Artfully Anita

I write Young Adult & Middle Grade Fiction. I draw things & figure skate. Repped by Adriann Ranta. Author website: www.anitasaxena.com

[kickbuttkidlit]

books: cheaper than a passport

As much as I love reading, I readily admit a book doesn’t compare to actual traveling. But for those of us stuck at home this summer, the right fantasy with the right worldbuilding can be a pretty close approximation. 

Love a good Medieval-y setting? Try MIMUS by Lilli Thal, a fully immersive YA about a prince held hostage by an enemy king, and forced into the role of second fool. The title character is a complicated, morally ambiguous man who at times seems a friend, and at times acts a foe. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Or THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS by Merrie Haskell, a captivating MG set within an abandoned castle, in which a young blacksmith coaxes life back into the walls - and into the princess thought dead in the crypt. 

Or maybe you prefer tropical settings? THE STORYSPINNER by Becky Wallace features several YA POVs as a group of magicians race to find the key to keep their kingdom’s failing defenses safe from war. Full of murder, mystery, and a very sexy young lord struggling to do the right thing. For MG fans, THE SHIFTER by Janice Hardy is an older fantasy that’s always stuck with me, about a girl with an ability to absorb pain and shift it to another person - and the ambitious man who wants to weaponize her. 

Or if you’re a Treasure Planet fan like me, you might enjoy Adi Rule’s THE HIDDEN TWIN, which features an unnamed twin with questionable origins, who must fight a religious cult by embracing her long-repressed powers. For MG fans, THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY by Jaleigh Johnson has a girl scraping by as she saves money for a train ticket south to find her missing father. There’s a sweet romance and a lovely girl/girl friendship as well. 

I could recommend books all summer long - fantasy or not! I’m also open to other recommendations, if you have any to add. Happy summer reading, and wear plenty of sunscreen!  

To find out more about Mary, visit her website or follow her on twitter. 

[kickbuttkidlit]

A summer of fantasy and HF

Post from Jenni L. Walsh

Summer is upon us, and this month we’re chatting about our summer TBR piles.

So without further ado, these are the kidlit books that’ll be keeping me up late and making me blurry eyed in the morning. Some have been on my TBR list for a while and one will be coming out as that chill is creeping back into the air.

What’s on your TBR list this summer, folks?

Learn more about Jenni by visiting her website, or follow her on twitter.

[kickbuttkidlit]

Kicking Back with Kick-Butt and Jenn Bishop!

                         Welcome to “Kicking Back with Kick-Butt!”                 Today we’re chatting with Jenn Bishop, the author of                                       THE DISTANCE TO HOME 

Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley.

This summer, everything is different. Haley’s death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn’t want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without Haley, Quinnen’s not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher’s mound?

Let’s talk to this fantastic author about her amazing book! This is Jenn! Everyone say “Hi, Jenn!”

Welcome to Kick-Butt Kidlit, Jenn! Tell us about yourself!

Sure thing! Thanks for having me, Casey. I’m based just outside of Boston right now (though moving to Cincinnati at the end of the summer), and when I’m not writing or reading, you can find me running or watching the Red Sox. I’m a former librarian, which I think translates roughly to permanent book hoarder.

I thought the rule was it wasn’t hoarding if it’s books… Let’s call it creating a book sanctuary!

Where did the idea for THE DISTANCE TO HOME come from? 

For the longest time, I had this idea of a girl being awoken in the middle of the night to go somewhere … for something good. But who was this girl? Where was she going? It’s funny how books start for me with just the tiniest glimmer of an idea. The other pieces that fed into this book came from my experience being an avid baseball fan. My husband and I were at a minor league baseball game outside of Chicago and we met this couple that hosted players in their house. How cool, right? Sign me up! At that exact moment, I didn’t know that I wanted to write a book about that, but years later when I came back to my idea of the girl having to go somewhere late at night, I had this a-ha moment. She’s going to get a baseball player! Okay, now I have something …

I love that a whole book can come from the smallest spark of an idea!

What were you doing when you found out there was an offer on your book?  

So, The Distance To Home has a bit of a complicated story, in that it originally had a different home with EgmontUSA. But when Egmont shuttered and a lot of books were left homeless, my superhero agent sprang into action to find it a new home! It was a month or so in the winter of me gnawing my arm off as I waited patiently (or perhaps not patiently, as my husband could probably tell you), but then a few days before I was heading off to France, my agent tipped me off. There was an editor at Knopf who wanted to talk on the phone. I about exploded, but, you know, tried to keep my cool. And then, amazingly, the morning of the phone call with my potential editor, my agent shared that she got to work to find an offer for a 2-book deal in her inbox. What better way to head off to France, right? I cannot think of one.

Oh, wow! I’m so glad that story has such a happy ending! Plus, France!

What were three interesting things you discovered while working on THE DISTANCE TO HOME? 

Such a great question! I think the first and best discovery was that I love middle grade. I’d been writing YA for a couple years leading up to it, and querying, and not finding an agent, but then in my second semester at VCFA, I decided to try something new. That’s what a writing MFA program is for: experimentation! I’m so glad I took the plunge because middle grade is such a sweet spot for me now, both as a reader and a writer. That age is so tender; everything is new, and your sense of the world and your place in it is really opening up. As I reread my favorite middle grade books from my childhood and started writing The Distance To Home . .  . I don’t know how to put words to it. It just felt right.

My advisor at VCFA while I worked on this project was Rita Williams-Garcia (I know, right? What a dream. I still pinch myself sometimes) and she suggested I delve into research to get the culture of minor league baseball right. I had so much fun reading non-fiction books about these teams in middle of nowhere towns and how deeply the towns embraced them. It gave me an even greater appreciation for the sport of baseball—I wouldn’t have dreamed that was possible!

Finally, the last discovery came late in the process when The Distance To Home went into copyedits. I had no idea what it would be like to have everything that was wrong pointed out to me by a complete stranger, but you know what? It was amazing! I have such respect for the copyediting team at Random House Children’s. They were so thorough and coming out on the other side made me that much more confident in the finished product.

If you could transport your characters across book dimensions, which book would you most like them to end up in and why? 

Oh, how fun! Well, not to spoil anything, but Quinnen reads a few books over the course of The Distance To Home and actually wishes she could live in the world of some of them. She’d love to hop into Ingrid Law’s Savvy and find out her own special superpower. And I’d love to see what it is!

There’s a lot of classic baseball movies out there. If you could hang out in one of those movies, which one would you choose and why? 

So hard to choose, Casey! Probably A League of Their Own so I could play baseball with Madonna and wear the cool vintage uniforms. But a pretty close second is Moneyball, since meeting Chris Pratt is a life goal.

I support both of these choices.

Why were you drawn to writing middle grade? 

Middle grade books were the first books I read independently and remember loving. I can still recall certain titles I read as a ten, eleven, and twelve year old, that made a lasting impact on me: Number The Stars, Walk Two Moons, Reluctantly, Alice. I can’t remember ever being disappointed by a book I read at that age. Each one felt like it was speaking directly to me. (Okay, maybe not all the Goosebumps books I devoured.) It’s such a privilege to write for these readers, to create the books that help them understand themselves and the world around them. I still can’t really believe that I get to do this.

Aside from your own book, what is your most anticipated read (or reads!) of 2016.

Oh dear. So I’m going to take “anticipated” to mean books I haven’t read yet. While I’ve had the chance to read nearly all of the middle grade books that are a part of The Sweet Sixteens (https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/mg-books/), which are all fantastic, one of the books I am dying to read is Randi Pink’s Into White, a YA novel about a high schooler named LaToya who prays to be anything but black, and has her prayer answered. I mean, that concept! Having met Randi back in January and seen her fantastic TED talk, I simply cannot wait for this book.

What has been the most surprising part about being a debut author? 

How much fun it’s been to connect with other authors, librarians, and teachers in the lead-up to publication! Writing can feel so solitary, but thanks to Twitter and writing meet-ups and conferences, it’s much easier these days to find your tribe.

So true! I’m very glad to have found my various teams!

Thank you for joining us, Jenn! Kick-Butt Kidlit fans, make sure you check out THE DISTANCE TO HOME! It’s available as of June 28th. That’s right! TOMORROW!

 Add THE DISTANCE TO HOME to Goodreads!

Connect with Jenn on Facebook, Twitter, or through her website!

AND! Since this is our only Kicking Back with Kick-Butt interview this month - here’s the draw, too! Enter to win a copy of Jenn’s amazing book!

Click here to enter!

[kickbuttkidlit]

The Incredible, Supportive Sidekick

Everyone who’s tried to write a novel knows that it’s a solitary business. That’s necessary if you ever want to get words on the page, but it translates to many hours spent summoning creative forces alone. Which is for the best if you write the way I do (that is, muttering your words in your characters’ voices as you go along, which can make you sound a wee bit… strange).

But all this time spent alone can make a writer quite lonely. And that can lead to dark thoughts: Will anyone read my novel? Does anyone really care?

The waiting that’s part of every stage of the business can make it feel even lonelier, especially when you receive your first rejection. And your second. And your third. That’s when the thoughts turn dark: Does my writing stink? Am I really a writer?

A purring cat on your lap can help. So can a cup of tea. So can a walk outside where there are trees and grass and things that chirp and buzz. Those can temporarily make you feel better. But eventually, you’ll have to return to the words on the page and decide how you feel and, in some cases, if you can go on with that scene or that chapter—or that novel. Or writing at all.

There’s a reason that most middle grade novels have one or more sidekicks for the protagonist. They help the main character get past the bumps in the journey that every good novel has. But sidekicks can do a great deal of good in real life, too, helping the author through the journey of writing. Those sidekicks provide crucial support.

One kind of sidekick is a master at encouraging: they believe in you enormously and remind you that you’re a good writer, that you have talent, that you’re willing to work hard and get better and that your time spent on the page counts for a lot.

Another does everything to boost your spirits: they deeply respect you. They care when you’re upset. They understand why you must write. They tell you to keep going because that’s half of the battle, and they remind you that they’re always listening and cheering you on.

A third kind is deeply interested: even when you don’t feel like an expert, they’re sure that you are. They want to hear the next chapter of your work-in-progress, or ideas for your next novel. They’ll happily listen to you no matter what you want to tell them. They’ll simply be there.

Many sidekicks have a little bit of each of these types. And that’s what every writer should look for: friends who will encourage, believe in you, and remain interested in you as a writer no matter how long it takes you to finish that draft or how many tries it takes for you to find an agent or editor.

Equally important, by the way, is returning the favor and being that sidekick yourself; that’s very fulfilling, and experiencing the role can teach you a lot about what you’ll need.

Find your sidekick (or offer yourself as one) online. Social media and blogs are great places to meet like-minded writers. It’s where I met my wonderful critique partner, who has been both that and a good friend for nearly a decade.

Go to readings, events, or conferences. My husband and I met at a writer’s conference (there’s a great advantage in having a fellow writer in the house because he or she will really understand everything you go through).

And sometimes you’ll just be lucky. Your spouse or significant other, your parents, your colleagues, or your best friend will care enough to be that sidekick of support. My colleagues at my day job are so sweet and regularly ask for updates of my writing journey; they always make me feel that I’m the real thing. (And I’m more than happy to be their sidekick; one’s an artist and another a poet, and they need support, too.)

Or maybe you’ll find a fan and perfect reader for your market in your neighborhood or own house. My nine-year-old son listens as I read my drafts aloud and his frantic, “Exciting! Exciting!” when I finish a chapter tells me I’ve nailed my cliffhangers endings—or his frank feedback shows me where I need to pick up the action. (My sidekick role with him is showing very real interest in his brilliant Lego creations. He seems to have inherited a love for castles and all things medieval from someone…or else I inherited mine from him along the line.)

The important thing is to have support in your writing journey from a variety of sources, and also to be willing to give it. That’s how middle grade novels’ sidekicks–Áine and Ned; Peter and Sir Tode; or Colm, Lena, Quinn, and Serena–succeed, after all.

[kickbuttkidlit]

The Unexpected In Your Corner

Our theme this month at Kick-Butt Kidlit is support. I was deciding which angle to tackle and realized I’ve been very lucky in my life. I’m surrounded by an abundance of support from my friends and family (especially my parents) to my writing community and my publisher.

Recently, I attended Book Expo America and experienced a flood of support from a very unexpected source.

Total strangers.

I was speaking at the American Association of Publishers/School Library Journal Children’s Librarians’ Dinner and as this was one of my first major events as an author, I was pretty darn nervous.

The other speakers were Kami Garcia, Jason Reynolds, Brendan Wenzel, and Judd Winick.

And then me.

I was definitely having a “WHAT AM I DOING HERE?” moment.

None of us had ever met before and they were so incredibly kind and gracious, especially when they found out I was a debut author. With their support and encouragement, I went from sliding along the edge of a total freakout to actually being able to relax and enjoy the event. Most likely to them, it was just being nice to a newbie, but for me, it was the greatest gift at the most opportune time.

The next day, my friend Wendy and I sat down for lunch next to a woman who turned out to be an author/artist attending BEA, looking for representation. We had a lovely chat about writing and were able to share a number of resources with her, including the discussion boards of the SCBWI (which are fantastic, by the way.)

She said we must have been destined to sit beside her. Another simple moment where a quiet chat made a difference.

What did I learn from these experiences?

Every interaction you have matters. Every choice you make matters. Every moment is an opportunity if you allow it.

Be willing to accept help when offered and offer help to others in return. We are a community and the more we support each other, the greater our foundation will be for everyone to grow.

I hope that as I move forward with my career, I can provide support to those around me with the same generosity as these folks.

To Kami, Judd, Jason, and Brendan - thank you.

To our Kick-Butt readers - I hope you open yourself up to something fantastic today.

[maggie-stiefvater-deactivated20]

Was your hatred of school similar to Ronan's hatred of school? Is that why you dropped out? Did you even hate school?

Dear thisismyfoot,

Once, when I was ten or so, my parents sent me to a new school in the middle of school year. I was small and neurotic and OCD and I spent the lunch hour of the first day sitting quietly at a table drawing and hoping no one would bother me. On the second day, a boy sat down beside me. He held out a hand for my notebook of drawings and I gave it to him. With a smile, he drew penises on all of my animals and gave it back to me. 

I hated school.

Hate is the wrong word, because hate is an active, noisy thing. You can burn out on hate. And in any case, it didn’t occur to me, for a long time, that there was any other option. It was like being born in pain and not realizing that wasn’t just the way life was. I liked learning things I wanted to learn and I didn’t understand rules and school had no interest in helping me out with either of those things. Hate? School made me tired.

When I hit sixth grade, my parents decided to home school my siblings and me since we moved so much. I basically rolled my brain around over textbooks for four years and set my own schedule and wrote thirty novels in my spare time. This was better, if lonesome. I felt like I was waiting for real life to begin; when did I get to do something with what I was learning?

At 16, I decided that I wasn’t going to wait any longer to start life. High school was pointless and I wasn’t going to do it. I was just going to go to college. I imagined it as a glorious institution of hungry minds, rooms of teens sitting together in smoking jackets discussing economic theory, English majors puzzling over poetry in arcane late-night meetings, students grasping for the exciting connections between chemistry and history and art and music. College. Yes. Good. Yes. Strings were pulled, tests were taken, colleges were applied to, high school was skipped, college at 16 was a go.

By 19, I was standing outside the history building looking at the noticeboard to see if our band’s flier had gotten covered up yet. Someone had drawn a cock and balls on each piece of paper tacked up. 

And I just felt tired.

I still felt like I was waiting for real life to begin. I felt like no one else had come to college to learn a damn thing. I felt like I was surrounded by children who made everything about sex, and not even interesting sex. I felt like I was working my ass off to afford this stupid place, and other people couldn’t be bothered to show up to class because they were too busy drawing dicks on my goddamn flier. I felt one thousand years old, trapped in a teenage body.

And now that I knew there were non-school options, I hated it. Properly hated it. And it turns out that hate is a terminal illness and it did in fact nearly kill me.

I quit. I was dragged back by my parents. I quit again; my advisor talked me into sticking it out. On graduation day, I took an extra shift at my job, skipped the ceremony, and had the school mail my diploma to my parents.

The short answer to you question is: yes. I love education, I hate school. 

urs,

Stiefvater

[anitask8]

On some level I parallel this. I love learning, disliked the structure of school. Even now I regret the years wasted sitting in a high school with no windows, worrying about unimportant things, and not developing the things that were important.

[kickbuttkidlit]

Taking control of your writing envy

When my debut sold last year, I wrote a post about how long it took to get there. (Spoiler: it took seven novels, three of which I wrote after I signed with my agency.) At the time, I joked about how anxious I had become; how I told myself that if this novel doesn’t sell, maybe I should reconsider career goals. The truth is, getting to that book deal almost broke me. 

(On the bright side, it also honed my armor.) 

So much of this industry is outside of our control. And while the advice not to compare yourself to anyone else is excellent in theory, I personally find it impractical in application. Envy is a beast and we’re all only human. Instead of pretending it doesn’t exist, I’ve learned how to manage it so it doesn’t persist. For me, it comes back to controlling what I can. To start: 

1. Celebrate other people’s successes. I used to worry that there was only a finite amount of good news to pass around, and if I didn’t get in on it right now, I would lose my chance.  

THERE IS NO LIMIT ON VICTORY. In fact, I’ve found that celebrating someone else’s success actually makes it feel more tangible and less like an impossible dream. (Plus, you get introduced to some really awesome folks who in turn celebrate your victories.) The more you look around, the more you realize how many flavors of success there are, and which ones suit you most. Have goals, be realistic, and celebrate anything that makes you happy, no matter ow small. (My husband is given a running tab of the number of Goodreads adds I have because it excites me that people want to read my book based on a vague one sentence summary. I wouldn’t celebrate that publicly, but in private? I dance.)  

2. Writing isn’t everything.

No wait, hear me out! Borrowing lyrics from Mumford & Sons, “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.” But if you only have one investment  - writing - and you don’t show up for work one day, your checking account takes a hit, which in turn makes you feel like crap because you can’t buy the shiny things everyone else seems to have. (Like agents, or book deals, or movie rights….) So, depressed, you call out sick to work and the cycle continues. Instead, maintain a prolific portfolio of hobbies so you’re constantly accruing new income. Even tiny interest-bearing accounts add up! (This is probably the worst metaphor I have ever used. Thanks, tax season, you’ve been great.) The point is, don’t be so hyper-focused on This One Thing that it becomes an emotional parasite. Writing for profit is a business and should be treated as one; a part of your life, but not the point of your life. 

3. Turn it off. The easiest way to exert control is to turn off the internet - or at least the parts devoted to writing/books. Luckily there’s no Online Interaction Quota you have to meet on a daily basis to be considered an author! So when I feel overwhelmed by All The Good News, I log off Twitter and do something completely unrelated to publishing. (Pinterest, for example, or making dinner.) It might be hours or days before I return, but when I do, I’m in a better position to be a good cheerleader. It’s not selfish to focus on yourself before you focus on other people. 

4. Walk away. When I was submission, I hovered over my keyboard and carried my cell phone everywhere, devouring online submission stories of one week sales and ten-house auctions. That insatiable hoping was emotionally exhausting! So on days with bad news or no news when I wanted to cry, I went for a run instead. I could control how far and how fast I went, and in return, it improved my mood, gave me a fresh perspective, and justified my having ice cream after dinner!

After six years of chasing the dream, I’ve picked up a few battle scars, but I’ve also learned how to take care of myself in a business I can’t control. While my tumultuous path has helped guide me towards realistic expectations, one thing remains irrevocable: I’m still grateful for every heart bruising, euphoria inducing minute of it. 

Learn more about Mary on her website, or follow her on Twitter! 

[anitask8]

So inspiring and motivating to read!

[anitask8]

Check out my interview with #heybride about the joys of planning a multi-destination wedding: http://www.heybride.com/anitasaxena/

[kickbuttkidlit]

The Ailing Writer’s Burnout Repair Kit

We all burn out sometimes. For creative types, it tends to come with the territory, so knowing how to deal when it happens is an essential part of our self-care. And just how does one deal? Well, there are no hard and fast rules for treatment, but there are many things that help. I suggest a few (okay, twenty) of them here, in:

The Ailing Writer’s BURNOUT REPAIR KIT,

a template guide drawn & written by Julie Israel.

CONTENTS:

Pillow for crash-nap and/or screaming into.

Big boss pajama pants, because nothing punches stress in the face like comfort and good circulation. And why not look cool doing it?

Chocolate because not only does it lift mood and obliterate magical trauma (source: Remus Lupin); there is actually a sampler box of health benefits to indulging. Not to mention its effects on the reading experience.

Emergency cookies.

Bubble bath & bath bombs for relaxation, scent-sations, and soaking the stress away. And when you’re done, you can smell like a galaxy! Or, you know. Vanilla. And hey does anyone else see this and think “Triwizard Tournament”? What I did not just buy a dozen bath bombs YOU BOUGHT A DOZEN BATH BOMBS

Comfy slippers won’t transport you to Kansas, but they may just bring heaven to earth and the ground you walk on. Mm. Squishy.

Notebook & pen for when you need to go dark and rest your weary eyes from the screen.

Markers, or tools for any creative outlet, to prove to yourself that even if you’re feeling word-blocked, you can still have fun making things!

Your favorite book, or any book you enjoy. It’s an inexpensive escape and an invaluable connection to why you love writing and storytelling in the first place!

Something you can anger crush and not feel bad about. Pictured: junk mail. Suggested: soda cans, bubble wrap, the dreams of sworn enemies

A sad movie & ample tissues. Feeling blocked? Stressed? In over your head? Put on a tearjerker and let the emotions roll. Popcorn optional.

Low-tech wireless blocker (i.e., tape). Step 1: Turn wireless off. Step 2: Place tape over switch. Step 3: Profit.

A cold bottle of age-appropriate beverage. Wine, vanilla soda, beer, iced coffee—whatever fits the bill.

Fan mail and/or author exchange. Admiration for anything you’ve written, book or blog post (or even tweet!) can be fan mail. Keep a folder and refer to it anytime for instant cheer. Also healing: exchange with writer friends. It’s nice to remember that you’re not alone in this—that others go through the struggles, too. Plus, a friend will have your back if you need to vent a little!

Jar of love. Squirrel away printed margin note compliments, edit letter praise, and positive reader feedback for a rainy day. Then when doubt creeps up on you, PAPER CUT THAT BASTARD WITH LOVE and remember you are not an utter failure.

Written permission (to you, from you) to take the day off. As an author, you are largely responsible for monitoring your own work. This     includes meeting deadlines, but it also means recognizing when you, the     creative muscle, are running yourself into the ground. If you reach a point where your work is becoming destructive to you, it is probably healthier     to spend some time apart from it—and you shouldn’t feel guilty for doing so.

Sturdy shoes for walking it out, or a rejuvenating time on the town.

Plush socks. Part of a balanced cozy.

Blankets. One deluxe and fuzzy one to hide under, or many with which to build a fort and [read] [work] [Netbinge].

__________??? (What’s in your kit? Tell us here or @KickButtKidLit on Twitter!)

[kickbuttkidlit]

Kicking Back with Kick-Butt and Jennifer Maschari!

                         Welcome to “Kicking Back with Kick-Butt!”              Today we’re talking with Jennifer Maschari, the author of                  THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE!

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE is a magical middle grade novel about a boy who must rescue his sister after she finds – and wants to stay – in an almost-world beneath her bed, where their mother is still alive.

Get ready to talk about this heart-breaking and beautiful book, friends. Time to meet the author! This is Jennifer! Everyone say “Hi, Jennifer!”

Welcome to Kick-Butt Kidlit, Jennifer! Tell us about yourself!

Hi! Glad to be here! I’m a former classroom teacher; I taught language arts and science. I live in Ohio with my husband and our two English bulldogs, Oliver and Hank. I love reading, drinking Diet Coke, cooking, and traveling!

It sounds like you definitely know how to have a good time!

Speaking of good times, what were you doing when you found out there was an offer on your book?

I was actually out buying dog food for our English bulldogs, Hank and Oliver. So picture me, carrying this gigantic 50 pound bag while my cell phone is buzzing. I couldn’t answer it! I had to call my agent back once I had paid for the dog food and got back to the car.

Okay, you get bonus points for not chucking the dog food so you could go answer your phone!

Let’s talk about your book: the idea for THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE is amazing. Where did it come from? I’m not sure really! I love books that explore both big and everyday questions. With Charlie, I wanted to explore the ideas of befores and afters, as well as how do we hold on and how do we let go at the very same time. My father passed away after a long illness when I was younger so I am certain that played a factor in this as well. Charlie is an exploration of grief, but I also hope that it’s just a really good story, too!

I think it’s wonderful that kids will have a book like CHARLIE for their shelves - not only a great read, but also a resource.

As you know, writing can be its own remarkable journey. What were three interesting things you discovered while working on THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE?

I learned a lot! The first thing I discovered was how indispensable a great editor is. My editor, Alessandra Balzer, gives the absolute best feedback and her insights are so spot-on. I love receiving her edit letters. Copy editors are wonderful, too! Charlie would be wearing four different types of tops in the last 40 pages if it weren’t for their eagle eyes.

I also discovered many things about astronomy, including learning about different constellation stories, and what larger telescopes can exactly see. Cincinnati, Ohio has a wonderful observatory that plays a crucial role in the book. I hope my book inspires students to seek out more about the skies above.

It was also very fun revisiting the math concepts I had learned in school. Who would have thought that a Mobius strip would somehow come in handy writing a story?

Oh, yes! Three cheers for editors!

Charlie already goes on an adventure, but let’s go a little further off the page. If you could transport your characters across book dimensions, which book would you most like them to end up in and why?

OOH. I love this question. So, I’d love for Charlie to meet up with Suzy Swanson in THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH by Ali Benjamin. I think they’re both very curious about the world around them and very logical thinkers. I like to think that they’d become good friends. They also share the common thread of grieving someone. It would also be great for both Charlie and Imogen to meet up with the sisters of Corey Ann Haydu’s RULES FOR STEALING STARS. I’d like to think that the sisters would take them both under their wings as they’ve all been through difficult things.

Those sound like excellent pairings and they’re both fantastic middle grade reads. Let’s talk about that category for a moment. Why did you decide to write middle grade?

Kids are literally the best readers. They LOVE books, and they’re at this really cool age where transitions are happening and changes are taking place and they’re thinking really critically about the world and themselves. I just think that’s the greatest. I taught middle grade kids, and they are awesome. My writing voice also just works for middle grade. I think I’m still twelve at heart.

That is so true! Kids are definitely the best readers.

And we love reading just as much as writing here at Kick-Butt. We need to know: what was your favourite read of 2015 and what is your most anticipated read of 2016?

I read a lot of wonderful books in 2015 so it would be very hard to pick a favorite. I do have a soft spot in my heart for books with really great dogs and Dan Gemeinhart’s THE HONEST TRUTH fits the bill. On top of it having a great dog named Beau, it also has a lot of action and adventure as well as being incredibly moving. I’m really excited to dig into his next middle grade, SOME KIND OF COURAGE which came out in January. On the 2016 front, I can’t wait for Elana K. Arnold’s FAR FROM FAIR and all of the wonderful 2016 debut middle grades which can be found here: https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/mg-books/ I have honestly loved every single one I read. Lee Gjertsen Malone’s THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITH’S shares a release day with Charlie! It’s a hilarious and heartfelt book about what happens when you don’t see the great around you. Kids are going to love the pranks in the book!

Awesome! We always love adding more books to the To-Be-Read list!

Last Question! We blog by theme every month here at Kick-Butt and this month’s theme is LOVE. What do you love most about your main character?

What a fun theme! There’s so much to love about Charlie Price. I love how earnest he is and how much he wants to take care of his family and do the right thing. He’s big-hearted! He looks at life through this lens of logic but is willing to expand his world view.

He sounds lovely! Thank you so much for joining us, Jennifer! Kick-Butt Kidlit Readers, make sure you check out THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE - it’s available now!

 Add THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE on Goodreads!

Connect with Jennifer through her website or on Twitter!

Thanks for joining us and stay tuned for another awesome book draw at the end of the month!

[nataliecparker]

When You Are the Call

For all of my adult life, I have loved someone who struggles with mental health. Last night was another terrible night for them. They were in severe crisis and so my phone rang at 2:39am. This is not the first time I’ve received such a call and it may not be the last. Each time is different and difficult and though I’ve gotten better at it, it’s never any easier.

This post is for those of you who don’t contemplate suicide, who see the lists of contact numbers and think they’re for someone else. You may know that you love someone who struggles, and you may not know. Either way, if your phone rings with a friend in crisis, when you are the lifeline call, make sure you know the number for suicide prevention in your country. 

If you’re in the United States, the national number is 1-800-273-8255(TALK). 

If you want a list by state county, here’s a list.

If you are outside of the US, here’s a list on Wikipedia.

This is for them and for you. You will be afraid you’ve said the wrong thing, offered the wrong thing, not offered enough. You will be afraid to hang up the phone and leave them alone. If that is true, then you call the same number they do. 

Remember that suicide prevention lifelines are not only for the person in crisis, but for the people they reach out to.

[anitask8]

I empathize with Natalie because I've been in the same situation with a love one. Know these numbers, if not for yourself, for someone else.

[maggie-stiefvater-deactivated20]

I love this book. I’ve loved it since @brennayovanoff started writing it and I loved it as I was paging through it now. I’d love it even if I didn’t know Brenna. 

But I do and so I can ask for an advanced review copy to give away on the blog. I’ve sketched in it and now LET’S HAVE A CONTEST. All you have to do to enter is reblog this post before 9 PM EST on 2/1, and Brenna will pick one of the reblogs (it’s also running on Twitter) to win. It’s open internationally, and the only thing that’ll disqualify you is if you enter more than once on Twitter/ once on Tumblr (that’s twice total if you have both social media accounts which I realize not everyone does and makes this inherently not fair but that’s life I’m afraid).

I’m so excited for you guys to love this novel, too.

[anitask8]

Can't wait to read!

[andimjulie-deactivated20200615]

THE FAT GIRL GETS THE GUY AND WISH FULFILLMENT

I am so lucky to get reader email. I say lucky, because it’s sort of incredible that anyone would even take the time to contact me when there is homework to do and children to feed and presidential candidates to make fun of.

That being said, reader email can be all over the place. It ranges from OMG-I-LOVE-YOU-THANK-YOU to DIE-BITCH-DIE. The best conversations usually happen somewhere in between. And yet you might be surprised to know that the reader email that breaks my heart the most has nothing to do with my book.

Since DUMPLIN’ released on September 15th, I have received so many versions of this email so many times that I’ve decided to publicly respond. The email usually goes a little something like this:

Julie,

I really loved your book so much, but I just don’t feel like it’s believable. The hot guy doesn’t go for the fat girl in real life. And two guys like Willowdean? I wish it could be true, but I just don’t buy it. The rest of the book was great. Thank you!

- Lovely Reader

In the words of Willowdean herself: SIGH. 

I understand. I get it. I do.

This post (though it may seem like it) is not about my book. I am human. I wrote a book. It has imperfections as do I. The fat girl getting the/a guy is not an imperfection. It is not unbelievable. In this way, I can tell you that the book I wrote is not broken. The world around us is. We have been taught that we are not worthy. We are not deserving. It’s a lie.

No matter how badly we want to love ourselves and our bodies, society has trained us to have this knee jerk reaction/pit of your stomach feeling that says HA! NO WAY WOULD THAT HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE!

So every time I get this email, I want to give the person on the other end a suffocatingly tight hug and whisper in their ear, “The fat girl gets the guy. Or the girl. Or the person. Or the thing they want. YOU get the guy/girl/person/thing.” 

This isn’t about hot boys. This is about wanting, demanding, and having things we (FAT PEOPLE!) are not “allowed” to have. But I will say this: when you see a fat person and a thin or traditionally attractive person together, it isn’t some accidental universal slip. It isn’t always a fetish or a case of aiming low. (Though sometimes it is and that’s another post for another day.) In most cases, it is two people who have come together as a unit because they are wholly attracted to one another. Inside and out.

Society is broken. But you don’t have to be and choosing not to be is the first step to fixing the world we live in. 

YOU get the guy. You get the girl. You get the person. You get the thing–WHATEVER it might be. Believe it, because this isn’t wish fulfillment. It’s fucking true.

[andimjulie-deactivated20200615]

Reblogging this with edits, because a lovely friend pointed out that some may read THING as applying to genderfluid folks, which was never my intent. In Julie World, THING referred to goals/inanimate objects. I added PEOPLE for the sake of inclusion and FUCK YEAH INCLUSION.

[beckyalbertalli]

Please read this, and then read it again. ❤️

[anitask8]

Ate delicious Portuguese food here! (at Dumbo Portuguese Restaurant)

[anitask8]

Disco Ball Ram for the year of the Ram. (at MGM德國啤酒節)

[anitask8]

Love the trunk on this tree. (at Hong Kong)

[anitask8]

Buckwheat pancakes