There's an important stop we need to make on the tour, a stop that I'm willing to bet will send you right to your local bookstore or library. I fell in love with the novel, SHADOWED SUMMER, in the first chapter. There was something about it–the way I found myself sweating in the Louisiana heat alongside Iris, whose voice I could hear as clearly as my own. SHADOWED SUMMER is a Southern ghost story, one of the best I've ever read.
Saundra Mitchell has done everything from predicting futures as a phone psychic, to delivering dentures, and working as a layout waxer for a newspaper. She finally found her calling, and today she's an author and screenwriter. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two children.
I asked Saundra if I could ask her a few questions, and she graciously agreed (a nice Southern girl). This was also my opportunity to find out everything I really wanted to know.
Kami: What was the inspiration for SHADOWED SUMMER, which is one of my favorite books of 2009?
Saundra: You are too sweet, Kami, thank you! SHADOWED SUMMER was a funny book to write. The main character, Iris, showed up in my head early. I knew who she was, I knew her best friend's name, and I knew where she was from. But that's all she knew! She loomed in my head over the summer, and I finally decided I would write a paranormal romance.
Suddenly, Iris had a lot to say- like, she wasn't going to fall in love with any ghost, and the ghost wasn't all that interested in falling in love with her, either. I spent the next three months fighting with Iris over what to put on the page. I think we were both relieved when it was all over!
Kami: Why did you choose the South as the setting for SHADOWED SUMMER? Do you think there's a reason so many Southern authors set their stories in the South?
Saundra: When Iris appeared, that's where she was from- and it made exactly the right kind of sense. Setting is very important to me; it's a character to me. The setting of the story should inform the story, in my opinion. The South has its unique texture and culture- I don't think SHADOWED SUMMER could have taken place anywhere else. Iris in Maine would not have been my Iris Rhame.
I think so many authors set stories in the south because it's an easy exotic if you're not from there, and it's like laughing behind your hand at church if you are. Everything is bigger in the south. Temperatures are higher, personalities are bigger, emotions are bigger.
And people talk to each other- strangers talk to each other! I remember my first visit to Cartersville, Georgia. I went to the grocery with my best friend Wendi, and was struck dumb by the old man who struck up a conversation with me over the cheese freezer. "But what did he want?" I asked Wendi. And I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the answer, which was, "Nothing!"
Books are all about the places where people collide, and people collide beautifully in the South. Kami: What are you working on currently? I can't wait for your next novel!
Saundra: I have a historical paranormal on submission right now– cross your fingers that what the world wants next is visions in fire, in Gilded-Age Baltimore!
Kami: * fingers crossed *Name 5 things you can't live without.
Saundra:
My Wendi Books Cocola The Internet Books (These are different books!)
* This is not a photo of Saundra's fried chicken, but I thought we needed a point of reference for those of us who aren't US natives.
~ Saundra's Fried Chicken ~
1 whole fryer, cut up 2 cups of milk 1-2 cups Crisco, lard or vegetable oil
Breading
2 cups of flour 1 tbsp rosemary 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp salt 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp black pepper
1. Blend your dry ingredients well, until all spices are evenly distributed. I usually put them in a large bowl with a tight-fitting container, and shake.
3. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, and shake off the excess. Keep one hand dry, you need it for step 4.
4. Drop each piece into the breading mix, and with your dry hand, flip the chicken over until it's thoroughly covered. Push it to the side of the bowl, so you have room to repeat this process with each piece.
5. Recover the bowl, give it a good shake to distribute the chicken in the breading, and then shove the whole thing in the fridge for at least an hour.
6. While your chicken is resting, melt lard or Crisco (your choice, I like Crisco,) in your cast iron skillet, until you have about a 3/4 of an inch of liquid fat. Heat to about 370 degrees.
7. Put your largest pieces- thighs and breasts- into the grease first. They will lower the temperature, so partially cover the pan. Do not use a tight lid! It will make your chicken gummy.
8. Fiddle. After 10, 15 minutes, check the brownness. If it's about the color of good whiskey, turn it over. If it's not, leave it cook a little longer.
9. After you turn your chicken, *do not cover it anymore*. It will take the crisp right out of your breading.
10. When the chicken is thoroughly done on both sides, drain on paper towels. Serve hot or cold, preferably with mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits.
~
~ Southern Homemade Biscuits ~
* In the South, this means made by hand — not with a spoon. (Just like Amma does it in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.)
Ingredients: 8 cups of white flour Crisco 4 cups of buttermilk
The next stop on our tour is a long way from vampires and into the shelves of middle grade fiction. Most of you probably don't read a lot of middle grade fiction, unless you happen to be a librarian or a teacher. As an elementary school Reading Specialist, I've read my share and one of my favorites is Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles. Wiles understands a fundamental truth about Southern literature: at its core, great Southern lit is a ship navigated by an incredibly unique and believable protagonist. And he/she is generally surrounded by a cast of characters that are: quirky, eccentric (which in the South means crazy), certifiable, ornery, and oftentimes broken.
Ruby Lavender and her friends in Halleluia, Mississippi are no exception.
Description:
"Ruby Garnet Lavender and her relationship with her wacky grandmother,
Miss Eula, in Halleluia, Mississippi (Population: 400 Good Friendly Folks
And A Few Old Soreheads). It's also about three (stolen) unruly chickens,
the town bully, the town operetta, a death in the family, friendship,
laughter, grief…"
Ruby is incredibly charming and honest, and I was sure that Deborah Wiles would never be able to write a narrator as compelling or believable. But, as it is often the case with great authors, Wiles proved me wrong when she introduced Comfort Snowberger. Comfort lives in a funeral home — where else? And she steals the show in Each Little Bird That Sings.
Description:
Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals. That’s a lot for a ten-year-old. But
if your family runs the town funeral home and their motto is “We Live
to Serve,” then that’s what you do. Yes, it’s sad when Great-Great Aunt
Florentine drops dead—just like that in the vegetable garden —but
Comfort knows how to handle loss. What she can’t handle is her crazy
cousin Peach, who ruins every family occasion, and her best friend,
Declaration, who suddenly won’t speak to her. Aunt Florentine’s funeral
will be a time to remember. But all Comfort really wants to do is sit
in her closet with her dog, Dismay, and hide.
Life is full of surprises. And the biggest one of all is learning what it takes to handle them."
Anyone interested in Southern lit, or writing it, should read Wiles. It should be a prerequisite. Once you read one of her books, you'll understand what I'm talking about and you'll understand how to write about the South.
Deborah Wiles was born in Alabama, but she spent the summers in Mississippi, which is where most of her books are set. She was the
first children's book author to be named Writer-in-Residence at the
Thurber House, the house where James Thurber grew up. She has won the
Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. She was a writing teacher at Towson University until she moved to Atlanta. Love, Rube Lavender was her first novel and an ALA Notable Children's Book, and has been nominated for over twenty-six awards.
I will be heading to Comi-Con tomorrow for our first signing on Friday (11:00, Booth #1116). There are several ways this can play out. But I'm a glass half full, worst-case-scenario-kind-of-girl, so here is my Top Ten:
1. Margie and I are sitting at a table stacked with our beautiful ARCs, while people wander by and ask, "Who the hell are they?" (Of course, loud enough that we can hear them).
2. One of my ex-boyfriends stops by to tell embarrassing stories about me. (This one is unlikely because I'm from the East Coast.)
3. I spill Diet Coke, Kool-Aid, coffee, motor oil, blood – the list goes on – all over myself just before the signing. (This actually happened last year at BEA when I met one of our editors, Jen Hunt, for the first time. Thankfully, Diet Coke, not blood.)
4. Sarah Rees Brennan is the only person who comes to see us. (Although, I love Demon's Lexicon so much, I might be able to live with this one.)
5. Someone dressed like: Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Chewbacca has a lightsaber battle in front of our table with another person dressed like one of the above and everything is destroyed.
6. Did I mention no one showing up?
7. My friend, Amanda, desperately tries to pass out cards for our booth, but no one will take one.
8. The Caster Girls hear about our poor turnout and quit.
9. Margie turns to me and says, "You know, I think I'd rather write with Holly Black."
10. Someone does come to get an ARC and I misspell my name when I sign it.
Southerns are famous for their eccentricities, which include their pet preferences. I only bring this up because my mom lives in NC, and her neighbor has fancy roosters. Yes, you read that right. "Fancy" roosters. Say it a few times and this about it. It's hard to wrap your mind around isn't it?
I did a little research online because I wasn't sure why anyone would raise fancy roosters, unless they live on a farm. I wondered…
Are fancy roosters tastier than other chickens? Is there a milliner somewhere who pays a high price for their tail feathers, so he can make fancy church hats? Are these roosters endangered, like white tigers or pandas? Do they lay golden eggs?
After a less than exhaustive search on the Internet, I have concluded that the only defining characteristic of fancy roosters is fanciness.
Take our friend here. He lives next door to my mom.
Notice his red belly and "fancy" tail? Now before you run out and buy your own fancy rooster, there are a few things you should know: - They are expensive, as in they can cost as much as a purebred dog. - They require a large pen or area to run around in. I would not suggest your living room for this. - They don't seem particularly friendly. - They seem to know they are fancy, and behave accordingly. - And most importantly, they crow at sunrise just like un-fancy roosters.
A potbellied pig is sounding better by the minute.
Yesterday was one of my favorite blogger's birthdays. In honor of Devyn's birthday, he asked authors and bloggers to write special birthday posts.
Here's a peek at my post… “There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get
un-birthday presents… and only one for birthday presents, you know.”
– Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
That sums up my attitude about birthdays. You only get one a year, so
don’t waste it. For those of you who a have less festive attitude
regarding your birthday, I’ll share my basic birthday requirements,
which may help your future birthdays run more smoothly:
1.You
get points for being the first person to call me in the morning to wish
me a happy birthday. I’m not sure why. It’s just one of the mysteries
of the universe, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Unfortunately,
this may result in your parents calling you before 6:00 am.
* Additional points are also awarded for those who sing on the phone.
My little brother is 31 today. That deserves a tribute, don't you think?
31 Things About Derek (in no particular order):
1. As a kid, he rode his Green Machine (a green Big Wheel for you young'uns) faster than the Batmobile. 2. He does NOT put syrup on his pancakes, only butter (neither do I). 3. He cracked his head open at 3, when he "flew" off the top of the stairs in his Superman pajamas. 4. He's afraid of snakes and flying (something else we share). 5. His favorite snack is Goldfish. 6. Once a year, he decides to grow out his hair or grow a beard. * the sound of me & Erin screaming * 7. His favorite color is green. 8. He's a guitar player and songwriter, who figured out in the last few years that he could sing too. 9. He reads Stephen Hawking (seriously). 10. When he was little, I used to dress him up in my dance recital costumes. 11. He wanted me to name my son Dutch (this did not happen). 12. He loves Baskin Robbins ice cream (mint chip). 13. Every year, he gets a B & R ice cream cake for his birthday. 14. He opens gifts the SECOND he gets them, so my mom has to mail his gifts to me. 15. He is also scared of the dentist. 16. He can drink his weight in Diet Coke or most any soda. 17. His middle name is Eugene. 18. If he could be anything, he'd be a rock star (or share a mind with Stephen Hawking). 19. He'll surf even when it's freezing (or dark). 20. He is one of my biggest fans. 21. If he was rich, he would buy thousands of copies of Beautiful Creatures. 22. He sends me lists of titles for Book 2. 23. He sent me lists of titles for BC. Anthem was his favorite. (It reminded me of that 80's movie American Anthem about the guy who was the Kevin Bacon of gymnastics). 24. He is loyal to a fault, and is still friends with all the guys he hung out with in high school. 25. In college, he asked me not to call his fraternity house because some of his frat brothers said I sounded like a phone sex operator. (This is not a compliment. Sorry phone sex operators.) 26. He loves to gamble, is always up, and ends up losing all his winnings. (Another thing we share.) 27. The first time he baby-sat my son, I came home & my son was sleeping on the floor next to his bed. Derek: "He was in his bed when I checked, I swear." 28. He would rather be happy than rich. 29. He watches "Man v. Wild" & "Deadliest Catch" all the time. 30. He is smarter than he thinks. 31. He is one of my best friends.
[ Claudia from the movie Interview with a Vampire ] [ Anne Rice ]
Since so many of you are fans of Gothic and urban fantasy, I though we should stop by and visit someone more contemporary on our tour. As a reader, I am also a big believer of going to the source. Meaning, read the predecessors of the authors you love, and Anne Rice is the Vampire Queen. If you think you're a fan of the vampire genre and you haven't read Anne Rice… think again.
No one does vampires like Anne Rice. She is not only a world-builder, who never breaks her own rules (think Cassandra Clare), but most of her novels are set in the South.
Born Howard Allen O'Brien, Anne grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated with a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from San Fransisco University. Her first novel, Interview with a Vampire, was published in 1976. Anne Rice returned to New Orleans, and the Vampire Chronicles are set there. Rice is a master at creating a precise and atmospheric picture of her Southern settings. I visited New Orleans years ago, after having read many of Anne Rice's novels, and the city was exactly as she described down to the smell of magnolias and chicory coffee in the air.
Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Servant of the Bones, and the Witching Hour, a frightening tale of several generations of witches tied to a powerful supernatural being.
Original Beautiful Creatures Prints by Vania Stoyanova
[ The White House by Vania Stoyanova ]
You heard right… you can win an original BC print, like the one above, or a print from one of Vania's other shoots. Margie put the word out on her blog yesterday, but I felt we had to cover all the bases because we don't want you to lose out on a chance to have one of Vania's prints hanging on your walls. They're hanging on ours.
If there is one Southern writer I love as much as Flannery O'Connor, it's Harper Lee. Most of us have, or will have to read To Kill a Mockingbird in a high school English class. But I think TKM is better enjoyed alone. The tedious over-analysis and chapter questions can taint what is unquestionably one of the most brilliant American (and Southern) novels ever written.
Harper Lee was born in 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama, and is a descendant of Civil war general, Robert E. Lee. She studied law at the University of Alabama, and spent a year studying as an exchange student at Oxford. She never completed law school, and moved to New York to pursue a career as a writer.
To Kill a Mockingbird began as a short story. Lee's literary agent convinced her to expand the story, and the result is the prize-winning novel we know and love. TKM is set in the 1930's, in Maycomb, Alabama. It tells the story of Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white girl. Told from the perspective of Finch's daughter, Scout, it's also the story of a small town's struggle with questions of morality, racism, and social responsibility. The writing itself is beautifully crafted. Lee was obsessed with the craft of writing and the precision of language. But the writing in TKM does not outshine the characters, who take hold of you in a way that's impossible to describe.
To Kill a Mockingbird was on the Bestseller List for eighty (yes, 80) weeks. In 1961, Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She never wrote another novel and returned to her hometown of Monroeville. But TKM remains part of the canon of American literature.
To Kill a Mockingbird also plays an important role in Beautiful Creatures. No spoliers – you'll have to read BC to find out what the connection is for yourself, but you will be able to tell how much Margie and I love the novel.
If you haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird, buy a copy now. To learn more about Harper Lee's life, you can read Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields.
"Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." – To Kill a Mockingbird
"The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think." - To Kill a Mockingbird
"I want to do the best I can with the talent God gave me. I hope to
goodness that every novel I do gets better and better. In other words
all I want to be is the Jane Austin of south Alabama." – Harper Lee
