A fun event for bloggers and other book lovers who live in the Seattle area organized by Wendi’s Book Corner:

If you are a book blogger, author or publicist and you live in the Seattle area, or plan to be in the area on June 22nd, I’d like to invite you to join me and a few others for an afternoon get-together! Leave a comment with your email, or send me an email to be included in all the details!

The get-together will be held at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA (near Seattle/Bothell), around lunch time, so 11:00 am – 1:00 ish. Feel free to help me spread the news so we can get a group together!

I have contacted a few local authors to see if they might want to swing by and say hi, and so far have one that is almost a sure thing, and another that says she will try to stop in. If you know of any local authors or any that will be in the area, let me know and I’ll try to get an email off to them.

From their website: Third Place Books is a general interest bookstore with over 200,000 New, Used, and Bargain Books. We invite you to come and stay a while in the Commons, where we feature five restaurants and FREE live music every Friday & Saturday night.

I had another thought: Would anyone be interested in bringing a few ARCs or other books to swap? I spoke with the bookstore, and they are fine with us bringing in some books as long as they are in bags.
Wendi

For more information, including locations and descriptions, see the UPCOMING EVENTS page. Know of others? Leave a comment!

1. Gary Paulsen (author of Hatchet)- Wednesday, June 3, 7pm
2. China Melville, The City- Friday, June 5, 2009 6:30 p.m.
3. Hugo House Write-O-Rama: Saturday, June 6th, 2009, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
4. Yasmine Galenorn signs Demon Mistress (Sisters of the Moon book 6) – Sat. June 6
5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem - Seth Grahame-Smith Saturday • June 13 • 4pm
6. New Author Showcase including Will North, Philip Marks, Deborah Schneider, Joe McDonald, Theresa Meyers, Curt Ebbesmeyer and others! Saturday, June 20, 2pm
7. Break Into Fiction, Powerplot Your Book workshop with Mary Buckham and Dianna Love
   Mercer Island Library, Saturday, June 20, 2pm
   Covington Library, Monday, June 29, 7pm (Mary and Dianna)
   Bellevue Regional Library, Tuesday, June 30, 7pm (Mary and Dianna)
8. Seattle Book Blogger/Author meetup
   Organized by Wendi of Wendi’s Book Corner: for book bloggers, authors and publicists -Monday, June 22, 11:00 am – 1:00
9. Anne Bishop signs The Shadow Queen – Thursday • June 25 • 7pm
10. Candy Tan (Smart Bitches who Love Trashy Books) signs Beyond Heaving Bosoms -Saturday, June 27, 2009 6:30 p.m.
11. Jacqueline Carey signs Naamah’s Kiss - Monday • June 29 • 7pm
12. Elizabeth Bear – Tuesday • July 7 • 7pm
    
13. Kat Richardson signs Vanished (Book 4) Sat, Aug 8, noon

GREASE, the musical, has come to town with American Idol 5 star Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. Mr. Wonderful and I caught the action last night, which included a ’50′s sing-a-long before the curtain rose, a packed audience that sometimes sang along during the show, and a special performance by Hicks of his latest hit single after the last bow. Grease has everything you need for a hit musical – sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, great stick-in-your-head tunes, fun dance moves, costumes that I’d like to own – but it always leaves me conflicted.

Grease is the word, but peer pressure is the theme.

Plot:

Goodie-two-shoes Sandy and Bad-boy Danny meet over high school summer vacation at the beach. They hold hands. They pledge undying love. They return to school in the fall and–surprise!–Sandy is at Danny’s school Rydell High. Danny is caught between wanting to be with Sandy and to impress his friends. (Liking a girl who doesn’t put out is not de mode.) Sandy doesn’t understand why her beau is suddenly too cool to talk to her. She gets taken in, and made fun of, by a group of girls called the Pink Ladies, who hang out with Danny’s T-Birds. Danny makes an attempt to be more like Sandy by joining the track team, but quits because the coach wants him to cut his hair (ie change who he is–a greaser). After Rizzo has a pregnancy scare, Sandy realizes that she doesn’t want to be a goodie-two-shoes anymore. She wants to have pregnancy scares too! So she changes, becoming a tight leather pant wearing, smoking, drinking, bundle of fun. She is now cool enough for Danny’s friends. They kiss. They dance. They live happily ever after.

Discussion:

What happens when Sandy decides she’s tired of pretending to be someone she’s not? Just like Danny when he finally quit the track team. Rather than meeting in the middle, Sandy changes everything about herself to be with the man she loves. Gee, what a model of a healthy relationship!

The music/costumes/choreography make this a great musical, but the ending disappoints me every time. I saw a high school production once where they changed the ending. Is that cheating? Should musicals be updated for modern sensibilities, or should they be preserved as originally envisioned? The nature of theater is constant change. Every new performer and director lends their own artistic bent to a piece.

What do you think about Grease? Love it? Hate it? Is it really timeless as proponents claim?

Opening Pitch, Sci-Fi Style

Musetracks is hosting “Agent Shop” this month with the chance to pitch to three great agents online. Romance writers are invited to stop by on MAY 30th. Only the first thirty pitches that come in are accepted, so don’t be late. Check out the rules page for more info. You must be pitching a completed manuscript. Please check to see that the agent accepts your subgenre. Pitches are due by May 30^th, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. E.S.T. Good luck!

Michelle Grajkowski from Three Seas Literary Agency

• http://www.threeseaslit.com/
• From the moment Michelle Grajkowskifirst opened her doors to the 3 Seas Literary Agency in August of 2000, she has been living her dream. (What could be better than surrounding yourself with great authors and their exciting and imaginative books?)

Kevan Lyon from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

• http://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/
• Kevan handles women’s fiction, with an emphasis on commercial women’s fiction, young adult fiction and all genres of romance. Her particular interest is historical fiction of all types. She looks for stories that draw the reader in and loves a sweeping, complex story with strong female characters. Her authors in women’s fiction span a broad range of genres from literary and commercial books to all genres of romance including historical, contemporary, suspense and paranormal. She loves to be surprised by a unique plot or characters and is always looking for a new, fresh voice or approach.

Lois Winston from Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

• Publishers Marketplace
• “I’m primarily looking for women’s fiction, romance, mystery, and young adult fiction, but I’m open to most any genre if the writing is strong and the story compelling.  I don’t handle category romance or inspirational romance, and I’m not interested in books featuring vampires or werewolves.”

Title: Grimspace
Author: Ann Aguirre
Publication Info: Ace Science Fiction, Feb 2008
Genre: Science Fiction with romantic elements
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

A spectacular debut novel! This action-packed deep space thriller has luscious world building and enough romance to keep both sci-fi fans and romance readers happy.

Plot:

Sirantha Jax has a rare gene that allows her to navigate space ships through the Grimspace – bending time and space to allow them to reach their destination in a fraction of the time. (If you’ve read a Wrinkle in Time – think Tesseract.) Most Jumpers burn out after ten years, but Jax has lasted longer than anyone predicted. It’s the only thing she’s been lucky in.

The ship she’s navigating crash lands with a congregation of delegates onboard–killing everyone but Jax. Jax is arrested and imprisoned. She doesn’t remember what happened, but she knows she isn’t at fault despite what her employer, the Corp, tries to tell her. She is broken out of jail by a mercenary (March) who wants to build a new school for Jumpers in direct opposition to the monopolistic Corp. His team takes Jax to a number of inhospitable outskirt planets hoping to find unregistered Jumpers with alien genes.

The Corp announces that Jax and crew are dangerous terrorists who murdered the delegation and have blown up a number of space stations. Jax must discover why the Corp is trying to kill her before the Corp’s bounty-hunters complete the job. They’re not the only things trying to kill her. Everywhere she goes, destruction follows. There’s no one she can trust, no one who hasn’t tried to use her for their own ends. Jax is determined to live – but she might finally have found a cause worth dying for.

Discussion:

This is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. I often hear agents and editors talk about the importance of “Voice.” Ms. Aguirre hits that ball out of the park. Her narrator comes vividly alive through her language and word choice. Her eloquent descriptions paint a thrilling, enthralling world that the reader can almost reach out and touch. She isn’t afraid to tackle big themes or kill off secondary characters. The novel has a gritty, hard edge that I often find missing in dark books. (And movies. Terminator: Salvation should have had this edge, but for some unknown reason all the secondary characters lived happily ever after in what should have been a dark, gritty movie. What gives?) Thank you, Ms. Aguirre for killing off your non-protagonists. THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE THERE FOR. I can’t believe the main character is in danger if no one but the bad guy dies.

I really appreciated how Jax struggles to do the right thing. I believed her character. Her transformation was much more powerful and believable because the reader sees her struggle. When she finally finds something worth dying for, I know how important it is because I’ve seen her naturally self-serving tendencies. Human beings are naturally selfish. Her actions are realistic. (Unlike every character in Terminator: Salvation.)

I am eager to read more by Ms. Aguirre. WANDERLUST and BLUE DIABLO are next on my TBR list!

The list is long, but here are 13 highlights of why you–aspiring author that you are–should come to the Emerald City Writers Conference this year:

EMERALD CITY WRITERS CONFERENCE

20th Anniversary
Sponsored by the Greater Seattle Romance Writers’ of America
October 9-11, 2009
Bellevue Hilton
Bellevue, Washington

1. Speeches by Lisa Jackson, Christine Warren and Claire Delacroix (aka Deborah Cooke)
2. KATIE MACALISTER: From Slush Pile to NYT List
   New York Times Bestselling Author
   A no-holds-barred discussion for authors with strategies on how to build a career rather than just sell books, deal with adversity, identify your brand, create a support team, and deal with publisher and reader expectations
3. BOB MAYER: The Military for Writers
   NY Times Bestselling Author
   An introduction to the military from conventional warfare, through Special Operations, the War on Terror, weapons of mass destruction and insight into the men and women who make up our armed forces-all tailored for the writer who might need research in this area.
4. ELIZABETH BOYLE: The Nuts and Bolts -Let’s Tear Apart Your Manuscript
   New York Times Bestselling Author & RITA Winner
   Everyone always says to never bring a manuscript to conference, well they were right until now. Please bring your completed draft or finished masterpiece and Elizabeth will walk you through how she tears apart her work and puts it back together again, ensuring that all the chapters, scenes and parts are working and polished and ready for publication. Be ready to cut, revise and evaluate your work like never before. This workshop is not for the squeamish or those who don’t like to get their hands dirty. You absolutely need your manuscript to get the most out of this workshop, so please bring to conference a printed copy of your pages and be ready to work.
5. MARY BUCKHAM: Pacing
   What keeps a book intriguing enough to have fans turn the pages and not set it down? How can one author’s books have you riveted and another’s leave you feeling ho-hum? Ever wondered if there are key craft tips and techniques to balance fast-paced conflict, tension, suspense or mystery, action and emotion? In PACING: HOW TO CREATE A PAGE-TURNING MANUSCRIPT you’ll learn: the ingredients of a page-turner, what hooks are and how to maximize them, the power of effective scenes and the most common pacing pitfalls to avoid! Participants will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of BREAK INTO FICTION® and a one of Mary’s chock- full-of-info Lecture Packets.
6. YASMINE GALENORN: Urban Fantasy- A Walk on the Witchy Side
   USA Today Bestselling Author & 2009 RITA Finalist
   Where can kick-butt heroines take on the bad guys while making love to vampires, demons, and dragons? Urban fantasy, of course. The paranormal genre is hot, and the books even hotter. Eager fans line up in droves for their favorite Beyond-Buffy characters. But what’s the separation between urban fantasy and paranormal romance? A thin line. Join USA Today bestselling urban fantasy author Yasmine Galenorn for a look at the worlds where the men are hot and not always human, the women are dangerous, and your best friend may be a baby calico gargoyle. Learn techniques to make your magic make sense, your characters balanced, and how to leave your readers wanting to save the world with you again and again and again!
7. CHERRY ADAIR: Subtext
   NY Times Bestselling Author
   One of the hallmarks of a good writer is dialog rich in subtext. Subtext is the underlying drive and meaning behind your character’s words. Not what your character says, but what they mean. Meaning that might not be apparent to the character, but that should be evident to the reader. Cherry Adair shows you how to create subtext to add zing, depth, and texture to your story to make your characters three dimensional.
8. PAT WHITE & ALEXIS MORGAN: Writing the Series and Making It Sizzle
   Across the many sub-genres in romances, one of the hot trends in romance today is the series. Multi-published authors Alexis Morgan and Pat White will discuss the reasons series are so popular with both readers and writers, how to structure a series, and the various elements that make readers come back for more. Alexis and Pat will cover the different types of series, world building, keeping track of story elements, and how to make each story stand alone while continuing the story arc that drives the entire series.
9. ROBERT DUGONI: Power Editing
   New York Times Bestselling Author
   Now that you’ve typed, “The End” – you’re finished. Or are you? Review the common mistakes novelists make and how to fix them before submitting to an agent or editor. Learn five steps to editing your manuscript including: making judgments about your protagonist and antagonist, evaluating secondary characters, tightening the manuscript, reviewing word and sentence choice and polishing your work to eliminate typos and misspellings.
10. PETER SENFTLEBEN, GINA ROBINSON & SHELLI STEVENS: The Editor/Author Relationship: How to work with your editor from the call to published book and beyond
    Assistant Editor Peter Senftleben of Kensington Publishing and two of his authors, Shelli Stevens and Gina Robinson, discuss how the relationship between an editor and an author works and the process for taking a manuscript from the call to a book on the shelf.
11. Pitch sessions with editors Wanda Ottewell (Harlequin), Peter Senftleben (Kensington) and Megan McKeever (Pocket Books)
12. Pitch sessions with agents Steven Axelrod (The Axelrod Agency), Alexandra Machinist (Linda Chester Literary Agency) and Vivian Chum (Prospect Agency)
13. Make fabulous writing friends (like me!)

You’ve got an idea – now what? Seattle overflows with authors, and many of them teach classes on the craft of writing. Take advantage of these fabulous opportunities this summer by signing up for a class or conference. Remember: ideas are the easy part. Writing takes creativity and discipline. Get ahead of the curve by learning to organize and structure your ideas. Registration starts soon and fills up fast.

Pacific Northwest Writers Conference

July 30 – August 2, 2009
Seattle Airport Hilton & Conference Center
Find what you’re looking for at the 54th Annual PNWA Conference. Tracks for Sci-fi/Fantasy, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, YA and Screenwriting authors. Learn the business side of writing. Pitch to agents and editors. Key note speaker Terry Brooks (author of bestselling Shannara fantasy series).

Romance Track: What Puts the Love in Romance: The Five Fundamental Elements of Great Romantic Fiction
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Boyle explores the five things every writer should consider as they plot, write and edit not only their romance novel, but the romantic elements of any story. Come and learn what it is that makes a romance novel unique, keeps the reader entertained, and leaves the author with a sale-ready happy ending of a novel.

Fantasy/Science Fiction Track: Roadmap to Fantasy and Science Fiction Subgenres
Agents and Editors explain the popular niches in the fantasy and science fiction markets and who is buying what.

Young Adult Track: Puberty is Not Enough: What You Need to Write Middle-Grade and YA Fiction
We’re living in what has been called a golden age of teen and tween literature, but those interested in writing for young readers have their work cut out for them. All the usual writing challenges apply, but with particular twists regarding reader age groups, subject matter, themes, language, pace, point of view, marketing, and more. We’ll talk about how to write for this market, review marketing considerations, and share plenty of suggested reading and resources that can help you develop tween and YA manuscripts that sizzle.

Summer Classes at Hugo House!

Summer quarter at Hugo House–trust us, this is not your mother’s summer school. This July, we are offering one-day, four-week and one-week intensive classes in just about everything under the literary sun. David Wagoner will be doing his annual summer poetry reading class–this time focusing on Scribner’s anthology “Best American Poetry 2009,” which David edited. Ryan Boudinot will lead an intensive workshop on characters and what they do, speak, think and feel. And, of course, there are plenty of other great poetry, prose and publishing classes to help you hone your craft or get your work in print from Karen Finneyfrock, David Lasky, Diane Mapes, Paul Nelson and other favorite Hugo House teachers.
General and online registration begins on Tuesday, May 26 at noon.
For more information about these classes and to register online, visit our class catalog. To register by phone, call (206) 322-7030.

UW Experimental College Writing Courses

Writing Fiction & Short Stories
Writing is a natural skill that everyone can develop. In this class, students will write short stories and other word pieces and get feedback from the instructor and others in the class. The focus will be on developing our writing skills, finding our genuine voices, learning to let the process happen effortlessly and spontaneously. Also: information about copyrighting and getting published. Instructor Nils Osmar is the author of a short story collection, The Hungry Time, and has also written stage plays, screenplays and magazine articles. All levels welcome.

Discovering Your Story: An Introduction to Memoir Writing
Who are you? How have you become the person that you are? This course will revolve around a series of in-class “free-writing” exercises inspired by themes such as childhood, family, identity, work, and home. Students will be encouraged to read aloud from their exercises in a supportive and respectful environment. We will also talk about ways to begin organizing your memoir(s) and how to write vividly and honestly. Taught by Anne Liu Kellor. Writers of all levels are welcome.

Writing the Non-Fiction Book Proposal
Got an idea for a non-fiction book? Don’t start writing it until you’ve taken this class! In six weeks, you’ll clarify your idea, identify what’s unique about your book, research and analyze the market, develop a plan to reach your audience and create an overview of your book. In-class writing exercises, discussions and homework assignments provide support and structure as you assemble a complete proposal. Most non-fiction books–from self-help to narrative nonfiction, from travel to memoir–are sold on the basis of a proposal.

NSCC Continuing Education Writing Courses

Writing for Children and Young Adults
The manuscript for a board book is ten words, and a picture book maxes out at a thousand words. Young adult novels give the writer 50,000 angst-ridden words with which to work. This eight-week class will explore the craft and rules of writing and publishing good books for children and young adults.

The Art of Creative Writing
Whether you are new at creative writing or have been at the process for a while, this class will show you ways to improve the depth and flow of your storytelling. This course will explore unconventional writing exercises and visual techniques to enliven your work, whether in the description of a character, a setting, a situation, an object or an emotion.

Writing and Publishing your 1st Book (or 7th)
Bobbie Christensen, California author of ten published books including award-winners and best-sellers, will show you how to develop and complete your manuscript in just 6 weeks following her own 10 step plan. Create a page-turner whether writing fiction or non-fiction, cookbook or textbook. Then learn how to submit your work to a publisher or self-publish and keep the profits, plus all about POD’s, E-books, etc. $15 material fee payable at class includes book and free consulting at any time.

Happy Norwegian Constitution Day from Ballard, little capital of Scandinavia. The founder of the day was “a Dane, but an ardent Norwegian in his heart and mind.” This pretty much sums up residents of Ballard, who might be American, but pretty much believe we are citizens of the 6th Scandinavian country. We’ve celebrated Syttende Mai since 1889, when we were only a little territory. Every year we celebrate with a parade down Market Street, lunch with the consulate, traditional music and dancing, pickled herring, lutfisk, glogg, cardamon rolls… really, anything you might desire from Scandinavia can be found here. If you can’t find it in Ballard, you don’t need it. I’m in Portland right now, but if I were home I’d be at the parade.

Find out more here.

An open letter from New York Times Bestselling author Cherry Adair:

I NEED YOUR HELP!
Many of us have been affected in some way by breast cancer. (just the words send a nightmarish shudder up my spine!) My mother Petal died in 1974 of breast cancer. And while treatments and medical breakthroughs have improved enormously since then, the dreadful anticipation of breast cancer still hangs over our heads. A close friend died of cancer last year, and two dear friends are going through treatment right now. Just the word cancer is terrifying to most of us.

Many of us have been touched directly and deeply by breast cancer, and this year I want to do my part in something that has nothing to do with writing. Something bigger and way more important.

This year I’m going to walk 60 miles to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s annual Three Day Walk for Breast Cancer.

In this crappy economy everyone is struggling to find their financial footing. I understand that only too well. And charities, no matter how well deserving, are feeling the brunt of everyone cutting back in a big way. I get that most of us don’t have disposable $$ this year, so I’m going to match all donations up to $5,000 for this truly worthy cause!

I’m going to walk that sixty freakin’ miles, yes, that’s not a typo, sixty miles to raise money to fund breast cancer research. Just thinking about me walking that far makes my feet hurt, but it’s worth it. 100% of the net funds go to research, 85% to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and 15% to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Even a few dollars adds up when we all work together.

Here’s the reality — either you’ve been affected in some way directly by breast cancer — you, or your mom, a sister, friend, relative or coworker, in which case you know how badly this research is needed NOW, or, you haven’t been personally affected by breast cancer (thank God!) but probably know someone who has. Either way, please help me raise $$ for this incredibly worthwhile cause. This is something that I feel passionately about, and every single dollar you donate will be greatly appreciated.

Think of it this way — if I had a new book out this year — I hope you’d buy it — could you perhaps donate the price of one paperback? Two paperbacks? A hard cover? More? (Remember — whatever you donate I’ll match it!! WooHoo – two for the price of one

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you’d like to participate yourself (I’d LOVE for you to come and join me and my team and sweat & groan walk with us in Seattle or volunteer to help in a 3-Day walk near you, then visit their website or sign up by calling 800.996.3DAY.

I’ve formed a fun group called the PINK PETALS (in honor of my mom) and we’ll each raise money, and then walk together in the 3 day. Fortunately, I don’t have to beg people to contribute per mile, but I am asking (please, please, please!) for you to donate something, anything to help me help the fight against breast cancer.

HERE’S WHERE YOU GO TO DONATE (Thank you! Thank you!!)
To contribute or find out more about PINK PETALS, please click here

Title: The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Publication Info: Random House, March 2007
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Today’s book recommendation comes from my brother Oliver, who is on a post-apocalyptic fiction binge. I’m collecting names for him, so if you have any to recommend, please let me know. I think he’s planning to read Hunger Games next. The Road won the Pulitzer Prize and will soon make its movie debut starring Aragorn Viggo Mortenson.

Oliver’s recommendation:

I just finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” and it blew my mind. Through the journey of a father and son McCarthy reveals a world that is unbelievably dark and tragic. The world as we know it is destroyed, the sky is forever grey, and life is merely a continual struggle against death. Father and son travel continually south on the road trying to survive and find some place better. A feeling of hopelessness pervades the novel unequal to anything else I have read.

At the same time, the bond between father and son is a redeeming aspect to a life that is otherwise absent of anything good. As a reader, I really feared for the wellbeing of the main characters. The world is so bleak and dark that it sometimes feels like their love for one another is the only light left: “When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond dark and the days more gray each one than what had gone before”(1).

McCarthy is a phenomenal story teller and his descriptions are frightening and rich in detail: “The days sloughed past uncounted and uncalendared. Along the interstate in the distance long lines of charred and rusting cars. The raw rims of the wheels sitting in a stiff gray sludge of melted rubber, in blackened rings of wire. The incinerated corpses shrunk to the size of a child and propped on the bare springs of the seats”(273). This is one of the darkest, frightening, and most hopeless stories I have ever read and definitely worth it.