The Clearing Giveaway Week!

So, you may have heard that my book The Clearing is nominated for the RITA award for Best YA Romance this year.  I couldn't be happier to see this little book get recognition from an organization I've been a part of for nearly a decade.  The ceremony will be in NYC on July 1st, and I'm already getting a little nervous. 

This week on BooksBoysBuzz, we're celebrating the nomination with stories about special elder people in our lives.  In The Clearing, Amy has moved in with her Aunt Mae in the country.  Aunt Mae's home is anything but glamorous -- it's a double-wide trailer.  The special part of Amy living there is the kindness that Aunt Mae shows her.  She tells Amy that she doesn't need a boy to tell her how special she is, that she should know that she is special already.   And then, of course, Amy meets Henry Briggs, the one boy who realizes how beautiful and amazing Amy really is.  The only problem is, of course, that he's living in the endless summer of 1944.

How did the character of Aunt Mae come to life?  I've always been close to the older people in my family.  From my grandmas to my great aunts, there were always elders who offered my father advice on raising us kids and shared their perspectives on life with us.  To date, all of my books have an older secondary character in them.  There's no way that's a coincidence!

 For those of you who haven't seen the field that inspired The Clearing, here it is in this photo from my old hometown in the North Cascades.  That's Rinker Ridge in the background, and the red barn belongs to my old neighbors, The Dellingers.  When the bad weather would come in, the barn would disappear in a curtain of mist.  One day I began to wonder if it was still there, if it really still existed when I couldn't see it, and what might be in its place if it didn't.  Pretty deep thoughts for me, right?  I imagined a family, trapped in the 1940's living behind that curtain of mist -- and Henry Briggs was born.  The Clearing ended up being the book of my heart.  It's so gratifying to get letters from readers who connected with Amy and her journey and wished for a Henry Briggs of their own. 

So, how about the giveaway?

Comment each day to be entered to win The Clearing Farmhouse Prize Pack:

Signed Copy of The Clearing
Assorted Fine Teas
Briggs Family Biscuit Recipe
Biscuit Cutters
Cool Fortune-Tellers Tea Cup

We'll draw a winner on Sunday, June 19th from all the daily comments.  US and Canada winners only.  No purchase necessary to win, of course!

Today's question:

Who has been the most influential older person in your life so far?

 Good luck!

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Wherever You Go - Harcourt (Nov. 2011)
Sometimes by Moonlight: A Novella - eBook
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Here We Trend Again...

I got an email advertisement from Publisher’s Weekly the other day for Ashes, a dystopian YA which debuts this fall.  It seems there are still publishers wanting to put out books in that sub-genre, which surprises me since I think this push will be coming to an end.  Then again, with the long lead time of print books, this novel has, of course, been in the works for a while.

Agent Mandy Hubbard blogged a recap of her meetings in NY with acquiring editors and apparently, there were a few places still hoping to put out a YA dystopian novel before the wave ends. 

So what’s next?

Well, as USA Today predicted last week, mermaid stories are on the rise.  And it’s worth noting that our own Tera Lynn Childs was at the forefront of that trend, and before that she was writing about Greek mythology, another trend that’s cresting.  I think she must have a crystal ball.  Tera, 'fess up!

But really, it’s just amazing how the Collective Unconscious seems to work in the publishing world.  A few really great books on a unique subject get other people thinking and writing and then a new wave is born, I guess.

Mandy wrote that what editors hoped would be big (though they couldn't say it would be for sure) was more realistic fiction -- so you can imagine that I smiled at that one.  Just the other day I saw a table at my local Barnes & Noble that was marked “For Sarah Dessen fans” and featured books by Justina Chen, Sarah Ockler, and others.  I imagined that my books, though they have a supernatural element, could be on that table someday...

The main thing I know about trends and predictions and buzz is that nobody knows anything for real.  A great book, no matter the subject, is going to find a home.  And with the growing sales of e-books, authors have the ability to put those books out there on  their own now, too.

I think readers are smart, especially YA readers.  They can smell b.s.  They want real characters and compelling stories.  They want to be entertained.  They want to feel something.

That is the trend to watch.  The trend to write to.


What do you guys think?  Are you over dystopian fiction?  Are mermaids going to make an even larger impact this year?  Have you read any vampire books recently?

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - 2011 Rita Finalist Best YA Romance
Wherever You Go - Harcourt, November 2011
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

What Makes a Cover Great?

I'm so excited that I finally have the cover for my fall book for Harcourt!  It's probably my favorite of my covers so far - and it got me thinking about what makes a cover great.  

What is it that makes you want to pull a book off a shelf, or a display and give it a try?

We buzz girls have been pretty lucky when it comes to cover art -- from Tina's sweet prom dress illustration to Marley's fierce Ghost Huntress photographic images -- the covers have really popped out at readers on the shelf.   I know because I'm looking for them in every bookstore I go to!

I think the thing that is surprising is how little pull most authors have when it comes to covers for their books.  Of course, it varies by publisher, but aside from a character sketch or vague idea I've shared with my editor, the art director is usually the one who is dreaming up the image and then sharing it with sales and marketing. 

Before I sold a book, I would spend time sketching out ideas for my future covers - thinking that those might be useful someday.   They were useful in one way - they kept my mind thinking that someday there would be a cover on my books.  A self-fulfilling prophecy, in the end.

So, let's take an informal poll -- what is it that strikes you first about a cover?

1) The main image and how it relates to subject

2) The color combination

3) The title or cover blurb

4) The author's name


Are there any covers that you've really loved lately?


Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - November 2011 Harcourt
The Clearing - HMH/Graphia
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

And the Next YA Trend is...

I’m not one to follow trends. I like writing in directions that are not over-saturated and that suit the stories that I have in me to tell. Other writers want to find what’s hot and go there to add to the diversity of the trend. I say, whatever works for you (and your readers).

What’s funny to me is that trends are not easy to calculate - you just know when you’re in the middle of them. Take Dystopian YA - Scott Westerfeld had a jump on that type of story, but it took Suzanne Collins to bust it wide open. Now, it’s a whole sub-genre of YA. And we can all tell the tale of Vampire fiction, I’m sure...

So what is the next big trend in YA going to be? Well, that’s hard to say - but I have seen signs in the unpublished world that paranormals where characters can communicate with animals seem to be on more than a few minds. Whether or not it’s a trend that editors will buy is another issue.

I just want to know - where is the hard Sci-fi? Where are the mysteries? There are a lot more places for YA to go that just haven’t been widely visited yet. I’m excited to see what the future holds. Sometimes I think fiction can be like a Field of Dreams - "If you build it, they will come."

What do you think? What do you see trending now and what do you wish you could see more of?


Hugs,


Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt November 2011
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Why YA?

An interviewer recently asked me why I thought so many adults were reading YA books these days. Well, I think there are some obvious reasons why even my mother has read The Hunger Games:

1) It's a fast growing genre, so publishers are pushing out more new titles than ever before in YA. They are more widely distributed as the sales grow.

2) YA novels have universal themes of survival, falling in love for the first time, discovering who you are. They appeal across age demographics and are often timeless stories.

3) There's exciting diversity in YA. You can find anyone from an LGBT teen to a post-apocalyptic vampire hunter cast in the main character role. There is room for every perspective, fantasy, and experience.

4) It's great for parents to keep up with what their teens are reading. Mother-daughter book clubs are springing up and YA books give these groups the opportunity to discuss subjects that might otherwise be extremely uncomfortable.

What do you think? Why is YA striking a chord across the country and the world?


Hugs,


Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt - November 2011
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

P.S. What I'm reading - Will Grayson Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green. *Pure awesome*

The Story Notebook

Here it is, guys - the composition notebook that is the birthplace of my new book. You'll see the cryptic title SISTERS, since I'm not sure what the real novel will end up being called just yet.

Every time I begin a new story, I purchase this exact kind of notebook and I start scribbling all my ideas in it. As the story grows, I use it for outlining the chapters and sections, for tracking my daily progress (number of words written, pages, time spent) and for making revision notes. It stays with me until the book is finally done, revised, accepted, and then the notebook joins the pile of the others that have come before it.

It's important, for me at least, to have this kind of ritual. It is one of the things that I do each time. And it's comforting to have the notebook with me wherever I'm writing. It's convenient to have it in my backpack so that I can write down any new idea that relates to the book. It's low-tech, requires no batteries, and it costs under three dollars, usually.

If you're a teen who wants to write, I'd suggest starting this habit of carrying a notebook with you. It doesn't have to be all for one novel or short story. You don't have to actually use it for the pages of the story if you don't want to. Just let it be the receptacle in which you collect your ideas and thoughts. It's not a journal, which for me means a notebook you use to record your life, this is the dreamcatcher for your writing life.

You don't have to share it. You don't have to be grammatically correct or spell anything right within its pages. It's only for you and the story.

I have some rules about my notebook. I cannot ever tear out a page from the book. I cannot use it to write down a shopping list. I cannot use it to write about real events or how I feel about them. I cannot abandon it for a new book - I use it until my novel is done.

The notebook is my ritual, but I know other writers and artists use other things. Do you have any ritual you use when starting a new story or project?

What is something you must have in place to begin your creative work?

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt 11/11
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

A New Year!

Thank goodness it's finally 2011. I swear, 2010 had some good things and bad things in its suitcase, but I could not wait to see it out the door!

Harper Lee and I have been busy getting the apartment cleaned of holiday stuff (though I've yet to take the wreath down because it's so pretty) and I'm finally working on my new story, which I hope will be my 2012 book. It's about sisters, one of whom has left the family -- and how the remaining sister deals with facing her first real heartbreak alone. No explosions or car chases, but there is an unrequited love and touches of prophecy throughout. So excited to dig into a meaningful story!

The beginning of a year is always a great time for lists - so here's mine.

Things to remember in 2011:

1. You can only control what you do, feel, & think. You are the captain of your own ship.
2. Family and friends can make a huge difference in your life, so treat them kindly.
3. It's important to "pick a point" on the horizon. Decide where you'd like to go before you leave.
4. Help others - especially with their dreams and goals.
5. You deserve a clean house, efficient workspace, good appearance, a home cooked meal. Take care of yourself as you would for others.
6. Leave room for spontaneity and fun in your plans.
7. Life is short so don't put off doing the things you want to do.
8. Trying is never stupid. Not trying is ridiculous.
9. Continue to be courageous, honest, and open - even if it means you sometimes get hurt.
10. "Stay golden, Pony Boy."

Do you have any thoughts to remember for 2011? I would love to see what you're holding in mind as we start the new year...

Love and light,


Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Making the List

One of my favorite things about the end of the year is all the LISTS that are put together on every subject imaginable, from the best songs of 2010 to the craziest celeb moments of 2010.

And of course, since we're all book lovers here, some of my favorite lists have to do with YA novels.

Sure, I like the straight forward "Fave Books of the Year" lists, like the YALSA Top Ten, but I also love lists that have a creative twist to them. For example, check out some of the topics for which The Mod Podge Bookshelf rates books. (And she gives a shout-out to Heather for The Clearing so she clearly has great taste!) Click HERE.

And I love how Bloggers Heart Books tapped into a large group of bloggers to get their personal favorite YA books of 2010. Check this diverse list out HERE.

Have you run across or made an interesting 2010 list? Do share!

Is It Spring Yet?

It’s not even the end of January, and I’m already craving spring. It’s raining all the time, of course – and down in California, the rain is really, really bad for peeps like Tina, living up in the fire-scarred hills. Hugs to Tina! I’m so sorry your family is dealing with this flooding again. Sending you love…

Up here in the Northwest, it’s just steady, dripping, depressing rain. That does mean snow in the mountains, so people who ski and snowboard have a completely different take on the whole weather thing than I do.

It is a perfect time to read though. The rain, dark evenings, fireplaces, hot tea or coffee brewing nearby, make me want to get to some of the really fun books in my to-be-read pile. Of course, I’m in the middle of judging a contest, so I’m ready contest entries instead of books.

I did start Carlos is Gonna Get it by Kevin Emerson a week or so ago and I can’t wait to get back to it. I’m halfway through and it’s really, really good. I’m using it like dessert now – a chapter for reward when I’ve finished my contest reading.

How about you? I’d love to see what everyone’s reading during this dreary end of winter. Please post in comments what you’re reading!

Who knows, maybe you’ll lead us to a new gem to pick up at the bookstore or library…

Hugs,


Heather
http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/
The Clearing – April 2010 HMH
Never Cry Werewolf – Sept 2009 HarperTeen

Winner Announced!

Wow. To quote one of my favorite comediennes (Chelsea Handler), "What a whirlwind!" Last week was so much fun and I'm thankful to all the Buzz Girls for their wonderful features. I bet you all know more about me than you ever wanted to now, ha ha!


Today is a very special day for one of the TV programs I mentioned in the post Heather put together for Thursday. The Simpsons has made it to 20 years! 20 years with the same core people, the same TV network, the same irreverent, silly, quirkiness. "Long before now, endruging life for 'The Simpsons' and its brightly jaundiced folk was simply assumed. What began 20 years ago as a fluke then erupted into a pop-culture juggernaut has continued to spin yarns, spawn characters and lampoon society with no end in sight." -Frazier Moore of the Associated Press. Congratulations to Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons.


And here's some more buzz: Ellen DeGeneres will be an American Idol judge this season, which starts Tuesday, Jan. 12. I, for one, am excited because I think it will breathe some new energy into the show, which is one of my (many) guilty pleasures.



Now, without further ado, I will announce the winner of the $10 Borders/Waldenbooks gift card. There were nearly 60 entries! My son wrote the names of each entry onto little pieces of paper and shook a bowl vigorously and drew the paper with ... YA Book Nerd written on it. Woot! Congrat's, YA Book Nerd. If you'd be so kind as to email me at roxyinlights at yahoo . com with your mailing address I'll send it on its merry way. Thank you to everyone who commented! What a treat to get to know each of you a little better. :)

Have a great week, everybody! xoxo

Introducing... Serena Robar!

~ Author Interview Week Continues on the Buzz Blog ~

In case you're just joining us, each day we are interviewing a different YA author we admire -- and giving away a copy of their books! You can enter to win by leaving a comment after you read the post.

We'll announce the winners at the end of the week -- and be sure to check back each day to see who is new on the blog. There are big, big names ahead, people. And, some wonderful authors who deserve to be big names. Like today's fab author, Serena Robar.

Serena is the author of the popular Berkeley JAM series, Braced 2 Bite -- and is back with a new book called Giving Up the V.

First Serena, tell us a little about your new book:

Spencer Davis is nowhere ready to give up the V, but when she turns sixteen her forward thinking mother takes her to the doctor and puts her on the pill. Now Spencer’s friend are obsessed with her doing it and when the new guy Ben arrives and takes an interest in her, she begins to wonder if he is V worthy.


What compelled you to write a book on such a controversial (yet necessary) topic? Did you have any reservations about

submitting the book to publishers?


Sometimes stories are given to you by the writing gods. Giving Up the V was one of those stories. I was sitting at the doctor’s office for my yearly female exam when one of the doctors (a harried fifty-something man) asked the young receptionist if giving up the V meant what he thought it did. He explained to the receptionist (and me too, but he didn’t know it. I was blatantly eavesdropping) that his last patient was a teen girl whose mother brought her in to get on the pill. The girl was annoyed and complained that she wasn’t ready to give up the V yet, so why did she have to be there? I remember pulling out my notebook (all writers carry one of these for just this sort of occasion) and wrote down the title and premise. The premise came practically gift wrapped. All I had to do was write the story.

As for having any reservations about the subject matter, no-not at all. If anything this book is a weird amalgam of sweet and outrageous, I was worried the publisher might tell me to choose one or the other, but they loved the mixture. Maybe that’s what the creator of Reese’s feared? Is it chocolate or is it peanut butter? Pick a side! Luckily they were two great tastes that taste great together. Just like Giving Up the V.

How did your own experiences as a teen navigating sex and romance influence you in writing Giving up the V?

Hah, that’s a therapy couch question if I ever heard one. When I was in elementary school my mom gave my sister and I a book entitled “Where did I come from?” That book and my teen sex talk which I loosely based on a scene in the book, where Spencer’s mom (a free spirit) talks about her first sex talk with Spencer’s grandmother (conservative Catholic). It boiled down to a single sentence. “Do it before you’re married and you’ll go straight to hell”. That was the extent of my sexual education on the home front. Though my mother would vehemently deny it.

How could I really talk to my mother about sex if her stance on the subject was ‘it’s forbidden’? I still had feelings, hormones, questions, concerns and let’s face it, I didn’t share her core belief system so motivating me with fear of hell wasn’t going to stop me. An open dialogue about sexual consequences, such as STD’s, unplanned pregnancy, etc would have been a much more effective. So instead of taking her advice, I did what most kids do, I discussed sex with my peers and formed my opinions and decisions based on those conversations.

I think the most surprising thing I took away from my own teen years was all the talk and discussion about the act itself but not much mention of how you feel afterward. The onslaught of emotions; vulnerability, insecurity, etc. I was completely unprepared for that side of it. I really wished I would have had someone with more life experience to talk to about that part.


What do you hope readers will take away from Giving Up the V?

Giving Up the V is a very light and funny look at peer pressure, family and growing up. I remember reading all the Judy Blume books when I was a kid. Are you There God, It’s me Margaret and Forever were required reading. We all talked about it because we totally connected with the characters and situations in the books. I think Giving up the V is like that. If Judd Apatow were to re-imagine a Judy Blume novel, that would be Giving Up the V.

Prior to Giving up the V, you wrote a series of vampire books for Berkeley Jam – do you think you’ll return to the paranormal genre someday?

I love paranormal YA’s. World building and creating a mythos with your own take on supernatural elements is what I love to do. However, my last publisher decided to move away from the light, funny YA paranormal and I had to come up with something that was more marketable. A contemporary story seemed like a natural transition and I loved that I got to explore the virginity theme in a coming of age story without distracting from the message with paranormal elements. I will continue to do paranormal if I can find the right publisher but I think I am hooked on writing contemporaries as well.


Did you always want to be a writer? What led you to writing YA fiction?

I used to write short stories and articles for the school paper when I was a teen, but I never considered myself a real writer. My true passion was reading. I loved to read anything and everything I could get my hands on, which was mostly romance since my neighbor belonged to numerous book clubs and she gave my sister and I all the books after reading them.

I knew I was a storyteller at a young age. I was good at it and people seemed to find me entertaining. I’m just glad I could write my stories down in a cohesive and entertaining way. That’s how I became a writer. The biggest struggle creative people have is finding the right medium. A storyteller can be a filmmaker, artist, game developer, songwriter, etc. Once you find an outlet for your creativity, it’s easier to make sense of where you fit in the world. I know tons of people (myself included) who pondered the question “What’s my role in the universe?” I’m just gratefully to have figured it out.

My voice lends naturally to YA fiction. I think teen fiction has great emotional potential because everything is new, big and all consuming. The only time in life when you are ruled by baser instincts and struggling to make some sense out of the chemical onslaught puberty jettisons into the body. It’s where your sense of self is first tested and character is molded. It’s a challenging and exciting genre to write in. I love it.


What are you working on next? Will there be a sequel to V?

I originally pitched GUTV as a series, but Simon pulse wanted a stand-alone story. I like Alyssa’s character and her story was just starting to heat up at the end of GUTV. Here is a girl who thought of her virginity as a burden, something to dispose of so she could get on with life. What happens to her and better yet, the boy who takes care of business, after the deed is done? So many story ideas. Maybe I will write that book next. I’m currently working on another paranormal and another funny contemporary romance but no release dates I can share yet. Will keep you posted as soon as I can spill the beans.


What is one tip you would give teens who would like to write?

Writing is a talent that will erode over time if you don’t exercise it. Write every day. Break things down into manageable pieces so writing daily doesn’t seem overwhelming. Start a blog. Observe life and write posts on your musings. What’s your take on subjects? A writer writes. Always. Without fail. Write what you love, hone your craft and someday your books will be in my To Be Read pile.


Anything else you’d like to say to our Books, Boys, Buzz readers?

Yeah! For the entire month of June I’m giving it away for free (it’s the only time momma would approve). Sign up for my newsletter and you could win a book a day, every day. All month long.

All this week you can win Books, Boys, Buzz author’s books with a big basket giveaway of their backlist on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Don’t be shy. You know you want to. http://www.serenarobar.com/

Thanks again to Serena for the interview and her generous giveaways! Right here on the Buzz Blog you can win a copy of Serena's new book just by answering this question:

Have you ever had an awkward moment where your parent(s) tried to explain the birds and the bees to you?

Hugs,

Heather

http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen Sept '09

The Clearing - Harcourt Houghton Mifflin April '10