Wow. Thanks everyone!

The blog tour and auction are over and we raised just over $4100.00 to help prevent violence.  By "we" I mean everyone who commented during the tour.  By "we" I mean all the blogger who hosted me.  By "we" I mean everyone who donated such fabulous items to the auction.  By "we" I mean everyone who bid.  And by "we" I mean the awesome women at Teen Book Scene who set up this tour for me, as they do for many authors, simply as a labor of love.  That's right, gratis.

We hit our goal of 250 comments so I will double my $1/comment donation, and donate $500 to Family Violence Prevention Fund.  Great fundraising everyone! THANK YOU!!

For highlights of the tour, stop on over to A Good Addiction where I have the closing post.

Did you miss the tour?  Not to worry.  You can catch up right here:

Friday, October 1: Random House Buzzers

Monday, October 4: Karen at For What It's Worth Reviews (Guest Post: Writing an Issues Book)
Tuesday, October 5: Corrine at Lost For Words (Review)
Wednesday, October 6: John at Dreaming in Books (Christian POV Scene)
Thursday, October 7: Jessica at A Fanatic's Book Blog (Cut Scene)
Friday, October 8: Page Turners (Guest Post: Writer's Tips)
Saturday, October 9: Jami at YA Addict (Review)

Monday, October 11: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Guest Post: Cycle of Abuse)
Tuesday, October 12: Michele Corriel (Revision: Obsess Much? Write a Novel)
Wednesday, October 13: Kelsey at The Book Scout (Cut Scene)
Thursday, October 14: Hattie at DeRaps Reads (Character Interview - Jace)
Friday, October 15: Sammee at I Want To Read That (Guest Post: Letting Your Characters Drive)
Saturday, October 16: Michelle at See Michelle Read (Review)

Monday, October 18: Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings (Guest Post: Interviewing DV Victims/Research
Tuesday, October 19: Taylor at The Library Lurker (Review)
Wednesday, October 20: Teens Read (On Inspiration)
Thursday, October 21: Lea at YA Book Queen (Photo Essay)
Friday, October 22: Linna at 21 Pages (Jace's POV Guest Post)
Saturday, October 23: Kelsey at The Book Scout (Cut Scene)

Monday, October 25: Jami at YA Addict (Cover Post & Create Your Own Cover Contest)
Tuesday, October 26: Arya at Sea of Pages (Review)
Wednesday, October 27: Weronika Janczuk (You're Not Crazy, Your Characters are Talking To You)
Thursday, October 28: Michelle at See Michelle Read (Cut Scene)
Friday, October 29: Stephanie at Steph the Bookworm (Animated Movie Short or Vlog)
Saturday, October 30: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Review)

Monday, November 1: Kari at A Good Addiction (Playlist + Ipod Giveaway)

Spend my money, please

If you're just coming in on the Split blog tour and charity auction, I have a little news for you:

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!!!

Yet.

If you want to comment belatedly, please go here:  http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/split-details.html

Each Monday, Kari at Teen Book Scene, the fabulous coordinator of the tour, updates the link so that all you have to do is click on a post, comment, and repeat, to catch up.

For those uber-procastinators (like me):  I will donate $1/comment toward the $250 comment goal until October 31st.  If we reach the comment goal, I'll double my donation to Family Violence Prevention Fund.  So spend my money please and help prevent abuse.

On November 1st, I hope I have good news to announce.


And, in case you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read it about here.

And introducing at last... Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction

It is October, my favorite month of the year. Paradoxical as it sounds, fall makes me feel like the world is shaking off the thick humidity of summer and starting new.  Maybe it’s because the cool air clears my head, lifts my spirits and hones my energy.  I’ve always associated October with crispness – crisp air, crisp leaves on the ground, and apple crisps.  It was only after working at the domestic violence legal clinic that I started to associate it with something else:  National Domestic Violence Awareness month -- something that actually lifts my spirits as well.

We know that abuse is horrible and the statistics are overwhelming. The CDC estimates that one in four teens are abused by an intimate partner and UC Davis estimates that boys who grew up witnessing abuse are four times more likely to become abusers.  All year long that can make us feel powerless.  But I think that this is the month when we turn our attention to these disturbing statistics with the hope that by increasing awareness, more people will speak out.  More people will get help.  And more people will help in return.

So… the Before the Split Tour Begins.

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, you’ll find me touring Split. The fabulous Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene, who is coordinating the tour, has lined up twenty-six stops.  Through interviews and posts, I’ll give you a look inside the novel-making process, both by talking about writing as a craft and by giving you a peek at cut scenes (those scenes that didn’t make into the novel), draft versus the final product, and even a mini-scene from Christian’s point of view.  Read an interview with Jace (I’m told the questions will be hard), watch a vlog, and enter the Create Your Own Cover contest. You can follow me! 

About Split

My debut novel, Split, is narrated by Jace Witherspoon, a sixteen year old boy, who drives practically non-stop 19 hours from Chicago to Albuquerque on the night he finally hits his father back.  He hasn’t seen or heard from his brother, Christian, in five long years but Jace shows up, unannounced, on Christian’s doorstep with nothing more than a few bucks in his pocket, the latest bruises that dear-old-dad gave him, and a secret. 

Split is about what happens after.  After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split.

I chose “after” because I always wondered what happened to the survivors I worked with after they left the legal clinic, with their orders of protection in hand.  I chose “after” because I believe that leaving is the first step. And I chose “after” because I think that what you do after you are free from abuse helps determine who you become – stronger or weaker, better or worse.

But there’s also the story of “before.”  The Family Violence Prevention Fund’s initiatives focus strongly on the “before” and on preventing abuse.  In addition to many other programs, they have these great campaigns like Coaching Boys into Men that give a good role model or Lessons from Literature and Start Strong to support teens and families.  These initiatives focus on what we really want to achieve – stop the violence before it starts and interrupt the intergenerational pattern of abuse.

About  “Before the Split” Blog Tour & Auction for Family Violence Prevention Fund

After reading Split, some bloggers, teens, and bookclubs I spoke with wanted to do more about domestic violence and I do, too.

You want to help, too?  Well you can. 

Yep, follow the tour and comment on the posts.  Comment because you want to chat.  Comment because you have something to say.  But most of all, comment because I’ll donate $1/ for every comment to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, with a goal and cap of $250. If your comments reach that goal, I’ll double my donation.

But the fundraising effort doesn’t stop there.  Oh, no.  Excess is my middle name.  (Actually, I don’t have a middle name, but that’s not important now.  I’ll take that up that with my parents.  And therapist). 

Over 40 authors, editors and agents have donated fabulous items, including:  personalized, signed copies of books by seriously awesome author, memberships to YALITCHAT.org or to Children’s Literature Network, and even items you can’t buy anywhere:  critiques of your manuscripts and querries. 

Ihe items will be waiting for your bids all month long.  Bidding will close on November 1, the last day of the tour, and then we’ll tally and total. 

Follow the Before the Split tour.  Have fun.  Get stuff you want.  And, while you’re at it, make a difference.

Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction Tour Schedule

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, I'm combining a blog tour for Split, with a charity auction. (More info here).  Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone –reader, writer, booklover -- can bid on and buy.  All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition to the auction, I'm donating $1/comment on my 26-stop, month-long blog tour, coordinated by Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene. If I reaches her goal and cap of $250, I will double the donation.  Follow the tour, get stuff you want, and make a difference.


This is where I'll be by 5 PM everyday:


Launch
Friday, October 1:  http://www.randombuzzers.com/ -- "Before the Split" Intro


Week One
Monday, October 4:  http://www.fwiwreviews.net/ - Guest Post
Tuesday, October 5:  http://lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/ - Review
Wednesday, October 6:  http://dreaminginbooks.blogspot.com/ - Scene from Christian's POV
Thursday, October 7:  http://afanaticbookblog.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Friday, October 8:  http://www.pageturnersblog.com/ - Guest Post: Writer's Tips
Saturday, October 9:  , http://yaaddict.blogspot.com/ - Review

Week Two
Monday, October 11:  http://piratepenguinreads.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Abuse Cycle
Tuesday, October 12: http://mcorriel.livejournal.com -- Guest Post on Revising
Wednesday, October 13:  http://thebookscout.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Thursday, October 14:  http://derapsreads.blogspot.com/ - Jace's Interview 
Friday, October 15:  http://iwanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Letting your Characters Drive 
Saturday, October 16:  http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/ - Review

Week Three
Monday, October 18: , http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Survivor Interview
Tuesday, October 19:  http://librarylurker.blogspot.com/  - Review
Wednesday, October 20:  www.teenreads.com -
Thursday, October 21: , http://yabookqueen.blogspot.com/ - Jace's Photo Essay
Friday, October 22:   http://21pages.x10hosting.com/ - Jace's guest post
Saturday, October 23:  http://thebookscout.blogspot.com - Review

Week Four
Monday, October 25:  http://yaaddict.blogspot.com - Cover Post + Create Your own Cover contest (win a signed audion book)
Tuesday, October 26:  http://seaofpages.blogspot.com/ - Review
Wednesday, October 27:  http://www.weronikajanczuk.com/ - Guest post: You're Not Crazy, Your Characters are Talking to You
Thursday, October 28:  http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Friday, October 29:  http://stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/ - Animated short scene
Saturday, October 30:  http://piratepenguinreads.blogspot.com/ - Review

Closing Ceremony
Monday, November 1: , http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/ - Play List + Ipod Giveaway

Split, back in California.

Split is lounging in the California sun.  I'm so jealous.  Wish I could be there, too.

Check out the geometry in the pix.  Not bad at all.

Despicable Me -- The New Villain in Stories for Kids

Despicable Me is ushering in a new era of kids' villains.  It breaks a lot of the rules and I loved every minute of it.  I know, I know, I'm not the target audience, but my kids (12 and 8) are.  And they loved it, too.



A bad guy who isn't a bad guy?  Talk about a change.

Imagine Despicable Me as a query letter:

45 year old* Gru, who wants nothing more than to be the best supervillian in the world and thus earn the affection of his mother, devises his greatest plan ever:  stealing the moon.  But when his competition, Vector, steals the shrink ray he needs, Gru must find a way to get it back, ** SPOLIER** even if it means adopting three little girls who can innocently penetrate Vector's fortress by selling Vector's favorite cookies.  In this playful tale, Gru learns that capturing the moon and earning the title of Greatest Supervillain isn't as important as capturing the hearts daughters and the title of Great Dad.

Here, I imagine, would be the response:

Dear Writer,

After perusing your hysterical and entertaining tale, I regretfully must pass.  While I tend to be vague in these letters, let me give you a few pieces of concrete advice:

1) Children don't care about and can't relate to the desires of a 45-year-old villain.

2) While the three girls are the catalysts for Gru's transformation, they are not the primary protagonists of the story, nor do they solve their problems on their own. *Spoiler* Rather, they are rescued by said 45 year old man.

3) I'm not sure it is morally sound to cast your protagonist as such a clear example of an anti-hero in children's literature.

4) It's missing some opportunities that the story has created:  (i.e, where are the bogie bots at the end?)

(Truthfully, number 4 is because I wanted to see them boogy-ing again)

Thank your for your submission.  Best of luck in finding a home for the story, perhaps in adult literature.

Kids' villains have become increasingly funny (Kim Possible, Meet the Robinsons) and even likeable (Despicable Me, Shrek, Megamind).  While I don't think we'll see a true anti-hero (someone who intends to and does something truly awful and is unlikeable) in stories for young kids any time soon,  I suspect we'll see a wave of books to follow this growing trend, stories with an even stronger anti-hero than Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Stories with an anti-hero who intends to cast about evil, (though the consequences will be tame and the anti-hero will be bumbling) instead of someone who is overly excitable or just in a bad mood.







*I'm guessing as to the exact age.  Suffice it to say, from the kids' perspective, really old guy.

At long last... a photo

Split, who has been a bit negligent in communicating with me, is still on the road!  Finally, he has sent me some pictures.  He is with a friend in Cleveland, OH, who has convinced Split to visit a college campus.  Yay!  Get him moving in the right direction.

Here he is, lounging on a mailbox, thinking about the Gehry building and pondering life in an institution of higher learning.

And now, getting closer ....

And closer...

But apparently, he was too intimidated to go inside  Case Western.  (A good school).  He is a bit young, I suppose.  Someday... he'll actually go inside.  In the meantime, thanks to my friend for hosting Split and taking him to see what's in his future.

Next stop.  I know he's scheduled to visit his Class of 2k10 buddy, Tagged at Mara Purnhagen's place.  I wonder if Tagged might teach him about graffiti...