squeetus

Princess Academy contest results

Hooray! I can announce the winners of the princess academy contest.

Terah S. of Paia, Hawaii
Markie C. of New Hope, Alabama
Shannon M. of Bristow, Virginia

Congratulations, you gorgeous girls! What lovely, thoughtful, funny, perfect entries. I'm so honored to have such smart ladies as fans. It may take a few weeks to get your books to you. The grand prize winner gets a print out of rapunzel's revenge, of all the cool prizes, in addition to signed books and a phone call and a gift certificate. I wish I could say the phone call will be from George Clooney, but it'll just be me. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to do that...I guess we'll probably set up a time with your parents.

Can I say how incredibly difficult it was to choose? Bloomsbury received thousands of entries. They narrowed it down to forty for me, then I had the tough job of picking just three. I was able to get it down to fifteen without too much stress, but I'll admit that at that point, the winners were somewhat arbitrary, because all fifteen were so fabulous. I really had empathy for contest judges (it was the week after the Newbery announcements that I was doing this) and I don't think I ever want to be a judge again. So, if you entered and didn't win, just assume that you were one of the final fifteen, and it was a random typo that kept you from the gold. (Olivia T., I checked, and you were one of the final fifteen like I thought--but I'm not telling anyone else because I want you to just assume that you are.)

Here are a few of the tips to brighten your day:

After outwitting those bandits and saving your friends, plan your next adventure!
Never eat an apple to help out an old lady--because if you do you will be poisoned and no prince wants a poisoned princess (from a darling 10-year-old reader)
Be comfortable in your own skin.
Smile and laugh (the trick is for it to come as naturally as breathing)
Make sure you dance with every boy at a ball--because you never know which one is going to be your prince.
Seek the good in others.

Now go forth, young princesses, and save the world!

Girls in pants

Whew. Insane week. I'd tell you all about it, because I apparently have no filter when it comes to revealing the secrets of my life. But I'm trying to respect the privacy of others, so I'll just the battle was waged on three fronts, involving emergency rooms, space heaters, and loaned shop vacs. And all around, very little sleep. Fun.

So, naughty, naughty Shannon. You don't make declarative statements like "Girls in pants with swords are bad" without explaining a little. So i 'splain.

First, I certainly don't mean to say that be-sworded girls eschewing skirts is wrong. My most favorite book growing up was The Blue Sword, for pity's sake! Harry and Aerin with the blue sword, Buffy with an ax, Zoe with a couple of space pistols, Eowyn with a broadsword, Wonder Woman with her battle sword, Annie Oakley with her gun, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things.

Here's what I meant to say--for long, long time, action and adventure heroes were men. Female characters weren't allowed in the action. Then in movies, novels, and comic books, (mostly male) writers started to insert women into those roles, but they didn't seem to know how to write them. It seemed like they wrote parts for men then just had women play them. In order to make them "tough," they had them acting as masculine as possible. Or they wrote obnoxious women who were overeager to prove that they were tough too, foreswearing all things feminine and eager to slaughter everything within sight. A tomboy who grew up toughened by her brothers and capable with a gun or sword was considered cooler than a girl who might actually enjoy typically feminine past times. A few of those types of characters would be interesting and completely valid, but they seemed to be the only kinds of action and adventure heroines. I don't think this is largely the case anymore, but it used to bother me. I've done years and years of intensive research about this (read: none) and wrote about it for my PhD dissertation (read: I have an MFA in Creative Writing), so I feel confident in asserting (read: taking a stab in the dark) that Joss Whedon was the first to turn this lame incarnation of the female hero on its head and made it impossible for anyone to present a faux-woman like that again in any seriousness. Her name was Buffy, people. And she slayed vampires. She was a cheerleader, she liked lip gloss, she was almost extreme in her girliness. And she kicked serious butt. But she was wasn't just a joke--she was multi-dimensional, as were all the characters around her. Joss is a genius.

When I was writing goose girl, I reached a point where I had to make a call--what kind of story do I want to tell here? Should I go high adventure and have Ani learn to use a sword or spear from some kindly palace weapons master? That might've been a cool story. But as I thought about it, I knew I wanted to stay true to the core of the fairy tale, which wasn't about a girl who learns to kick butt in a man's world. It was about a half-girl who becomes a whole girl. And I decided that I didn't want to put a phallic weapon into my heroine's hands in order to make her powerful. I wanted to see how powerful my girls could be without using guns or swords. I love a lot of those girls-on-horses-wielding-swords stories a whole, whole lot. And I am absolutely not criticizing them. But for my own stories, I decided to go another way. For now. We'll see where I am in a decade. By the time my kids are teenagers, I might have a need to work a quality battle ax into book and send a girl out to chop off some orc heads.

Teens are people too (they really are, I checked)

A lively discussion from the last post! I have a couple of thoughts. First, I just want you to know that if that comment about young adults books and writers had appeared just about anywhere else but the New York Times, I wouldn't have commented on it. I really don't like to dig up and muck around the negative. But because it appeared in what is considered one the best newspapers and the most important book review in the country, I thought (like oodles of other bloggers) that some counter voices needed to be heard. Besides, it was just too plain silly. For me it even trumps the arrogant silliness of that Wall Street Journal article from 2006. Yes, by all means, let's make sure our children NEVER fall into a comfort zone with reading! We must make sure that even their summer reading is at least 100 years old! Is it fun? Do they enjoy it? Then it must be BAD! (you'll forgive me a few sarcastic sentences, yes?)

Second, I wanted to address all you lovely teen commenters who were irked that adults don't think you can think for yourselves. I completely respect you for being informed about current events and appreciating great music and anything that an adult might. But I want you to know that if you only ever read Tiger Beat magazine and gossip about hot guys, you're still valuable people and worthy of respect. I don't think a teenager must understand typically adult matters and do typically adult things to be respectable. It's complete arrogance from adults that would insist otherwise. You are in a different stage of life than an eighty-eight-year-old NYT reviewer (I'm guessing on the age), you have different perspectives, different interests, different thoughts. And you are important. You are vital. There are as many different kinds of teenagers as there are adults, and you have as much right to your thoughts and experiences. Adults can learn from you, and you can learn from adults, and that makes the whole world more interesting. It always bothered me when in action movies or books, the writers would turn women into men in order to make them powerful--i.e. give them a sword, put them in pants, make them more aggressive and other typically male traits. Sure, one woman like that makes an interesting character, but all of them? Can't a woman be feminine and still be powerful? In the same way, I'm bugged that a teenager would be expected to act and think like an adult in order to be considered powerful, or interesting, or valuable.

K, stepping off the soap box now and slowly backing away.

I turned in a draft of Bayern 4 to my editor last week! Man, that was a bugger. It's still only a second draft. And it's bad. Very bad. But there's progress at least! So in the meantime, I'm back to working on my second adult book, the actor and the housewife. Unfortunately, it is going to be longer than austenland. In fact, it's looking like it will be as long as the goose girl, which so far is my longest book. I think books shouldn't be one word longer than they need to be (a judgement, I realize, that is horrifically subjective in execution). I like nice, tight stories. And as my books tend to get shorter and shorter, I'm clearly getting less and less patient with rambling. But this book takes place over a ten year span, and it really needed lots more stuff. And there's a ton of dialog, which will make it in page length seem even longer than it is. I'm looking forward to getting back to it. Stephenie Meyer read it a few weeks ago for me and gave me some great feedback that I'm anxious to apply. It was incredibly kind of her. Now Caralyn Buehner is reading it too. That will make three people that have read it before Dean. Usually he's the first. But he's a little gun shy with that genre, I think. Cutie. I really, really like him. (Don't tell, K?)

I am not Sally Fields

Hooray! book of a thousand days got the CYBILS award for YA fantasy. I see that Sarah Miller nominated it. See, didn't I suspect all along that she was cool?

And now, just because, let me quote the first paragraph of a New York Times article by DAVE ITZKOFF, their speculative fiction reviewer, from February 3, 2008. (bolds are mine, in case you don't want to wade through the whole rambling paragraph.)

"As someone whose subway rides tend to resemble scenes from an “Evil Dead” movie, in which I am Bruce Campbell dodging zombies who have had all traces of their humanity sucked out of them by a sinister book — not the “Necronomicon,” but “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” — I sometimes wonder how any self-respecting author of speculative fiction can find fulfillment in writing novels for young readers. I suppose J. K. Rowling could give me 1.12 billion reasons in favor of it: get your formula just right and you can enjoy worldwide sales, film and television options, vibrating-toy-broom licensing fees, Chinese-language bootlegs of your work, a kind of limited immortality (L. Frank Baum who?) and — finally — genuine grown-up readers. But where’s the artistic satisfaction? Where’s the dignity?"

Seriously? I mean...seriously? I almost can't believe this guy is for real. He must just be speaking outrageously to garner attention--his attitude is so Victorian, so narrow-minded to the point of melodrama. But I have met this attitude so many times--the goal for any real, self-respecting writer must be to have "grown-up readers." Writing for children is less than. It's so weird. And I really hope this guy isn't a father, because if this is what he thinks about children's books, then what does he think about children? And teens? Are they lesser beings? Uninteresting? Unworthy of serious consideration? Are their problems and concerns and interests of no value? Is their taste vulgar? Are they a waste of space, just sub-humans whose only purpose is to grow up into adults, and be quick about it please? I mean...seriously?

Even weirder to me (or perhaps more understandable) is that he is a speculative fiction reviewer (science fiction and fantasy). I find that an interesting point--I've had this attitude before from those who write for and work in the adult side of fantasy, comic books, horror, chick lit, romance--all genres that have been ghettoized by the mainstream and literary fiction folk. In one way I'd expect the genre people to understand us, to be more conscious of the follies of trying to sub-humanize any other genre. I'd expect them to be slower to condemn, having been in the same boat since forever. But then again, maybe that's the root of why they lash out. It's a classic bully response--people have picked on me, so I'm going to pick on you.

No, I can't try to understand. It's the writer in me, trying to figure out the character behind the action in order to understand and not condemn. I can't pretend to understand, but I just think it's a shame.

But I don't lash out. No, I'm much too mature and grown-up to go post nasty comments on the article or make up clever insults that rhyme with the writer's last name (I didn't come up with any really good ones anyway). No, all I do, apparently, is blog about it. Ah the power of blogging! As I center myself, I remember the essence of what Linda Sue Park (I'm so happy she's on our team!) told me--we're part of a secret club. We know how awesome it is to be in children's books. We know how lucky we are to have young readers. We know how completely cool and fantastic those readers are, how universal and essential the stories are. Let the misguided fools miss the point while we party in the best field there is. Let those others wander around looking up, clinging to that awesome dignity of theirs, unaware of the fiesta going on right under their noses. No loss. That leaves more chips and salsa for us.

And the Torso Twins say goodnight

As I was going through my photos, I realized I had a lot fewer than I thought. I think I thought I was getting some of the photos with my camera but it was really Libba's or someone else's. So, basically, I'm super smart. But here's an abbreviated scrapbook of the Ohio-Miami legs of the Torso Tour. For more info, check out Libba's fabulous blog and a lovely write up in PW offered by the incomparable Sally Lodge, who was very patient with me as I did our phone interview while I was boarding a plane.

In Cincinatti we did a fun interview on Mark DeWitt's radio show Cover to Cover, and he did a very good job of pretending not to be completely terrified of us. At least, he didn't phone in security. Then off to the fabulous Joseph-Beth Booksellers for a terrific event.

Libba and I decide to make our entrance on a sliding ladder. I looked down and noticed Libba seemed to be gripping that ladder with every inch of strength, a frozen smile stuck on her lips. She was probably, oh, twelve inches above ground. Seriously, she had bruises on the insides of her thighs from griping that thing. She kills me.

Three of Libba's awesome fans looked great sporting shirts that those who have read Rebel Angels will understand. So many fun fans. Again at this event, people were driving in from hours away, often from other states. It was very cool.

Reese told me she'd never won anything in her life. "I've never even won an arm wrestle." So I said, bring it on, girly. And folks, let me just say, I really did try. Really. She whooped me. Congratulations, Reese! You are a winner! (You were before our arm wrestle, of course, but it's always nice to have some physical proof.)

At Books & Company in Dayton, here's Anidori Isilee, who flew in from Philadelphia to come to our event. How hard to my fans rock? Seriously hard. She was darling. Sadly, this is the only photo I have from this terrific event. Lots of great school visits in Ohio too!

Books & Books in Miami did such a rockin' event. This group of teens helped organize it, dressed as Victorian ladies or Asian ladies. Very cool.

Here are the prizes they made for the trivia contests--a crescent and eye necklace (from Libba's books) and a charm bracelet with a pine cone, cat, and book (for b1000). Also, everyone's name tag was an anagram of their name (a detail from Libba's books), plus it assigned them a home from one of the Eight Realms. Very classy. They also gave us each a stuffed cat, and our cats had a photo-adventure, which I will post another time since my family is even now calling to me.

Olivia came from Tampa to the event. Her mother brought her and her two sisters, driving over 6 hours just to come. It was an early birthday present. How awesome is Olivia? How awesome is her mother?

Olivia's sister Hannah had her stack of Spiderwick books and said, "Do you really know Holly Black? Would you sign my books?" So of course Libba and I signed her Spiderwick books. Here are our inscriptions. And congrats to Holly as the Spiderwick movie opens!

Yes, when you've left at 4 am for a flight to Miami, by eleven at night, you might start to get a little punchy. It seemed only natural at the time for us to pose for a torso picture.

While waiting in the back office at the Miami Barnes & Noble for our event, Libba and I discover breakfast sandwich labels. And some tape. Naturally we made crowns. Here I'm trying to get a photo so you can read the fantastic muffin text.

And laughing.

And laughing harder.

It seemed the central theme of our Torso Tour was the laughing. I'll miss that Libba Bray. She's a gem. She's a crackerjack. She's my torso twin. Muffin crowns off to you, my dear. And huge thanks to Deb Shapiro, Bloomsbury, Random House, and everyone we met along the way. I feel positively optimistic about the world lately, having met so many genuine, fantastic, kind people. YOU ROCK!

Bonnie Tyler has has left the building.

Oh why oh why oh why-o...

...did I ever leave Ohio? Back from our three days in Ohio--all the events were supa-awesome, and getting home was supa-horrific. Canceled flights, hours upon hours in an airport. I'll post photos and stories after the Florida trip next week--see Libba's fantabulous blog for an immediate update. Libba and I have been inundated with requests to extend the tour to other areas--which is supa-flattering! But sadly not going to happen. It is physically painful for me to be away from my little ones so much, and also hard on them and Dean and their caretakers in my absence. I'm trying to cut back on travel as much as possible and will be doing a very abbreviated tour for rapunzel's revenge this fall.

I'm still waiting for the ok to post contest results here. Soon I hope.

I have neglected to mention that I sort of had another book come out last month. First Kiss (Then Tell) is an anthology of young adult writers telling the true story of their first kiss (or other kisses). Bloomsbury asked me for a piece, and since my first kiss was fairly lackluster, I decided to write about my first kiss with Dean. Then I sent it to him and asked him to write a response. Bloomsbury decided to go with that one, which is way fun but also very ironic. Dean (comics nerd and absurdist horror writer) ends up having his first publication in a YA anthology about kissing. It would damage his manliness more if he wasn't so HUGELY manly that the little chip in the armor isn't even noticeable.

I got a tremendous kick out of the Kirkus review, which said, "the most delicious story is Shannon and Dean Hale sharing a he said/she said about their first kiss with each other." Dean's first review rocked!

We're going to do a little chat and signing for this book at The King's English in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, February 12, 7 pm. (I'll sign other books as well, of course. Really anything, except Ray Bradbury. I got in trouble once for signing a Ray Bradbury.) Little FYI--none of the writers received compensation for our pieces in this book, instead our portion of the royalties goes to support NPR's Youth Radio. And little disclaimer: While I wasn't offended by anything in this collection, it is about kissing and romantic attraction. If you are a concerned parent, I recommend reading it first before you give it to a child.

Off to Miami on Tuesday! More Torso Tour reporting to follow, plus upcoming author interviews, contest results, answers to emailed questions, and how to eat nothing but chocolate and still lose weight!