Jacqueline Houtman

This week, we’re celebrating Jacqueline’s debut! Jacqueline spent way too many years learning to be a scientist (27, if you count kindergarten). The best part of all that school is that some people, especially her parents, now call her Dr. Houtman. In the rare moments she did not spend in the lab, she did theater to feed the rest of her brain. Then she came to her senses and started over as a freelance science writer and editor. She has written for physicians, scientists, and the guy down the street. She is equally comfortable writing for students in Medical School and Middle School, because the writing isn’t really that different. Med students just use bigger words. The writing she enjoys most is “sciency fiction” for kids, where science is integral to the theme and plot but, unlike science fiction, it’s all real. Jacqueline lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her engineer husband and two sciency kids.

Here’s a little bit about THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS (Front Street).

Eddy Thomas can read a college physics book, but he can’t read the emotions on the faces of his classmates at Drayton Middle School. He can spend hours tinkering with an invention, but he can’t stand more than a few minutes in a noisy crowd. With his prodigious science knowledge, Eddy invents a traffic-calming device to solve a safety problem, but he can’t invent a solution to his bully problem. Or can he? By trusting his new friends and accepting their help, Eddy learns that even the mechanics of friendship can be learned.

THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS by Jacqueline Houtman

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

I would give it a G. There are no swear words (unless you count “snap”). There is some mild violence in the form of bullying, but it’s tamer than most Saturday morning fare. No blood is spilled, only ketchup.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

Science
I’m a scientist by training and I’ve been a freelance science writer for about ten years. I wanted to write a book that truly incorporates science into its plot and themes. I wanted my main character to think like a scientist, because science is a process, not just a collection of facts (although there are plenty of science facts in the book).

Asperger’s syndrome
Although I never state it in the book, Eddy has Asperger’s syndrome, which is part of the autism spectrum. I didn’t label Eddy because I wanted readers to get to know him as a character first, not a diagnosis. His autism is only part of who he is. There are a lot of great books coming out lately with autistic/Aspergian characters, which I applaud, because people on the autism spectrum need to be fully represented in literature as a diverse population, not as stereotypes.

Bullies and Friends
Bullying is a huge problem in our schools, and there are all kinds of bullies. Kids on the autism spectrum are frequent targets of bullies. They can also be great friends.

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• A 12-year-old boy who likes nonfiction, but doesn’t usually care for fiction.
• An 11-year-old girl who loves science.
• A teacher who wants a better idea of what life is like for her students on the autism spectrum.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

• woolly mammoths in the biography section
• the nutritive value of paper
• a tiny little walrus
• aunt Aquinas Thomas is no saint
• Terry’s hair reminded Eddy of lapis lazuli

How can your book be used in the classroom?

Students can discuss the subjects of bullying and friendship, and why it might be a good idea to befriend someone who’s a little different. There are also ample opportunities for cross-curricular tie-ins, especially with science. I have written a reader guide, which is available on my website and includes ideas for tie-ins with science, art, math, social studies, language arts, and music. (http://www.jhoutman.com/pages/ReaderGuide)

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

• Science fans will like THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages and THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly.
• Those interested in seeing life through Aspergian eyes will like MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine.

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

Eddy sat on the steps outside Drayton Middle School, where the noise from the science fair in the gym still roared in his head. Tiffany always told him to picture a calm place when he felt stressed. He thought of the rocky beach. He tried to remember the rhythmic lapping sound of the waves and the feel of the rocks pushing up against the soles of his feet.

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes.

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

I can talk about science, autism awareness, the writing and publishing process, or a combination of these subjects. Titles include:

• How to Write (Revise, Revise, Revise) and Publish a Book
• The Spectrum: More than Roy G. Biv
• Not in So Many Words: How to Make your Manuscript Lean and Mean
• Elements of Good Science Children’s Writing

This concludes our interview with our latest author, JACQUELINE HOUTMAN. We wish her much success with her debut novel THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS. To see what Jacqueline is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.jhoutman.com or her blog at http://jjhoutman.livejournal.com.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Jacqueline is giving away a signed copy of THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by September 7th, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

Inara Scott

This week, we’re celebrating Inara’s debut! Inara Scott grew up in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, she spent much of her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW, where the old Doug Fir trees and thick ferns make you think you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. Inara loves to hike, canoe, and play outside. She is addicted to yoga. Despite being a writer, Inara fears deep, intellectual books, loves romance and fantasies, and listens to cheesy, happy music.

Here’s a little bit about DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES (Disney – Hyperion Books for Children).

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that’s not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia’s mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just … happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to people, believing this way she can suppress her powers and keep them hidden.

When recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy offer her a full scholarship, Dancia fears her days of living under the radar may be over. But Delcroix is a school for diplomats’ kids and child geniuses — why are they treating Dancia like she’s special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make her feel welcome. And then there’s her mysterious new friend Jack, who can’t stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the academy, and he wants Dancia to help him figure out what…But neither Jack or Dancia could have imagined what’s really going on behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES by Inara Scott

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

PG; small amount of profanity, some violent themes.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

This is a book about the gray areas of life; the times when you can’t tell the good from the bad and have to choose anyway. As an avid reader of fantasy, I was struck by the fact that most fantasy novels present choices in black and white. I wanted to write about something more like real life, where things are never that easy. I was certainly influenced by international events and the hard choices our nation had to make recently with regard to preemptive action, violence against individuals, and war. I also wanted to depict a strong, resilient heroine I could be proud of — one that I would want my own daughter to emulate. And finally, because I’m an incurable romantic, I had to have some really cute boys involved!

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

Any teen who enjoys paranormal or urban fantasy. Any girl who’s had to choose between two boys. Anyone who want to see a girl take charge and kick butt.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

At that moment, all I could think of was those cartoons where Goofy gets stuck in front of a snowball rolling down a hill, and the snowball hits him and he’s smushed into the side of it and you can see him, spread-eagled on the snowball as it keeps rolling down the hill. Because that’s exactly what I felt like.

Keep the bad guys out, or us in?

How can your book be used in the classroom?

There are a number of themes and issues in the book that a class might want to explore:

• In the beginning of the book, Dancia has made the decision to do everything she can to avoid using her paranormal gift because of the potential it has to hurt people. A class might draw parallels between Dancia’s gift and scientific discoveries that have the potential to both help and harm. What are the ethical dilemmas scientists face? How does Dancia’s decision evolve through the course of the book?
• Dancia’s ethic’s class considers the question of whether you can tell if an act is right or wrong based on the number of people affected. They complete an activity that puts this question into human terms: is killing one person justified if hundreds of other people might live as a result? When has this question been posed historically, and how have countries or individuals answered?
• The end of the book raises a question about preemptive action. Can action against an individual or a group be justified based on the threat they pose? The class might discuss the Bush Doctrine and the invasion of Iraq to consider this question.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

• Students who enjoy tough, independent heroines like Dancia might like THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, or GRACELING by Kristin Cashore.
• Students who enjoy urban fantasy or paranormal stories might like RAMPANT by Diana Peterfreund or BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Students who enjoy a little romance with their fantasy might like SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater or WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

He had greasy, shoulder-length hair and a stained white t-shirt stretched tightly across his full, round belly. As he approached the nurses’ station near one end of the crowded waiting area, the odor of rotting fruit preceded him. Something about the wildness in his eyes and the trembling of his chin made me nervous. I looked over at Grandma, but she was engrossed in conversation with a man almost as old and blind as she was.

“You killed her. You all killed her.” The man’s voice started low, nervous, and then grew in strength. He opened a grimy backpack and pulled out a gun.

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes.

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• Character and Plot (K-8)
• Where to Start: Building Your Story from the Ground Up (grades 6-12)

This concludes our interview with our latest author, INARA SCOTT. We wish her much success with her debut novel DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES. To see what Inara is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.inarascott.net.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Inara is giving away a signed copy of DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES to two winners. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by August 31st, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

Happy Creating!

Donna St. Cyr

In the school library, my favorite part of the new school year was introducing new books to my students. Boxes from orders placed the previous May always greeted me like Christmas presents waiting to be opened.  After a summer of reading from the local public libraries, students would flock into our doors, always hopeful that we had received something that had not yet seen – something they hoped for. The beginning of the school year was always the easiest time to get students excited about books – especially if a child was lucky enough to be the first one to check it out.

Sharp Pencils. Crisp school clothes. New sneakers (okay, nobody calls them sneakers today, but when I was a kid, a new pair of sneakers – specifically new, navy blue Keds – spoke volumes about the possibilities of the new school year – they did, indeed, make you run faster and jump higher). These harbingers of back to school bring optimism and fresh start to students, parents and teachers alike.  But nothing holds more optimism (in this old librarian’s eyes) as a new book. I am anxiously awaiting the fall crop.

There are common themes in YA lit, be it in fantasy, paranormal, or realistic genres. There is usually a romantic scenario, a friendship gone wrong (or one that characters are struggling with), search for identity and/or meaning in one’s life, and the need to break free/understand/connect with the parental units. Some books have all these themes, others have one or two. Either way, they are motifs that adults as well as teens feel close to. I would venture to say, adults may even feel more in touch with these themes.

Like most teens, I had unrequited crushes in high school (and reciprocated ones that went bad). I had friends stop talking to me. My parents and I had trouble getting along. I tried to figure out what I wanted school-wise, life-wise. As an adult, those things don’t go away but you gain a greater insight when approaching these issues that you did not have as a teen.

As a parent, you have a greater appreciation for your own. As an adult you, have the strength and confidence to leave the friends who treat you poorly. The internal struggle? Well, I don’t know if that really goes away. You may have found the career you dreamed of, but there are other factors you are still coming to terms with. Or, maybe, the career you thought you wanted was just a placeholder for what your true passion was. Or, the change could have nothing at all to do with a job but with your personal life. In high school, you may have thought the ideal life was weekend plans, parties, the in crowd, only to realize after experiencing these things that the quieter life was more speed. As an adult, you may have thought you wanted the spouse and picket fence, but been proven wrong. Or, maybe you thought being a career woman was your speed until you met your child and realized you rather stay home with him.

And then (in the words of Quantum Leap’s Sam Beckett) there’s the “To Make Right What Once Went Wrong” factor. Some of my friends and I read and write YA novels to recreate or better understand the past, to examine what an alternate life would have been like, to fantasize about what was or could have been, all the while comforted by what is.

So yes, some YA may be faster paced or easier to read, but others are literary, deep, moving literature that crosses genres and audiences, bridging the age gap and forging connections.

In “The Literary Glutton,” an essay in EX LIBRIS: CONFESSIONS OF A COMMON READER, Anne Fadiman theorizes that food is most appealing in books when the character is hungry. (“The best food writing is associated not with decadent repletion but with hunger.”) Some of the most memorable food scenes I’ve read have been in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s LITTLE HOUSE books. Life on the frontier was tough enough that an orange was considered an exotic gift suitable for Christmas morning. Much of this series focuses on how the family laid in provisions for lean winters, and how they rationed their food during hard times. Food was never taken for granted, and so canned peaches, birthday cake, oyster stew, and popcorn assume the status of royal delicacies.

Similarly, in Marilyn Sachs’s book A POCKET FULL OF SEEDS, the bite of forbidden cheese that Nicole takes has resonated with me for years. It’s one of the classic moments of many childhoods: a food is set aside for a special occasion or a gift, and so it is not for us, but we want it so badly. Just a taste … Ultimately, such a scene is about temptation, the struggle between appetite and rules, between desire and manners.

What books make your mouth water?

Here’s a little bit about READY, SET…WAIT! (Sylvan Dell Publishing).

When hurricanes threaten, humans prepare, but what about wild animals. How do they prepare? Ready, Set… WAIT! answers that question. Children of all ages will learn how herons and pelicans glide toward the mangrove islands and huddle among the twisted roots. How sharks explode through the shallows of a nearby bay; and how crocodiles crawl into caves in the canals that crisscross the land. They know and they wait.

Ready, Set...WAIT! by Patti Zelch

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

G –Learning about animals and hurricanes appeal to children of all ages as well as adults.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

Ready,Set…WAIT! deals with hurricanes but, rather than tell how humans prepare, it explains how some animals seem to sense an upcoming storm and get ready. My oldest grandson asked me what wild animals did during hurricanes. I didn’t know but set out to find the answer. Ready, Set…WAIT! is the result.

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• An elementary age student studying weather.
• A boy or girl that lives in an area where there are hurricanes.
• And certainly, any child that loves animals and is curious about their behavior.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else

Dolphin pods squeeze closer – whistling and buzzing to one another.

Their silver bodies streak through the waves heading for the safety of the open sea. They know!

How can your book be used in the classroom?

Teachers can use Ready, Set…WAIT! as an introduction to a weather unit. It can also be used when students are studying animal behavior.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

As far as I know, there are no other creative nonfiction books for children that deal with animal behavior in regards to hurricanes.

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

Far out over the warm ocean waters, clusters of storms join together; lightning lashes – thunder thumps.

The wind grows stronger and begins to spin the clouds into a tight curl.

A hurricane is brewing!

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes, I am.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Certainly.

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• What is a Hurricane?
• Do Animals have a sixth sense?
• Making Writing fun with Alliterations and Rhythm

This concludes our interview with our latest author, PATTI ZELCH. We wish her much success with her debut novel Ready, Set…WAIT!. To see what Patti is up to these days, visit her Facebook page .

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Patti is giving away a signed copy of READY, SET…WAIT! to five winners. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by August 17th, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

Tameka Fryer Brown

This week, we’re celebrating Tameka’s debut! Tameka Fryer Brown has gone from medical supply sales rep, to stay-at-home mom, to children’s book author. She’s worked with children of all ages in various church and volunteer organizations, and as a Teacher’s Assistant at her children’s Montessori school. Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day is Tameka’s first published picture book.

Here’s a little bit about AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY (Abrams Books for Young Readers).

Neighbors gather on a hot summer day for a joyful block party: Kids play double Dutch; men debate at the barber shop and play chess; mothers and aunts cook up oxtail stew, collard greens, and other delicious treats; and friends dance and sway as jazz floats through the streets.

A rhythmic tale that celebrates the diversity of a close-knit community, Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day will excite readers and prompt them to discover the magic of their own special surroundings.

AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS' DAY by Tameka Fryer Brown

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

G. I didn’t think an R-rated picture book would work very well.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

Around Our Way depicts my “neighborhood Utopia”: a community resplendent in its array of colors and personalities; a place where cultural uniqueness is valued, appreciated, and desired. I thought it important to expose young children to the beauty of this concept…and to remind adults of its possibility.

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• Anyone who loves picture books or poetry that is jazzy and rhythmic.
• Anyone who loves art (the pictures, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb, are amazing—energetic, vibrant, very artistic).
• Any educator or parent looking for a book to supplement a multi-cultural curriculum area, or wanting to expose their child(ren) to the joy that can be found in diversity.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

Shrika, Binh and me—all sweating in the blazing sun.

Cheese and noodles save the day…

Blue sky, night stars/Not a care/Here where laughter fills the air…

How can your book be used in the classroom?

Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day can be throughout the year in a variety of ways:

• It can be used in the study of poetry
• It can be used to supplement a multi-cultural curriculum area
• It can be used to foster or enhance a discussion on diversity
• It can be used to encourage community (in the classroom, as well as the broader sense)
• It can be used to get kids thinking about the everyday things that are beautiful and special in their own neighborhoods, families, and lives
• It can be used in the study of abstract/expressionist art

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

Those who like AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY will like MY FEET ARE LAUGHING by Lissette Norman, illus. by Frank Morrison —and vice versa.

Folks who appreciate the natural way Bill Thomson incorporates a diverse cast of characters in his picture book CHALK, will appreciate AROUND OUR WAY as well.

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

Blue sky, no clouds,

Summer heat, side street,

Whirling, whizzing feet.

Everyone is out to play

Today, around our way.

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes. Please contact me at my website (www.tamekafryerbrown.com) for rates and further details.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes.

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• I LOVE PICTURE BOOKS! (Interactive Story Time w/ Classic PBs): K – 2nd Grd
• I CAN DO THAT! (How I Became a Writer): Grades 3-5
• YOU…ON THE PAGE (Practical Tips for Creative Writers): Grades 6 and up

This concludes our interview with our latest author, TAMEKA FRYER BROWN. We wish her much success with her debut novel AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY. To see what Tameka is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.tamekafryerbrown.com or her blog at http://tamekafbrown.wordpress.com.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Tameka is giving away a signed copy of AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by August 10th, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

Ready, Set...WAIT! by Patti Zelch

• Publication Season/Year: Fall/2010
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
• Release Date: Aug. 10, 2010
• ISBN (hardcover): 9781607180722
• ISBN (paperback): 9781607180838

Watch out! A hurricane is brewing!  Humans prepare for the storm, but what about wild animals? How do they survive the hurricane?  On a reef below the water’s surface, fish band together in large schools.  Dolphin pods squeeze close and birds gather in flocks.  They know the storm is coming, so they band together and wait for it to pass.

The Author: Patti Zelch
Location: Key Largo, FL

Influenced by wildlife around her, Patti Zelch’s stories have been published in magazines and an anthology.  While preparing for hurricane Wilma, her grandson asked her what wild animals do during a storm.  After much research, she learned that some wildlife seem to sense upcoming storms and prepare for them.  Ready, Set…WAIT! is the result of her research and is her debut picture book.  A retired teacher, Patti splits the year between the Florida Keys and North Carolina.

Author Visit Information

Patti is willing to travel nationally.

Example presentations and workshops

• What is a hurricane?
• Making nonfiction fun by using alliterations, rhythm and other writing techniques.
• The scientific method.

Honorarium and fees

Honorariums begin at $250.00 depending on number of sessions and travel distance.  Travel expenses, lodging and meals may apply for out-of-town travel.

Contact Information:

• Facebook: Author Patti Zelch

In a world where Thinkers control the population and rules aren’t meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces. When secrets about her “dead” sister and not-so-missing father hit the fan, Vi must make a choice: control or be controlled.

Elana Johnson

The Author: Elana Johnson
Location: Pleasant Grove, UT

Elana is a young adult author, and has also penned From the Query to the Call, an ebook that every writer needs to read before they query. She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a regular contributor to the QueryTracker blog and The League of Extraordinary Writers. She presents regularly at conferences on writing query letters and how to build a successful blog.

In her world, Oreos and bacon would be the only food groups. Everyone would drive 10 over the speed limit. As it is, she lives with her husband and two kids in central Utah, gets cited when she drives too fast and eats Oreos only on special occasions.

Elana wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Author Visit Information

Elana is willing to travel nationally.

Example presentations and workshops

• Writing a Killer Query Letter
• Using Blogging as a Means of Social Media
• Finding Your Writer-Self

Honorarium and fees

Honorariums begin at $250 depending on length of visit and distance from author. Travel, lodging and meal expenses may apply for out-of-town travel.  To learn more, visit Elana’s web site.

Contact Information:

• Official web site: http://www.elanajohnson.com
• Blog: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/elanajohnson
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/elanaj

XVI by Julia Karr

• Publication Season/Year: Spring 2011
• Publisher: Speak
• Release Date: January 6, 2011
• ISBN (hardcover): N/A
• ISBN (paperback): 978-0142417713

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina’s father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he’s been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad.

Julia Karr

The Author: Julia Karr
Location: Bloomington, IN

Julia Karr was born in Indiana, and moved to Chicago when she was fifteen. After the initial culture shock of going from quiet, small town living to Carl Sandburg’s, “stormy, husky, brawling,” metropolis, she fell madly in love with the city. Her schooling in the art of writing came from reading, voraciously. While students were being forced to read the classics, Julia was busy going on author binges. As a young mother, reading books to, and eventually with, her daughters, she fell head-over-heels for children’s literature. Not a far stretch for someone who had loved reading since the age of three. While still working a nine-to-five job, after hours Julia can be found at home, sitting on the couch tapping out stories on her laptop, with one of several cats draped behind her and her dogs sleeping nearby.

Author Visit Information

Julia is willing to travel nationally.

Example presentations and workshops

• What is Dystopian fiction and why write it?
• Turning ideas into books.
• Do you have to be a scientist to write science fiction?

Honorarium and fees

Honorariums begin at $300, depending on length of time and travel involved. Please contact Julia on her website for information on out-of-town travel, lodging and meal expenses.

Contact Information:

• Official web site: http://juliakarr.com
• Livejournal: http://juliakarr.livejournal.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jkarr
• Twitter: @juliaakarr

ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR by Jennifer A. Nielsen

• Publication Season/Year: Fall/2010
• Publisher: Jabberwocky
• Release Date: October 12, 2010
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-1402240195
• ISBN (paperback): TBD

For most kids, accidentally starting an interspecies war on Halloween would be the biggest event of their lives. But for Elliot Penster, it was only the beginning. Three years later, the Brownies, who are hopelessly losing that war against the Goblins, make 11-year-old Elliot their king.

Elliot dodges the Goblins’ attempts to do away with him, until they finally go too far and blow up his house. Now it’s time for the king to fight back and end the war once and for all.

Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Location: Northern Utah

Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once.  She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster.  In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time.  Although she has never actually met any Underworld creatures, she did see someone once who might have been a troll.

Author Visit Information

Jennifer is willing to travel locally or nationally, especially if it’s somewhere with good fast food.

Example presentations and workshops

• “How to Fail Like a Winner”: Many of the greatest success stories pushed past their failures.  How anyone, even writers, can do that too (adapted for children or adults).
• “Pushing Your Character to the Edge”: A workshop on gaining better insight into your characters and how to push them to their limits (adult).
• “The Character I Created”: A fun, hands-on workshop on characterization and how different characters affect plot (children).
• “Surprising Your Reader”: Twist endings, humor in dark places, and unexpected choices (adult).

Honorarium and fees

Honorariums begin at $200 depending on length of visit and distance from author. Travel, lodging and meal expenses may apply for out-of-area travel.  For details, contact jen@jennielsen.com

Contact Information:

• Website: www.jennielsen.com
• Blog: www.jenniferanielsen.blogspot.com
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/nielsenwriter

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Beth Revis

The Author: Beth Revis
Location: Rutherfordton, NC

Beth Revis lives with her husband and her dog in rural North Carolina. A former nationally board certified teacher of high school world literature, Beth is currently a full-time writer and founder of the dystopian author group League of Extraordinary Writers. She enjoys reading, writing, and traveling, and believes space is nowhere near the final frontier.

Author Visit Information

Beth is will to participate in panels, speeches, and workshops locally and nationally.

Example presentations and workshops

• Pantsers & Plotters Unite: Methods for plotters to plan and pantsers to revise to create a polished novel.
• Social Media for Authors at any Career Stage: Quick, easy instructions on how to easily jump into social media, from websites and blogs to Twitter and Facebook.

Honorarium and fees

Travel and lodging, plus an honorarium of at least $200; school visit prices negotiable.

Contact Information:

• Official web site: http://bethrevis.com
• Blog: http://bethrevis.blogspot.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bethrevis
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bethrevis
• Blog: http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com

Nick Gardner is having a rough year. His brother’s a jerk, his big fat dad has hit the road, and his sort-of best friend is dying. When a feverish hallucination puts Nick on a collision course with a water tower, a television news crew, and one Jaycee Amato, a girl with Siberian Husky eyes, his whole life begins to change. Together, they  set out on a secret journey to keep a promise to their dying friend. Will they accomplish what they set out for, or merely discover the beauty of Steinbeck, the crappy truth about plans and a few small facts about gravity? The Pull of Gravity is a coming-of-age story about first love, friendship, and the true nature of family.

Gae Polisner

The Author: Gae Polisner
Location: Long Island, NY

This is Gae’s bio. Gae writes both women’s and young adult fiction. When Gae’s not writing or parenting her two great boys (or lawyering, which she still does on the side) she’s an avid swimmer and secretly hopes that one day her wetsuit will turn her into a superhero.  THE PULL OF GRAVITY is her debut novel and she’s represented by Jamie Brenner at Artists and Artisans, Inc.

Author Visit Information

Gae is willing to travel nationally.

Contact Information:

• Official web site: http://gaepolisner.com/
• Blogger http://gpolisner.blogspot.com/