36 was a big year.

So...tomorrow's my birthday, (Relax, Frances. I'm not going to ask for any gifties, unless you happen to run across a disoriented Zac Efron who can't find his way home, COME TO MAMA, otherwise you're off the hook) And I am beyond grateful to declare that my 36th year was a good one. 

Besides landing an agent and selling my book, I wiggled out three of the little one's teeth, helped the nine year-old master fractions (who'd have thunk?!), and successfully managed my ever-growing television viewing schedule without missing an episode. (When you're talking the train wreck that is The Bachelor/Bachelorette that's saying a lot). I've also secured myself some of the best friends a girl could ask for, not to mention an awesome Fan Club who have been cheering me on all the while.


Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, support and generous love over the last year. Hopefully year 37 will be equally as wonderful.


Until next time, Cheers!

Alcide...

If the inter-species canoodling, sloppy southern accents, and swoon-worth vampires weren't enough to convince you to watch True Blood (it's SO much better than the books), maybe this will.

Fan Club, I'd like to introduce you to Alcide, he's a werewolf.

NEED I SAY MORE?!

A meme...sort of.

If you've read this blog more than twice, you'll know I'm not a huge fan of memes. Mostly because I hate dislike rules. That said, I love my friend Angela a lot more than I hate rules, so in honor of her amazing accomplishments this year (signing with an agent and forging through submission hell with a smile on her face) I'm going to oblige her most recent tagging and play along.  (Of course I'm picking and choosing the questions I want to answer. Once a rule breaker...)


And away we go...

 
Do you prefer coffee or tea in the mornings?
BLICK! Neither. Mornings are reserved for juice and, on rare occasions, hangover reducing therapies. Besides that, warm beverages do not rank high on my list. (Except during the months of October-December. Than a hot cider or a water-based cocoa is acceptable.)

What's your favorite outdoor activity?
Lately it's been laying on the trampoline with my girls looking up at the clouds. Otherwise, hanging out on the patio while Nigel swipes undies from the neighbor's clothesline.

Do you cook and/or bake straight from the recipe, or do you get creative and throw things together in the kitchen?
*hinged at the waist laughing*  Oh...this is so funny. Like I cook...

Which animals must you see when visiting the zoo?
I love the big cats. Sadly, the big cats don't get the same kind of attention at the World Famous San Diego Zoo as the pandas and polar bears, but if you time it right (a cool Saturday morning) the jaguars and panthers are very social and entertaining.

What's your favorite television show airing today?
JEEPERS, Shaggy! You can't expect me to narrow that down to ONE!
There are many, for different reasons:

Guilty Pleasure: The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Nothing like a good train wreck.
Comedy: Modern Family (brilliant writing) or The Big Bang Theory (so true to my life, sadly)
Drama: Mad Men *swoon*, Game of Thrones #nailbiter, TrueBlood (the books were better)
WTF?!: American Horror Story
Family Friendly: Survivor, Dancing with the Stars

Who is your current Hollywood or otherwise famous crush?
*swipes drool from chin* Zac's pretty high on the list, which works out well considering he's going to star in the movie version of the Short Bus. Obviously Bradley Cooper. And, if I could go back in time--Michael Schoeffling, a.k.a. Jake Ryan. He'll always hold a special place in my love court.

Now the writerly stuff... *yawn*

What are you working on right now?
A contemporary YA called, The Heist. (Hawt geek alert!!)

Do your main characters always have the same hair color as you?
Nope. Although their love interests do. Hmm...

Do you make up characters names, or use the names of people you know?
I usually make them up. However, Kaylen, the lead in my recently completed book, AIT, is named after my Twitter/Internet pal Kalen O'Donnell *nods*. Also, I received an email from a girl at work I'd never met before--her name is Gia Johnstone. If that name's not screaming for a novel I don't know what name is!!

Do your stories tend to be plot driven or character driven?
I'm not really sure how to answer this. I guess I think of a broad plot first and then build up my cast of characters around them. But don't you have to have both?? What good is a great plot if your characters are boring--and what good are authentic, unique characters if your plot blows?? And, for the record, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop??
   
Oh, Lordy...you guys sick of me yet? 

Official meme rules mandate that I tag some other people now, but I'm not going to do that because rules make me itch. Here's what I propose: If you want to share your answers to any of those questions, feel free to do so. Otherwise, just tell me that I look pretty today and we'll call it good.
 
 

Getting to know author JENNY TORRES SANCHEZ

Months before I knew I'd be a Running Press kid, I started stalking following one of their authors on her journey toward publication. Besides being kind, charming, and the owner of super cute shoes (I've seen photographic evidence), Jenny Torres Sanchez is a heck of a writer! Her debut, THE DOWNSIDE OF BEING CHARLIE, is available TODAY! (May 22). Jenny's made the first chapter available for a sneak peek on her website. Check it out--and then get your sweet fingers over to Amazon.com to buy a copy!

So, without further adieu, I'd like to welcome to the RookieRiter hot seat, Ms. Jenny Torres Sanchez. *applause*

Jenny, before we jump into the nail-biters, why don't you tell us a little bit about CHARLIE.

JTS:   The Downside of Being Charlie is the story of a teenage boy named Charlie that has a lot going on during his senior year of high school. This is from the back flap:

Charlie is handed a crappy senior year.  Despite losing thirty pounds over the summer, he still gets called “Chunks” Grisner.  What’s worse, he has to share a locker with the biggest Lord of the Rings freak his school has ever seen.  He also can’t figure out whether Charlotte VanderKleaton, the beautiful strawberry lip-glossed new girl, likes him the way he likes her. 

Oh, and then there’s his mom.  She’s disappeared—again—and his dad won’t talk about it.

Somewhere between the madness, Charlie can at least find comfort in his one and only talent that just might get him out of this life-sucking place. But will he be able to hold his head above water in the meantime?

What is it about Charlie that will make readers root for him?

  JTS: I think readers will root for Charlie because they will be able to relate to him. They’ll be able to see some part of themselves in Charlie.  

What’s been your biggest reality check since becoming a published author?

  JTS: That The Downside of Being Charlie actually going to be out there…like actually out there.  I know that sounds funny, but publication is a pretty long process. Usually when your book sells, you have to wait anywhere between 1-3 years before it's actually on the shelves. So it seems like forever before you'll actually see it in book form and people will be able to buy and read it. And during that time you have this strange liberty of telling everyone that yes, your book sold and you will have an actual book in stores and why yes, I guess that makes you an author, but you don't have to deal with negative reviews yet, or the weird beast that is self-promotion, or the anxiety of others actually reading it and forming their own opinions about what you've written.  Then one day, reality hits you. It's going to be on the shelf.  You have to promote it.  People are going to read it. Some people are going to like it. Some people are not going to like it.  That's a bit panic inducing.  Definitely a reality check.

How do you handle writer’s block?

JTS: For me, writer’s block usually means that something is wrong in whatever I’m working on.  It may be that I’ve taken a wrong turn or gone down the wrong path and the reason I don’t know what to write next is because I’ve lost my way somehow.  When that happens, I go back to what I’ve written and try to figure out what went wrong.  Sometimes, it’s that I really loved an idea but it doesn’t make sense for my character and I kind of have to figure out what I can salvage and what I have to ditch (as painful as that is).  I’m pretty stubborn, so sometimes I try to force something to work, but then I concede and try to listen to my characters.  They’re like my tour guides through the story.  When I don’t listen to them, that’s when I get writer’s block.

Also, I try to stick to the advice about stopping when you know what you’re going to write next.  It makes coming back to the page each day easier. 

What is your perfect writing environment?

JTS: A quiet bookstore, before anybody else is there, in a little corner where I can tuck away and make up stories for a few hours as I sip an Americano. 

Any advice for aspiring writers?

JTS: Just write.  Yes, definitely become informed about the publishing process if you're pursuing publication. Yes, join writers groups and attend conferences and become friends with other writers online and such. But don't forget to write.  Writing, the actual writing, is the most important part of it all.

What are you reading right now? (for pleasure)

 JTS:  I just started reading A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. 

And just for fun, a few of my favorite James Lipton questions: 

What is your favorite word?

JTS: I like the word colloquial, pretty much because of the way it sounds and the way it feels when I say it and the way it looks.  

What is your least favorite word?

JTS: Phlegm bothers me.  Is the faux f and silent g really necessary in the same word? Also, it kind of grosses me out.

What sound or noise do you love?
JTS: The sound of water-trickling, crashing, falling, lapping, even dripping.

What sound or noise do you hate?
JTS: Anything that crashes.  It's very jarring and I don't do well with jarring noises. 

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
JTS: Professional photography

 

What profession would you not like to do?
JTS: I'm a wimp so pretty much anything that requires me to be outside for hours at a time.

Wow! Thanks for all your insight and fun answers, Jenny! I feel like I know you so much better now--which is important for any stalker fan. I wish you all the success in the world and am so grateful I get to be part of the Running Press family with someone as talented as yourself.

I SOLD MY BOOK!!! Let's sum up this feeling in one word...

I've been trying to come up with a fancy, dramatic, or amusing way to share my incredible news with all of you, but the truth is I keep coming up short.

Perhaps its because I'm tired (the dog has recently implemented a 4 a.m. potty break to his schedule), or maybe it's because I'm secretly hoping the little faeries who will one day empty the dishwasher will write this post for me. Either scenario is possible, however I think it's probably due to the fact that there is no fancy, dramatic, or amusing way to express what I'm feeling. Instead I think one, short word will do the job:

JOY

(As found in dictionary.com)

joy

 [joi] Show IPA

noun 1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation:

Yes. That's me. I am filled with JOY 

You see friends, my book, Summer on the Short Bus, sold this week. (!!!)   
*heaves a deep breath cause this is feeling really overwhelming right now*

Like any proud mother, I will tell you that my baby isn't like other babies. My baby is extra special. It's irreverent. It's sarcastic. It's funny. It's emotional. It's potentially controversial. And it is ALL.ME. My heart and soul are woven through the 57,000 words that make up this quirky little book. It was inspired by my differently-abled daughter, and realized through my very vivid and, at times, warped imagination. It's a book that you either get or you don't...and I wasn't sure anyone would ever get it enough. Until this week...

Summer on the Short Bus has found a loving, nurturing home at Running Press Teens (An imprint of Perseus Books Group). With the help of my editor, Marlo Scrimizzi, *swoon* (that's FUN to say) The Short Bus will be released in Spring of 2014.

I am ever grateful to my agent, Rachael, who pacified my neurosis during the submission process. To my #posse of friends for their unwavering support that this would actually happen some day. To my family for listening to endless whimperings of a frustrated writer, and most of all to my heavenly father who blessed me with an opportunity I've only dared dream about.

Patience: Not just a noun, but a possibility...

Anyone who has read this blog more than three times is painfully aware that I am NOT a patient person. Turns out most of us writers aren't. (Prolly not the best career choice but...whatever. #crazy)

I'm neck-deep in the submission process right now, and contrary to what I hoped, it involves just as much patience as the searching-for-an-agent game I was struggling through last year. Needless to say, I've been praying for patience. A LOT. Some days are better than others, thanks largely to my top-notch support team (holla!), but there are definitely down days, too.

I was having one of those particularly down days last week. I'd just returned from a family outing to Disneyland. Don't get me wrong, the Mouse House is always great fun, but vacations are hard for me, too. As crazy as it sounds, I feel more secure being in the familiar trenches of my own worry than relishing in distraction of roller coasters and women far too large to be wearing Lycra. I like my routine--even if it's...depressing.

Anyway, back to the story: It was 2:30 a.m., and I' just had an I-had-to-pee-and-now-I-can't-go-back-to-sleep-so-I'll-just-keep-thinking-about-how-crappy-my-life-is moment when I remembered a clip from this movie, Evan Almighty



After my brain hamster wheeled around on that a few minutes, I realized that Morgan Freem...er, God, was absolutely right. Patience may not arrive on my doorstep every morning like a freshly printed USA Today, but I am afforded many opportunities to grow it. MANY!

Writing the Love Interest--The Jake Ryan Complex

I hadn't planned on re-posting anything just yet (this blog still has new car smell) but in reviewing my "stats" I discovered that this particular post gets a lot of attention. I couldn't figure out why...so I reread it. Now I know. It's BEAST, YO! (Hey, I'm a YA writer...I gotta relate to my peeps)

So, because I am a lazy girl, eagerly awaiting a spring break trip to Disneyland, I am go to re-post for the first time ever. Hope you enjoy. (Again)

(Originally posted July 17, 2011)

They say that inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places. In the case of today's post that sentiment couldn't be more true.

Let me set the scene: It's about 6 am Thursday morning. I'm blowing my hair dry in preparation for a day of work, praying for an epiphany as to what my next blog post will be. My husband stumbles into the bathroom, eyes narrowed to pinch out the morning light, and that mysterious nighttime crust is wedged in the corners of his mouth like he'd been making out with a glue stick. (Hands off, ladies, he's taken!) He drops down onto the toilet seat and begins lacing up his running shoes, grumbling about the stupid dog not caring whether he gets walked or not, and that's when it happens...INSPIRATION STRIKES!

With as much maturity as a four-year-old boy who licks mailboxes and chews on his own toenails, my husband discovers he has a little booger dangling from his nose. Rather than depositing said snot rocket into a tissue or square of toilet paper like a civilized person, he determines that an appropriate relocation would be to smear the little sucker on the leg of my pajama pants. Under different circumstances I would have thrown a royal fit, going all blond-afro-girl on his disgusting arse, but I opted not to because he'd just given me my next blog topic, and therefore I was extremely grateful.

It's what I refer to as: THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX

For those of you who don't know who Jake Ryan is, (Cherie!) please pull your head from beneath the rock you're buried under and rent SIXTEEN CANDLES. It's this movie that absolutely ruined the realistic love interest for any teenage girl.

You see, Jake Ryan was really a thirty-year-old man trapped in an eighteen-year-old boy's body. He didn't care that he drove a zippy red Porsche when all the other kids drove hand-me-down Honda's. He was the most popular guy on campus, dating a gorgeous cheerleader with big dairy pillows, but it was of absolutely no consequence to him. Jake wanted more than a good time. He wanted depth. He wanted sincerity. He wanted Samantha Baker, the flat-chested sophomore who took a sex quiz in Independent Study and, stupidly, answered honestly!

"I don't know, Rook," you say skeptically. "This guy sounds too good to be true."

Brilliant deduction my underpaid fan club. He is! HE'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! Which is why we love him so much!

As YA authors it's our job to create a desirable 17-20 year old boy that any girl would be thrilled to tongue tangle with. He shall be good looking, mature for his age, loyal, funny, smart and be willing to walk through fire, slay dragons, stake vampires, publicly humiliate snobby cheerleaders, or put an abusive father in his place on his girl's behalf, all within forty-eight hours of meeting her.

Is he realistic? HECK NO! But who wants to read about a pimple-faced kid who lights his own farts for entertainment? Our job is to create the ideal boyfriend who says all the right things and makes our tummy quiver with just a glance. Is it misleading to our young readers? Yep. But if we had our Jake Ryan moment it only seems fair that they should have theirs, too. After all, in fifteen short years they'll look down and find a booger stuck to their cotton jammies.