A Chat with Amy Christine Parker and GATED Giveaway

You may recognize Amy's name from my post last year thanking my YA critique partners (CPs). But more than likely you recognize Amy Christine Parker's name because her suspense YA debut GATED is due out from Penguin Random House next week and has been getting great reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. Yay, Amy! Amy and I met on WriteOnCon via a kind of "match up" where you read someone's synopsis on a forum, requested to see more, and then you switched work. If you liked each others writing and found the feedback was helpful BOOM you had yourself a connection. Amy was one of the first people I connected with and I am so, so very thankful for that.

JENN: So, what stuck out to me about Gated was the first line (Shoot to kill, okay) What?!? I was all over it as soon as I read it. And then I kept reading it and you sorted out concerns that we had discussed and perhaps you discussed with Krystalyn and Stefanie as well but what I admired (what I additionally admired) was that you were able to zero in on this stuff and get it done so fast! 

AMY: I remember when we met thinking that I loved the way you critiqued. You were just the queen of finding all my inconsistencies. I was beyond excited that I was able to snatch you up! And thanks for thinking that I’m compartmentalizing so well!

JENN: You compartmentalize your time not just as a writer but as a reviewer as well. As a full-time mom and writer and doing everything you do from participating in activities with your kids/their school and reading others work and trying to find time for yourself and your husband it can be so much. That balance is crucial.

AMY: Truth be told I think I spend most days juggling everything like mad and hoping I don’t drop too many balls. Balance isn’t really achieved so much as I make my writing a priority no matter what. I wanted to be a writer--specifically a published writer--so badly that I literally let go of every unnecessary chore/obligation/frivolous time wasting thing that I could. My house is rarely entirely clean. My kids eat takeout just about as often as they get a home cooked meal. The laundry piles up. The balance thing is an ongoing goal I hope to one day come close to achieving. But even if I never do, I’m happy because I’m doing something that I love every single day and my family is happy because I’m much better at being a mom and wife now that I’ve allowed myself to go after my dreams.

JENN: I also realized when reading Gated how specific and unique the story was. This was a story that wasn't being told and could actually happen which upped the creep factor exponentially and it's telling as well that Penguin Random House has so much faith in the story itself but also your writing. Perhaps as writers we kind of zero in on what scares us because there's an internal thrill to it that we can control. When I was a kid my mom had A LOT of Stephen King books. So I read that. And I got into R.L. Stine from there and read some Anne Rice as a teen. I was growing out of BSC and Sweet Valley High/University to reading The Stand. So my mom's taste definitely influenced my own for awhile as I was growing up and lead to me writing this horror story I wrote in high school called "Terror at Bowne." I even did a sequel.

AMY: Stephen King was huge for me growing up, especially his short stories. I was a fairly shy kid and spent tons of time hiding out in the library at school. Uncle Stevie’s books were the ones I pulled off the shelves to keep me company. The short stories were perfect because I could devour them in one library session. To this day, his short stories are what have stuck with me most out of all that I read as a kid and probably had the biggest influence on what I choose to write now. Although...there were also these creepy story records I used to listen to with my cousins when I was really little (yes, I am that old, I had vinyl records AND 8 track tapes). I forget almost everything about the stories on those records, but I will never forget the sounds and the tone of the people’s voices as they told the stories. It made my hair stand on end and afterwards I would have the worst time sleeping. After every “up all night” session I had I’d swear off listening to them, but then I could never actually make myself do that and before long I’d be listening to them all over again. Scary stories have always, always been my favorites which is funny I guess, because my mom is much more of a sci fi/fantasy reader who likes things to stay light. When I tell her my latest ideas, she’s always a little freaked out! She’s wondered out loud more than once where my fascination comes from. I think for me it isn’t so much a thrill I can control, but more of a way of explaining evil and how it works to my readers and maybe most often, to myself. I think on some level maybe I’m looking to understand it so I can see it coming in people or situations and avoid it...but really, on the surface I think it’s mainly that I find scaring and being scared to be a lot of fun!

Obviously you know that now I’m completely curious about your “Terror at Bowne” story. You’ll have to dig it out and send it to me!

THE GIVEAWAY

Amy is being super generous by offering up a GATED prize pack with her debut's release! See the pictures of the items below. Ohhh. Ahhh.

Now that we're done with the admiration here's how you can enter. Via the Rafflecopter below. This prize pack will only be sent to those who reside in the U.S., sorry. And you have 2 weeks to enter. So spread the word. Add GATED to your TBR pile and follow Amy while she preps for some touring and updates on her site and more of her work on Fiction Femme Fatale.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Fiction Femme Fatale's Krystalyn Drown (Two Debuts in One Year!)

Writer, entertainer, and all-around cool lady (all Joss Whedon fans are cool by default), Krystalyn Drown just pubbed her first book this year (Legasea) with Curiosity Quills. Legasea is about a young girl, Aileen, who uncovers mysteries in her town, about her family, and her connection to the sea after a dead body shows up during a party at the bay. Krystalyn will be doing giveaways on her blog & Fiction Femme Fatale in honor of Legasea's publication so check both sites for more info. Krystalyn's next book, Spirit World (due out in April from Entranced Publishing's Blush imprint) is a paranormal romance where Riesa has the power to communicate with spirits yet she keeps this hidden due to a trip to a mental institution and a general discomfort to the truth of her abilities.

I was introduced to Krystalyn when I joined Fiction Femme Fatale last summer. I've thoroughly enjoyed Krystalyn's work on Fiction Femme Fatale. Her short fiction has heart and drive. She's great with developing her world and giving her characters motivation for a larger desire. Really good stuff. So I'm especially excited for her full length novels and am particularly psyched to have had an interview with Krystalyn in honor of her first publication of 2013.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In your reflections on 2012 (on your blog) you noted that you had two completed manuscripts (Legesea and Spirit World) you weren’t submitting the traditional publishing route, were you thinking of self publishing? And if so, why?

I have researched self-publishing, but decided that it wasn't for me. Not yet, anyway. I wanted the experience of working with an editor, and to tell the truth, I'm quite an introvert. I just don't have the gumption required to promote myself in the way that would be required for self-publishing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This may be a daunting question, but what’s your writing schedule like? Is it pretty free wheeling or scheduled? In speaking to other writers, especially emerging ones, this is one of the hardest parts. When you have kids, have a full-time or part-time job, have various commitments it can be really hard to find that notch of time to focus on your creative pursuits. How do you find you’ve done with this balance?

My writing schedule is this: squeeze it in when I can. =) I am a terrible procrastinator, but I do manage to find some down time every now and then to get some new words in. I use mornings when my son is eating or playing by himself to do the business side of things like blogs and responding to publishers, but I have to have quiet if I want to draft or revise anything. I do have at least one dedicated hour a week (8-9 on Mondays). A bunch of us meet here http://tinalaurellee2.blogspot.com/ to write, then chat about it afterwards. Anyone is welcome to join us. I also have my sister. We do writing challenges that last days or weeks. We text and bug each other. "What's your word count?" "Are you writing?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Much of your work that I’ve seen on Fiction Femme Fatale and your upcoming book Spirit World have paranormal elements in it. What attracts you to writing paranormal stories or ones with fantastical elements?

I've always been a fan. When I was little, I watched a lot of Nickelodeon (you know, back when it was sci-fi). My afternoons were filled with the Tomorow People and this series they had called The Third Eye. That one showed British and Australian serials like The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, Children of the Stones, and Under the Mountain. I read a lot of Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators books, but I always changed Bob's name to Beth, because I wanted to feel like I was part of the story. I'm also a huge fan of Star Trek: TNG, Doctor Who, and anything by Joss Whedon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether one’s work does have fantastical, sci-fi, or other elements within it many times readers consider whether there are autobiographical elements in a writer’s work. Are there traces of you or others you know in your characters or your experiences in the stories you’ve written?

Always. In Spirit World, Riesa loves watching bad sci-fi. So do I. Give me a giant something vs. a mega something, a coke, and some jelly beans, and I've got an afternoon of fun. Might I also recommend Titanic 2 and 2010: Moby Dick. In Legasea, I draw from my experiences boating with my family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you look at a blank page, whether it be on screen or in a notebook, do you feel excitement? Trepidation? Inspiration? Or a multitude of these feelings?

It really depends on the mood I'm in at that particular moment. If I'm in a productive mood and have a vague idea of what I'm going to write, then I'm excited. But there are also times it can be very daunting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You have not one but two books coming out this year! Major congrats! How are you feeling about having your debuts come out in the same year and what would be your ideal way of connecting with readers for these stories?

I'm very excited about having two books come out this year. Last year at this time, I was a pool of mushy goo, because I had started to think this publishing thing would never happen for me. Now, I'm a pool of mushy nervousness. I have multiple ways of connecting with readers. I have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads accounts, and I try to update them all equally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In terms of the industry do you think the increase of e-book only imprints and the popularity of self-publishing seem like a boom for writers, especially new ones, and getting more books out to the public?

I think it definitely provides more opportunity. Previously, if you had good work, but agents or publishers deemed the market flooded with that genre, you were out of luck. Now, with the option of going with a small press or self-publishing, people still have a chance to get their work out there. But I still think that people need to go through all of the steps, revising, getting good feedback, and polishing before seeking out publication. I can read my manuscript a thousand times, but there will always be an "it's" or a "doesn't" in there that I haven't caught. And commas, oh they are the bane of my existence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congrats on Legasea, Krystalyn. And (virtual) cheers to continued success!

(Giving) Thanks to my YA Critique Partners!

'Tis the time of year to give thanks for what you have. And many times that translates to who you have in your life. Of course I'm thankful to ALL my friends, family, and fellow foodies for their support through a rough year and rough times ahead. For all the warm fuzzies, well wishes, shoulders to vent and cry on, and baked goods galore. Y'alls are the best. But I did want to take a moment and thank those who have been especially helpful for a writing project I've been tackling. Being NaNoWriMo month and me focusing on a complete revision of my young adult (YA) novel I wanted to take a moment and give HUGE, MAGNANIMOUS thanks to my critique partners for this young adult project, tentatively titled The Facility. Your reading and re-reading (and re-reading) as well as your advice, well wishes, and kindness has been helpful beyond expression. :-)

While I have a growing list of great people and fellow writers to thank for my growth as a writer from the time I started in junior high to now I'm singling out the ladies who have aided me in getting more confidence as I pursue the YA project that had been in my mind since I started undergrad and just never thought I had the chutzpah to pursue. Well, nine years later here it goes.

I met my CPs on WriteOnCon when there was a launch for a kind of blind dating of potential CPs. You posted your project to the forum and looked at what others posted and you inquired with each other and submitted work. If you liked each other's style then you connected and from then on things went very well for me!

Amy Christine Parker

What I admire most about Amy is not only her writing style but her organization and ability to get stuff done. Amy's debut The Silo is coming out next year with Random House and it's a whopper lemme tell you. When I read the first few pages I was thinking to myself "This is so good. I want to read more! Crap, I hope she likes my work!"

Amy hones into her characters and their deepest fears. (If you've read her stuff on Fiction Femme Fatale you'll know what I mean.) Her contemporary work is original and something I'm confident readers will grasp on and relate to. It hits you from the first page and you relate to everyone in some way, the good and the bad.

Amy has been great with helping me think on the bigger picture and connecting the dots on things I may not have seen in my work. We're all pretty critical when we read a book and think "Well why didn't the writer think of that?" Amy is that reader who aids you as writer to zone in on that so the story doesn't go off-kilter at any point and you can enjoy the piece. In my latest revision her advice has been astoundingly helpful and also hit points that I had been questioning myself.

Jenny Coon Peterson

Jenny is a magnificent world builder and has a deep love for the young adult and the fantastical. She's been incredibly helpful in terms of moving things along and also digging deeper into what should urk the reader. Which is totally what I was going for! Jenny has helped me tighten action scenes and push deeper in terms of the larger piece so that it moves faster and doesn't drag.

Jenny is also an idea person. She has amazing premises and thoughts on how to move things along. Every NaNoWriMo I'm amazed and in awe of how much material she produces and how deep she goes into the worlds she creates. The first novel I read of hers reminded me of Harry Potter. When I read it and reread it, I wanted to get lost in it again, but I had to give her critiques asap! Knowing her love for Potter I saw the influence but also her own twist and originality in creating a cool group of people and a multitude of layers for a series that I'm certain will be embraced by readers.

Nicole Settle

Nicole is a phenom when it comes to pacing. Every time I read her work I'm amazed at how much happens in so few pages. Her prose is fast-paced but you get so much in the details of what she adds in. From her work I learn precision. I keep reviewing her stuff in the hopes that it'll seep into my brain by osmosis. She hits the darkside of things in her writing while always maintaining to insert a bit of hope.

Nicole has been great in letting me know what works even if I'm concerned it doesn't while also noting tweaks and changes in details, characters, and scenes. And because of her knowledge of the genre she pinpoints aspects of these characters lives I should consider for later on.

Nicole is also a baking nut like myself. Baking bonds so many people.

I'd also like to give thanks to Carrie Bastyr who read preliminary bits of this work. Her advice has also helped as I revise the series.

These ladies have helped me immensely in the revision stages. Having CPs who are avid readers and detailed critiquers will advance your work by leaps and bounds, I promise you.

So, as I plug away on the 3rd draft and look over the insightful comments from my CPs, I just wanted to extend a very big, interwebz, pre-Thanksgiving THANKS for all your help and support. Your advice, your persistence, your wonderful writing first and foremost, has inspired and helped me grow. And I'm super glad we connected via WriteOnCon. :-)

New (Writing) Venture Pour Moi...(Fiction Femme Fatale)

I had meant to note this earlier in the month and you may have already seen posts via Twitter and Facebook and such. But I wanted to formally note on my website that I have joined in with writers Amy Christine Parker, Krystalyn Drown, and Stefanie Jones on their middle grade/young adult website Fiction Femme Fatale (or as I like to call it Triple F). :-) Amy is my YA critique partner whom I met via WriteOnCon. She's been a great help as I've been writing (and rewriting and editing) my YA novel. And I am super-stoked that her book The Silo will be coming out with Random House next year! Also, Krystalyn's book Spirit World is coming out via Entranced Publishing next year as well! So trust me, just put these titles on your Goodreads To Read list and buy 'em.

The gist of Triple F is that once a month one of the members will pick a photo/image as a prompt to write a 1,000 word story. We each contribute and on weeks where there are five Fridays it is open for followers to submit a story for posting as well based on the image. Triple F also has giveaways such as critiques from members and agents and books/ARCs.

You can view the guidelines for submitting here.

My first contribution went up a couple weeks earlier than planned last Friday. And you can view it here. I realized after speaking with my instructor at the Napa Valley Writers' Conference that my strength is to write dark and sad material. So I wanted to try for something lighter my first time around. It was a nice challenge and it resulted in a middle grade (or younger) type fiction piece.

Generally I will be contributing the fourth Friday of the month, unless something changes. But I hope you'll check back every Friday to see what Krystalyn, Stefanie, and Amy post. They're super talented writers with a great imagination and eye for description. Amy's last piece "A Winter Tale" gave me the heebie jeebies in a good way. So I'm psyched to have been asked to join and be in such great company of writers.