June 29, 2009
meeting melissa marr
Q: What can turn two debut authors into stuttering teenagers?
A: Meeting Melissa Marr.
For me, it was like meeting Mick Jagger. (Except Melissa is MUCH younger, cuter & cooler – yeah, I said it- cooler.) She is one of my absolute favorite authors, right up there with Flannery O' Connor & Ray Bradbury. So what's it like to meet an author you completely idolize? Surreal…
This is coming from someone who dragged all of Melissa's books (including WL: Desert Tales) into the Village Idiot, in her purse, and was too shy to pull them out. (Clearly, the Village Idiot was not just the name of the pub.) Would you pull out your concert tees and ask Mick to sign them?
Anyway, the good stuff…
She is as cool as she looks (notice she's wearing purple – some Beautiful Creatures synergy). She is nicer than your best friend, and treats you like you're hers. She has an awesome husband, Loch, who didn't make it into the picture because he was our photographer. She spent most of lunch saying incredibly generous things about our book (as if weren't the ones who were carrying her books around in our bags).
* I want her to move to LA & live next door to us, so we can hang out all the time (and maybe get a little writing advice…)
June 27, 2009
Contest: Artists & Authors – Win an Original Painting
[ Kara Walker's "Cut" ]
I'm not sure why Malinda Lo's cover reminds me so much of Kara Walker's work, but it does. Walker draws on a long history of classic motifs to create her cut paper silhouettes, but she twists them just so. Walker's compositions are set in the South before the Civil War, and depict the frightening and abusive realities of plantation life for slaves.
Much in the same way Lo recreates the classic story of Cinderella in her novel, Ash. And that slight twist is what makes their work so compelling – and what makes us think. They are also both feminists, activists, and incredibly talented women.
[ a look at one of Kara Walker's installations ]
Is their an an artist whose work reminds you of a novel you love? Tell me who they are & send me a picture of the book cover and artist's work at: kamigarcia@aol.com. I'll choose my favorite and send you a special painting, painted by me.
I will pick the winner next Friday, July 3rd. You can see a sample of some of my work here or click on "My Paintings" on the sidebar.
See the contest entries here.
June 24, 2009
How do you decide if a book is worth reading?
As a reading teacher and an author, that's a complicated question. Do you choose beautifully written novels, full of subtle metaphors and classic themes? Or do you reach for novels with less impressive writing, but more compelling plots and characters? It's a little like asking which flavor of ice cream is better – chocolate or vanilla. Subjective at best.
So what do I reach for? Chocolate or vanilla?
For me, it's all about voice. I don't care how well written a book is – if I can't connect to the voice, I'm putting it down. My students say the same thing. And then there's character…I can almost meander through the Storyless Sea if I love the character. My favorites: Freak, from Freak the Mighty, Jace from Mortal Instruments, Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, Norah from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Sidalee in Little Altars Everywhere.
Sure, I love a good story and I won't give a book more than thirty pages to show me what it has to offer. But voice is the thing. The sci-fi/fantasy fan in me also loves a great world. Cassandra Clare and Clive Barker are masters at world building. But that's after you've read The White Mountains as a kid, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, & Focult's Pendulom a little later. And The Golden Compass is a masterpiece.
What do you think? What makes a book worth reading?
June 24, 2009
dirty little secrets & vlogs
I'm into secrets (especially dls) and I'm going to start filming my next vlog. So I thought I'd ask you (if anyone's reading this) what you'd like to know about me, see me do, etc. This does not include eating anything disgusting. So if there's something you're dying to know (or moderately interested in knowing), let me know. And stay tuned…
xx K
June 23, 2009
shadowed summer by saundra mitchell
I love books set in the South (The Prince of Tides, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Witching Hour). Unfortunately, most of them are full of tired stereotypes (fried chicken is not the only thing people eat in the South) and take place in towns that feel more like a set of True Blood than actual places in the South.
This is NOT the case in Shadowed Summer. Saundra Mitchell has crafted a novel so real, I could feel the sweat dripping down my neck and found myself standing with the fridge door open. The characters are so heartbreakingly real, I was thinking about Iris long after I finished the novel. I love the fact that Iris spends her summer doing exactly what any girl in a small Southern town would do – unearthing secrets, digging through attics, and getting into some trouble along the way. She really is my kinda girl.
But Shadowed Summer is not just a novel full of atmospheric qualities, written in impeccable voice. At its core, SS is a ghost story – haunting and frightening, suspenseful and impossible to put down. If you don't believe in the supernatural, so be it. But if you read SS, Saundra Mitchell will make you a believer.
June 17, 2009
Rockin’ Out in NC
Here we are rockin' on the porch of one of Beaufort, North Carolina's, historic homes – the Thomas Duncan House. It was built in 1856, and back then they were likely doing exactly what were are in this picture. Sitting on the porch, drinking sweet tea, and gossiping about the neighbors.
That's what I love about the South – tradition, porches, and sweet tea.
Hope you're rockin' out wherever you are.
June 12, 2009
eating my way through south carolina
The famed Jestine's Coca-Cola cake – I just had some by the way. And pecan fried chicken and sweet tea. This is what you do in South Carolina when you aren't looking at beautiful houses you don't live in or sweltering in the June heat.
If you're not in the mood for Coca-Cola cake, this sweet lady will sell you some green tomato cake. On her birthday no less.
June 10, 2009
check out our first caster boy
June 8, 2009
the world of beautiful creatures 2
Check out Vania's latest photograph to see more of the world of Beautiful Creatures here.
June 3, 2009
reverie book reviews interviews caster girl 25
As part of her ongoing series on interviews with the Caster Girls, Vania interviewed Caster Girl 25 on her blog, Reverie Book Reviews.
Here's an excerpt:
"Caster Girl 25 is my girl today!! I am so excited to kick off the actual Caster Girls interviews and hope you ALL enjoy what these lovely ladies have to say.
If you missed last week's interview here's where you can find out what the Caster Girls are and why they are so important to Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl but most importantly to the novel Beautiful Creatures.
Q: How did you get involved with Beautiful Creatures and what were your initial thoughts?
CG 25: I read a lot of YA, and Kami and Margie asked me if I wanted to read the draft of Beautiful Creatures and give them feedback. I loved BC from the beginning. I’m a sucker for a good love story and Ethan and Lena didn’t disappoint. I have always lived in a big city and BC made Gatlin, a town in the middle of nowhere, interesting, which just made me love it more. It made me want to be a part of that world, to have the same experiences as Ethan and Lena—to go through life with them.
V: That is amazing!! I felt like that too as soon as I started reading it.It's just a breathtaking and exciting book!"
Read the rest of the interview here.
