If if isn’t personal what the heck is it?

Author Interviews That Rock

Kimberley Griffiths Little

WHEN
THE BUTTERFLIES CAME

Here’s to Kimberley’s brand new, beautiful, bayou book! Keep on rocking, girl!

Click the pics for awesome Kimberley links!

Okay, Kimberley, tell the readers a little bit about  your book.

 My darling editor wrote this for the jacket flap, Goodreads and Amazon, and I think it’s terrific:

“Everybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mom is depressed and distant, and she and her sister, Riley, can’t agree on anything. But when mysterious and dazzling butterflies begin to follow her around after Grammy Claire’s funeral, Tara knows in her heart that her grandmother has left her one final mystery to solve. Tara finds a stack of keys and detailed letters from Grammy Claire. Note by note, Tara learns unexpected truths about her grandmother’s life. As the letters grow more ominous and the clues harder to decipher, Tara realizes that the secrets she must uncover could lead to grave danger. And when Tara and Riley are swept away to the beautiful islands of Chuuk to hear their grandmother’s will, Tara discovers the most shocking truth of all, one that will change her life forever.

Just to get us started, how old are you?

You can’t trick me into revealing secret, coded information! *wagging my finger* Let’s just say that I’m a few years older than most people think I am . . . which is niiice. I credit Mary Kay skin care products all the way.

What inspired you to write WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME?

I/We have a cultural fascination with butterflies. I think that’s because butterflies are beautiful and extraordinary creatures. Butterflies have this magical ability to “sleep/die” when a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis and then “resurrect” into a flying flower. I also wanted to know more about my character Tara Doucet from my book Circle of Secrets. She’s a modern day Scarlett O’Hara whose family still lives in their crumbling Doucet Mansion in the South along the bayou—and who hasn’t dreamed of being Scarlett! But she’s Scarlett with a touch of OCD and a bratty older sister—and a grandmother who’s a research scientist on an island in Micronesia.

 

 

Do you have a special affinity for the bayou and its rich culture?

I’ve been visiting the bayous of Louisiana for nearly 15 years. I love the people there as well as venturing into the wild and otherworldly swamp with the local fisherman. The people have such a fascinating history, too. Combine my love of history and the setting which spoke to me so powerfully from the very first visit, I’m now an adopted daughter of Miss Olive and Mister Elward Stephens, the most darling elderly couple outside of Morgan City. It was during my very first boat trip in the swamps, that I instantly began picturing Livie Mouton, a girl who grew up there with her own pirogue and baby alligator. I worked on that book for 8 years, a labor of love, until it finally sold to Scholastic in a huge MG deal. And even then, I never dreamed I’d end up writing three more novels about the swamps. It all happened quite accidently by my Muse.

How did you get into Cajun magic?

There was a tiny mention of traiteurs (French Cajun healers) in a history of Louisiana written by a professor at the University of Louisiana. It wasn’t more than a couple of sentences about healers who used herbal medicine back in the 1600-1700s—along with prayer to heal folks. As a person of strong faith, it fascinated me. I spent months/years digging and digging to find out more. Turns out it’s not a lost art confined to that time period when there weren’t doctors and hospitals out in the wilds, but still a living breathing skill used by many trained traiteurs today. I got to meet several of them in their homes as well as meet dozens of people who have been healed by them—people I’d talk to at hotels or museums or gas stations. It seemed that everybody knew a traiteur in the local neighborhood, or was related to one.

You often write about the love between mothers and daughters, why is that topic close to your heart?

Mother, daughter relationships are difficult to explain, difficult to quantify and they are usually complicated. But full of unconditional love, too. We want our mothers to know us and love us and understand us, but we also don’t want them reading our locked and hidden diary!

What about the theme of childhood guilt and its consequences calls to you?

All good books and stories are about change of some kind for the characters. Guilt can be a powerful motivator for ill—or good. It can also be a great catalyst for change in our lives. We all feel guilty about the mistakes or trespasses we’ve made, whether we’re children or adults, and yet we also desperately need to know that we’re still valued and that we’re loved. I believe it’s a universal theme for every age and every person. Forgiveness of one’s self and forgiveness of others is crucial for self-worth and peace and good relationships, and often is the hardest thing we ever have to do.

Do you have a favorite butterfly item, token, belonging?

Oh, my, I have lots. Butterfly blouses, necklaces, candles, charms . . . Here’s a picture!

 

 

How do you get into your characters heads?

I spend a LOT of time thinking about them. I try to get to know them from many different angles; their personality quirks, habits, their relationships with friends and family, their secrets, their motivations, and their problems, big and small. Many writers find it helpful to write diary entries or letters in their character’s voice—I’ve done that, too!—which helps the author get to know them better. It takes time to create a fully rounded character that feels like a real person. For me, it’s THE hardest writing skill and one I’ve spend years learning and honing.

What is most special about your protagonist in WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME?

Tara Doucet’s life is falling apart in so many ways, a life her mother has carefully crafted so nobody knows the family’s “dirty laundry”. And yet, Tara (a modern day Scarlett O’Hara) is stronger than she realizes. Her Grammy Claire is also a strong force in Tara’s life. Grammy Claire loves Tara unconditionally, she’s a smart research scientist, and she has a great sense of humor and vivacity for life. These characteristics have a great impact on Tara and she learns that she is stronger and tougher than she ever knew she could be as a pampered Southern plantation girl.

What made you want to write in the first place?

Great books were a powerful influence on me as a child. They often substituted as my “best friends” and instilled the dream from an early age.

What keeps you writing?

I have good writing days and bad ones and some days I don’t write at all because I’m lazy and the work can be daunting and hard, especially revision. Usually, it’s my characters clamoring for my attention, pushing me to write and bring them to life that keeps me going.

What is the best piece of writing advice you wish you were given?

Writing a LOT (thousands of pages) is the best factor in becoming a better writer. That 10,000 hour rule? Um, it really seems to be the main factor in seeing success. Some writers cram their 10,000 hours into 3-4 years while other writers take 10 years or more. I fall into the latter category, endlessly revising the same manuscripts at the beginning of my writing (self-taught education) – long before I knew other writers or the internet existed. I just wish I’d heard this advice or realized this fact twenty years ago! It would have saved me lots of frustration and head-banging sessions. 

How do you discipline yourself to keep at the writing?

Deadlines are strong motivators, ha! It’s true, but most of the time the disciplines come because I’m eager to see my imagined world and characters come to life on the page.

When did you decide, this is what I really want to do? I want to be a writer! Was there a particular ah-ha moment?

When I was a child. Books were so magical and powerful to me, I wanted to try to create that same magic one day. I also wanted to see my name in the card catalog at the library!

What is the most important thing for a writer to remember?

We’re all born with talent and ability to write, but spend time learning the craft of a publishable novel. There’s so many elements that need to come together to make it work. Don’t be in a rush to get published, it can only make you frustrated. Find a mentor to help you, go to conferences, take classes—and write a LOT. Write a book, do your best work, then write the next book, and then the next. I would say 95% of published novelists out there did not sell their first book, but their 3rd or their 4th. It’s like going to medical school. It takes time to learn to write a publishable book. Never stop learning and trying to improve. And, I guess, the *most* important thing is to enjoy the journey.

If you were to mentor other writers what wisdom would you find most helpful.

I think I may have answered this above. Writers today are very blessed with such a terrific online community of writers and agents and editors who are so accessible to help you along the way. Go find them (Google is your BF) and make friends and have fun. And be flexible. Many writers have to reinvent themselves at various times in their careers—even the bestselling writers! This “dirty little secret” is not talked about much and when I went through a terrible 7 year slump when I couldn’t seem to sell any of my novels (even though I was selling short stories to Cricket magazine) I was so alone and discouraged. Then I discovered other writers in various writing groups that had gone through the exact same *famine*. Every career has lots of ups and downs. Keep going despite all that, if you really want to write.

Do you belong to any cool writerly groups on or off line?

I used to belong to an online critique group and I’ve had live critique groups. Most come and go, depending on the other writer’s in the group commitment, but my one constant writer friend Carolee Dean and I have been critiquing and mentoring each other and giving each other encouragement for more than 10 years now—through many ups and downs. Barbara O’Connor, an extraordinary MG writer from Boston, is also a LONG time “pen- pal”. We’ve been corresponding regularly for 15 years and have never actually met in person. I helped launch the huge MG website “From the Mixed-Up Files . . . of Middle-Grade Authors” and I co-founded SPELLBINDERS, a weekly email newsletter geared to teachers/librarians/parents/homeschoolers. I also hang out a lot on Facebook!

Just for kicks… What are some of your favorite TV shows, movies?

I confess I have a guilty pleasure for HART OF DIXIE. It’s the only TV show I’ve watched in years. But my daughter has been dragging me onto the couch to watch ONCE UPON A TIME the last couple of months. Fun stuff!

If you could be a character from a book who would you be?

Maria Merryweather from Little White Horse because I *covet* her very cool bedroom. (Another favorite from childhood.) or Elizabeth Bennet from Pride &Prejudice because I think I’m just as in love with the Pemberly Estate as I am Mr. Darcy. I definitely have a *thing* for mansion houses, ever since I was very small.

As a child what was your favorite book?

HARRIET THE SPY – and it’s a true fact that my BFF Starr and I got notebooks and ran around spying on people and writing things down. I’m not sure we fooled anybody though.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer or a librarian. I NEEDED to be near books 24/7.

If your protagonist could give one piece of advice to your readers, what would it be?

Follow the butterflies . . . and your heart.

Is there a special Cajun spell you’d like to share with us?

Those are well-guarded secrets, actually. Information about the prayers (in old French, mind you) and herbal remedies are passed from one traiteur to another. So, since we don’t have that, I suggest using some essential oils, say a prayer or meditate, and you’ll feel a whole lot better – whatever ails you!

 

Other than writing, what do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

I adore baking all kinds of goodies. Brownies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, pies, cakes. And I can eat them all day long. Used to be able to get away with it in my 20s – not anymore! I’m also a pianist and a belly-dancer. I love research trips and recently returned from Jordan and Israel, research for my upcoming YA trilogy which will debut from Harpercollins Fall of 2014, a delicious story about belly dance, the goddess Temple of Ashtoreth and tribal warfare in the ancient Middle East. (No firm title yet).

Any closing words of wisdom for other author-wannabees out there?

Read what you love. Write what you love. Share the love. And treasure your supportive writing friends.

Leave a comment on butterflies, Cajun magic, the bayou, or anything Kimberley to win a signed copy of WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME!

And there you have it! Personal and Real with Kimberley Griffiths Little!

“Thank you so much for this terrific interview, Pam, and to Ink & Angst for having me!” Any time Kimberley

If if isn’t personal what the heck is it?

Author Interviews That Rock

Julie Cross

TEMPEST
& VORTEX

Click the pics for awesome Julie links!

Okay Julie, tell the readers a little bit about  your books.

Tempest is the first book in a young adult trilogy that follows my main character, 19 year old Jackson Meyer, as he jumps through time (literally), to learn about his past and to try and save the his girlfriend, Holly. Vortex is the sequel to Tempest and it releases in the US on January 15, 2013.

Just to get us started, how old are you?

I’m 32.5 years old

What inspired you to write TEMPEST & VORTEX?

The concept for Tempest came in layers as I worked with my now editor, Brendan Deneen. My idea started with a sort of time travel story that was also about aliens and gymnastics. His idea was to acquire a teen version of The Time Traveler’s Wife. Tempest is a story that emerged from both our creative brains.

Why time travel?

The type of time travel is Tempest appealed to me as writer because I love the idea of having a character revisit moments of his or her own past. The scenes where Jackson visits years that his twin sister, who died of cancer at 14, was still alive were so emotionally powerful to write. That’s probably what made me fall in love with writing time travel.

What made you want to write in the first place?

I started writing in May of 2009. I think I was mostly looking for an escape from everyday life. The kind of escape you get from an amazing book. I read a lot and there were moments when I wanted to change the course of a book. It dawned on me that I could write my own story.

What keeps you writing?

I wish I knew the answer to that question. Once I started, I just could stop. In fact, I waited to get bored with it, to quit, but so far that hasn’t happened. It’s challenging and stimulating in a way that I hadn’t experienced before and I feel like there’s always something more to learn. It’s amazing to discover your passion, even at 29 years old. Truly amazing.

What is the best piece of writing advice you were ever given?

My first instinct is to say, Read a lot. But that’s the piece of advice I often give to writers who ask me this question, but I already read a lot so I didn’t need to hear that particular advice myself. I’d have to say reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing and the part (don’t quote me or anything) where he says something along the lines of, most importantly, you have to write a good story. It just meant that I didn’t need to feel intimidated by the idea of finding big words and creating mind-blowing symbolism and metaphors. Or even understand contracts and the publishing industry before beginning a novel. I just needed to write a good story. 

How do you discipline yourself to keep at the writing?

I only have to discipline myself to up with other aspects of my life…laundry, exercise, grocery shopping, cleaning, my kids’ homework and activities. The writing part so far doesn’t require discipline. 

When did you decide, this is what I really want to do? I want to be a writer! Was there a particutlar ah-ha moment?

When I was offered a three book deal with St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books, all I had were questions and confusion and many of them my editor couldn’t answer right away as I searched for an agent, but he sent me an email that said basically, “Just keep in mind, from this day on YOU. ARE. GOING. TO. BE. A. PUBLISHED. AUTHOR” and he wrote it just like that and it hit me that no matter what, whether I wrote forever or not, I’d be known as a published author. That was truly my aha moment.

What is the most important thing for a writer to remember?

There is almost never one clear answer, one clear path, one right way to do anything, to tell any story, and to interpret any story. Open your mind to the realm of possibilities and don’t dwell on the impossibilities and improbabilities and all things that begin with a negative.

Do you belong to any cool writerly groups on or off line?

I’ve recently been emailing with some YA authors that I’ve met at events and doing some beta reading and critique.

If you were to mentor other writers what wisdom would you find most helpful.

I like honest critique, even brutally honest. I’m one who can handle it just fine. But I realize others need to work in phases. I think the idea of being able to pitch a story in a sentence is so helpful to new writers. Even if you figure everything out in your story and it doesn’t quite fit into a one-line mold, chances are you’ve worked out some issues while trying to get it narrowed a bit. It took me such a long time to figure out what it meant to be able to summarize a story in a short statement. Whenever I couldn’t do this, there was always something wrong with my plot. If you can address this even before you begin writing, it could be a huge factor in getting a finished product that can actually be sold.

Just for kicks… What are some of your favorite TV shows, movies?

My current favorite shows are GLEE, Dance Moms, The Voice, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Falling Skies. My movie favorites are very all over the place, I almost never go to the theater (just for the big ones like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, ect…). I love comedies and I’ll watch any cheesy romantic comedy, even the DCOM and ABC Family ones. I typically write/read edgy, emotionally heavy and sometimes intense thrillerish stuff so that must be why I choose the lighter movie/TV options.

If you could be a character from a book who would you be?

Katniss Everdeen. Hands down. I need her survival skills. I’m assuming while taking over her body, I’d also be allowed to acquire the knowledge stored up in her brain?

Last movie you saw at the theater?

Hunger Games

What is your favorite board game?

Monopoly.

How do you get into your characters heads?

Good question. I’m not sure, but I’m sure that I do get in their heads and become them. I leave myself and my views and opinions completely in the dust.  

What is most special about your protagonist?

For Jackson, it’s his potential to be great, however sometimes I’d have to say that comes in second to watching him fail in the process of reaching his potential. It took me a while to realize how much I wanted him to experience the struggle to be great just as much as I wanted to see him get there.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so what gets you motivated?

I usually don’t listen to music, but I could if I wanted to. I’m pretty relaxed about my writing place and time. I can shut out the world around me even if it’s quite hectic.

Other than writing, what do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Reading. I also love running. I’m really great at it but it brings a different challenge and a lot of clarity within the creative part of my brain.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. Always a teacher. But the type of teacher changed constantly.

If your protagonist could give one piece of advice to your readers what would it be?

Always prepare for the worst. Write everything important down in notebook that you always have on you.

What would your villain/villains have to say about that?

Well…I suppose they would support this advice fully. They are very intelligent and capable people. Unfortunately.

Any closing words of wisdom for other author-wannabees out there?

Enjoy the freedom of writing just for you even if publication is your end goal. If you enjoy reading books in your genre and you create a story that you enjoy reading there’s a good chance other people will like it, too.

And there you have it! Personal and Real with Julie Cross!

Check out Tempest & Vortex on Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13364300-vortex

The Cloud, The Cloud, it’s all a big scary thing with the accounts and the big fat hairy i which means Apple and maybe you don’t have Appley products and maybe you do and maybe you have an iPhone but you have a PC or maybe you have an iPad but a Droid or maybe you have a PC and Droid and a Nexus tablet period and you think you’re left out but NO!

THE CLOUD IS FOR EVERYBODY!

Well, almost everybody.

Because really, as long as you’ve been on Yahoo or Gmail or some such, you’ve been in The Cloud.

The Cloud is remotely stored data that you can access. That’s all it is. Like you’re email.

So get ahold of yourself, sister. We’re looking at two FREE Cloud-servers accessible from any device that you can log into.

GOOGLE DRIVE

This used to be Google Docs, and honey, it is so simple.  First, get a Gmail account. Then download this app on your iOS devices. Sign in and you’ll get a window like this:

• Touch the “+” sign in the upper right corner to create new documents, spreadsheets, folders, upload pictures or videos from your iPhone.
• To access documents already in your Google Drive Cloud, touch My Drive. If there are particular ones you want to get to faster, without scrolling through all your folders, star them.

Anywhere you can log in to Google, you can log in to Google Drive. It’s right on the Google page.

Oh look. I seem to have added a file from my iPhone recently.

Let us see what it is.

Another productive morning.

BONUS beauty: You can share a document with others and it will show up in THEIR Google Drive accounts. AND you can limit what they can do to the document: either eyes only, allow comments, or full permission to edit. Nice.

Google Drive gives your 5GB of free Cloud space, easily accessible from any device.

EVERNOTE

Here’s the thing. Evernote does a whole lot freakin’ more than Google Drive. Which also makes it a whole lot more complicated.  The basics:

Evernote is “notes” organized into “notebooks.”

.

These “notes” can be text, pictures, audio recordings OR clips from the internet or other apps, which I am NOT even getting into today. Next time, mes amies.

I know, it doesn’t sound that complicated. THAT’S BECAUSE I DIDN’T MAKE IT SOUND THAT COMPLICATED. There’s all this:

With the tagging and the searching and the sorting and the locationizing, and there’s a spiffy feature there on the top right, that boils down to a scanner.

Notebooks can be shared with THE PUBLIC, or only with CHOSEN ONES, but if you want to give editing privileges, you have to pay for the Premium App.

There is a 60MB for month limit, 25MB is the largest file download allowable. HOWEVER. There is no limit to the amount you may keep in your Evernote Cloud.

To access your account from anywhere, just go to evernote.com and log in.

These are just two of many ways to get afloat in The Cloud for free. So really, there’s no excuse to get caught without the notes your need to get an article or chapter finished.

Please. Help me think of a new excuse for not getting chapter 38 finished.

I wonder if it has a gas station.

Imagine taking a piece of yourself, a small sliver of your soul even, and sending it out to several strangers in the hopes that they will validate it and want to help you share it with the world. Now imagine that that piece of your soul is rejected. Not just once but over and over again. Would you have a thick enough skin, enough confidence in yourself, to keep trying? Welcome to the life of a writer.

A recent phone conversation with my mom went like this:

Me: Hey Ma, remember that place I submitted to a couple months ago? Yeah, just got the rejection email today.

Mom: Oh Honey, it’s okay. You know, I read a thing the other day that listed a bunch of famous authors and how often they were rejected before lightning struck.

If you write, chances are you’ve seen or heard of this list. If not, check out one of the many variations of it here. While it can be inspiring, until you are one of those authors who can say “yeah I was rejected a lot, but look at me now!” there is a piece of you that feels like you could be one the millions who will just rack up the rejections without ever making it.

And there is no list for those people.

It might sound like I don’t have confidence in my work but it’s quite the opposite. I wouldn’t submit in the first place if I didn’t believe in the piece or the manuscript.

Everyone deals with the rejection of their work in their own way. For me, I believe so much in what I’ve written that I am genuinely surprised when I get rejected. It’s not arrogance, it’s the rope I cling to so that I’m not pulled into the undertow. It would be so easy to let the waves of self-doubt drown me. If I’m not surprised to get rejected than what am I doing submitting in the first place?

Writers get rejected. Usually multiple times. Sometimes, if you’re actively submitting several pieces, you might even get more than one rejection in one day (been there). Those are the days you spend in the fetal position with your head in an ice cream carton.

Then you get up. You go back to work. You analyze the reasons your work might have been rejected (as most rejections are just a “thanks but no thanks” email if you get a response at all). You continue to learn. Your writing evolves. And soon, like a newly single person after a tough break-up, you put yourself back out there.

Somehow you have to simultaneously balance the humility to accept rejection and the confidence to not throw in the towel. It’s not an easy path and it can really mess with your mind if you let it.

For people in school for writing, as I am, I think it’s imperative to start submitting while you still have that supportive community backing you up. If you aren’t in school, hopefully you have a trusted critique group, mentor or simply friends in writing.

Don’t lose confidence in your writing and know that each rejection isn’t necessarily saying, “Your work isn’t good enough.” It’s probably saying, “You are capable of better, rise to it.”

Maybe someday you’ll be on that inspiring “rejected before accepted” list of people. Maybe I will be too.

The big news of the week: My mother has found Pinterest.

The news of the week that you care about: This week’s backjump comes from her.

Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s a style of French quilting known as boutis where batting is stuffed into parts of the design.

Are their any quilters out there? How about hand-quilters? If even if the only experience you’ve had with a needle is sticking yourself with one as you try to sew a button, you’ll get the idea of how time consuming this process must be. How you can work for hours and hours and not see much progress, or worse have to undo hours and hours of work when you realize the design isn’t going where you want/need it to. (Sound familiar yet?)

Writing is such a combination of talents. You must be free-thinking enough to have unique ideas or spins on age-old tropes, and yet you must be disciplined and rigid enough to force yourself to polish and perfect the original idea. And when you are, the finished product is something as beautiful as the quilt above.

What do you guys think? Do you feel the dichotomy as much as I do?