writers who can act but they aren’t actors—you are a writer.” 

Those were hard words to hear but they were the truth—for me. I could have continued to pursue acting over writing, or pursued both—but I didn’t.

I signed up for a writing class—one for writing for children. I left that first class with two picture book drafts and 70 pages of a novel draft. None of that work saw the light of day, but I was writing. And in fiction, I found the honesty I was searching to portray in my acting. 

I had honed my ear for dialect while living in the South and reading plays—and I found a place for the shy part of myself as well as the gregarious part of myself—on the page. It hurt like hell at the time but the second I found my “true talent” and started pursuing it wholeheartedly I never looked back. It took about 8 years to sell a novel but from the moment I started putting words to the page in an effort to become a published author, all the “ick” of acting and not feeling good enough, disappeared. 

In regards to Hunger Mountain, what do you have coming out? What are you in need of? 

I am so proud of Hunger Mountain being the only journal to publish kid lit besides “adult lit” heavyweights such as Tobias Wolff, George Saunders, and Erika L. Sanchez. The journal which routinely has short stories considered for the Pushcart Prize takes children’s literature seriously and publishes accordingly. 

Right now, there is a ton going on over at Hunger Mountain. We are in the midst of the Hunger Mountain VCFA E-Bay Auction, where folks can bid on critiques from prestigious agents, authors and even a 5 day stay at The Writing Barn. The auction ends May 13^th, Mother’s Day. Go bid on something great—like critiques from Pippin agents, Erin Murphy Literary Agents, a marketing consult from Kirsten Cappy of Curious City or a picture book critique with the award winning Liz Garton Scanlon. 

We are still accepting pieces for the summer and fall issues. For summer, our theme is: The Landscape of Literature and we are looking for pieces on place, setting as character, etc. For fall, we hop into the genre fray and our highlighting Sci-Fi and Fantasy. We are looking for pieces on world building, how sci-fi and fantasy get at “truths” in a way realistic fiction may not be able to, time travel, and of course short stories and poems that embody the best of the Sci-fi and Fantasy techniques. 

And, we also have an active and open call for the 2012 the print issue, which is sold in bookstores and sent to subscribers. The theme is Labyrinths and from the Hunger Mountain submission page, this is what we are looking for:

Send us your poems, stories, and essays about labyrinths and mazes of all kinds. We interpret our themes creatively, which means we’re looking for work about memory, time, history, the tangles of the human body, connections, dead ends, wrong turns, getting lost, and finding the way out. We think a labyrinth could exist in a city, forest, household, workplace–and a hundred places we haven’t thought of yet.  

And, with yesterday’s death of the legendary Maurice Sendak we are working on a Celebrating Sendak memorial. The deadline for that one is May 20^th, so if interested in being considered for the round-up, submit soon. And, there is also the annual Katherine Paterson Prize contest which awards a $1000 to the overall winner. This year’s judge is the amazing and multi-talented Kathi Appelt. To enter the KPP contest, see here. 

Lots, lots, lots going on in all areas—including being back to work on a MG and falling in love with my MC all over again.                   

Thanks so much for having me!

Author Bio:

About Melissa is a writer who has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. She co-founded I Heart Daily with fellow ex-ELLE girl Anne Ichikawa in 2009. It’s a daily newsletter about likable stuff. Melissa grew up in Chapel Hill, NC and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and baby girl. She’s the author of the Violet on the Runway trilogy, Lovestruck Summer, Small Town Sinners  and Unbreak My Heart. Visit her official site here.

Do you begin with character or plot?

I always hear my characters first. They talk in my head for weeks before I pay enough attention to figure out what their story is. This does make me seem crazy sometimes, especially when they get loud.

Where do you get your ideas?

Everywhere. I eavesdrop a lot and I watch a ton of TV. There are plotlines and dramas and characters all around you if you tune in.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

I recently heard Allen Zadoff say that you should never screw the next guy who’s going to keep writing tomorrow. Meaning, don’t mess yourself up by stopping in a place in your draft where you don’t know what happens next. Always set yourself up to be able to start writing again quickly. Sometimes that might mean stop mid-sentence and then pick it up the next day. Great, great advice!

What one word describes you? Why?

Nostalgic. I think about the past a lot, and even when I’m having a great time in the present I’m often thinking, “Oh, what a lovely memory this will be!” It’s weird, I know.

The work is done. How do you recharge?

Yoga. Walks in the park. Making my baby laugh. Baby laughs are the BEST THING EVER.

What element would you add to your writing space if money wasn’t an issue? 

A window with a water view.

Daily word count?

1000, ideally.

About K.L. Going:

K.L. Going is the award winning author of numerous books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was named a Michael Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association, and was included on YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults list and their list of Best Books for the Past Decade. Her books have been Booksense picks, Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections,  NY Public Library Best Books for the Teenage, and winners of state book awards. They’ve been featured by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Children’s Book Council as Best Books of the year. Her work has also been published inKorea,Italy,Japan,Germany, and theUK, and her novel Fat Kid Rules the World is soon to be an independent film! 

K.L. began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She used this inner knowledge of publishing to write Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel – a how-to book for aspiring writers, published by Writer’s Digest. She has also written short stories for several anthologies and currently has multiple picture books under contract. She lives in Glen Spey, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest little boy. 

Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World, is being made into a movie. For more information on KL, visit her site here. 

Visit KL here!

When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a full-time volunteer. Yes, that’s right. I wanted to work for no money. Ha. I’d read the book Christy by Catherine Marshall where the main character goes to Appalachia to become a teacher, and I just knew that I wanted to do something similar. I stuck with that idea all through school and ended up doing several years of volunteer service after
college.

Easier to write before or after you were published?

Before. I had so much more time back then. Now, my writing competes with my first priority – my two year old son. Guess what? My writing time usually loses. Plus, I miss the freedom of writing for no one else but me.

Do you write with music?

Unfortunately, I need silence to write. I wish this weren’t so because I love music and find it inspiring in many other ways. Sometimes I’ll listen to music before I write, just to get in a certain mood.

If you could only write one more book, what would it be about?

Death. This is the biggest issue that every single one of us will face. And it’s unknown territory.

What book was the easiest to write? Hardest?

Fat Kid Rules the World was the easiest book to write because I had no other considerations in my mind other than entertaining myself. The Garden of Eve was probably the hardest book to write because we ended up making changes late in the editorial process and that was stressful.

Do you let anyone read your work-in-progress? 

Generally no one gets to read my work until it’s finished, but I’ve
recently made an exception and let my writer’s group read the first fifty pages of a new project. In some ways it was encouraging, but in other ways it’s made me more self-conscious about writing. Usually, I keep everything a big ‘ol secret because I’m a bit superstitious.

What do you consider the most valuable thing you own?

We have a small fireproof safe but there’s nothing of traditional value in there. No jewelry, no money… I have it because I keep journals for my son, and this is where I store them to keep them safe. To me, these memories are priceless. 

Are you an outliner or a seat-of-the-pants writer?

Definitely a seat-of-the-pants writer. I wish I could be more organized and efficient, but instead I make it all up as I go along. I think this makes the writing process more difficult, but it also makes it more fun.

When are you the most productive?

Morning. Unfortunately, I don’t get to write then. I work around my son’s schedule, so I usually write in the afternoons and occasionally at night.

What element would you add to your writing space if money wasn’t an issue?

A full-time assistant sitting at a desk beside me. It would be this
gorgeous young man’s job to do all of my marketing and bring me chocolate.

If this was your last day on Earth, what would you do?

Spend every second with my family, and hug my son again and again. I’d stay home and enjoy my house, BBQ, soak in the glories of the every day world.

Do you begin with character or plot?

Character. This is what draws me into a story – whether I’m the one writing it or reading it.

Are your characters completely fictional?

I don’t base any of my characters directly off of real people, but I’m often inspired by particularly interesting celebrities. Generally musicians.

Who inspires you and how are you a bit like them?

Jimmy Carter. He’s done such great things in the world. I’d never compare myself to him, but I strive to do good in small ways.

About Maranda: 

I am a 29-year-old foster parent and children’s writer. I spend most of my time reading, writing, hanging out with my family, playing with my 5 cats and giving author talks and presentations at schools, stores, and community events around the Dayton, Ohio area. When I have extra time, I also like to dance, hike, visit art museums and browse local bookstores. Visit my site here.

Outliner or Seat-of-the-pantser? 

I used to be a seat-of-the-pants writer but time and experience has taught me that it really does help to have at least a basic outline. Even if the outline is only in my head, it still helps to know what direction I am taking the story and where I hope to end it. 

What piece of advice would you give the younger you? 

Try more things, experience life fully. Don’t be afraid to take a chance. 

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor? 

I have always considered Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson to be my literary mentors. 

What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life? 

A lot of Disney songs and music from other children’s shows and movies. My favorite songs are those that inspire me in one way or another but are realistic too. 

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? 

Lily Evans (from Harry Potter). I would have chosen Snape instead of James though, so I guess I would have changed the story drastically. 

The best part of waking up is? 

Knowing that I can go right back to sleep or just lay in bed for a few minutes. I hate having to jump right out of bed and get going. 

What age did you become an adult? 

Sometimes I wonder if I ever did become an adult. I still feel like a kid much of the time, but I’m ok with that. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

What was the last movie or book that made you angry? Explain.

Probably one of those nature movies where they get you to fall in love with an animal or a group of animals, only to have the animal get eaten or die some other kind of horrific death in the end. 

What advice would you give to new writers? 

Work hard, keep at it and don’t rush things. It is better to wait awhile and have a book you can be proud of, then to jump into publishing a piece that isn’t ready. 

When was the last time you were nervous? 

Last week when I had to give an author talk in front of an entire elementary school. I’m still not really comfortable with public speaking, although I know it is a must if you are to be a successful author. 

About Brian: 

Brian Yansky is the author of, most recently, ALIEN INVASION & OTHER INCONVENIENCES, Candlewick. The sequel, FIGHTING ALIEN NATION, will be out in 2013. He teaches writing at Austin Community College. Before that he worked in libraries, in bars, in restaurants, in gardens, on lawns,  on a golf course, on textbooks, and in a vineyard. For more information, visit Brian here.

Outliner or Seat-of-the-pantser?

Definitely seat-of-the-pantser. I do usually start with some kind of situation and work from there. For example, aliens invade the world and take over in ten seconds and kill off most of the earth’s inhabitants. I know the story is going to be about the survivors and how they go on. Then I start working on a character and building him/her mostly by what he/she wants and fears and what gets in the way of what he/she wants. I stumble through my first draft, often summarizing small sections. My first draft is naturally hideous, but once I have this I feel oh so much better and I can begin the process of revision. For me, most writing is rewriting. 

What advice would you give new writers?

Write what you want to write not what you think you should write or what someone else thinks you should write or what seems to be selling at the moment. Writing is wonderfully difficult, but in its many challenges are many rewards. It’s fun. It’s fulfilling. Publishing has its ups and downs though.  Writing what you want to write and love to write will help you weather the business of publishing. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

It wasn’t written exactly in this way but it got me to think about writing in this way. BE THERE. Be in the scene you’re writing and see it through your narrator’s eyes and that will help you make the right choices. A lot of writing is about making the right choices. 

Where’s Waldo?

He’s everywhere but he’s sleeping. Don’t wake him. There’s no telling what he might do. 

What piece of advice would you give the younger you?

Never mix tequila and gin.  Buy Apple stock.  Focus more on structure.  I think I could have found my way as a writer more quickly if I hadn’t had this ridiculous notion that story in novels was the least important element. I needed to grapple with the mysteries of structure sooner. 

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

Yoda

About Lisa:

Lisa Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. With over 1.5 million books in print, her other novels for young people include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, So Totally Emily Ebers, Absolutely Maybe, and series about a 4^th grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes). Lisa is also the author of American Girl’s Kanani books and Good Luck, Ivy. Her latest novel, Warp Speed, about a Star Trek geek who gets beat up everyday at school, has been named to the following lists – YALSA Best Books, VOYA Top Shelf, CCBC Best Fiction, Bank Street Best Books. Lisa is currently obsessed with Sugar Babies, but that may soon give way to Malted Milk Balls.

For more info, visit Lisa’s site and her blog. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t just write about what you know, write about what you want to know.

When was the last time you were nervous?

The last time I was nervous was on an airline flight. Even though I fly a lot I still get anxious that there will not be enough room overhead to store my suitcase, and that I will try to force fit it and that won’t work, and all the other passengers will be mad at me because I’ve held up the flight. 

What do you miss most about being a kid? 

Warm summer afternoons with no responsibilities, a pile of library books, and a glass of fruit punch over ice. 

Ever had something happen that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for the best?

A few years ago I broke my foot (although I didn’t know it was broken for three months). My foot was in one of those clod-hopper-boot-thingys for six months and I thought it would be horrible — and it was. However, it caused me to rethink what I was doing and where I went, and I realized that I could actually save time by being more organized.  

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

I’m not sure I understand this question. What is this “free-time” you are talking about?

About Maria:

A former PR executive who abandoned a successful career to pursue a more fulfilling life, Maria Murnane is the author of the best-selling romantic comedies Perfect on Paper and It’s a Waverly Life. At many of her speaking engagements she shares the “story behind the story,” an entertaining tale of courage, passion and perseverance that has inspired audiences across the country to follow their dreams—no matter what.

Describe your journey from writer to published author.

I used to work in public relations out in Silicon Valley, and after several years I finally admitted that I hated my career choice and quit. I had no idea what I wanted to do next, so I bought a ticket to go to Argentina for a couple weeks. I’d never traveled anywhere by myself, but after two weeks I loved it so much there that I decided to accept a job offer to stay and play semi-pro soccer (true story!).

I’d always thought it would be fun to write a novel, so after a couple months down there, I decided to just do it. I started writing and writing and writing, and eventually I had the first draft of what would eventually become “Perfect on Paper.” After about a year I came back to San Francisco and was lucky enough to sign with an agent pretty quickly. She told me my book was “the one” she’d been dreaming about, and that mine was the funniest voice she’d heard in ages. She was pretty sure we’d get a two-book deal, so needless to say I was VERY excited.

But when my agent shopped the book to all the major publishing houses, the reply was unanimous—no. After that rejection, which was brutal, my agent told me she’d really done all she could do for me and basically gave me the boot. I cried for about three days, then spent about six months rewriting the book. Then I went to a writers conference and pitched it myself to several more publishing houses, and they all said it sounded great and wanted to read it. So I was so excited again and sent it to all of them. After a few months I finally heard back from all of them—thanks but no thanks.

So once again I was crushed. More tears.

Then one day my dad (perhaps the nicest man on the planet) sat me down and handed me a book on self-publishing that he had read, along with a little plan he’d written for what I needed to do to publish on my own. He told me he loved my book and that I couldn’t let it go, so he was going to help me publish it myself. It nearly made me cry.

I reluctantly self-published the book, then hit the ground running in an effort to prove the publishing houses wrong. And it worked! Within a year it attracted the attention of senior executives at Amazon, who chose it out of more than 10,000 self-published titles for the company’s venture into traditional publishing. Since then it has also been published in Hungary and by Random House in Germany, and it’s also coming out in Indonesia and Serbia. It recently reached #2 overall on Amazon for the Kindle.

The sequel, It’s a Waverly Life, was published by Amazon Publishing in November, and Honey on Your Mind, the third novel in the series, is coming out on July 24. I’ve also launched a line of products based on the books that includes witty greeting cards, T-shirts and tote bags.

I’ve been featured in USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Entrepreneur, Money, Shape, and PopSugar, and I’ve shared my “never give up on your dream” story with dozens of organizations across the country, including the Harvard Women’s Leadership Conference (twice), the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Baltimore Book Festival, the Texas Conference for Women, the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, and Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Sometimes I find it hard to believe everything that has happened. 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Tell the story you want to tell, not what you think people want to hear. 

What would you like your life to look like in ten years?

Honestly, I’d love to be doing exactly what I’m doing now: writing novels. I love that I can say that.  

What do you miss most about being a kid?

I miss the days when the only thing I worried about was whether or not my soccer game was going to get rained out. 

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?

Soccer. There’s just nothing like it. It’s super social and an incredible workout. I think about 99% of my friends are people I’ve met playing soccer. 

Ever had something happen that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for the best?

Yep—getting rejected by all those publishers. If I hadn’t had to do so much marketing on my own, I don’t think I’d be anywhere close to where I am now. 

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Admitting that I hated my career choice—and then quitting a very good job. I’ve been a straight-A student, overachiever type my whole life, so to admit that I’d gone down the wrong path for so many years was incredibly difficult. 

The best part of waking up is?

I’m not a morning person, so I don’t really get this question. Ha. 

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Bill Clinton. He’s just…cool. 

What piece of advice would you give the younger you?

Don’t try to be something you’re not just to fit a mold or please other people. No one is keeping score of your life but you, so what’s the point in faking it? 

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?

Elaine from Seinfeld. Always. 

About Eileen: 

Eileen Spinelli was born in Philadelphia. She grew up in small towns outside the city. As a kid she loved paper  dolls and books and tea parties and playing dress up. Back then her dad was a welder who studied at night school to become an engineer. Her mom was a homemaker. On summer days she and her mom would walk down to Cobb’s Creek Park and pick dandelions to make salad. Eileen’s worst subject in school was math. It still is. But –she won first prize– a fifty dollar savings bond– in a high school poetry contest. Immediately she cashed it in and bought a used typewriter and a pair of red high heels. She published in a “real” magazine when she was 18. She celebrated at the local donut shop. Along the way to becoming a full-time writer she worked as a waitress, a secretary, a deli clerk and a receptionist. She is mother to six children and “Granny” to 21 grandchildren. She is married to fellow author, Jerry Spinelli–whom she almost always beats at Scrabble. Be sure to check out her two most recent books: JONAH’S WHALE and A BIG BOY NOW.

For more information on Eileen, visit her site here.

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?

Angela Lansbury.

When you have thirty minutes of free time, how do you pass the time?

I fix myself a cup of tea and then sit in my green reading chair and read as many chapters of a book as I can.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Wow! At least one hundred people come to mind. Can I name ten? Not necessarily my top ten—but definitely on the list. Job (from the Bible). Frida Kahlo. Abraham Lincoln. Eleanor Roosevelt. Leonardo Di Caprio. Sylvia Plath. Paul Robeson. Jane Austin. C.S. Lewis and Angela Lansbury.

When was the last time you were nervous?

When I couldn’t find my Visa card.

What do you most miss about being a kid?

• I miss spending time with my grandparents. They were so good

• at giving unconditional love.

• I miss trying on cousin Joni’s glamorous prom dresses. (She was older and let me play dress-up with her clothes sometimes).

• I miss building Lincoln Log towns with my cousin Mark.

• I miss playing cards with my Aunt Rose Caruso.

• And going shopping for shoes with my Aunt Rose Mesi.

• I miss twenty-five cent malted milk shakes at the corner drug store fountain.

If you could throw any kind of party what would it be?

Either a tea party or an old fashioned ice cream “social”.

What’s your favorite outdoor activity.

Puttering in my herb garden.

If you could do anything and get away with it, what would you do?

I’d invite myself to tea at Buckingham Palace.

What piece of advice would you give to the younger you?

I would tell her to just be herself. Not to ‘try’ so hard. To allow more things in her life to unfold naturally.

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Faint!!