Interview with Lee Bantle

While putting together this week, I asked Lee to answer a few questions. You will notice a change in my questions from time to time to fit around the specific author and their book--I hope you enjoyed the change as much as I enjoyed making it! :)

What scene do you think was the hardest to write?

The hardest scenes to write were the sex scenes. Ohmigod! I kept thinking my mother would read this and declare it smut. But I had to do it. Closing the bedroom door (or the car door) when the sex begins is a cop out. I believe the reader wants to know what happens behind that closed door.

When I write I find I infuse large pieces of myself into my characters, can you identify easily with David?

I think the protagonists in most books are partly the author. While writing, as we try to imagine what our characters think and feel, we necessarily draw on our own experiences. David Dahlgren is partly me – though I came out in a much different era than David. Most events in the book are invented. I did not stab red lipstick against my lips in a moment of dark realization as David does. I did attempt Herculean measures to make myself straight before coming out.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

13 years. For much of this time, the book languished in a metal file cabinet because I believed it to be fatally flawed. And yet the characters called out to me – Lee, Lee, don’t leave us to die here. So, I had to go back, finish the book, and release them into the world of fiction.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

15 years. After buying the book, my editor sent me a three page single-spaced letter suggesting revisions. Two more years passed by the time I had made all theses changes and the book went through the lengthy publication process.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

Music is life. I am propelled by it. Music brings out the emotion in my writing. I listen to .everything from Sondheim, Diana Krall and Nina Simone to Ne-Yo and Gnarls Barkley while I write. But when I am reading, it must be absolutely silent.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

7. Make sure every sentence sets the scene, reveals character or advances the plot.

6. Find the humor. Everyone wants to laugh – even in a tragic story.

5. Be diligent. Writing something good is lots of work. Push yourself.

4. Have garlic and sausage pizza on hand at all times.

3. Create scenes. Write dialogue. Don’t tell us what happened. Show us.

2. Revise, revise, revise. Get feedback. Then pick yourself up off the floor and revise some more.

1. Find your voice. All it takes is being real. Even when that means writing about the most personal things, the thoughts and feelings you think only you have had. You’ll be amazed how many people you touch.

What is some advice for teens struggling with their sexual identities?

Follow your heart. If that leads you to same sex partners, embrace them. Massage them. Send them love poems. Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. That is all you’ve got in this world. That is all you’ve got.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

I am currently working on The Memoirs of Odell P. Livingston, Grade 6. It is the story of a biracial boy in the age of Obama. It will be in your hands within, oh say, 13 years. Ha-ha! I’m actually shooting for early 2011.

Bennett Madison Interview

After I reviewed Bennett's book THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE, I asked him a few questions--sadly due to my busy schedule it was pushed deep into my inbox. I give you that interview now, my apologies to Mr. Madison. :p

Where did the idea of the book come from?

I don't really know where the idea for the book came from. I think it just came from my interests. I'm really into shoplifting and I'm really into girls with crazy hair.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

It took about a year and a half from the start of writing to finish this book. But it was originally a short story that I had sort of been tinkering with for years, so I don't really know the answer.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

I listened to a lot of Bronski Beat/Communards/Jimmy Somerville while writing this book. Also the Go-Betweens, New Order, Prince. I don't remember what else. I tried to listen to music I thought Francie would like.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

My advice to aspiring writers is to be both fearless and shameless.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

My next project should be out sometime next year. It doesn't have an official name yet but the working title is RAPTURE OF THE DEEP.

Catch Bennett on his website here.

Catherine Ryan Hyde - Interview #14

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of Becoming Chloe, Pay It Forward, Chasing Windmills and many more books!

You can find her on her website, twitter & myspace.

Be sure to read my Becoming Chloe review!


Where did the idea of the book come from?

It might be weird to say that it came from Jordy. But that's how it felt. It felt as though Jordy came into my head, and I knew he had a story to tell. And I just kept taking it down until we got to the good stuff. There's really no autobiography in there at all, except that I lived in New York when I was very young (Jordy's age, 17) and I feel like that city really kicked my ass. So I guess that comes up sometimes in fiction.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

It probably only took about five months to write a first draft. I really liked it, but some of my trusted readers thought it had problems (it was very different from the final, published version). I set it aside for a long time, then did a big revision (threw out about the last 2/3 and went a different way). Later I revised it again, to tailor it for a YA audience (really just cut the length and tightened the focus, didn't try to make it any less "adult," whatever adult is). So altogether it probably took about 2 1/2 years, but I was doing other things in between versions.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

Believe it or not, it took another 2 years to go to press after Knopf bought it. So we're looking at close to 5 years.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

No, I really only listen to music when I drive.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

Yes. Don't be discouraged by rejections. I got tons of them, but I still got where I was going. Just think of them as your membership card in the Real Writer's Club, and don't give up.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

Depends on what I call my next project. I have one coming out in August, Diary of a Witness. A YA book about boys for a change. Then I have another new YA on the subject of transgender due in Fall of 2010 (more info on my blog at www.catherineryanhyde.com, "What's really new.") And then I have another on my editor's desk waiting to be read. I'm not ready to spill the beans about that yet, but there will be information on my site as soon as I have some I can release.

CONTEST ON CATHERINE'S WEBSITE!

Drop by Catherine's Podcast Page, listen to a short story and leave a comment. This will enter you in a contest to win an autographed copy of any of her books!

And be sure to drop into Faerie Drink Review this Saturday for a chance to win a copy of Becoming Chloe!

Jennifer Banash - Interview #13

I had the chance to interview Jennifer Banash author of The Elite series!

Where did the idea of the book come from?

Much of it comes from my own childhood—I grew up in New York, and went to high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, so I really know that world well. Some of the personality traits of my characters definitely come from real life—I’m kind of a vampire in that way—I take the best traits from the people close to me and steal them for my characters. And many of the girls have aspects of my own personality—Madison Macallister is definitely me on a bad day . . .

How long did it take you to complete the book?

I wrote all three books in a year.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

I got a contract for the books based on a sample chapter I'd written, so I sold the series before I'd written it. I wrote it in 2007-2008, and the books began being released in 08. The final book SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, will be released this July.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

Yep, tons! I HAVE to wear headphones and listen to music as I write. I even made an iTunes mix you can download! To hear the music that inspired The Elite, go to iTunes and type in The Elite and my name.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

Just write. And get an agent--they come in handy.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

I'm currently writing a novel that's loosely based on my own experiences as a club kid in MYC in the late 80's. I plan to finish it this summer.

Thanks for your time Jennifer!

Interview #10 J. M. Warwick

I recently had time to chat with J M Warwick author of A Season Of Eden!

Where did the idea of the book come from?
Girls having crushes on their teachers is nearly as old as sin itself. In fact, I don't know many girls who didn't have a crush on a teacher at one point in their schooling career! I did. But he was waaay old and more fatherly than a hottie like James Christian.

How long did it take you to complete the book?
About 3 months to write, another 3 to edit.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?
About 2 years. But, as you know, I am indie pubbed. The concept of the cover, the book trailer and all was my idea. I LOVE the cover. LOVE the back, with the piano keys. I really like publishing my own stuff because I can keep control over the creative aspect.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?
Totally. Eden's soundtrack is moody, dark and sexy. I only wish I'd found CHANCES by Athletes earlier. That song pretty much embodies A SEASON OF EDEN.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Read a lot and find good critique partners. Good critique partners are as essential as a good marriage partner. :)


What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?
Next project is another YA project: OVERPROTECTED, about a girl whose father goes to obsessive lengths to keep her safe.

Thanks for taking time out to talk to us!
Purchase A Season of Eden, here!

Interview #9 - A. W. Gryphon

Interview with A. W. Gryphon, Author of Blood Moon! Read our Blood Moon interview, here!


Where did the idea for Blood Moon come from?

That is a wonderful question. Many people ask this and I always find myself with a somewhat different answer because, quiet honestly, I don’t know. I’ve always been drawn to mysterious lore, powerful women, suspense and the supernatural. I think it was inevitable that I’d write a mystery driven suspense with a powerful female witch leading the way, but I’m not exactly sure how I’ve arrived here.

What is a typical day in your shoes?

A typical day in my shoes is very exciting. I’m a morning person so I’m up at the crack of dawn. I love that. I like being awake and alone with the earth while everything is still and people are in bed. I have my coffee and breakfast, work for a couple of hours, hit the gym with my trainer or a Pilates Plus class, then I’m back to writing until somewhere between noon and 2pm. At that point, unless I’m really on a role, I’m done writing for the day.

I take care of any business matters and personal ods and ins, I usually stop for tea at three – sometimes with a colleague, usually with Oprah, then I might see a movie or take a little time with a good book… unless Bones is on. That’s my favorite show. Everything stops for Bones. And that’s it. I’m generally in bed early so I can get up and start all over again the next day.


What are your writing habits, daily goals, etc.?

Every day that I write something down or simmer ideas in my head is a great day. My goals are really to keep my life in order enough to let me come in out of my writing flow without too many interruptions. That being said, I don’t put any pressure on myself. When I’m really cooking I write like crazy so it’s okay when all I’m doing is thinking about and absorbing an idea without putting it on paper.


How long did it take you from the point you started writing to the point of getting the book published?

I can’t remember exactly. I think it took about three years, more than half of which was wasted on waiting for someone else to do something for me. That was a big lesson.


What has been your least favorite part of the process?

I don’t have a least favorite part! It’s all fabulous!


Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes and no. I need total quiet while I’m typing, but I need a soundtrack for inspiration while during the writing process. I’ll play it in the car, while I’m having my coffee, when I’m taking a break or when I’m looking for a kick start. I usually have a few artists that really become all that I listen to over the course of getting a project completed. Right now I’m listening to Melissa Etheridge, Gaven Rossdale and Enya, and I can’t get enough of them.


Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write, write, write and always listen to your heart. It’s all up to you and if you want it, you can have it.


What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?


I’m continuing with the Witches Moon Series. You will see Amelia continue on from where we left her at the end of Blood Moon, with a whole new story. I’m working on book three. I’m not exactly sure when book two will be out, but believe me, we’ll make sure everyone knows!


THANKS FOR TAKING TIME OUT TO CHAT WITH US A. W. GRYPHON!
You can check out her website here, and you can buy Blood Moon here!

Interview #8 With Patrick H. T. Doyle!

Q: Where did the idea of your book come from?
A: For “Edgar Font’s Hunt for a House to Haunt, “In the lair forgotten bears” and Next Rest Stop Earth” the ideas came from asking “What if...” The nugget of a idea can come from anywhere. Edgar came from a dream one night, Forgotten Bears came when I found my old teddy bear in a box in the attic and Rest Stop came from my love of the paranormal. Never stop asking questions—even if you think you have the answer. That’s what I love about the paranormal, we don’t have the answers. Perfect! Let your imagination roll.

Q: What is a typical day in your shoes?
A: There is no typical day. Some mornings it just takes a pot of coffee and I’ll write nonstop for hours. Other days I’ll stare at the last line I typed and only be able to think about unpayed bills and the people I need to call.

Q: What are your writing habits (daily goals… etc)?
A: I give myself weekly goals (write a chapter, finish 15 illustrations, call these reviewers, etc.). Some days I don’t even want to write a word, but I’ve gotten into the habit of doing at least one thing per day that gets me closer to my dream. This could be something as simple as writing a blog or talking to a local bookseller.

Q: How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?
A: It took me almost three years to write the first Edgar Font book. Two years was simply developing the characters and tone. If you don’t have these two things, hold off on sending letters to agents or publishers. I didn’t send a letter or email until I knew for certain my idea was unique and I was able to talk about the characters and story as if they were as real as life. All-in-all, expect to work harder than you’ve ever worked before for at least five years. Some days (even weeks) will drive you to tears, but just hold on tight to your dream and picture yourself walking into a bookstore and seeing your work on the shelf. It’s friggin’ awesome!

Q: What was your favorite part & least favorite part?
A: My favorite part is hearing from people who enjoy my stories—especially kids. Good reviews put me in a good mood for a week (hint-hint) and let me know that all those years weren’t wasted. My least favorite (thinking... thinking...) I really don’t know, because even on the worst day, I at least know I’m working towards my dream.

Q: Do you listen to music while you write?
A: Sometimes, but it has to be something without words, because after a while I’ll find myself singing along and nobody wants to hear that. So I stick to either instrumental jazz, blues, or classical. Soundtracks to movies and stageplays are also good, but I have to make sure the score matches the scene I’m writing. I can’t have Grandpa Edgar battling an evil spirit during a makeout song—wrong on so many levels.

Q: Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?
A: CHARACTERS. Get to know your characters. Make them as real as you, your parents, your boss, and the bagger at the grocery store. If you’re not hearing their voice in your head when you’re typing out their dialog they will be one dimensional and booooooring! I like to insert the personalities of people I’ve met in my life. Larry Hammonds, in Adventure Two of the Edgar Font series, is actually my art teacher from high school. I didn’t even change his name. So just remember—characters make the story, not the other way around.

Q: What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?
A: I’m staring at four projects right now. The next one you’ll see on the shelf is “The Flint Island Treehouse,” the third adventure in the Edgar Font series. It will be available in July. Later in the year I’m hoping to have “In the lair of Forgotten bears” out. It’s a children’s picture book for ages 4-8 (forgottenbears.com). After that is another picture book (Title still in the works) and a Sci-Fi Fantasy based on a screenplay I wrote in 2005 entitled “Next Rest Stop Earth.” If you’d like to receive updates on everything I’ve got going on or have any questions for me, find me on myspace (myspace.com/patrickhtdoyle) or goodreads (search “Patrick H.T. Doyle”).

THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO CHAT WITH US PATRICK! =)

Interview #7 with J M Warwick!!

Where did the idea of your book come from?
An Open Vein stewed in my head for years. The idea of a revenge taking over someone to the point where they truly lost reality intruiged me. And I loved the idea of a love triangle with a child in the middle, both the imagery and the possibilities were very cool to me.

What is a typical day in your shoes?
I have 6 children, ages 11-22 who all live at home. So I get everyone on their way then start writing. I write from 9-5 every day that I can.

What are your writing habits (daily goals… ect)?
No goals. Just concentrated writing. With a few jumps from the computer to keep the blood flowing and my rear-end from spreading.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?
3 years.

What was your favorite part & least favorite part?
I loved it all. Being an indie author, I got to create my own cover image -- which I think is one of the strongest covers I've EVER seen. Who says authors can't decide their own covers? Who knows better what the story is about, right? I also loved finding the syringe pens I give out when I sell a book, or just give out for promo purposes. The pens are linked to the story and they have the website on them: www.anopenvein.com

Do you listen to music while you write?
Definitely. Coldplay and Keene for An Open Vein

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?
The subjectivity of the business can kill you, so do your own thing.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?
I have a bunch of other YA books in the works but none will ever be as edgy as An Open Vein. You can find my other works at www.katherinewarwick.com

Faerie Drink would like to thank J. M. Warwick for taking time out of the day to speak to us!

Interview #2 Carrie Jones

I have had a chance to interview Carrie Jones, the author of Tips On Having A Gay (ex) Boyfriend.

Where did the idea of your book come from?

I’d heard about a girl who’d been harassed because her boyfriend broke up with her and simultaneously came out. That seemed so wrong to me that I wanted to figure out how something like that could happen. I mean, obviously it’s wrong to get harassed for being gay, or having seizures, or because of your race or gender. Still, getting harassed for someone else being gay? It made no sense. So I started writing.
Plus, um, well… Yeah, I’ve had a few gay exboyfriends.

What is a typical day in your shoes?

It begins with a cry of pain as the feet cram inside them.
“No,” they beg. “Please… Please… wear the running shoes today. How about the flip-flops? You haven’t worn the flip-flops for awhile.”
“Will you be quiet,” grumps back the little toe. “This is your destiny.”
“To be walked on? To contain a foot? Oh… No… It can’t be true. Why must I bear all the weight of Carrie Jones? Why could I not have been born a glove? Or a hat? Even, gasp, underwear would be better than this.”
“Will you shut up? She’s not even walking right now.”
The whining and bickering continues unabated until dinner time when the shoes are released from their tortuous existence.

What are your writing habits (daily goals… ect)?

I write every weekday. I write in the morning. I try to write at least 500 words on each project every day. That word count gets all messed up when I’m revising. And I make lists on the computer so I can feel like I’ve actually accomplished something and I check things off on them.

So, it’ll look like this:

Weird Book: 18 (4,062) 21 (4,718) 23 (5,156) 25 (5,564) 30 (6,576) 33 (7,127) 36 (7,915) 40 (8,709) 45 49 (10,551) 52 (11,254) 55 (11,829) 56 (12,153) 60 (13, 249) 66 (14,130) 70 (15,227) (Goal for week) (16,906) Goal:85 17,398 19,153 20,436

So every time I stop I put in the page I’ve stopped on and the word count. Then I bold the page number every Monday so I can have a week by week process. It seems weird, but if I don’t do it I feel like I’m getting nothing done. Yes, I do it for each thing I'm working on.


How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

I wrote it in November, then I didn’t look at it. I submitted it in the winter some time. It was accepted off the slush pile, which was ultra-cool. It was on shelves the next year in May. So, it took about 18 months from the first word to the first bookstore appearance.

What was your favorite part & least favorite part?

I get really frightened about reviews and the fact that my dad thinks that the main character in the book is me and he keeps saying things like, “Carrie. I never realized you were so sexual.”
And I keep saying, “Dad. Dude, it’s not me.”
And he keeps saying, “Yep. Right. I didn’t know you had sex with Joe in high school.”
And I’m all, “Dad. It is FICTION! Fiction! And I’m so not telling you if I had sex in high school.”

That’s pretty bad.

My favorite part is when people write to my about the book. I got the BEST letter from this person who said she never reads past 50 pages in books but she read all of TIPS and she did it in two days. I pretty much jumped around the kitchen for two minutes when that happened.

Oh! And the other cool thing was when I went into Borders to see my book for the first time and there was a girl there and she ACTUALLY PICKED IT UP and then she bought it! I almost died. I leaped around the YA fantasy aisle silently screaming and pumping my first in the air. Security made me leave shortly afterwards.

Do you listen to music while you write?

I do an M.T. Anderson and listen before I write because I don’t want to think that all the emotion in the music is the emotion in the writing. I get confused that way. Plus, sometimes I start singing along.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

The only way I’ve ever managed to get out the first drafts of things is by saying, “It’s okay to be mediocre.”

I think when we write that first draft we expect it to be perfect. We expect ourselves to be perfect and that’s a heck of a lot of pressure. Once you give yourself the ability to suck, to say it’s an experiment, life becomes a whole lot easier.

Revision is the time for perfectionism and pressure, not first drafts.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

The next book is a nonfiction picture book about this major league baseball player who was also a spy in World War II. That’s coming out in January 2008. The next young adult novel is LOVE AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE, which is a sequel to TIPS. It comes out in March 2008. Another YA will come out in July 2008 and then… Who knows?
Thank you so much for interviewing me. It was really fun. Plus, Holly Black is amazing. So being interviewed by one of her big-time fans is super cool. I’m honored! Thanks.