Thursday, December 30, 2010

GOIN' OUT WITH A BIG OL' BANG



As 2010 comes to a close, I keep bumping into A BLUE SO DARK online...in end-of-the-year reviews and best-of-the-year posts. How cool is that?

Check it all out:

...The Story Siren called BLUE the "Most Beautifully Written Book in 2010" Now that's what you call ending on a high note. Here I come, 2011!


...And a few more: A cool review at Zoe's Book Reviews, and BLUE is on the 10 Best Titles for 2010 at YA Librarian Tales, and is Fiction Folio's Most Surprising Book of 2010!

Monday, December 27, 2010

VIRTUAL TOUR: A BLUE SO DARK AND PLAYING HURT

Okay, I'm really excited about this: I've finally gotten my virtual tour finished! (I shot the footage in September, if you can believe it...) Here, you'll get to see for yourself the landmarks that show up in both my YA books, A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT.

Enjoy!

...And I'm using this video as a kind of extended trailer to spread the word of both A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT, so feel free to embed the video into your own blog, send the link (you can also find this video on YouTube) to your friends, etc.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

AS PROMISED: ANOTHER VLOG REVIEW OF A BLUE SO DARK

Okay, okay...I know I said in my last vlog that I'd see you guys in '11, but there're just too many cool things going on to keep mum about 'em all until January...Like this new vlog review...This comes from Karen at ocdofbooks:



...And I've got a cool vlog post I'm going to put up tomorrow (I've been working on this thing forever, I swear), so staaaay tuned!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2010 is wrapping up...and what an incredible, incredible year it's been! I wouldn't change a single moment of it...and I have you guys to thank for that. You're the best. I mean it.

So here's an "in-person" happy holiday message to all of you...from me and "I-Am-So-Above-This" Jake Schindler.







...I'm also going to be doing many more vlog posts in 2011 (vlogs are just about as addictive as dark chocolate), so feel free to subscribe to the YouTube channel...

Happy holidays, everyone...See ya in '11!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

WHY SIMONE ELKELES IS JUST TOO COOL


I finished PERFECT CHEMISTRY a while back…(This book was my elliptical read, and I have to say, it made me want to exercise beyond my usual thirty-minute routine…)

But this isn’t a should-you-read-it kind of review. I mean, Simone Elkeles isn’t a name we’re unfamiliar with. This is more like a, “Why is she good?” kind of a review. A, “Why did this book win a Rita?” kind of blog post.

Basically, I think Elkeles is a great YA writer for the same reason so many teens butt heads with authority figures.

Really. One of my own biggest pet peeves as a teen was that I was expected to perform intellectually on an adult level but was often treated as a child by adult superiors when we interacted on a one-to-one basis.

Simone, though? She doesn’t write teen romances. She writes romances that just happen to be about teenage characters. The emotionally charged love scenes between Brittany and Alex really could have taken place between a couple of twenty-somethings. Elkeles respects her teenage characters enough to treat them as adults—not just intellectually, but emotionally as well. Her characters have the same kind of sexual tension (loved the scene in the library, and the depiction of Brittany putting Alex’s hand on her face) you’d find in any adult romance. And in my opinion, that’s what makes Elkeles a great YA writer…

Sunday, December 19, 2010

A BLUE SO DARK REVIEWS

I just found what I believe is the very first vlog review of A BLUE SO DARK! I love it because I think this reviewer winds up saying different things than she would if the review was written...There are just things you'd put out there in conversation that you wouldn't in writing...Plus, we get the benefit of facial expressions, etc. Quite a cool way to get a review of a book, actually.

(And anytime you hear your book compared to a Laurie Halse Anderson novel, it’s suddenly a very good day…) You should also feel free to check out the entirety of this reviewer's YouTube Channel...







Chelsea (The Page Flipper) also posted what is not just a fantastic review of BLUE, but a beautifully written review of BLUE. (To read such powerful words about your own book? Now that doesn’t just make a writer’s day, but her year…) Please check it out: The Page Flipper’s Review of A BLUE SO DARK.

…And if any of you out there get brave enough to post your own vlog review (vlog posts really are addictive), send me the link and I’ll put you up on my blog, too…

Friday, December 17, 2010

BOOK BLOGGER HOP

Book Blogger Hop I loved Follow Friday so much, I decided to take part in this week's Book Blogger Hop! This week's question? "What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?"

Uuuugh! The torture! How can an author ever decide? If you don't have a great plot, the book's never going to sell (writing tip: snoring from a potential editor is never a good sign). But...what hooks me in as a reader is always character. When a voice comes screaming right off a page, that's when I know I've just encountered a fantastic writer.

So...that's my answer (I think I rode the fence a bit...am I a cheat?) Let me know where you weigh in on the subject...(And if any of you are here for the first time, as a result of the Blog Hop, please leave a comment and I'll head on over to your own blog...)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

FLASH FICTION RESULTS


Thanks to all of you for voting and taking part in my Flash Fiction Challenge (which I had a blast putting together)!

Results are in...but it was a neck-and-neck race all the way.
Congrats to Kate Higgins, who sent in the prompt for September's entry! (Kate also sends along a thanks to those who voted)...

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

LAST INSTALLMENT IN THE FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE (TIME TO VOTE!)

This is it, kiddos—the last installment in the Flash Fiction Challenge. I’m sorry to see it go, but it won’t be the last piece of creative writing you see here on the blog. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I’m happy to announce that the last prompt comes to us courtesy of Jo Stapley, who blogs at both Once Upon a Bookcase and Ink and Paper. She suggested the phrase “What the eyes can’t see,” which I’ve also used as the title for December’s entry:




“What The Eyes Can’t See”
Holly Schindler

Ice struck Heather’s forehead as her numb fingers struggled to latch the chains her father had put in her trunk last month, when she was home for Thanksgiving. She panted, having already tossed every four-letter word she knew against the night sky. Her glasses slipped farther down her nose as she fought.

She’d heard the forecast; she knew she only had until seven-thirty, eight at the latest before getting caught by the storm. But Professor Franklin was famous for his sadistic streak. That, and his scarred face. Gouges and dips and silver stripes, evidence of a boyhood nightmare. Dog attack—the words circled through the English department, around the TAs’ mailboxes and the coffee machine in the student lounge. Wild stories about some crazed, rabid encounter.

Heather had told her friends that the attack had changed Professor Franklin into something wild, dog-like. He’d barked at her, in class and in red ink on her essays: Poor citations. Weak argument. She couldn’t win with Professor Franklin, any more than he could have won against the dog who had tried to chew him to bits when he was little. Someone had to save him, then. She’d wished someone would save her, too.

She should have known he’d unleash a brutal all-essay Brit Lit final. The kind of test that made her legs feel like crumbly, overworked dough. The test she’d worked on until a quarter after nine.

And now, the ice.

Heather coughed against the stream of exhaust pouring from her ten-year-old Dodge. Her fingers slipped; the chain gave. Her glasses flew off her face as a black sedan passed.

The crunch of lenses made Heather’s stomach drop like a bowling ball into a pile of feathers.

She just wanted to go home.

Now, though, there was no driving anywhere. Not with 20/900 vision. She’d have to buy another pair of glasses first.

She screamed, unleashing another round of violent curse words as she picked up the mangled fragments of her glasses.

Disgusted, tired, and lonely, she climbed into the car to cut the engine. Without her glasses, the world beyond the windshield was a smear of colors. The street lamps at the edge of the parking lot were planet-sized gold balls from her mother’s Christmas tree.

But Heather wouldn’t see the tree for another couple of days at best, now. Her friends had already left town. Stupid night class, she thought, through tears. Stupid suitcase college.

A knock to her window rattled her. “Heather?” The voice through the glass was saturated with such kindness that her tears stopped, instantly.

Rescue? But by whom? Who was left?

“Are you hurt? I saw the car—he didn’t hit you, did he? Please, open this door. I need to know you’re okay.”

Heather squinted. Her heart leapt. Yes. Rescue. It had actually come. “Who?”

She rolled the window down, thrust her face forward. The truth, blurry and clear at the same time, attacked her with its teeth.

“It’s me—Professor Franklin.”



…Now, it’s time to vote on your fave! If you’d like a look back at the past entries, check out:

September: “The Fear Of Clouds”

October: “…Until The Laughter Dies”

November: “Free Of Charge”

Go ahead and vote below! (If you'd like to view the form on a larger screen, click here.) Voting is anonymous, and you can vote as many times as you’d like! But be sure to tell your friends, because voting ends December 15. I’ll tally up the votes and notify the lucky winner…Good luck to the entrants! (Can’t wait to see who comes out ahead…)



Monday, December 6, 2010

FIND ME AT FIGMENT

Figment’s just gone public! For those of you who might not have heard, Figment is a brand new site where YA authors and fanatics get a chance to connect via creative works. I was a part of their private beta site, where I posted the entries in the Flash Fiction Challenge (and got really great response, which unfortunately didn’t carry over when the public version launched)…

The Figment Review is also going to be a stop on the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour...

So please, head on over to Figment, where you can follow me and post a piece of writing yourself!

Friday, December 3, 2010

FOLLOW FRIDAY

I just discovered this meme, and I love it...What a cool way to find new followers and meet up with great book bloggers! Head on over to Parajunkee and get in on the fun...


...If you're new to my blog, be sure to leave a comment so I can visit / follow your own blog!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

SONG OF THE YEAR

Oh, how I wish I could write to music. But, no, I just get too involved. (There is no such thing as background music, where I'm concerned. I swear, I can get so wrapped up in the muzak in a grocery store that I forget what I came to pick up in the first place.)


But...when I'm not writing, I'm a music fanatic of (seriously) infinite proportions. And in my book, "Turning Home" by David Nail (a fellow Missourian, I might add) is the song of the year. I've played this one enough, all my neighbors know the words. Love it, love it, love it...


Click to purchase.



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

HAPPY THANKS, PILGRIMS


Some pretty disturbing pieces have wiggled their way into the news lately…My lifelong home state of Missouri is now ranked seventh in the nation in food insecurity. St. Louis now holds the title of most dangerous US city; Kansas City scores twenty-first on the same list.

…I’ve been watching the mass exodus of jobs in Springfield since Zenith left in the late 80’s / early ‘90’s…And I cringe when local newscasts glorify job creation at call centers and sandwich shops. Sandwich shops? That’s no career for an adult with a family to support. That’s a job you get for gas money when you’re still in high school.

As the granddaughter of a couple who both worked in a Kansas City steel mill (and who made enough money at that mill to send their kid to college and live a comfortable life in the process), I have to say it’s time to bring manufacturing back to Missouri. We need jobs in Missouri. Real jobs. NOW.

…In the meantime, I’m going to be thankful this holiday for the basics: a hot meal, a warm house, a puppy dog smile…(Really—what can bring a smile to your own face quicker than a happy grin from your pup?)

Here’s to a peaceful, satisfying, and happy Thanksgiving…

Friday, November 19, 2010

VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

How cool is this—I’ve been given a blogging award! Yep, The Mod Podge Bookshelf has given me the Versatile Blogging Award!



Rules of the award:


1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Write 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked to let them know about the award.


Okay. Seven (surprising!) things about me:

1). I met every member of every hair band who played in Springfield, MO in the late 80’s / early 90’s.

2). I end just about every phone conversation with my brother by saying, “Go with eggs!” (It’s a reference from Paul Newman’s NOBODY’S FOOL.)

3). I have a serious love of chicken pot pie. Serious. Serious love.

4). My elbows hyper-extend, bending back the wrong way. Freaky.

5). I have been knitting the same sweater since 2007.

6). My body temperature is actually a few degrees below “normal,” and I have a tendency to get cold very easily.

7). I’ve always loved to dress up—heels, the works. But my single favorite piece of clothing is my twenty-year-old Harley Davidson T-shirt, complete with a giant swirling dragon…


And my fifteen blogs?

One Sparkling Star


The Juniper Breeze Is Blowing In


Words On Paper


GreenBeanTeenQueen


Another Book Junkie


The Naughty Book Kitties


Makeshift Bookmark


Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books


Reading Angel


Medeia Sharif


Snowdrop Dreams Of Books


Stacked


Café Saturday


Readers Unite


Yay! Reads




…Thanks to The Mod Podge Bookshelf! An award makes a gal’s Friday…

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

THE BLUE BISTRO—A ROMANCE OF LOCATION


In order to gear up for the release of PLAYING HURT (my first YA romance), I’m officially kicking off my celebration of all things romance here on the blog…and I’m starting out with Elin Hilderbrand’s THE BLUE BISTRO…

When I was a little girl grocery shopping with my mom, I insisted on grabbing a new Little Golden Book before she steered the cart toward the check-out. And I still find myself buying books this way—picking up new paperbacks from Walmart or Walgreens or my local Price Cutter when I run in for a gallon of milk or (as has been the case these past few months) house paint…While the selection might not be so widespread as the selections in bookstores, somehow, I still really like to come to books this way—to buy my books in non-book locals. THE BLUE BISTRO was a recent Walmart purchase. (And a book I devoured on the elliptical.)

What I really love about this book is Hilderbrand’s ability to write about a physical location in such a way that the location itself becomes a main character…as I made my way through the chapters, I became so invested in the restaurant—I swear, I could reach out and touch the ambiance—that I found myself, in-between bouts of reading, wondering about the fate of the bistro in the same way I usually wonder about characters I become invested in.

I don’t know that I’ve ever actually had that experience as a reader—being so wrapped up in a book’s setting. I honestly felt that the true romance of the novel—the sparkle, the tingle—existed in that restaurant, just as much as I felt it existed between Thatcher and Adrienne. And when the restaurant was dismantled, I felt that was the real death in the book—as a reader, I mourned for the restaurant just as much as I mourned for its owner, Fiona.

Hildebrand reminds us that location is more than just a two-dimensional backdrop for our characters. Location, when handled right, becomes a breathing entity—a driving force for the plots of our novels.

Monday, November 15, 2010

INTERVIEW WITH CRISSA-JEAN CHAPPELL








She's here! My pub-sister: Cissa-Jean Chappell! Crissa was actually the very first person to blurb A BLUE SO DARK (and her blurb was so kind, I actually got a little misty-eyed when I read it…)

...Wait, you're saying. Pub-sister? Did you say pub-sister? Yup. Read on...



me and miami





Please tell us about TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER.

My first book is about a girl who struggles with obsessions. Fin’s world is like a movie with the volume cranked up. Her need to keep count becomes a way of controlling the chaos inside her head. I think a lot of teens feel out of control in high school. Your life doesn’t belong to you.

When I wrote Fin’s story, I wanted to show a strong girl, not a victim who needs “fixing,” a girl who channels her nervous energy into something positive (in this case, art).


In some ways, TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER was autobiographical…Where’s the point at which Fin ends and you begin?

Every character is part of me. For two years, Fin was my alter ego in cyberspace. I wrote about my own goofy experiences in the present tense—like bumping into a mariachi band at the dentist’s office— and channeled them through the eyes of my fifteen-year-old self.

In a way, the creation of Fin’s Diaryland blog wasn’t much different than writing a novel: You cut and paste your observations (mental snapshots, bits of dialogue, and, of course, the people you meet along the way) and remix them, DJ-style, into something that feels true.


Did writing a book that blurred the lines of fiction and reality alter your reality in any way?

After the book came out, some of Fin’s readers sent emails, asking, “Is this a real person?” And I answered, “Yes.” I am real. The feelings and the observations posted there are real. And the novels I write are “real” in some way…if only because the “raw footage” started somewhere in the world before it was “edited” (not with iMovie software, but through characters and conflict and the dramatic structure of a narrative).


I taught a few courses myself—I know it’s so, so hard to keep half your head in classroom activities and half in your current work of fiction. How does teaching help you as a writer?


I write young adult novels…and I’m fortunate to spend my days surrounded by crazy college kids who make me think/laugh/all the above. In my screenwriting classes, we workshop together (reading out loud really helps. You instantly know whether dialogue sounds stilted or expository and when a scene drags on too long). Then I go home and work on my own stories. Sometimes I’ll stop and think: “Well, I wouldn’t let a student get away with this…”


You’re a visual person—does drawing ever aid your writing? Do you ever brainstorm by sketching?


Yes, I love to draw my characters and daydream about what they’re doing, like a short clip from a film. It charges both sides of the brain (the creative and the analytical). Writing is a right-brained, freestyle thing for me, while the editing that comes after the first draft is a totally different process.


I’m also intrigued by the shrunken manuscript process you pictured on your blog. (I’ve met so many authors who claim to be pants-ers. And I’m often jealous of this, because I tend to be a methodical plotter…But the shrunken manuscript seems right up my alley...)Where did you learn about the shrunken manuscript—and did it work for you?

Darcy Pattison featured the Shrunken Manuscript Technique on her website (http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/shrunken-manuscript/). When you’re used to staring at a computer screen, it’s easy to feel intimidated by the size and scope of a three-hundred page novel. When I print out the pages and throw them on the floor, I still feel a little overwhelmed. So I tried Pattison’s method of shrinking the font and simply looking at the book like a map. I taped different colored Post It notes to each chapter (representing the goal of each scene, who’s there, and what are they doing). Then I stepped back (after nudging my cat off the papers!) and realized that certain scenes repeated or felt unnecessary (I tend to write a lot in my early drafts and cut later). It was a huge help. Finally, I could “see” the whole book.


I love the mention on your website of recording stories on a Panasonic cassette recorder (my brother and I used to act out stories on our own cassette recorder)! Do you feel those early recordings helped shape your writing in some way?

I dragged that thing everywhere…and recorded non-stop, creating my own sound effects (think: crinkled Mylar balloons for rain). I tossed my clunky Panasonic in a bicycle basket, hauled it into trees, and carried it in a Ziploc bag at the deep end of the pool. I’d splice the soundtrack between chunks of epic storylines involving elves or ninja turtles. But I also recorded long, random conversations with my cousin (Who kept whispering, “Is that thing on?”) No doubt, it helped me develop an ear for dialogue. And it forced me to make choices about editing—what to include, what to leave out.

Sometimes I’d ransack my dad’s office in search of blank, white cassettes, which I painted with nail polish. Out of desperation, I’d record over his business tapes (once in a while, you could hear a man’s monotone voice droning on about mutual funds). The best part about stories on tape: it’s like having somebody read to you, just like when you’re little. I still love to close my eyes and imagine the spaces between the words.


In the Miami Herald interview posted on your website, you describe what it’s like to have OCD. Does OCD ever benefit your writing in any way?

When I’m working on a manuscript, sometimes I have to push myself to move forward. Otherwise, I’ll just keep combing over the previous scenes. The OCD side of my brain won’t let go. It gets stuck on repeat. But a hardcore revision involves scrutinizing every word choice, every sentence and paragraph. So in that way, the intense mental spotlight of OCD is actually beneficial. It’s all about directing your concentration.


Your debut received fantastic reviews…does that make writing the second book intimidating at all?

There’s a kind of freedom in writing your first book. No expectations. Now I’m working on several different stories. I was fortunate to receive positive reviews with my debut. But I don’t want to tell that same story over and over again. There are new narratives to explore, although I believe that writers often return to their favorite themes, whether consciously or not. For example, I will always be interested in characters who are on the outside, looking in…


Entice us—what’s the next Crissa-Jean Chappell book to hit the shelves?

My second book, NARC, just sold to Flux. It’s loosely based on the Trojan Horse (a little darker and older than my debut…and it’s a male POV). The plot revolves around a boy in his senior year who gets a chance to reinvent himself…with a price. It’s the ultimate fairy tale wish. Who wouldn’t want to zap back to high school and change things? As a teenager, your life revolves around creating an identity. Now, with technology (cell phones, social networking, etc.) you’re juggling multiple identities. And that doesn’t make one more “true” than the other.


What’s one idea or impression you hope your work leaves on readers?

Often, it seems like people don’t give teens enough credit. When little kids ask questions, everyone says, “Isn’t that cute?” But when teens ask questions…especially difficult questions..I think it makes adults uncomfortable. Inside, I still feel like I’m a kid, asking questions. And if I never find the answer, that’s okay. It’s the asking that matters.




I, for one, can't wait to read NARC. It's already shot up to the top of my TBR pile. (And as a fellow Flux-er, I have to say we're lucky to have her...)




...You can check in with Crissa while NARC is in development at her website.

NEW BLOGGER ALERT


Hey, guys—wanted to let you all know about a great new blog…Alyssa over at Readers Unite / Book By Book Summer is going to take part in the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour, and I really love her reviews, especially her recent reviews of Blume's FOREVER and the “Anonymous” classic, GO ASK ALICE. I always wonder how the reads from my own teen days stand up today…and Alyssa gives us some no-holds-barred insights!

A few words from Alyssa, about herself and what you can expect from her blog:

I'm sure you've heard this hundreds of times but honestly, what else can I say? I'm just another reader who loves to lose herself in the world of great scenery, adventure, strong heroines, and yeah - hot guys. I'll read anything from adventure to historical fiction, with paranormal and general fiction, fantasy and thrillers everywhere in between. When I'm not reading, I'm experimenting with my writing talents myself or watching old 80s horror flicks. (But because those make me so crazy, as in "don't-go-to-sleep-without-the-lights-on" crazy, I like to stick to paper and the words that end up on them.)

Head on over to Readers Unite, and give Alyssa and big ol’ welcome hug…Or become a follower, as I have…

And stay tuned for tomorrow’s interview with the super-cool Crissa-Jean Chappell!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

DECEMBER FLASH FICTION

Okay, this is it: your very last chance to get in on the Flash Fiction Challenge! For December, I'm opening it back up to you guys...Send me anything. Really. Anything. A title. A limerick I have to incorporate. Just be sure to get your suggestions in to me by December 2!

...For those of you who are new to the blog, you can get the lowdown on the challenge here. Check out the sidebar for links to previous entries...

Fill out the form below, or email your prompts to writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com!

Friday, November 12, 2010

MY FIRST MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL!

Okay, so I know I've been using the words fantastic and incredible an awful lot on the blog lately...but here goes...

My incredible, fantastic, ever-enthusiastic (in all honesty, there just aren't enough glowing adjectives in the world to describe her) agent, Deborah Warren, just gave me the go-ahead to share this piece of news:

My debut middle grade novel has been acquired by Dutton Children's!

Keep an eye out for THE JUNK-TION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (a tentative title, of course) in 2012!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

BLUE BLURBS + GUEST POST FOR NANOWRIMOS...

Guys! The blurbs you're sending for BLUE are utterly fantastic...I love them. Love, love, love. You're the best. And keep 'em comin'! I won't be updating the website for at least another week, so anybody who hasn't read BLUE yet, get thee to a library / bookstore!

Also, for those of you up to your eyebrows in NaNoWriMo, a guest post just went live at Reading, Writing, and Waiting on silencing your inner editor...

Can't wait to read more BLUE blurbs!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A CALL FOR BLURBS FOR A BLUE SO DARK (BECAUSE I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MY READERS)

I’m about to update my website, and one thing I’d really like to put up on the home page are blurbs from my own readers. Any and all of you who have read and loved A BLUE SO DARK, please send me a short, clever, jacket-style blurb that I can put on my author website!

To see what the pros (Catherine Ryan Hyde, Carrie Jones, Crissa-Jean Chappell) wrote about BLUE, you can head on over to my website…To keep up with my updates on the BLUE Blurb Project and other happenings, be sure to follow me on Twitter (just joined yesterday)…

Fill out the form below (if you'd like to view the form on a larger screen, click here). Write one blurb or several...no limits! And thanks in advance...

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

NOVEMBER'S FLASH FICTION

Ta-da! November’s flash fiction’s here! This month’s prompt comes courtesy of Melody at Melody’s Reading Corner…When I asked for objects to write about, Melody suggested magic. Love that idea! Love…

“Free Of Charge”
Holly Schindler


I’m not a kid person. Not a coochie-cooer. Maybe I don’t have much age on the boy behind the cash box who eyeballs me. Maybe the last time I went in for a haircut the stylist said, “There you go, kiddo,” when I stepped out of the chair. Still. The way the little boy just keeps staring—like he’s about to say something to me—gives me a tight, uncomfortable tug in my gut.

Not sure why I even walked up the drive to their garage sale. It’s not like I have any money in my running shorts. And I’m not exactly presentable. In the mirror attached to a ladder (“only $25!” the tag screams,) I look like some trampled-through, tortured puddle, the way sweat rings cling to my underarms, sweat splatter dots my back and chest. I’ve run five miles—far longer than I’d intended—and now I’m the kind of exhausted that makes me wish I could just flop down on the nearby duct-taped bean bag chair ($2).

Five miles from home—feels like a hundred, but it’s nothing compared to the distance between Missouri and Puerto Rico, where Dad’s dragging me to live.

“Part of the US,” he insisted. “English is an official language.” But Spanish dominates. I’ll learn it, sure, but a word at a time. Casa, I’ll say. Gracias. Si. And nod, a nervous smile on my face because I can’t keep up with full-sentence Spanish. My classmates will avoid me the way I dodge little kids, because talking to someone too inexperienced to truly understand you is just plain boring—and too much work. I mean, a conversation shouldn’t involve heavy lifting.

Folding tables around me support the used-up fragments of life: Frayed sweaters folded into puffy rectangles. Tarnished candle holders. Old cassette tapes.

I’ll be a trinket, too, after I move. A birthday card in the bottom of a junk drawer. A photo yellowing behind fifty Post-its on a bulletin board.

I’ll be some dated, lame thing that eventually gets sold or pitched. Some girl I used to know, my boyfriend will call me, if remembers me at all.

I’m still sweating. Four miles ago, I was crying. Puerto Rico...

The little boy slides off his plastic chair, slips behind his mother, who’s defending the price of a cracked McCoy vase, and reaches into a fish bowl. I see a glass grave. Wonder if they even remember their long-ago pet’s name.

I start to back up, but he rushes, screams, “Wait!” His mother’s watching, too, so I feel compelled to stoop and cup my sweat-sticky hands. The mysterious little creature pours old goldfish tank pebbles into my palms.

“Genuine magic rocks,” he insists. “Free of charge.”

I almost snort a laugh when the pebbles—and a new rushing tide of belief—start to warm in my palm. Calm spreads through my chest.

“Gracias,” I whisper, surprised to find the word doesn’t sound so awkward coming from me, after all.

…Remember, December will be the last month to get in on the Flash Fiction Challenge! I’ll be putting up details soon…

Monday, November 8, 2010

INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE RYAN HYDE




Friday I promised—today I’m delivering…She’s here! The extraordinary Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Catherine’s latest novel, JUMPSTART THE WORLD, was released in October…and because she’s truly one of the coolest YA authors out there, she agreed to chat about her newest release, and to give us the straight-skinny about her feelings on Hollywood, reviews, and the blogosphere…










Congrats on the recent release of JUMPSTART THE WORLD—which, as it turns out, deals with timely subject matter. Tell us a little about the book, and about where the spark of inspiration came from.

Timely because of all the recent suicides in the LGBT community? I hope so. I hope it will add some small shred of comfort to those who are being bullied and vilified. A strong positive portrayal in fiction is better than no hope at all.

It's about a barely-sixteen-year-old girl, Elle, whose mother dumps her in her own apartment to smooth over some problems with the new man in her life. Elle ends up making a few friends at her new school, almost all of whom are gay (being mistaken for gay herself, she finds herself with an open welcome to that group and not much of any other). She falls in love with her next door neighbor, Frank, because he listens to her and he looks out for her. He's much older, and in a long-term relationship. So she knows they won't be together, but she just adores him. And then her friends make the observation that he might be a transman. Which she does not want to hear. Not because she has a problem with transmen per se, but because she has a seed of a doubt about her own sexuality and isn't sure what that would say about her. But when it proves true, she learns to deal with it. And, much to her discomfort, it doesn't make her love for Frank go away. (Spoiler: Frank's friendship is worth the discomfort.)

I grew up with a transgender sibling. And now, in adulthood, I have a very good friend who is a transman. So this has been part of my experience for as long as I can remember, and doesn't seem the least bit weird or scary to me. So I guess I wanted to say, for those with less experience, "Hey, guys. It's really not that weird or scary."

JUMPSTART THE WORLD is the fourteenth title listed on your website (how good must that feel!)…Do you have a favorite book among all that you’ve published?

I think I mostly feel...tired. No, just kidding. I'm very happy that the body of work is getting so big. Unfortunately, that only makes it harder when people say, "Oh, I've heard of you! You wrote that book. Pay it Forward." (Usually followed by, "I loved that movie!" But don't get me started.)

My personal favorite has always been my YA novel Becoming Chloe. Now I have to search inside and see if Jumpstart the World changes that. It could only be a tie, I think. Or Jumpstart the World is a very close second. Yeah. I think it's a very close second. I adore Jumpstart. But there's something about Chloe and Jordy and my heart. We're tied together in some way.

Do you have any manuscripts in a drawer that haven’t been acquired, that you still have an affinity for or believe will find its publishing “home”? How do you fight for those projects as an author?

Hmm. Yes and no. All the books I've put in the drawer over the years have come out now. Usually, using the tool of time and distance, I was able to revise large sections (typically the last half or the last 1/3) to keep what was good and fix whatever made me put it in the drawer.

Interestingly, Jumpstart the World was such a novel. My young adult editor rejected two very different versions of the story. My way of fighting for this project was to raise the bar for myself, do better with it, and then go back to the same editor and ask her to read it again. Of course, looking back at that first version, I'm very glad I did.

I have one other YA that my editor passed on. I suspect it will go the same way. I'll raise the bar, jump higher, and then we'll see.

For writers, I want to note that I strongly advise you, in most cases, not to rewrite based on rejection. It doesn't always mean there's anything wrong with the work. But I trust my editor a great deal and have worked with her for a long time. And I know that in the long haul, I can usually look back and see she was right all along.

Are reviews important to you? I know you read blog reviews (and even post quotes from blog reviews on your website)…Do you value print reviews over blog reviews (or vice versa)? Do reviews ever change or shape the way you write? In what way? (Or: Why or why not?)

Reviews are important in that they introduce people to the book. They get it out there. Most of my reviews have been good, and of course I love to read a review by someone who really gets the book. But I don't want them to become important to me in an unbalanced sense. I can't base my self-esteem as a writer on them. Then again, they're reader feedback, and can't be safely ignored.

Complex. Isn't it?

I think the answer here is to value the aggregate. The reader reaction as a whole. There will always be some readers who don't like a book. I gave up on pleasing everybody a long time ago. So, for example, I used to read Amazon reader reviews and get upset by anything negative. Now I just look at the star rating, and if it's in the 4-5 range, which I think they all are, I know I'm doing okay.

Print reviews and blog reviews are separate but equal. They are both hugely important. I need Kirkus and School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, because that's what the libraries and book stores use for direction. But in the teen lit field, to influence an individual reader, there is nothing like the blog review. They are taking on more and more importance, and in time might pass print reviews on the road. But for the moment I love them both equally.

There's only way I can feel myself possibly change the way I write based on reviews. Sometimes readers will say, "I wanted to know more about..." referring to a character or bit of backstory. And sometimes I'll hear that in my head while writing a subsequent work, and I'll go a little deeper.

I love your appreciation for readers and the way you highlight your fans on your website—you’re one of the absolute most approachable authors out there! How much extra work does it take to stay in touch with readers?

Thank you! That's just the kind of compliment I value most.

I really don't think of it as work, because these are, for the most part, really wonderful people. It's like I have my actual friends and my virtual friends, but of course they're every bit as real. It's just our communication method that's virtual. I'd say I spend a minimum of 45 minutes a day communicating via my computer (email and social networking). I'd be hard-pressed to think of what else I could do with that time that would be more important or productive. (I know some would say writing, but nobody writes every waking moment without a 45-minute break in there anywhere. At least, nobody I know.)

Some authors are reluctant to establish an online presence, but you really make the most of it…Were you always open-minded about social media, blogging, etc.? Or are you surprised to be so active online?

I think I resisted at first. A few years ago, my agent suggested a MySpace page (yes, MySpace was king back then). I didn't do it right away. I didn't know how and I guess I felt intimidated. Then I offered a piece to a little online zine, and I began corresponding with the young woman who creates it, and--long story short--she helped me create a MySpace page. Once somebody got me started, it wasn't hard to keep skiing downhill on my own. I've always been open-minded about setting aside time for readers and communicating with them, so I think that helps.

What’s the best contact you’ve ever had with a reader?

Oooh. That's hard. So many to choose from. A teen girl who had been feeling close to suicidal, but found hope in Becoming Chloe. A teen boy who told me Chloe made him "want to tell his friends he loved them." An adult whose life would have been very different if Jumpstart the World had been available years ago. The mother of a transman in transition who said I had no idea what a difference it makes to have a tender and positive portrayal of someone like Frank. And about a million people who caught the kindness bug from Pay it Forward. I could go on, but you get the idea.



Every writer dreams about the day Hollywood comes knocking…What was it like to see PAY IT FORWARD on the big screen? Do you feel you’re still associated with that title more than any other? Why or why not?

I have other titles? Okay, just kidding. See question #2.

In some ways, being deadly frank, many of my "Pay It Forward fans" let me down. Not all of them, by any means, but maybe nine out of ten. I thought they would go on to give my other books a try, but the vast majority never even read Pay It Forward! They just saw the movie, or liked the concept, and they tell me they're my fans without reading anything I've written, which doesn't quite work for an author. I've noticed that the new edition is selling surprisingly steadily and well, so I hope that this is beginning to change. But all in all I've been left with the sense that we, as a society, value movies far more highly than books, which is too bad.

All that said, the movie raised my name recognition greatly, and that's no small favor to an author. So there is definitely a positive side, despite my overall snarkiness on the issue.

I knew I wanted to write shortly after birth. When did you come to writing? How long did it take to snag the first publication?

I came to writing in a big way when I was a sophomore in High School (I tend to be a late bloomer). Here's a link to a little story about that: http://www.catherineryanhyde.com/blog/2009/4/3/i-owe-it-all-to-lenny-reprint.html

It took me well over two decades to snag my first publication. But I should qualify: First I dropped two decades of my life to alcohol and other drugs. I wasn't 100% absent, but I wasn't getting much done. Then I got clean and sober at around 34. Then I got serious, about not only writing but doing something with my writing. Then I began getting short stories published after a couple of years of rejections.

I love the slideshow of your dog on your website…What does Ella know about you that others might be shocked to learn?

Thank you. (And Ella thanks you.)

Ella knows how much of a recluse I really am. She knows that, despite my knowing thousands of people, I'm close with her in a way I'm not with any of them. And I expect that's fine with her. But I think I could use a little work in the human relationship department.

So many relationships in a writer’s career turn out to be long-term. Who have you worked with the longest—an editor? An agent? How has that relationship grown and developed over time?

I've changed publishers quite a bit. First Russian Hill Press, then Simon & Schuster, then Doubleday. Knopf for my YA novels is my most stable relationship: six or seven years and five novels so far. And I'm developing a good, long-standing thing with TransWorld, my UK publisher, who now publishes original adult novels I still haven't sold here in the U.S.

I've been with my agent, Laura Rennert, since late 2003. And I feel like that relationship just gets better. Even when sales are slumpy, she believes in me completely...and lets me know it. It's very heartening. I wish all authors had that support.

Do you have any writing quirks? Any tricks you personally use to pull yourself out of any slumps?

I always assume that a slump has a purpose. If I can't get going again on a novel, I take that as an indication that I'm moving in the wrong direction. That helps a lot, though not always instantly.

Surely you must work on multiple projects at once, as prolific as you are…how many are you working on now? How do you successfully juggle?

Seriously? I don't even walk and chew gum at the same time. I manage to be "serially prolific." Not sure how, but I think obsessive-compulsive behavior works in my favor.

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

Fourteen pages. Or six to eight hours on the trail in the great outdoors, looking over Half Dome or the Grand Canyon. These are my separate but equal perfect days.


…I really wasn’t joking when I said Catherine’s one of the absolutely most approachable authors out there…Head on over to her website and blog—send her a message, leave her a comment, or check out how to get some of her signed author swag. Check out her reader slideshow project—she’s actively looking for new photos now! And whatever you do, don’t leave this interview without reading her Five Ways to Jumpstart the World. (I especially love #4).

Friday, November 5, 2010

A GROOVY FALL


The Ozarks can be the absolute most color-drenched place to experience the autumn, ooooor...well...

This year? Our fall colors are pretty muted…We’ve got a bunch of ‘70s shades…Hues that showed up in my childhood kitchen: muted olives, rusts, mustard yellows. Nothing to get too excited about…

What does have me all wound up is that the incredible Catherine Ryan Hyde will be making a stop to the blog on Monday!

Stay tuned…

Thursday, November 4, 2010

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN KATCHER

Okay, I’m about to embark on a whole lotta celebrating here on the blog…celebrating the countdown to the release of PLAYING HURT, of course, but there’s more where that came from…

For instance, the incredible writers who took time out to blurb by book—I want to celebrate their work, too…

Today, we’re talking to Brian Katcher, author of PLAYING WITH MATCHES and ALMOST PERFECT. (YA is such a predominately female genre, I find myself absolutely relishing work from the male POV. I especially love the way Brian can address such serious subject matter with a dose of humor. Trust me—that ain’t easy.) Brian’s got a new book in the works, too (and those of us who are familiar with his previous books will be (as we might say in the Ozarks) chomping at the bit for the new release!



Congrats on the sale of you next novel, MYSTERIOUS WAYS! Can you tell us about it, or are you just going to BE mysterious?

Sixteen-year-old Katrina Aiden does not have a great life. Her parents think her dreams of art school are ridiculous, and have recently driven her older brother out of the house. Katrina's best friend, Darren, is the biggest geek to ever hurl a ten-sided die...so why is she suddenly jealous when he starts dating the fattest girl at the Fantasy Shop?

Enter Jonah. Jonah claims that the internet does not report reality, it controls reality. People believe whatever they read online, regardless whether it's true. Jonah demonstrates this by starting internet rumors and planting false news stories to get Katrina and Darren out of a couple of jams. Too late does Katrina realize that Jonah expects payback. Jonah wants revenge on those who've wrong him, and Katrina is going to help, whether she wants to or not.

I knew shortly after birth that I wanted to be a writer…but you began writing a little later on in life…How did you come to write that first book? What made you think you had a book in you?

2001. I was broke and broken-hearted in Puebla, Mexico, my girlfriend having just decided to move to Germany. Since the Zapatista Rebels had recently become a political group and were no longer accepting new recruits, I did the only logical thing...decided to write a book. I was 25.

What was the path to publication like with PLAYING WITH MATCHES? And what was the development process like? Were you a ball of nerves as the release neared, or did you just celebrate?

I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily, I managed to find a great writers' group that helped me get my thoughts in order. After that, it was the typical story of rejection after rejection, form letter after form letter. I was about ready to shelve MATCHES when I entered it into a contest. It didn't win, but caught the attention of an editor, who helped me work out the many remaining issues (thanks, Claudia).

Ball of nerves? Not really. I guess I kind of never expected it to really happen in the first place, even after I got paid. It just seemed so unreal, that any minute someone would say 'Sorry, looks like it won't be published.' I didn't even tell a lot of people until after it was in print.





Writing’s a career that has some serious ups and downs…and that doesn’t end with your first publication, either! What’s been the highest high and the lowest low since PLAYING WITH MATCHES was released?

The high: Coming back to my old high school to talk to the reading club. It was a great honor to be invited back, especially considering what a vandal and thief I was as a teen. The low point? After both MATCHES and ALMOST PERFECT came out and made the Best Books for Young Adult lists, I thought I could do no wrong. That's why it was so jarring when my third book was rejected. It made me realize that no matter how successful you become, people still expect high quality work from you. I still haven't given up on EVERYONE DIES IN THE END, A ROMANTIC COMEDY, though.

How does writing compare to other jobs you’ve held—currently, or in the past?

Writing, getting paid to do something I love...nothing can compare with that. I really enjoy teaching, though, and the year I worked in a group home was also rewarding. My other jobs: fry cook, market researcher, plastic molder, sample cook, telemarketer, usher, and security guard don't come anywhere close.

How does life experience play into your writing? For example, does being a parent or librarian change the way you depict parents or school faculty in your novels?

Well, anyone who knew me in high school realizes where Leon Sanders from MATCHES came from. And a lot of the places I write about are real life locations. As for portraying schools and parents in books, I find most teens don't want to hear about how adults only want what's best, and someday they'll think us. That being said, I hate it when YA authors introduce adult villains for the sake of having bad guys. Sometimes I read a book and think 'If I were the principal of that school,' I'd call that teacher on the carpet for being so unprofessional.

Fifty years down the line: Still writing?

Hell, yes! Not even the grave will stop me.

We met at Teen Book Mania in Springfield last summer (my first author event ever!)…The day went smoothly…but did you ever have an event that didn’t? What’s the funniest, weirdest, or goofiest thing that’s ever happened at an author event?

My first couple of library events in St. Louis, no one showed up. Kind of humbling. Reminded me of that scene in THIS IS SPINAL TAP, when the puppet show got top billing over the band.

Writing can be your absolute best friend…and, at other times (when you’re strapped to the keyboard to meet a deadline), it can be the most demanding thing in your life. Are you glad writing’s a part of your life now? What does writing add that other jobs, etc. never could?

I love writing. However, it sometimes feels like I'm working two jobs. Whenever I have free time, I know that I should be parked in front of my computer, coming up with new chapters. It makes me feel guilty for enjoying myself. Wouldn't trade it for anything, though.

We’re both Missouri people…what’s your favorite thing (or biggest pet peeve) about the area?

Favorite thing: Best damn sports teams and fans in the world. Worst thing: Sometimes I feel like I live on the edge of nowhere. I've corresponded with so many neat people since I became a writer, but most of them live out of state.

What’s the biggest challenge for you as a writer?

Finding the time to write, while not neglecting my teaching or family duties. Luckily, I have summers off.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a writer?

When someone writes me and says they enjoyed one of my books. Nothing compares to that.

What quality to admire most in other writers?

Making it look so easy.

If you go back to the person you were when you drafted PLAYING WITH MATCHES and give yourself one piece of advice, what would you say?

You're not writing your autobiography here. Also, they stopped making Vegas in the 1970s (a reader called me on a reference to a 1980 Vega in MATCHES).

What’re you going to do immediately after this interview?

Pick up my wife from work. I'm late as it is.


…Man, I love the title EVERYONE DIES IN THE END, A ROMANTIC COMEDY! I certainly hope that one finds a publishing home…and I can’t wait for MYSTERIOUS WAYS…

In the meantime, be sure to check in with Brian at his website

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

JOIN ME AT GOODREADS...

Yup...I've made it to Goodreads!

When I was a little girl grocery shopping with my mom, I had to have a new Little Golden Book before we checked out. Nothing's changed...my hand still grabs a new paperback before leaving Walmart, Walgreens, etc. (I've discovered some incredible authors in bizarre places...Actually, I kind of like finding titles in non-bookstore locals!)

Looking forward to talkin' books with fellow lit junkies! Head on over: Holly on Goodreads.

Friday, October 29, 2010

HALLOWEEN FUN

Okay, all you ghouls and goblins, I’ve got a Halloween story to turn your stomachs…I received a super-cool setup from Kate Higgins—she sent the prompt for September’s entry in the Flash Fiction Challenge, remember? I’ve included the original text she sent below; the only change I made was switching from second person to first:

The crescent moon had long since set.

The nearby river’s nighttime gurgle and rush begins to sound like voices, voices talking about you, blaming you. You shut out the sultry, oppressive September night and pull down the shades and turned on your desk lamp.

You adjust the central air to 'cooler' and sit back down to your computer.

The low hissing tone refrigerated air begins to pour out of an ancient floor registers beneath your desk, blowing out new cobwebs and old dust around your legs.

Then a shallow, beseeching, breathless voice, somewhere deep within the register whispers, “Hollleeee………I’m…….here…….here. Holleeee?……..why…...…. why…..….did….......you……... do…….it……….”

…But in order to find out what I did with Kate’s Halloween setup, you’ve got to watch the video. In the meantime, I’ve got to run…Katy Perry called, and she wants her wig back.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Monday, October 25, 2010

THE STORY SIREN: INTERVIEW, REVIEW, IMM + GIVEAWAY!

Seriously. How cool is The Story Siren? (Don't we all think of it as the YA book blog?)

And how cool has Kristi (aka The Story Siren) been about A BLUE SO DARK? First, she gives me this incredible (five star!) review, then, in the midst of spreading the word about PLAYING HURT, she talks BLUE up in her latest In My Mailbox...

...And now? She's hosting a fantastic interview and a giveaway of a signed copy of A BLUE SO DARK! Yup, coolness runneth amok.

Friday, October 22, 2010

QUIET 'ROUND HERE

Yeah, I know...Haven't been around online too much this week. But I have good reason: I'm hard at work on edits for PLAYING HURT!

...So, so cool to see your book really coming to life, taking on its final shape...

Monday, I'll be back to share some fun news...Until then, keep those November prompts coming, and don't forget to sign up for the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour!

Friday, October 15, 2010

A BLUE SO DARK ON BOOKLIST TOP TEN


My local librarian shared the incredible news with me: A BLUE SO DARK is on Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth!

...Talk about ending the week on a high note...

...And be sure to head on over to The Thoughts of a Book Junky to get in on a chance to win a copy of A BLUE SO DARK or a signed bookmark!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

NOVEMBER FLASH FICTION

Now that I've posted the flash fiction for October, I'm ready and rarin' for November! This time, I need you to give me an object you'd like me to write about...Fill out this form to send me your ideas. Looking forward (as always) to reading your suggestions...

Monday, October 11, 2010

I'M ON THE KINDLE













Simple math: A BLUE SO DARK + the Kindle = a big ol' smiley face.

Yup, A BLUE SO DARK is now available for download...got my copy this morning!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

OCTOBER FLASH FICTION: …UNTIL THE LAUGHTER DIES

Okay, so I said I wanted scary…but October’s prompt actually made me think of scary in a new way. The prompt comes from Darlene Beck-Jacobson, who can be found online at darlenebeckjacobson.com. She sent this phrase: everyone has them.

…And here’s what I came up with:




…Until The Laughter Dies
Holly Schindler

I figure we probably look a little like fifty-year-olds in prom dresses, the way we’re clustered on sleeping bags in front of the TV.

I mean, seventeen is way too old for slumber parties. But when Marie flunked the over-the-counter pregnancy test, we all decided to celebrate old-school. Even gave it a theme—80’s night, complete with tightrolled jeans and Mom’s VHS tape of FOOTLOOSE. Mom’s gone for the weekend, after all, and will never know we tunneled through her memorabilia.

“To not being forever linked to Dylan Street,” Marie shouts, and we touch the tips of our unwrapped candy bars in toast.

We laugh even louder than the girls on the tape, rolling into a heap of out-of-date concert T-shirts.

Until the laughter dies, along with the lights.

Blackness saturates my basement.

Lacey and Vanessa laugh again, snickering like the little girls we’re pretending to be.

“…breaker box,” I mumble, but as I grope through the dark, the door to the stairs slams shut. The unpredictable lock clicks.

Snickers again from the cluster of sleeping bags, softer this time. This laughter has a question mark behind it.

“I’ll—just—“ I say, pointing to the door to the outside.

A knock explodes against a window near the ceiling. Vanessa shrieks. I jump, turn, but darkness has dyed the glass, too.

The knock returns. Three knocks, this time. Each. Spaced. Evenly.

I grab a flashlight, fighting the fear that turns my arms slack. I feel every breath in the room being held as I inch toward the window.

When I flick on the beam, the window fills with hunter-orange—a ski mask. And an angry snarl of a mouth.

The basement explodes with screams; I drop the flashlight and the face disappears.

The door to the outside rattles beneath repeated blows.

I try to tighten my trembling fingers around the shaft of the putter Mom left beside the couch.

But I should have reached for the deadbolt instead.

The knob turns; the door creaks. Screams pelt my shoulders like winter rain.

Four against one, I think, trying to lean on odds.

I’ve barely started to lift the club when the ski mask steps in, snatches it from my hand.

I have nothing; I’m absolutely naked with defenselessness. I open my mouth, but I’ve lost my scream.

Moonlight stretches through the open door, lands across the ski mask.

Screams circle like sirens all around me as Marie, Lacey, and Vanessa charge to my side. Screams intensify as the man in the doorway grabs the mask beneath his chin and begins to peel it.

Lights pop, illuminating his face.

And Dylan Street dissolves into gotcha laughter.

The girls at my sides moan. Their laughter returns—staccato, hesitant. Still—laughter.

I try to shrug, playing like I’d suspected as much. I’m humiliated by the goose bumps racing down my arms…until I realize everyone has them.

Even Marie, who already knows that the only thing Dylan’s good at is scaring girls.



See what I mean? Really—what’s the scariest event here…the ski mask or the over-the-counter test? We all face really frightening things in our everyday life…far more frightening than any slasher movie!

Thanks to Darlene for giving me a bit of a fresh take on scary…and congrats to her as well! She’s now in the running for that holiday prize.

…And stay tuned for the details for November—coming soon! (I’ve got a super-fun idea for that one…)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

THE PLAYING HURT BLOG TOUR


Calling all bloggers: Now that I've whet your appetites with my incredible blurbs, you can get in on the excitement...by being part of the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour! I'm still in the planning stages, and need your input...I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Click to be a stop on the tour: HOLLY SCHINDLER'S PLAYING HURT BLOG TOUR

Monday, October 4, 2010

I'VE GOT BLURBS!

Yes, oh, yes: I've received some ultra-flattering blurbs for PLAYING HURT from some fantastic YA authors! Just had to share...




"Is teen love 'real' love? Are the problems one faces in high school nothing compared to the problems one faces as an adult? Holly Schindler faces these questions head on in her excellent second novel, Playing Hurt. Clint and Chelsea, two ex-athletes, meet in the Minnesota wild. Chelsea is recovering from a physical injury, Clint from an emotional one. Together they explore the sometimes painful, sometimes passionate road to healing. Schindler does not sugar-coat the agonies and heartbreaks of first loves, first losses, and first disappointments. Anyone who says 'kids today have it so easy' should pick up a copy of Playing Hurt."—BRIAN KATCHER, AUTHOR OF PLAYING WITH MATCHES AND ALMOST PERFECT



"If you're a fan of romance, good luck putting this one down. Playing Hurt is a delicious, tantalizing love story that will captivate you until the final, satisfying sigh. Holly Schindler's lyrical writing is an absolute delight to read."—KRISTIN WALKER, AUTHOR OF A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL

Sunday, October 3, 2010

INTERVIEW AT THINGS LIZ LOVES (AND MY LIZARD LOAFERS)

Super-fun new interview at Things Liz Loves! Really love the "pick one" segment at the end of the chat...which reveals that I am still pining for my long-lost lizard loafers, 1987-1991. May they rest in peace.

And may I someday find a suitable replacement!

Monday, September 27, 2010

I'M NOT QUAKING YET, BUT I AM A VERB (AND A CRAZY-GOOD REVIEW)

Okay, people, when I said scare me, I meant scare me. I’m noooooot quite quakin’ yet…so be sure to send in some more creepy prompts for the October chapter of the Flash Fiction Challenge!

…One thing that’s not scary at all, and that made me smile this weekend? A post on Writerly Thoughts about the possibility of not being able to participate in this year’s NaNoWriMo:




“…my parents want me to pass all my courses, and I doubt they’d let me pull a Holly Schindler and just write all the time.”


Love that! I think I’m becoming a verb!


…I also got this super-cool review at Café Saturday. Such a great review, in fact, that it was tough to pick a snippet. But I love this paragraph:

“While the majority of the story does focus on Aura and her family, including her remarried father and estranged grandmother, there is a subplot with a boy Aura has a huge crush on. First of all, I will say that Schindler tells so much story with so little time devoted to it that I marveled at her skill. Secondly, there is a scene with Aura and Jeremy and a skateboard and a drainage ditch that blew my mind. Not because it was oh-so-romantic, but because of how Aura was affected by it in that moment. It was a perfect merging of the two plot threads, and quite possibly one of the best scenes I’ve read all year.”

Yowzahs

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY: YA HIGHWAY


Read the full story on my path to publication and get in the running for a giveaway of A BLUE SO DARK at YA Highway!

(Copies for giveaways are getting scarce…so be sure you submit to the contest!)

OCTOBER FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE


Okay, here’s the deal: Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. I love the plastic guts, the fake blood. The pop-in vampire teeth.

For the October chapter of my Flash Fiction Challenge, I’ll need you to send me your goriest prompt. Could be a title. A character name. A sentence / horrifying description I have to incorporate. Really—the prompts are completely up to you. All I ask is that you get twisted, get creepy, get dripping in cobwebs and slime!

Email the prompt to writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com. (Prompts need to be in by October 2!)

…I’ll be waaaaaaiting. Muah-ah-ah (that was my demonic laughter…)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

E-GAD!!!


Yep, I’ve done it. Me—Lil’ Miss Pen ‘N Ink. Ms. I-Loathe-High-Tech. Our Lady Of The Spiral-Bound Notebook. Moi.

I bought an e-reader.

I’m more than halfway through my first book on the Kindle (an adult thriller), and I have to say, it really is fun to read on…

…So much so, I’m already wondering what I’ll read next on the little gadget…

Whoulda thunk, eh?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

ShareThis