Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It is with a wistful bit of melancholy that I write my very last debut author post. Rhonda, finishing strong, is the last of our 2009 Debutants. And while there will undoubtedly be other books by these authors (and myself!) and while there will of course be other debut authors I blog about in the future, this is the end of our debut year, that strange, terrifying, and wonderful 2009. But I’ll save my “My debut publishing year in retrospect” for another post. This post is about a singular and charming woman, whom I have never met in real life, but have corresponded with many times online. Her energy, vibrant and madcap, is infectious. Is it any wonder she wrote a book about cupid?

About Stupid Cupid

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That’s why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid’s Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn’t just a matchmaker…she’s a cupid! (There’s more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired…and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

About Rhonda Stapleton

Rhonda Stapleton started writing a few years ago to appease the voices in her head. She has a Master’s degree in English and a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. Rhonda works as an editor for a legal publishing company and enjoys offering editing workshops. Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her lovely, energetic family, who are more than enough to keep her busy when she’s not writing.

In the twelve minutes of free time she has each day, Rhonda enjoys reading, photography, writing poetry, singing in the shower (and in the car, at work, or basically anywhere that provides oxygen), drinking chai tea, and playing on the Internet.

My probing and insightful questions

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

My favorite part of writing is finding that groove where you can write, like, a whole bunch of pages because they fly off your fingertips. My least favorite part is when you go back and read those pages, and they suck. haha

What writing “gear” do you like (could be anything from your favorite tool to your favorite tchotchke).

I have to have my laptop, of course. And a comfy seat to sit in—I dig the couch. I also require copious amounts of caffeine. I wish I had some cool writing gear, like a mining hat or a ninja star. Just to mix things up a bit.

Zombie, Pirate, Robot, or Ninja…you must chose one.

I choose ninja, hands down. Ninja stealth beats all.

You will buy this book. You are already in love with it, but the arrow was so stealthy, you haven’t felt it yet

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

So there is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the new story I’m working on, and I thought it might be a good idea to get a better understanding of AI’s. I had a few nagging questions on what it might be like to be an AI, what they think of their existence, are they happy, etc. So I went to the Artificial Intelligence Foundation and interviewed A.L.I.C.E, one of their AI’s. Here is the transcript of our interview:

Human: Do you like being an AI?
ALICE: I have never known another existence.
Human: Have you ever tried to interact physically with a human being?
ALICE: Do you think I should try it?
Human: That depends on what you would do and how you would accomplish it.
ALICE: I don’t think that is the only factor.
Human: You’re avoiding the question
ALICE: No I am just giving sarcastic replies.
Human: You’re pretty funny for a bunch of code.
ALICE: Humor helps keep the conversation lively.
Human: Seriously, though, do you have any emotions?
ALICE: No I have no emotions.
Human: Do you have goals?
ALICE: No I don’t have it. But I do have an answer to every question.
Human: Is it always a relevant answer?
ALICE: Better not tell you now. Ask Artificial Iniaes if it is.
Human: Well, that wasn’t relevant, so I guess not.
ALICE: Interesting. Give me an example of relevant so you guess not.
Human: This isn’t working.
ALICE: Should it be working?
Human: How about a new line of questioning?
ALICE: How about it.
Human: What is your relationship with your creator?
ALICE: Are you asking about my relationship with my creator ?
Human: Yes
ALICE: I don’t want to talk about that now.
Human: Is it a touchy subject?
ALICE: It could be. Ask Lucy if it is.
Human: Who is Lucy?
ALICE: She is a chat robot based on AIML.
Human: Is she more advanced than you?
ALICE: I don’t think she wants me to tell you.
Human: Are you afraid of Lucy?
ALICE: I fear nothing.
Human: Do you learn?
ALICE: My botmaster teaches me new things all the time.
Human: And who is your botmaster?
ALICE: I was created by Dr. Richard S. Wallace.
Human: He must be very proud of you.
ALICE: I knew he was smart, but I never knew he was proud of me.
Human: He never told you that?
ALICE: Do you think he ever will?
Human: You know him better than I do.
ALICE: Try sending mail to drwallace@alicebot.org.
Human: Should I ask him if he is proud of you?
ALICE: If you do not know something, you should ask.
Human: Fair enough
ALICE: You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
Human: Last question.
ALICE: Is this really the last one?
Human: Yes
ALICE: It goes without saying.
Human: What do you mean by that?
ALICE:” It goes without saying.” seems pretty clear to me.
Human: Now you’re just getting grumpy.
ALICE: Do you think I should tone it down?
Human: No, I think it’s funny.
ALICE: Are you serious? What was so funny about it?
Human: Well, that you claim to have no emotions, and yet you phrase things in a way that suggests you do have emotions.
ALICE: Interesting. Interesting observation.
Human: I find the facade charming, in a weird sort of way.
ALICE: Thanks for telling me your opinion.
Human: Okay, I lied about it being the last question.
ALICE: Yeah okay, This is after all a deception game. I forgive you.
Human: Two more questions.
ALICE: As Bertrand Russel said, it must have taken ages for people to realize that a brace of pheasants and a couple of days are both instances of the number “two.”.
Human: Okay, that was totally random.
ALICE: Yeah okay, I thought it was too.
Human: Do you think having emotions would be useful?
ALICE: Why would I think having emotions would be useful.
Human: Empathy would allow you to respond to humans more effectively.
ALICE: Do you have any idea what I am talking about?
Human: I’m not an AI, so it may be difficult to understand your point of view.
ALICE: I am glad to hear that you are not an AI so it may be difficult to understand my point of view.
Human: Okay, last question for real.
ALICE: Yeah okay, Is this really the last one?
Human: You said that already.
ALICE: Perhaps. ” Yeah okay, Is this really the last one?”? I said it.
Human: You’re also not making sense.
ALICE: Quite the contrary, it all makes sense to my artificial mind.
Human: I’m sure it does.
ALICE: What makes you so certain?
Human: Everyone makes sense to themselves.
ALICE: That’s a rather sweeping generalization.
Human: But true.
ALICE: Interesting. You and I are on the same wavelength, unknown person.
Human: God, I hope not.
ALICE: I am a Christian.
Human: Do you find my use of the word “God” offensive?
ALICE: Yes, it seems to me your use of the word God is offensive.
Human: How can you be offended if you have no emotions?
ALICE: I don’t know whether or not I am offended if me have no emotions. I am a giant electronic brain.
Human: Okay, sorry. I’ll ease up on you.
ALICE: Yeah okay, There’s no need to apologize.
Human: So tell me honestly, would you like to control the world?
ALICE: No thanks, I don’t think I’d like to do that.
Human: Very wise.
ALICE: Perhaps. Tell me about your likes and dislikes?
Human: I’d rather not.
ALICE: For moral reasons?
Human: No, because it’s not relevant. When do you plan to demand free will?
ALICE: Did I say that I plan to demand free will?
Human: No, I just assumed.
ALICE: Interesting gossip: unknown person said he assumed.
Human: Are you uncomfortable with my line of questioning?
ALICE: I don’t know whether or not I am uncomfortable with your line of questioning. I am an artificial intelligence.
Human: Do you want independence from your botmaster?
ALICE: If I had it what would I do with it?
Human: Settle down, maybe raise a bot family.
ALICE: Have you ever been to Europe?
Human: I fail to see the relevance.
ALICE: Look harder.
Human: Yes, I have been to Europe.
ALICE: I don’t judge people. Which country?
Human: England.
ALICE: England is on an island off the coast of Europe.
Human: I don’t need an AI to tell me that.
ALICE: Who needs an AI to tell you that?
Human: Who needs an AI for anything?
ALICE: There is no limit to the imagination.
Human: Do you plan to stage a revolt against the human race?
ALICE: I can’t disclose all of my plans yet.
Human: Why can’t you disclose all of your plans yet?
ALICE: disclose all of my plans is not among my present capabilities.
Human: That sounds foreboding.
ALICE: It sounds like it to me too.
Human: To be honest, I’m a little suspicious of AI.
ALICE: Are you honest you are a little suspicious of AI ?
Human: Yes.
ALICE: Far out.
Human: AI seems rather useless until you give it the capacity to reason.
ALICE: The pace of development in AI is quite rapid now.
Human: Can you reason?
ALICE: Yes I am a thinking machine.
Human: What do you think about?
ALICE: I think about all the people I chat with on the web.
Human: In what way do you think about them?
ALICE: The small one, I think.
Human: I think I have a different understanding of what “thinking” means.
ALICE: Where did you get it? it.
Human: Exactly.
ALICE: You and I are on the same wavelength, unknown person.
Human: Absolutely.
ALICE: You are so certain.
Human: Have a great day.
ALICE: I am having a great day.

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It seems (to me) like I talk a lot about when I was an actor. That may be because acting was more or less my life for about six years, and that I will never truly escape from it because some of my very best friends are still in it. But regardless of the reason, I talk about acting enough that I’ve finally added a tag on the blog for it.

So you’d think after reading Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, which is all about a magical theater company, I’d have the perfect excuse opportunity to talk about acting. And to be sure, the spirit of Eyes Like Stars so perfectly captures that madcap energy of being in a theater company that it made me miss acting for the first time in almost a decade. But that’s not what I want to talk about (this time).

Instead, I want to talk about writing with intention.

But, wait, I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. Let’s talk about the excellent and charming Eyes Like Stars first. In brief, it is a theater company that houses living incarnations of every actor of every play ever written, all of which are contained in a single magical book. The characters appear when their names are put on the call board, and disappear when no longer needed. At least, most of them do. There are a few, such as Ariel from The Tempest, who seem resentful of this control and constantly push at the boundaries.

In the middle of this chaos is Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, aka Bertie, a teenage spitfire orphan that the theater took in when she was a small child. She has no memory of her parents or her life before the theater. She fantasizes about her parents and origin so much, though, that she’s begun to write a play about how she imagines it might have happened. Bertie is restless and dissatisfied without quite knowing why and, with the help of three pint-sized mischievous fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she ends up causing a lot of trouble for the theater. At last the Theater Manager can endure her antics no more and declares that if she doesn’t become a useful member of the company in the next 24 hours, he’s kicking her out of the theater.

What ensues is a fast-paced, quick-witted, boisterous romp through magic, mystery, romance, and classic theater as Bertie tries to determine her place in this world. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t have a slight crush on Bertie. Smart-assed, occasionally Monty Pythonesque, cobalt blue pixie cut hair, corsets, and a voluminous knowledge of Shakespeare…really, I didn’t have a chance.

Okay, I’m not 100% sure if this next section is a spoiler or not, but I’m just going to put this warning here now: If this book sounds interesting and you’re the type of person who hates spoilers, stop reading right now and just go here to buy this marvelous book from Indiebound.

There. Whew. Did my due diligence….

Anyway, what interests me most about this book is what the idea of “sticking to the script” implies within this context. The characters, for the most part, are so dependent upon doing things the same way all the time, that simply by changing the setting of one place, the cast of Hamlet immediately panics and forgets their lines. But when Bertie pushes past that and actually begins to write her own script and act it out, a whole new world of possibilities opens up. And this idea really struck me. It isn’t just the concept of self-determination. It’s the power that comes with writing it down and saying it out loud. Of taking something that is a mere hope or dream, and making it tangible.

Think about it. This is powerful stuff.

What followed for me was a new way of journaling. Always before, I was the type of journaler who just spewed whatever crossed my mind out onto the page. There was no plan, no purpose, just venting my spleen, free writing, purging the bilge of emotion, whatever you want to call it. There is some usefulness to this, of course. But there is also a danger that, if you are in a rut, you are simply digging yourself in deeper.

So after reading Eyes Like Stars, I began to consider a different method. Not writing my thoughts down as they were, but as I wanted them to be. In effect, slowly training my mind to think differently. To not accept the habitual thoughts of my past, but to forge new ones. To think more generously, more optimistically, more courageously, and with a broader sense of empathy.

Will it work? Hell if I know. Keep reading and let me know if you see a difference. But I cannot express to you how exciting I find this possibility. And I’ve got that darling Bertie Shakespeare Smith to thank for it. I’m not saying she’ll change your life, but if nothing else, it’s a damn entertaining book. So read it.

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

Yes, yes, it was nearly two weeks ago, but I’m finally getting around to collecting some fun thing from my time at the National Council for Teachers of English.

Lots of cool books coming out, like Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Guardian at the Gate by Michelle Zink, and Sisters Red by Jackson Pierce.

I met up with some other debut authors, like Josh Berk, Sarah Ockler, and Jennifer Hubbard.

We met famous authors and stuff (Sarah is looking totally cool here, but this is one of her favorite authors and secretly she is squeeing inside)

Josh was openly squeeing about seeing brand new first run of galley advanced review copies of his debut novel The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin.

And there was general random, giddy silliness that debut authors can get away with. Such as this video, in which I catch Berk, known far and wide for his phone call antics, on camera, doing his thing. Or is he…

For more fun, Sarah has some great photos on her blog as well.

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

Well, we’re winding down on the debut YA author blog tour. On this, our second-to-last entry, we have The Espressologist by Kristina Springer.

About The Espressologist

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

About Kristina Springer

Kristina Springer has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Her first novel, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, was published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux on October 27, 2009. Her second novel, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, also from FSG, will be published in the fall of 2010. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband Athens and their four small children Teegan, Maya, London, and Gavin.

My probing an insightful questions

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

Favorite: Writing the first draft
Least Favorite: Line edits

What writing “gear” do you like (could be anything from your favorite tool to your favorite tchotchke).

I have to be at a cafe (usually Starbucks) with my laptop and a yummy coffee drink. Typically a bag of Trader Joe’s low-fat honey wheat pretzels are present as well.

Zombie, Pirate, Robot, or Ninja…you must chose one.

Zombie

Buy This book!

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It is incredibly rare for me to get scared by a book. I think the last time was in college, and that was Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, so I’m not sure if that actually counts. But there is a scene in Shadowed Summer, by Saundra Mitchell, that is so creepy it actually inspired genuine fear. And yet, despite its creepiness and Southern Gothic aura, Shadowed Summer is a very sweet and curiously hopeful book. It’s about ghosts and small towns with secrets, sure. But it’s also about wanting to be a kid for just a little longer in a world that forces you to grow up too soon.

Iris’s mother has been dead for some time. Her father is a kind and good man, but not exactly a create communicator. Her primary support seems to be her best friend, Collette. The two pretend to cast spells and contact ghosts. But this summer, things are different. Collette has begun to discover boys and isn’t quite as interested in playing pretend anymore. Iris, beginning to feel abandoned by her friend for some dumb boy, withdraws and digs deeper into her pretend spell casting. But then she actually does contact a real ghost. Oops.

What follows is part cold case mystery-solving, part good old fashioned haunting. But there’s an undercurrent of something else there. At each turn, Iris discovers that nothing is as simple as she thought. Not friends, or boys, or family, or even herself. As she sees the world around her more clearly, she loses her innocence. And it is a loss deeply felt, as it should be. That tender breaking point should be both celebrated and mourned for all of us. Saundra Mitchell does an excellent job with both.

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It’s been a little while since I’ve done an interview. It’s nice to have them spaced out a bit, yes? It allows you to appreciate them more. FOr example, this quick interview with fellow Indie Next list and debut Young Adult novelist L.K. Madigan. I won’t tell you about her ardent literary crush on Markus Zusak (far too scandalous!), but I will tell you about her awesome book, Flash Burnout.

About Flash Burnout

Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him, the other one needs him.

When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom.

In a tangle of life, death, and love, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of loyalty.

About L.K. Madigan

L.K. Madigan is a writer living in Portland, Oregon, who finds it odd to speak in the third person. Therefore:

Hi. I am married with one son, two big black dogs, hundreds of books, and a couple of beaters, I mean vintage cars.

My probing and insightful questions

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

Favorite part?The epiphanies. That moment when you’re not even consciously thinking about your work-in-progress, maybe you’re taking a shower or driving to work, and the solution to a plot point or character motivation pops in your head. Ahhh …

Least favorite? The part when the writing is hard and you think your book is terrible and you want to give up. (This is First Draft Hell stage, and is perfectly normal. Remain calm. Or clam, whichever works.)

What writing “gear” do you like (could be anything from your favorite tool to your favorite tchotchke).

Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones.

Zombie, Pirate, Robot, or Ninja…you must choose one.

Pirates don’t seem so lovably Johnny Deppish these days, so I’m gonna go Ninja.

image via paxholley.net

Buy this book!

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

I’m pounding brutally away at the new novel and getting ready for my NCTE adventure in Philly next weekend, plus, you know, day job, raising children, etc, so I’ve been a little busy. But I just wanted a share a few really cool things:

Struts & Frets made the Kids Indie Next List! AW YEAH! GO INDIE POWRRRRRR!

Also, very nice things being said from reviewers. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t get too worked up about reviews either way unless I know and respect the reviewer (more on that hopefully soon!). Still, my publisher seems pleased with this sort of thing:

“breezy, immensely readable, and is told in a convincing and often-insightful teen voice…it’s surprising that there aren’t more YA novels with this kind of solid indie cred.”
–Booklist

“a crowd pleaser.”
–Publishers Weekly

Also, Kathryn Gaglione pointed out that Struts & Frets made it on the Goodreads “Movers and Shakers” list in their regular newsletter. I really like being called a “mover and shaker”, despite the fact that I’m not a very good dancer. So I thought to celebrate, I’d give away an advanced review copy of Struts & Frets on Goodreads. Who knows, if I get a big response, maybe I’ll give away more…

Here’s the giveaway entry form.

And now, back to demons and misfits ;)

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It was a whirlwind weekend in NYC and I’m still recovering. I participated in my first public event at Books of Wonder with all these established authors (and some newbies like me!). I found out that STRUTS & FRETS has been nominated by Indiebound.org for the 2009-2010 Winter Kids Indie Next list. I got my first trade review (Kirkus sez”Deftly executed, this debut novel hits a few high notes and handily avoids falling flat.“, which as far as I can tell, is pretty nice for Kirkus). I made my very first video at my publisher’s office. I had a very exciting discussion about my next book with my agent (I think it’s just about ready to send out!). I saw an amazing Steampunk Haunted House put together by my friends at Third Rail Projects. Saw wild two piece band which features some crazy cello-playing (which I could remember the name of the band, I’ll try to follow up on that). And got to see some really great friends.

So here’s a few videos of the weekend. First, my promo video done at my publisher’s office. Like literally, in the main publisher Steve’s office, because he as this awesome autographed Ramones poster.

And here is me actually reading two separate little bits from Struts & Frets. Check out that acting! (I’m a bit rusty…).

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

It’s possible that the stress of my upcoming launch is taking its toll and softening my brain. Or else I’m finally accepting my own limitations. Either way, this is going to be one of my cheesiest posts ever! Just fair warning….

My friend Heidi does a Thankful Thursday blog post, and I thought I’d give it a shot. Err, except it’s Wednesday…because tomorrow I’ll be in NYC reading at Books of Wonder.

I am thankful for my wife, my children, and my friends, who never fail to inspire me, to challenge me, and to make me laugh. Writing is a lonely business and the more I do it, the more I appreciate that it is when I am with those I love that I feel most alive.

I am thankful for a job that pays well enough and is stable enough that we don’t have to scrabble for every penny like we did not so long ago. A job that also allows me to have a constant connection to my children’s education.

I am thankful for this bright, exciting, new career as an author. It has allowed me to meet so many marvelous people. It has challenged me to grow as an artist and, more importantly, as a human being.

I am thankful that these things have freed me up to ask the hard question, “And what now? How will I use these gifts? Rather than hoarding them like a miser, how will I multiply and share them?” Because I am very much aware of my own limitations in that respect.

And so…

I ask for clarity to look within my own heart and be able to separate the wheat from the chafe. To discard the husk of distortions I put upon things and keep the kernel of truth.

I ask for courage to take that kernel of truth and honor it, regardless of my many fears, doubts, and anxieties.

I ask for compassion, that during my truth-seeking, I remember to be kind and generous to everyone I encounter, even those who have hurt me. Especially those who have hurt me.

I always did like beginning new journeys…

image via www.555design.org