PHENOMENAL BOOKS FOR FREE

Carol Baldwin and I just published our latest issue of TALKING STORY.  The theme is IMMIGRATION so we're giving away a few books on the topic.

HOPE AND TEARS:  Ellis Island Voices - More than twenty five characters share, through touching free verse, their history with  Ellis Island.  This book written by Gwenyth Swain was published by Calkins Creek books.  Like everything Editor, Carolyn Yoder produces, it is permeated with history and sheer beauty.

THE AMAZING HARRY KELLAR:  Great American Magician also published by Calkins Creek Books and edited by Carolyn Yoder, is stellar in every way. Author Gail Jarrow gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the work of a spectacular illusionist and performer. Chocked full of photos, advertising posters, and pictures of actual illusions, this book entertains and informs. 

A Step from Heaven is a haunting Korean Immigrant story which won the Printz Award in 2002 and was a National Book Award finalist in 2001. The copy we're giving away is a gently used paperback which includes an interview with Author, An Na.

Carol and I offer much more on the topic of immigration in literature in our newsletter.  You'll be happy that you clicked over there to enter the contest. (See giveaway notification and email link in the sidebar.) Deadline is May 21.

Good luck!

MAN OF 2 1/2 OR 3 FACES MINIMUM

A few years ago, I blogged about Living Statues in Liepzig, Germany and Boston, MA. Then, this morning I received a comment on that post from an actor telling me he does a similar performance here in North Carolina. So I checked him out on Facebook and also at his website. 

Wowsie!  He's good.

I'm especially intrigued with his silver drummer girl personna.



But over at his Facebook page I see Sir Walter Raleigh too.

I LIKED him on Facebook so I expect to discover more of his faces.  Mostly, though, I'd LIKE to bump into him on a North Carolina street one day.

History, in your face!

GREENHORN by Anna Olswanger

Greenhorn is a different kind of Holocaust story. For one thing, it's suitable for younger readers and for another, it takes place in Manhattan.

Set in a Yeshiva (Elementary School that teaches Jewish and secular subjects) the story is told from the viewpoint of Aaron, a 6th grader. 

One day, Aaron's teacher, Rabbi Ehrlich announces that twenty new students will be enrolling. The parents of all these new boys  have died in concentration camps in Poland. Aaron knows about concentration camps.  He knows a lot of things which he tries to share with his fellow students but they don't care about his knowledge.  Instead they taunt him because he stutters.

When the new boys arrive, one of them, Daniel, is especially peculiar.  Daniel rarely speaks and he carries a small tin box around like a stuffed animal or security blanket.  Naturally the boys hassle him about this.

Aaron tries to befriend Daniel and although he's curious about the box he does not pressure him as the other boys do.  Then one day, the other boys tackle Daniel, the box falls open, and the contents roll out.  The boys all find out exactly what is in the box and why Daniel clings so desperately to it.

Author, Olswanger includes a glossary of Jewish terms used in the book.  And I especially loved the "Afterward" in which she explains the real life story behind this fictionalized account.

Miriam Nerlove illustrates the story with exquisite water colors.

This is a great book for younger readers because the New York setting provides some emotional distance from a deeply painful topic. At 48 pages, it's a quick read.  Perfect for boys although girls will absolutely want to read it also. 

Author Anna Olswanger and publisher, NewSouth Books are of giving away a copy of GREENHORN with 2 autographs - the author's and the main character's.  (His real name isn't Aaron but the character himself is real and still living.)

To enter, leave a comment here or email Carol Baldwin and I through our Talking Story newsletter. The March April theme is the Holocaust so hop on over there and check out some Holocaust related resources.

WALKING AROUND INSIDE MY STORY

If you take a minute to view this book trailer of Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick, you'll see how he walks around inside the pages of his book. I want a book trailer like that!

This is how I feel when I am researching and writing. It's like being there, feeling the atmosphere of the time and place.


For me, and my work-in-progress, the time is 1961. The place is East Germany. It all feels black and white. Stark and scary. Etched with mixed loyalties.

My character is struck but not wonderstruck - that's for sure.  Mostly he's just stuck.

Happy Birthday, Jessie Pearl

This week, I've thrown intense leprosy info at you. This topic contains much hope these days, but it's still tough to encounter.

So we'll take a soothing break to connect with a brand new "Happy Birthday to you today YA novel". The Ballad of Jessie Pearl by Shannon Hitchcock.

This story is set in 1922 in rural North Carolina.  Jessie Pearl has big plans for her life but then tuberculosis strikes and family loyalties take over.  Jessie takes on unfamiliar challenges, meeting them with grace and tenacity.

I read The Ballad of Jessie Pearl a few months ago and immediately fell in love with this authentic North Carolina character and her story.

In addition to writing a beautiful tender YA novel, Shannon Hitchcock provides teachers with a curriculum guide coordinated to the Common Core State Standards Initiative.  Visit Shannon's gorgeous website for a copy of her curriculum guide and info about author visits.

The Ballad of Jessie Pearl is published by namelos.

Video Glimpse into Father Damien of Molokai

In keeping with World Leprosy Week, I post this video narrated by Max Lucado - a glimpse into the life of Father Damien of Molokai. 

And in case you missed the news, I'm giving away a copy of Healing Water. See below.

  Linda Andersen hosted me over at her blog, A Writer's Playground. Comment there for a chance to win Healing Water, historical fiction that takes place in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.  Deadline is Saturday at midnight.

CARVILLE, LOUISIANA (and a Healing Water giveaway)

In keeping with World Leprosy Week, I'd like to call your attention to the former leprosy hospital in Carville, Louisiana. It's closed now but in previous decades, if you lived in mainland, USA and contracted leprosy, you could be sent there to live.

Today, the former hospital houses a museum that commemorates those years and that offers information about leprosy.  

Just in case you cannot hop in the car and head to Louisiana, consider one of these virtual tours.

I have this lovely, immensely informative book about Carville.  It not only clears up some of the confusion about leprosy but also shares stories of people who were hospitalized and their heartwarming interactions with the Carville community.  

As James Carville says in the book's Forward, "...our little town in southern Louisiana became a model for the world, a place of hope, progress, and tolerance."

Sounds much like Kalaupapa, Hawaii where my Healing Water takes place.

And BTW - this week, Linda Andersen is giving away a copy of Healing Water over at A Writer's Playground.

HEALING WATER GIVEAWAY!

Linda Andersen, at A Writer's Playground, knows this is World Leprosy Week so she invited me to post a Q & A on the topics of leprosy and my book, Healing Water

So I did.  We're giving away a copy of the book over there so click on through and leave a comment if you're interested in winning. 

But first my character wants to introduce his story.

                                                        
Go now, and read my post over there will you? And don't forget to enter the contest.

COWBOYS by David L. Harrison

I have this magnificent picture book in front of me. Something every kid or teacher would want to own.  And not only that, it's a giveaway.  I'll tell you in a moment how you can enter. 

But first, a glimpse of the book!

This is one gorgeous piece of work - the perfect pairing of poet (David L. Harrison) and illustrator (Dan Burr)  Together these gentlemen paint history so real and heartfelt that the reader wants to go back there.  Back to a time before railroads turned cattle drives into history.

Read this soulful determined poem.  Then I'll link you to the equally beautiful illustration.

SETTING OUT

All my life,
do what Master say.
He say, "Mind my cows,"
I mind his cows.

Cows, me,
my children,
wife-
all his.

No more.
Nobody owns me now.
Signed my X,
agreed to drive this rancher's cows
from Texas up to Abilene-

for pay.
My pay.

I'm on a journey of my own
figuring how it feels
to be free.

Now, take a look at this proud, hopeful cowboy, ready to set out on his new life of freedom.

There's a whole lot of cowboy life in the pages of this book. Each page-spread is one poem with a vivid illustration that shares the viewpoint of a different cowboy or one aspect of life on the range.

 Just leave a comment here. But over at Talking Story we have several giveaways so if you don't win COWBOYS you just might win a consolation prize!

You may have noticed that the theme of this issue of TALKING STORY is Poetry. and also that Highlights Foundation is offering several poetry workshops in 2013.  David Harrison will lead POETRY FOR THE DELIGHT OF IT, September 30 - October 3.  

I could be tempted... 

The Ballad of Jessie Pearl Book Trailer

Shannon Hitchcock's lovely YA historical novel, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl is now available - just in time for Christmas.  Shannon is busy getting the word out and one of her marketing tools includes the making of a book trailer. 

I'm pleased to say that my daughter, Wendy Hostetter Davis created the trailer.  But I'll let Shannon tell you about that!

Remembrance Day: The Poppy Lady

 

And now the Torch and Poppy red 

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught,

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

I can think of no better advocate for veterans than Moina Belle Michael who initiated the wearing of paper poppies to commemorate those who died in battle. But Moina did so much more than write a poem and wear poppies.  She offered physical and emotional support in countless ways.

I highly recommend Barbara Walsh's picture book biography and Layne Johnson's stunning illustrations.  Lots of historical matter included, of course.  After all, it was published by Calkins Creek Books.

MY NEXT BIG THING

Novelist, Katia Raina tagged me in a work-in-progress meme called The Next Big Thing.  (read about Katia's forthcoming novel here).  I'm accepting the challenge and answering some questions regarding the book I'm working on. 

What is the working title of your book?   TRAMPER  (think hobo, world traveler etc.)

Where did the idea for the book come from?  You know that panicky sensation you get when you realize you'll never live long enough or write fast enough to write every story you care about? Basically I got that feeling, followed by this wacko idea to combine several stories into one big family saga.  It was easy to find a common thread (German-American history) and I realized that these various stories I loved could happen to different people in one family line.


One-to two-sentence synopsis of the book:  TRAMPER is five individual stories that build to tell one larger German-American family history. The first character is born to German immigrants in the U.S in 1889. The in-between characters live through German-American tensions of the World Wars and the Cold War. The final character is on hand for the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

What else about this book might peak the readers’ interest?  Romance. I mean you can't produce the next generation if young people don't fall in love.  So, several romances.  And some high drama history - think escape plans, protest marches, and secret police. 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? I can't imagine everself-publishing because I don't want the responsibility. Not to mention, I need to work with an editor!

I'm interested in pursuing an agent but oh my, that means polishing up my marketing skills! Any writer friends want to recommend me?    ; )

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Hmmm - 2 years and counting... But then again, during those 2 years I took chunks of time off for family needs and also to work on another manuscript. I've spent probably a year focusing on just TRAMPER.  But I'm not finished researching or writing.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Oh, boy, anything I say would just sound pretentious. And honestly, I don't even know. I have yet to read Alan Gratz' THE BROOKLYN NINE but I've read that it covers nine generations within one family and that each story represents the next generation. I guess in terms of generational stories it's something like that.

TRAMPER is a verse novel so I could perhaps compare it to BORROWED NAMES by Jeannine Atkins which uses free verse to tell the stories of three famous mother-daughter pairs. (It's terrific!)

My dream would be to convey history with the soul of Jennifer Roy's YELLOW STAR (a holocaust story told in free verse).

What characters would you choose to play a movie rendition?
Ha!  This question is so out of my league.  But some German actors would be lovely!

I sure hope that TRAMPER is my next big thing! 

What about you, Carol Baldwin, Rosi Hollinbeck, Marcia Hoehne, Clara Gillow Clark, and Vijaya Bodach.

IF, you're so inclined, use the same questions to tell us what your next big thing is. And if you're not so inclined, just keep on writing. The children will thank you!

I'm So Overdue

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry, I haven't written.

But...

 I've been thinking about it for a long time!

Image and sentiments Courtesy of American Greetings.

I've had this greeting card for a long time, also.  But I can't seem to part with it.  Thought I'd share it here.

Vanessa Brantley Newton

Hey folks, I have an extra special treat for you today.   A feast for 

the eyes as I welcome illustrator,  Vanessa Brantley Newton to my blog.  Don't you love that dazzling smile?

Vanessa does all kinds of illustration - from magazines to children's books.  And she makes dolls, handmade books and a whole variety of crafts!  She has a fondness for retro,  loves to illustrate people in multicultural situations, and she adores everything about clothing, including drawing them on kids. 

She recently finished two children's books:

  EVERY LITTLE THING  

by Cedella Marley 

(Based on the song Three Little Birds by Bob Marley)

 and THINK BIG 

by Liz Garton Scanlon

Vanessa it's so great to meet you and to see your accomplishments.  I'm curious about your process.  Let’s say you have a book idea or an assignment in front of you.  How do you go about tackling the new project?

Oh my goodness this seems to be the question that I get asked the most. I have been drawing all my life. I started illustrating children's books with Scholastic. My very first assignment was for a magazine called," Read and Rise". I remember the butterflies that I had in my stomach and the horrible headache that was brought on by fear. The fear of not doing it right! I finally took a deep breathe and said to myself," These people have asked YOU to do this because they believe in you. This is what  you have been preparing for all this time now is the time to do it. Do it scared, but do it." I prayed and put pen to paper and did it. Since then I have done it almost 35 time now it I tend to take myself through the same thing each time. It's a little scary each time I do it. I put my faith not so much in myself or what I can do, but in the Giver of this wonderful gift. He lends me His genius and it takes the pressure off of me to preform. I send time looking at the project and doing small sketches. I get to know the characters and do lots of drawing of the characters. If the book calls for research I spend days looking for resources that will help me. I also talk to the editors and art directors as much as possible cause they give me great direction and feedback.

Oh, I like that line.  "Do it scared.  But do it." I'm guessing you solicit critical feedback before submitting your work. Is that true?

I have a wonderful friend in another artist illustrator Eric Barclay. He lives in Dallas, TX, but we Skype and talk all the time. Eric gets to see my work and lets me know what he thinks. He is very honest with me and let's me know if it needs work. The plus is that he is a guy and sometimes guys just know how to shoot straight with their comments. He doesn't worry about hurting my feelings. It's about getting the best work out there.

Exactly!   I realize illustrators have to revise just as we writers do.   What kind of revisions might an art director ask for?

There are a lot of revisions that they might ask for like, making the character a boy instead of a girl. Show a mixed race child. Show a scene from a different perspective. I once did a character that the art director hated! She didn't like this guy at all. She asked me to remove him a couple of times. We went back and forth until another art director told her that he was in love with the character and felt that he needed to stay just as he was. It's a give and take situation at time. We work together to make it happen.

 Can you share some images of a published illustration that show revisions you made along the way?

For the cover of Drum City, I offered the publisher several options. Regarding the first one the editor said, "It has a quietness about it.  While I love it, it doesn't have the energy of the second one."

The second one has the energy of a clamoring bunch of children coming together to form a parade in the city.  It says urban to me."

 LET FREEDOM SING is based on the song, This Little Light of Mine and it celebrates the African-American historical struggle for equality.

This Greensboro Four lunch counter scene is creative and shows both boys and girls.  

But Harriet, the editor, wanted it to reflect historical accuracy as well as creativity so she asked  me to  portray only the four gentlemen involved.  "I love Harriet,  She is very bold when she talks to you.  She said, 'all black people don't look alike.  Put some color in there.' She wanted to show diversity within color.

Note the differences in these two illustrations.  The first one they loved it  but...

the book was not meant to incite.  We knew the truth that some people went to jail and died but what was more important was that what brought us together was the song. (This Little Light of Mine)  It was meant to tell a story -  not to make people feel bad. In this revision we see diversity of people standing together.

Vanessa, I love hearing about your process and now I want that book.  Thanks so much for sharing a few of your marvelous images with us. We look forward to enjoying many more.  Congratulations on your recent publications!

This Day in History: Presidential Assassination

When I began writing my current story, I had a time frame in mind - around 1900. I had a setting. North Tonawanda, New York. But I didn't have a story.

I started reading everything I could about the time and place. This led me to a world's fair held in nearby Buffalo. And yes, indeed, I found my story.

The Pan American Exposition of 1901 was spectacular in its own right.  It was historic for horrifying reasons. President McKinley spoke there and also held a reception to greet the public. An anarchist, brought a gun with him, shot the president and a week later President McKinley was dead.

I knew almost nothing about William McKinley before researching this story.  I had no intention of writing about him. But he and the Pan American Expo became a critical part of my story.  So I dug more deeply. I am largely impressed with what I've learned.

 

• In the Civil War soldier, he was a Commissary Sergeant, responsible to feed his men.  During one exhausting battle when morale was low he left the safety of headquarters and went into the thick of the fighting to deliver food and coffee to his men.
• His wife, Ida had poor health so he stayed with her whenever possible, even campaigning from the front porch of his home, rather than leaving her.  He was scheduled to attend the opening ceremonies of the Pan American Expo but cancelled his plans because his Ida was sick. His devotion to her was first and foremost.
• He liked to meet the common person and insisted on returning to the Expo several months later to speak and to shake hands with the public.  He was too trusting!

I could get into his political policies but they aren't the point here and I don't feel that qualified anyway.

Some historians feel that his successor, Teddy Roosevelt gets the credit for too many of McKinley's accomplishments in the White House. Indeed, Roosevelt continued some of McKinley's policies, and he had more charisma. McKinley was dead.  And sadly, mostly forgotten.

Here are a few books that helped me to "find" William McKinley.  The President and the Assassin  by Scott Miller

And Getting to Know the US Presidents:  William McKinley.

The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum is on Pinterest and what a plethora of images and info. Just amazing!

The Pan American Expo website has a load of info about the fair and also about the President's death.  I love the pocket watch link on the right which offers exposition news on This Day in 1901.  It doesn't get much better than this for a writer looking for forgotten scraps of history. 

TWEAKING DIALOGUE IS NO SMALL THING

I'm trying to write but I keep being distracted by internet research.  I'm printing out maps of Berlin, Germany in various eras.  All because I'm tweaking seven sentences of dialogue by a character who lives in New York state.

Why?

• I need his words to reflect historical accuracy.  
• Knowing this stuff, helps me to feel oriented to my story.

But this browsing about for geographical info and city history soon has me drowning in possibilities.

I feel overwhelmed with the need to understand who Frederick the Great was and how he was related to Frederick William II of Prussia and various succeeding monarchs.

Who was in command when the Berlin Fortress was built and why did he need it?

Image from Wikipedia Commons

Not to be confused by The Berlin Customs Wall

Image from Wikipedia Commons

 or the The Berlin Wall built during The Cold War of the 20th Century.

Image from Wikipedia Commons

But oh, isn't this fascinating!  Problem is, I'm too much like those people who want to be authors but aren't willing to go through the agony of writing a book.

I seriously want to know this information. But today, I'd hoped to get on with the story (or at least seven lines of dialogue). Some days it's hard to slow down enough to go through the learning process.

Guess I'll have to pull a few resources off my Germany bookshelf.  Can't rely solely on Wikipedia, of course!

Reckon how long it will take my character to get back to that conversation? 

This Day in History: The Berlin Airlift Begins

On this day in 1948 the Berlin Airlift began.  It was a warm summer day but there was a cold winter ahead.  The airlift kept 2 million people from freezing and starving to death.

People of Berlin watch food supplies arrive. Photo credit:  Wikipedia Commons

Josef Stalin tried to take control of West Berlin by cutting off all transportation that would allow food and fuel into the city. He assumed the allies would not be able to provide for the people in their sectors.

Stalin was wrong. He couldn't control the airspace so the allies responded by flying in food, coal, manufacturing supplies - just about anything necessary to run a city.

Even chocolate!

It started with a few flights and grew into an efficient undertaking with planes coming and going constantly.

There were some accidents.  People died in their attempts to deliver aid to the people of Berlin.

But millions lived as a result of the allies decision to deliver love, not hate, to their former enemies.  It is one of my favorite stories from the 20th century.

And I think it was one of America's finer moments!

 

This monument at Templehof Airport commemorates the airlift.  The three prongs reaching into the sky represent the three air routes traveled by the planes coming and going. Inscribed on the base are the names of pilots who lost their lives while giving aid.

Chuck and I visited Templehof last spring.  It's a huge space that has been turned into a recreational park.  I love that people can go there to relax every day.  But I was glad that part of it had been left to age naturally.

WE HAVE A SURVIVAL GUIDE WINNER!

Remember that Survival Guide that Janelle Bitikofer and I are giving away? 

  Well the winner is...   

drum roll please!

Peggy Reiff Miller!  

 

Congratulations, Peggy!  Please email your address to me so I can send  it to you.

Thanks to all of you for participating and incidentally, you can learn more about Peggy and her exciting research since I blogged about her here  last summer.  

Read that, or even better, visit Peggy's website where she shares the stories of Seagoing Cowboys.

And a very special THANKS to lovely and generous Janelle Bitikofer for including me in your thoughtful "Each One Teach One" series!

CELEBRATING BECKY LEVINE: IT'S A GIVEAWAY

Shhhhhh! - this is a sneak attack.  The victim is Becky Levine.

I stole this image from Becky's FB page.  I did not ask permission to post it here so I hope she loves this pic as much as I do.  I want her hair!

Becky knows I have a copy of her fabulous writing manual to give away. After all, I won it at her blog.  I won two in a fact. But I'm keeping one.

The other is for giveaway.  She knows that too.  But she doesn't know (yet) that I'm giving it via this post AND at Writermorphosis.  That's Janelle Bitikofer's blog and over there I'm celebrating the gift that Becky has been to me.

You see, Janelle has this "Each One, Teach One" series in which she focuses on writers reaching out to other writers. (Terrific idea, Janelle!)

This week, Janelle interviewed me.  So when asked to reflect on a writer who reached out to me - well, I knew it had to be Becky Levine.  Becky came into my world quite awhile after I began writing.  Click over to Janelle's blog to find out how we connected.

As a result of that connection I've gotten some truly helpful insights that have shaped and reshaped my novel. I was a little gob-smacked this week when I read back over my email correspondence with Becky - astonished to see how much time and energy she gave me and how utterly smart she is.  Subscribe to her blog for awhile and you'll get what I mean. 

But now, back to Becky's book.   The title is quite auspicious don't you think?

THE WRITING AND CRITIQUE GROUP SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO GIVE AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK, SELF-EDIT, AND MAKE REVISIONS

I kind of hate typing it because it's sooooooo long and yet it all deserves to be there. I LOVE this book because it covers so much territory that is pertinent to writing.  Becky opens with the logistics of participating in a critique group and moves from there into the particulars of critiquing.  And does she ever get into it! This book covers critiquing for various genres and for the various elements of story - plot, character, point-of-view, dialogue and more.  Not to mention critiquing for submission and sharing info about marketing.

So, see - this really is a SURVIVAL GUIDE! And whether you're floundering or whether you're not (and who isn't at some point or the other?) you might want to holler

"HELP! I NEED THE SURVIVAL GUIDE!"

Do that now.  Write "Help! I need the Survival Guide" in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Becky's book.  Do it again over at Janelle Bitikofer's blog and you'll have double the chances of winning. Not to mention, you'll get to meet the lovely Janelle (I want her hair too!) and all the tremendous authors she's interviewed over there. 

Contest ends next Wednesday night, June 6th.  Janelle and I will both announce the winner at our blogs on Thursday, the 7th!

Thank you Becky Levine AND Janelle Bitikofer for reaching out to me!