kderting

Every time I read the synopsis for Kristina Springer’s THE ESPRESSOLOGIST I want to just curl up with a hot drink by the fire.

See what I mean?

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

Today, we have Kristina here to answer some questions and tell us about herself.

And, go:

1) Would you rather be the Bestselling Rockstar Author or an Acclaimed Literary Award Winner?

Bestselling Rockstar Author

2) Make people laugh, cry, or hide under the covers?

Laugh

3) Retire early or just keep writing from your beach house(s)?

Write from beach house.

4) FaceBook or MySpace?

Facebook

5) After a period, one space or two?

One

And your bonus question: What ONE WORD of advice would give to any aspiring writer?

Persevere

Kristina Springer has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Her first novel, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, was published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux on October 27, 2009. Her second novel, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, also from FSG, will be published in the fall of 2010. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband Athens and their four small children Teegan, Maya, London, and Gavin.

To find out more about Kristina and her books, check out her website at http://www.kristinaspringer.com/!

I was cleaning out my daughter’s backpack this morning because (HURRAY!) she’s the school district’s problem again, when I came across these beauties:



Just take a moment to admire the detail…

So all this time I’ve been pouring over proofs of posters and stickers, when all I really needed to do was consult my 8-year-old…apparently she had it all figured out. A pencil and some yellow sticky notes. Sheer. Marketing. Genius!

Who cares that third graders aren’t my target demographic. Let’s just say she’s thinking outside the box, right?

Although, I have to wonder…if these are what was left of her inventory, how many do you think she passed out at school? How many members of THE BODY FINDER CLUB are there???

By the way, check out the back…sticky notes might not have been the best choice for “Club Cards”. Unless their dual purpose was to pick up all those pesky cookie crumbs from the bottom of your backpack. If so, then, mission accomplished, Abigail!

I’m grateful for finding these in my drawer today after my husband folded laundry this week:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Wicked Lovely
The Shining
Shiver
Water For Elephants
The Hunger Games
The Time Travelers Wife
Hush, Hush
Beautiful Creatures

Sometimes even before the cover image, the title is the first impression we have of a book. And whether we want to admit it or not, they’re important. HUGELY important. And you know what? I kinda suck at titles.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my title. Love, love it, and maybe even want to marry it. But it was an accidental title, a placeholder title that ([insert sarcasm font here] with my vast knowledge of the publishing industry) I was sure the publisher was going to change anyway. THE BODY FINDER…it was what my main character could do, not a well thought out title of a YA novel. I even had a short list (a VERY sort list) of alternates, just in case I was consulted in the matter. But that’s the weird thing…I wasn’t consulted. Because my publisher—the editorial staff and Sales and Marketing—they loved the title too. Thus, THE BODY FINDER it was.

And I was left standing there going: “What the hell just happened…?”

For book two I was more careful. Thoughtful. I spent a lot of time thinking about what meaning I wanted to convey. I weighed the feel of the book and the path that my main character took. And I came up with the perfect title. My agent loved it, and my editor too. Close your eyes and imagine it: *waves hand dramatically*

THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD

It had everything, it was evocative and dark and a little mysterious…

Umm, yeah, well apparently it was the perfect title. For a series of books in the UK. And it was way too close to Francesca Lia Block’s book (also by HarperCollins) titled PRETTY DEAD. (I wish someone would have told me before I bought http://www.thebeautifuldead.net/. Yeah, it works…)

So it was back to the drawing board. And then one day I was going through my edits and I came across a line that stood out to me: “…the desires of the dead.” And that was it, my title: DESIRES OF THE DEAD. Another accidental title. But, again, I love it. And again, a possible impending nuptial. (What can I say? I’m fickle like that!)

My current project doesn’t really have a title yet. And I’m struggling to come up with the one. S-T-R-U-G-G-L-I-N-G! I’ll know it when I find it. But I haven’t yet.

One morning after watching the movie Role Models, I woke up and my husband had renamed my manuscript “THE WHISPERING EYE” as a joke. If you’ve seen the movie you’ll get the reference. If you haven’t, then you’re on your own to figure it out. But I wonder what my editor would think if I sent it in like that. I can just imagine the Sales and Marketing meeting for that one. I’m guessing it would be fairly controversial…

So, I want to know what titles you love and why. And if you’re a writer, I wanna know how you’ve come up with your titles.

Because this title thing, it daunts me. Because, like I said, I sort of suck at it…

You know how I get cover envy? How I talk about loving this cover or that? Petting, lusting, coveting?

Yeah, well this is one of those. It has that Juno-esque feel about it. The lined paper, the doodle-style font. Plus a man with a guitar…what’s not to love? Okay, so maybe he’s more of a boy. Ish. Whatever. Let’s not play word games. Let’s just stare at the cover and admire...

Plus, the book itself, STRUTS AND FRETS, check it:

More than anything, Sammy wants to play guitar in a famous indie rock band. The problem is that his front man is a jerk who can't sing, his bassist is a burn-out who can't remember the songs, and his drummer is just out to lunch. But Sammy needs this band because it's the only good thing he's got going. His father skipped out before he was born, his mother is an overworked therapist with a drinking problem, his grandfather is slowly losing his mind to Alzheimer's, and the girl of his dreams is dating his jerk lead singer.

Now that jerk lead singer has entered them in a Battle of the Bands contest to win free studio time and guaranteed radio play. Sammy has two weeks to get them to sound like a real band, or face public humiliation in front of the entire local indie music scene.

See? More awesome.

Somewhere along the way, I’ve stopped thinking of the author as Jon Skovron and replaced him with Jonny Skov, mostly because I think it’s a much more kickass indie rocker name. So for the rest of this interview, that’s what we’re going with.

You ready, Jonny? All you have to do is answer five simple questions and a ONE-WORD bonus question.

And…GO!

1) Would you rather be the Bestselling Rockstar Author or an Acclaimed Literary Award Winner?

Bestselling Rockstar author for sure. To paraphrase Garp, I want readers, not acclaim.

2) Make people laugh, cry, or hide under the covers?

All three, preferably at once if possible. That's my favorite place to be.

3) Retire early or just keep writing from your beach house(s)?

I may reach a stage where I choose to stop publishing, but I will always write.

4) FaceBook or MySpace?

Twitter.

5) After a period, one space or two?

I used to be a two spacer, but broke myself of the habit when I started tech writing.

And your bonus question: What ONE WORD of advice would give to any aspiring writer?

Persist!

To find out more about Jonny Skov and his books, check out his website at http://www.jonskovron.com/ (or www.jonnyskov.com also works…I checked!).

So, today I was browsing around on HarperTeen’s Facebook site and I saw that they were already announcing their Supernatural Summer Tour lineup for next summer. And guess what…????

OMG...YES! I am on it!!!!

*jumps up and down* *screams like a little girl* *throws up in mouth (just a little)*

Did I know Harper was sending me on tour? Yes!

Did I think it was a secret that I had to keep to myself? Why, yes. Yes, I did.

Did I have any idea that HarperTeen was going to publicly announce the tour on their Facebook page??? Umm...no, I did not. (And is it terrible to admit that I kinda wanted to say it first???)

But you know what HarperTeen didn’t have on their site??? Pictures that show how exciting it’s gonna be…

Like this one:






Or this:



Or even this:


So if anyone asks, just tell ‘em you heard it here first. And that my announcement party was way cooler than theirs…

I pretty much knew I wanted to write by the seventh grade. Of course, in my version of “writing” I wanted to be a Journalist traipsing through jungles and war-torn regions trying to scoop some story that would land me on the cover of Time magazine, possibly win me a Pulitzer. And maybe it would be in the midst of gunfire? Maybe in an insect-infested rain forest with snakes and feral predators and giant spiders? Maybe, even, without a shower?

Can you picture me there? No, not so much? Right…me either. Plus, there’s all that fact gathering and truth-telling. I found it much simpler and far more satisfying to just make stuff up. And to shower daily.

But what was it that made me think I could write? What made me want it? Is writing something you are just born to do, some innate ability you either have or you don’t? Or is it something taught, some skill that must be honed and mastered?

Honestly, I believe it’s both.

But, just like everything else, what I don’t believe is that there is only one “right way” to get there.

I didn’t go the MFA in Writing route (which probably would have been a much smarter and much less potholed route). In fact, when I was in college, I was a Biology major. Um, yeah, not so much to do with the writing. More to do with Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, and a whole lotta math. But I could write a kick-ass paper on cellular mitosis or Newton’s Law. Because all along the way, even though I was studying Biology, I was also "studying" the craft of writing. Whether I was writing mid-term projects and essay problems, or writing and re-writing (and re-writing) my first novel, or just reading everything I could get my hands on, I was always learning about sentence structure and vocabulary and how to best use words for impact. Even if it wasn’t a highly formalized masters program.

Because here’s the thing: while I think I would have learned a TON from a writing program, I also don’t believe that a degree means you will be a great writer*. I think you can be taught all of those things I mentioned above…and a lot, LOT more! I think you can spend hours studying linguistics and dialogue and pouring over the words of every author who’s ever lived and died by the pen, but that does not, and let me just repeat that: That DOES NOT a great writer make! And it certainly does not guarantee a career in writing. Because what can’t necessarily be taught is a *feel* for good storylines or a keen sense of timing or the life experiences that are necessary to understand the way your characters should (or should not) relate to one another.

For me, I think that, yes, I was going to find a way to be a writer (one way or another) and it was called: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Did I have something there to begin with? Hell yes, I did! It’s called drive, desire, and ambition. And I’m not sure where that comes from exactly. Maybe growing up without made me work harder. I’m almost certain it did. But I would never discount the determination of those who were raised with more. There are probably just as many authors who have come from means as those who came from nothing.

Because here’s the deal, if you’ve got that fire then nothing can stop you. I truly believe that writers are as often born as they are created.


* I am not, in fact, referring to myself as a "great writer"...just making a reference to writers in general. Please do not send hate mail!

I wonder sometimes about the people who “make it” in this business. Sure, I think there are those who stumble into it ass-backwards and make a killing. They write a manuscript (and maybe their first draft is super stellar), they find an agent on their first try, the book goes out on submission and editors everywhere want it. An auction ensues. Instant, overnight success ala Stephenie Meyer, right?

But that’s not the real world. And I have a hard time believing that even those rare “overnight successes” didn’t have their own stumbling blocks along the way.

And what about the rest of us? Most of us?

It certainly didn’t happen that way for me. Sure, The Body Finder sold quickly, but it also wasn’t my first book. Or my second. And I had (ehem…have) stacks of rejection letters to prove it.

I had my first agent when I was twenty. Yeah, you heard me, twenty. And I thought, that’s it, I’ve made it! Now, I can sit back and wait for the bags-o-money to roll in.

Umm, yeah…

Still waiting…

My book didn’t actually sell. My dreams of lighting my cigars (that’s right, I probably would have started smoking cigars) with hundred dollar bills went up in smoke (pardon the pun!).

But I didn’t give up. I rewrote my book, and found another agent. And this time I was in my mid-twenties…much older, and much wiser. *cough*yeahright*coughcough*

And, again, my book didn’t sell. So this time I tucked my manuscript away in a drawer. And every few years I would pull it out, dust it off, rewrite it, and resubmit it to agents. The technology got better. I moved from a typewriter to word processer to computer. Searching for agents got easier, The Writers Market moved from doorstopper-sized hardcopy to an online version. But, alas, my poor little manuscript just didn’t have what it took to find a publishing home. It had something, just not quite the right thing.

Unfortunately, I was stuck. I’d gotten just enough positive feedback to keep me clinging to it like it was my last, great hope. Hell, I’d had two agents. I even had a two page, single-spaced critique letter from an editor at William Morrow who was kind enough to read my entire manuscript despite the fact that I’d blindly sent it to her without knowing I needed an agent first. I had just the right amount of encouragement to keep me from letting it go.

And then one day I made a decision. One more revision, I decided. The last one, and then I was done with it. Then I was moving on. If I was going to be a writer, then by god I was going to write. New stuff. Even if it never found a publishing home. Even if I was only writing it for me. I was tired of the old book. I wanted to write!

It was very freeing, that moment.

And I did it; I revised the old manuscript, sent out a few more queries, gathered a few more rejections, and moved on. I wrote a second book, and sent out new queries. Got some nibbles, requests for fulls, definitely a lot more positive this time. Could it be that my writing had improved?

Again, I didn’t waste any time, and I started on a new project: The Body Finder. It came together quickly. I was working two jobs, I have three kids, and a busy household. And somehow I would squeeze in a couple of hours every day. My husband did the dishes and got the kids ready for bed. I got up early and stayed up late.

I finished it, and had a feeling that this was something. I was supposed to pitch my second novel at a writer’s conference just weeks away, and instead decided to pitch this new project.

It was like the stars had finally aligned.

But you know what? That wasn’t it at all. There was no fate or kismet involved. It was a lot of hard work. It was dedication and sticking with it, even knowing it was quite possibly a pipe dream. It was believing in myself.

The people that make it—and I believe this about almost any industry that’s difficult to break into—aren’t really the ones who accidentally stumble onto the scene and make a splash (yes, there are those rare exceptions). Instead, they are the ones who bust their asses! The ones who find the time, who never give up, who look past the rejections and keep on working, learning, growing.

I might be the Paula Abdul of writing, but never let the Simons get you down. Not if you really want it!