New Year, New Reads (part two)

As promised on Monday, a photo of the books given and received by my husband’s side of the family:

• The German Cookbook by Mimi Sheraton
• Top Chef: The Cookbook (yum, husband will be busy)
• Feed by M.T. Anderson (finally, my own copy so I can force others to read it, hah!)
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
• Simon’s Cat by Simon Tofield (a great gift for cat owners)
• Earth by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
• The Moving Feast by Allan Nation
• Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher
• Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels (hopefully the above two will result in my brother-in-law needing taste testers…)
• Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson (I think I’m the only person who hasn’t read Three Cups of Tea yet…putting it on the 2011 to-do list)

Overall, it was an excellent season for book gifting. Anyone have any stories about favorite book gifts received (this year or previously)?

 

New Year, New Reads

First off, Happy 2011 everyone! Thanks to every one of you who contributed to The Writing Cave’s 2600 views in 2010 and here’s to an even better 2011.

Coming out of the holidays, all my family members have new books to read and my sister (thanks Munchkin!) suggested I take a picture of our collective bookshelf additions for The Writing Cave. The idea actually permeated my sugar-cookie-stupor and I got it done

Group 1 (my side of family):

• New road atlas and New Concise World Atlas (I wonder if Grandma’s taking me on whatever road trip she’s planning…)
• The Likeness by Tana French
• Two Robin Hood books for my collection (Dad learned a lot about collectible books for this gift, he’s so cute)
• How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack by Chuck Sambuchino (LOVE this one)
• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Husband is almost done with this monster already)
• The Complete Book of Sushi (I think this means my cousin has to start cooking for me)
• The Art of Eric Carle (If you’re ever in the Amherst, MA area, go visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. It’s wonderful!)
• Harry Potter Film Wizardry (Potterheads, have you seen this? It’s AMAZING!)
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (you’re welcome, little sister, for getting you hooked)
• Dewey’s Nine Lives by Vicki Myron
• Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs
• The Omnivore’s Dilema by Michael Pollan
• The All American Cheese and Wine Book by Laura Werlin (YUM)
• Aunting by Laura Ellingson
• Birth in Four Cultures by Brigitte Jordan (my cousin’s a social anthropologist, that’s all I know about these last two )

I’ll post my husband’s side of the family book gifts on Friday (hint: more farming and food books, less children’s). Did any of you get great book-related gifts? Or were any you gave well received?

 

Top 100 Children’s Novels

I found this list via YABOOKNERD  and, due to the human need to keep score, promptly counted up how many I’d read.

Except, some I couldn’t remember if I’d read. Some, I’ve just seen the movie (sad, but true). And some are recent library book sale purchases I haven’t gotten around to yet (also sad). So the ones I specifically remember reading are in bold.

#1 Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

#2 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

#3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

#4 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

#5 From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

#6 Holes by Louis Sachar

#7 The Giver by Lois Lowry

#8 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

#9 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

#10 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

#11 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

#12 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

#13 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

#14 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

#15 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

#16 Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

#17 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

#18 Matilda by Roald Dahl

#19 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

#20 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

#21 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riodan

#22 The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo

#23 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

#24 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

#25 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

#26 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

#27 A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett

#28 Winnie-the Pooh by A.A. Milne

#29 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland /Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

#30 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

#31 Half Magic by Edward Eager

#32 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

#33 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

#34 Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

#35 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling

#36 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

#37 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

#38 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

#39 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

#40 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

#41 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

#42 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

#43 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

#44 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

#45 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

#46 Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

#47 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

#48 The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

#49 Frindle by Andrew Clements

#50 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

#51 The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

#52 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

#53 Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

#54 The BFG by Roald Dahl

#55 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

#56 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

#57 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

#58 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

#59 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

#60 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

#61 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

#62 The Secret of the Old Clock (The Nancy Drew mysteries) by Caroline Keene

#63 Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright

#64 A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

#65 Ballet Shoes by Noah Streatfeild

#66 Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary

#67 Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

#68 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

#69 The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

#70 Betsy Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

#71 A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

#72 My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

#73 My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

#74 The Borrowers by Mary Norton

#75 Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

#76 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

#77 City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

#78 Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

#79 All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

#80 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

#81 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

#82 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

#83 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

#84 Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

#85 On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

#86 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

#87 The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

#88 The High King by Lloyd Alexander

#89 Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary

#90 Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

#91 Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

#92 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

#93 Caddie Woodlawn by C. R. Brink

#94 Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

#95 Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

#96 The Witches by Roald Dahl

#97: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

#98 Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston

#99 The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

#100 The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Final count-

• Novels read: 58
• Owned but not yet read: 7
• Fuzzy memory, therefore don’t count: 3
• Books never before heard of: 9

Look out library, here I come! What are your stats?

 

Reading Meme

So this was on YABOOKNERD awile (OK, a long time) ago, and this is all the brain power I have for a Friday

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:

I snack all the time. Favorite reading snack is either chocolate or Skittles, same as necessary writing snacks. And Diet Coke. Always Diet Coke.

What is your favorite drink while reading?

(Note to self: read ahead). So yeah, Diet Coke. Hot chocolate if it’s rainy or cold.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

Only in nonfiction books. The first time I marked in a book in college, I felt like such a rebel. Remember that rush you got from writing your name in the front of a classroom textbook? But in fiction books, never. I don’t even put my name in the front. Only exception: I’ll write a note on the title page if it’s a gift.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

Used to dog-ear, thankfully stopped that. I own about a billion bookmarks, but of course never use them; random receipts stay in place much better. If I get interrupted (ex: The PopTarts are done, husband says “the cows are out”), I’ll lay the book flat.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Usually fiction. Non-fiction if it’s research or farm-related.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I prefer to stop at chapter endings, otherwise I’ll have to re-read a page or two when starting up again. Who am I kidding, that happens anyway.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?

No, but I yell at characters and make weird noises (often at the same time).

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

I probably should but I don’t. I just take the context and move on.

What are you currently reading?

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (finally).

What is the last book you bought?

Check the Powell’s swag post.

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?

Usually just one. Sometimes I’ll try one fiction and one non-fiction, but I just get caught up in the fiction. And there’re so many books to read…

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

ALL THE TIME! Of course, that’s not always possible, so usually before bed. And in the car. I can’t imagine how different my childhood would’ve been if I got car sick.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?

No preference, but I do hate waiting for the next book in a series to be released

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?

There are so many great books and authors out there! My family and friends tend more toward young adult than middle grade, so my John Green books, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and Shiver are making the rounds.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author’s last name, etc.)

I had a very specific series-based random system growing up (I know it sounds weird…and it was), then I went through an alphabetizing phase. Then, when we moved a few months ago, we inherited this bookshelf John’s great-grandfather made (which is awesome), but the top shelves are really small (which interrupts the alphabetizing). So they’re all over the place now. (Unpacking sounded like this: “Ooo, Dealing with Dragons is small. And The Odyssey. And, God bless them, all these Redwall books!”)

What are your answers to some of these?

 

Powell’s (a.k.a. The Promised Land)

Have you ever imagined a world where new and used, hardcover and paperback books all lived on hundreds of shelves together in harmony, waiting to be discovered by eager readers? Folks, I have found that place and it is Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon.

This isn’t a little-known, out-of-the-way bookstore; it takes up an entire city block in downtown Portland and has three stories of awesomeness (or four? I lost count. Seriously). I knew it was on-like-Donkey-Kong when we walked in and found by the check out counter 1) Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus and 2) 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes. Hello heaven!

Obviously, most of my time was spent in the Rose Room, home to the children’s, MG, and YA sections. You want it, they had it. John Green books on sale for $5? Check. The new Rick Riordan and Jacqueline West books? Bingo. Books I didn’t know I needed until I saw them? Oh yeah!

I limited myself to one shopping basket full (mainly for airline luggage weight restrictions) and have been reading like a fiend ever since. Bask in the awesomeness:

Have you ever been to Powell’s? What are your favorite bookstores?

 

New Digs – “To-read” shelf

Lots of people refer to their “to-read pile” or “to-read list,” but as I was unpacking books in the new Writing Cave location this weekend, I realized my “to-read” section literally took up an entire bookshelf:

 

OK, maybe not an entire bookshelf, but a good portion (This shelf is next to my writing desk, so obviously room had to be left for the Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe action figures, ACC basketball cows, and other inspirations/distractions). The shelf is so full right now because in the last month I had great luck at the SCBWI Iowa book sale and a Half Price Books grand opening. But some other books have been borrowed from other people for so long I’m worried they’re going to take some of mine as collateral next time.

This weekend I finished I’m a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb, which was quite entertaining, but now my shelf is on hold while I read The Farmstead Creamery Advisor and work on a business plan with my husband. Oh, speaking of the cows, now that The Writing Cave is on the farm, there will be more gratuitous cow pictures:

So how do you deal with your “to-read” books? Do you read them when you get them or do some tend to sit around?

 

Linkfest Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone, and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Are you wearing green? This week’s linkfest:

Wondering which social media sites are worth your time and effort? Check out the CMO’s Guide to The Social Landscape. Sure it’s geared towards businesses and brands, but isn’t that what writers are?

The Intern has a wonderful and (mostly) serious list of The Ten Best Things You Can Do For Your Manuscript.

Ever wonder which fairy tale princess you are? Yeah, I never really had either, but found this quiz via Teenreads.com and thought it was a great book promotional idea. (I’m Cinderella, what about you?)

And in the spirit of the NCAA basketball tournaments (Go Cyclones!), check out this fantasy character bracket at Indexed, via Elana Roth.

Have a great rest of the week!

 

Interview with Dori Hillestad Butler

Dori Hillestad Butler is the author of over twenty picture and chapter books. Her new series, The Buddy Files, follows the adventures of a mystery-solving dog. Dori, thank you so much for visiting The Writing Cave.

I love the premise of your new series. Does your real life dog, Mouse, have hidden abilities?

Thank you…yes, my real life dog definitely has hidden abilities. In fact, I think he might be a superhero in disguise.

What’s it like to have three books coming out at one time? Was the process different than with your previous books?

It’s exciting! And yes, the process was different with these books than it’s been with previous books. We’ve had very short lead time on these books, so I’ve worked much closer with my editor. We worked on all three books at the same time. I was reading page proofs of book 1 at the same time I was revising book 2 and writing the first draft of book 3. I actually liked working this way because I was able to go back and plant things in earlier books.

How does your writing process usually work?

I turn in a detailed outline. There’s some back and forth on the outline with my editor. This is the stage where we might make big structural changes to the story. Then I write the first draft. If there’s time, I give it to my critique groups (I have two); if not, I turn it in with a note that says, “you realize this is a FIRST draft, right? That means I still get to make lots of changes.” Then I go through and mark things I want to look at again, but I don’t actually make the changes yet at this point. Not until I hear from my editor. Once I get comments from my editor, the real work begins. I LOVE revision…revision is much easier for me than facing the blank screen. In fact, I love revision so much I never want to stop revising. I drive my editor a little bit crazy because I always want to make “just five more changes.”

I can certainly relate to that taunting blank screen! What things do you do to promote your books?

I do signings and school visits. I blog (though not as regularly as I used to). I’m going to be working with my publisher to start an e-newsletter about Buddy. Basically I do whatever my publisher asks me to do. Promotion is not one of my strengths…but I know I can’t expect my publisher to do everything, so I’m trying to be better.

Looking back on 2009, what were your three favorite reads last year?

I started reading Kathryn Stockett’s The Help in 2009, so I think I can list that, even though I finished it in 2010. That was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The voices were incredible. It was hard to believe I was reading fiction. And I’m pretty sure I read Savvy by Ingrid Law in 2009. That was my favorite children’s book from last year. I’m not sure I can choose just one more, so I’ll choose three: Paper Towns by John Green, Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

I loved Savvy :) Do you own an electronic reader? Do you have an opinion on ebooks?

I do! I never thought I wanted one…I’m one of those people who likes the feel and smell of a physical book. But my husband and older son love their Kindles. And they bought me one for Mother’s Day last year. I liked it a lot better than I expected to. I like having access to so many books at once, I like being able to change the size of the type, I like being able to take notes on what I’m reading (I never wrote in my books), and it’s much easier to prop up my Kindle and read while I’m on the exercise bike or treadmill or while I’m eating my lunch than it is to prop up an actual book.

If I was buying an e-reader today, though, I don’t think I’d get the Kindle. I’d get the Nook. Our library has e-books that you can check out…but it doesn’t work with Kindle.

That’s a great Mother’s Day gift! Kudos to your family. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Never give up!

What are you working on next?

The next Buddy Files book.

I’m a cheese freak, so I have to ask: what’s your favorite cheese and why?

You’re a woman after my own heart! I love cheese, too. When I’m in an Italian restaurant, I’d rather the waiter just let me grate my own cheese…they either stop before I say okay or the amount of time it takes for them to grate as much cheese as I’d actually like gets uncomfortable for both of us.

Once again, I don’t think I can name just one favorite. I like fresh cheese curds that squeak, fresh mozzarella balls, smoked cheddar, brie…anything except blue cheese.

Maybe there’s a portable cheese grater that can travel in purses for such occasions :) Thanks so much, Dori. Learn more about Dori Hillestad Butler on her website and blog and be sure to check out The Buddy Files for lots of mystery-solving doggie fun!

 

Interview with Sarah Prineas

Sarah Prineas is the author of the amazing The Magic Thief series and is a fellow Iowan, as well as another “Sarah with an h.” Sarah, thank you so much for visiting The Writing Cave!

Thanks for having me, fellow Sarah-with-an-h!  

I just finished reading The Magic Thief: Lost and there was a good amount of sword fighting in there. Did you get to do any yourself for research?

A little online research, yes.  Also, I was a fencer in high school and drew on memories of that, though fencing isn’t exactly the same as sword fighting.  When The Magic Thief: Lost came out I did a presentation at the Iowa City Public Library and two members of the UI Fencing Club acted out one of the sword fighting scenes while I read it aloud.  Fun!  Here’s a link to Rowan’s sword fighting tips. 

Wow, library + fencing club = awesome! You talk about dragons a lot on your website. Who are your favorite dragons in literature?

Well, Smaug, of course, from JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.  He’s so evil and tricky.  Also the dragon in Beowulf, which is described so beautifully, and is surely the grandfather of Tolkien’s dragon:

    When the dragon awoke, trouble flared again.

    He rippled down the rock, writhing with anger

    when he saw the footprints of the prowler who had stolen

    too close to his dreaming head.

How does your writing process work? Has it changed as you get more experience?

One of the main things that writers have to figure out as they become writers is their process.  Mine hasn’t evolved all that much, though I’ve become more mindful about what I’m doing and why it works.  My process is based on the following:

1) I write when I feel inspired to write and not out of any sense of duty, and I never feel guilty that I should be writing or working harder.  If the act of writing is a joy, then the writing itself will have a spark.

2) I don’t plan or outline, so writing is an act of discovery.

You would think this kind of process would add up to disaster, but I’ve never missed a deadline!

What things do you do to promote your books?

I have a vexed relationship with book promotion, and I should warn you that I have strong opinions about it!  When The Magic Thief came out, my publisher, HarperCollins, pushed it very hard.  In the first 18 months just before and after the first two books came out, I did four book tours, both here in the US and in the UK.  If an author is asked by her publisher to do a tour, or do other promotional stuff, she can’t really say no, but it is very, very hard work, and being away from home and family is difficult.  For example, at one point I got back from a UK tour and within 12 hours had left for the airport again for an event in the US.  For a while I said yes to every appearance request, and finally got burned out.  Lately I’ve cut way back on book promotion, and frankly it hasn’t made a scrap of difference to how the books are doing.  I think authors worry too much about self promotion, when the best thing you can do for your writing career is to write the next book.

So right now I’m doing basically nothing to promote the books, beyond Skype school visits (which are easy and fun!), the occasional appearance, and paying a guy to maintain my website. 

Thanks for such an honest answer. There are a lot of opinions in the blogosphere about what authors need to do for promotion, and it’s great to get a different view. Looking back on 2009, what were your three favorite reads last year?

Hmm!  This is hard. 

Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind, which is a wonderful, character-driven adult fantasy novel that brilliantly redefines epic fantasy. 

Megan Whelan Turner’s A Conspiracy of Kings, the fourth book in her Queen’s Thief series.  It’s got MWT’s trademark character development and intrigue and tricky plot twists.  I read this as an ARC; it’s out in April.

E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, a YA set at an elite private school; it’s all about power and gender with a great YA voice.

Do you own an electronic reader? Do you have an opinion on ebooks?

Nope, I don’t have an e-reader and don’t plan on getting one.  I like the old fashioned book technology.  As far as ebooks go, I hope publishers figure out how to make e-publishing work for them, so that authors can get paid for their work and can continue to benefit from having editorial oversight on their books.  The unedited self-published ebook is a thing to be feared. 

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Never Surrender!  It’s tough to break into publishing, and there are no guarantees, but with luck, talent, and persistence, you can do it!

Very inspiring :) What are you working on next? Is it true there will be a fourth Magic Thief book?

Let’s see.  As you may know, HarperCollins has taken three more books from me after The Magic Thief trilogy.  The tricky thing is, I’m not sure yet what books those are going to be!  The first one is done; it’s a MG fantasy called The Crow Queen’s Daughter and it should be out in spring 2011.  After that, we’ll see.  I have written a fourth Magic Thief novel (I’m revising it now), but my editor hasn’t decided yet whether Harper will publish it.  Probably depends on sales numbers from the trilogy, which won’t be relevant until this summer.  After that, I have an idea for a sequel to the Crow book, plus my editor is interested in a couple of the other proposals I wrote up for her last year.  I’ll be excited to work on any of them. 

Wow, you’re busy! Finally, I’m a cheese freak, so I have to ask: what’s your favorite cheese and why?

Hey, I’m a cheese freak, too!  You know how some people have a sweet tooth?  I have a fat tooth, and it loves cheese.  I love a well-aged sharp cheddar, Vermont-style (white, not orange).  Also the stinky cheese, gorgonzola, especially on pizza.  Another favorite is feta on a green salad. 

Mmmm.  How can I possibly choose a favorite?!

I LOVE the “fat tooth” idea and will now be using it whenever possible. Thanks so much to today’s guest, Sarah Prineas. Learn more about her at her website and blog, and if you haven’t read The Magic Thief books yet, what are you waiting for? The third, The Magic Thief: Found, will be available on May 25, 2010!

 

Interview with Eileen Boggess

Eileen Boggess is the author of the Mia Fullerton series consisting of Mia the Meek, Mia the Melodramatic, and Mia the Magnificent. She is also a fellow central Iowan!

Eileen, thank you so much for visiting The Writing Cave. First off, your website says Mia started as a response to an assignment you gave your students. What did they think of the finished product?

They were very kind, but then again, I was their teacher and had the power to fail them . These students are all now juniors in college.

Do your kids ever get nervous that something they say or do will end up in a book?

I just asked my fifteen year-old daughter this question and she said that sometimes she regrets telling me a story after I say, “That would be a great idea for a book!” So, I guess the answer is yes.

You’ve clearly got this writing thing figured out. How does your writing process work?

I wish I had the writing thing figured out! My process is write for a few pages at a time, then the next day, review what I have written, change everything, then write a few more pages. I do this for about a year and then I give it to my editor and he has me completely revise it again!

My biggest problem is finding time to write. A few times I have checked myself into a hotel and written for 12 hours straight.

That’s not a bad idea! So what things do you do to promote your books?

I do a lot of school visits. Also, word of mouth seems to help as well. For my last book, my editor sent review copies to popular book review bloggers and so far, I have received wonderful reviews. Hopefully this will help as well.

It’s so nice to have people appreciating all that hard work. Looking back on 2009, what were your three favorite reads last year?

That is a tough question because I love too many books. I really enjoyed BREATHE MY NAME by R.A. Nelson (who came to an Iowa SCBWI event) FAIREST OF THEM ALL by Iowan Jan Blazanin, SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff, and A HIGHER GEOMETRY by Iowan Sharelle Byars Moranville.

Do you own an electronic reader? Do you have an opinion on ebooks?

I don’t own one but I would love to get one. If anyone is feeling overly generous, they can send one to me

I think ebooks are great. I write so people can read what I’ve written. I don’t care how, where, or when they read my books, I just want them to be enjoyed!

Very true. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

The simple answer is read, read, read and write, write, write! Then, study other people’s writing, learn the business, and join a writer’s group. If you are talented enough, with a little luck, and a lot of perseverance, it will happen.

What are you working on next?

I am working on a young adult manuscript that includes political scandal, a dead body, and road kill. Also, my editor has asked me to collaborate with his assistant editor to write a romantic comedy screenplay, so I am excited about that as well.

Wow, that IS exciting! Maybe you could get a cameo role Finally, I’m a cheese freak, so I have to ask: what’s your favorite cheese and why?

I like smoked cheddar cheese because it goes well with salami and I tend to like the most fattening foods possible

Mmm that sounds good! Thanks so much Eileen. Read more about Eileen and the Mia Fullerton series at her website and blog.