Teen Interview: Jacqueline Horsfall

Our teen interviewer, Anna, poses a series of questions for author, Jacqueline Horsfall.

What was your inspiration For The Love of Strangers?

FLOS originally came about as a gut punch, one that wouldn’t let up. A relative told me about her single, professional, middle-aged friend who traveled to Russia to adopt a baby, but came back with a baby and an older sibling (who had adjustment problems). I couldn’t get the story out of my head, and blabbed it to everyone I knew. When an idea is that strong, it practically writes itself. I had spent time in Russia years before, so I drew on my visit for the backstory setting.

· How did you develop your characters?

Each human character is a little part of me. The animal characters are based on my observations and interactions with local wildlife. But all the characters, human and animal, are grounded in goddess mythology, specifically from the ancient Russian deer cults.

· Did you have to change the length of your story considerably during editing?

The length doubled! I’m basically a short story writer, so I always practice writing “tight.” Crafting a YA novel at 50,000 – 60,000 words gave me the freedom to expand scenes, develop characters, and add backstory – story elements lacking in the original version.

· Have you become more attached to the main character as opposed to the supporting characters?

 That’s like asking which of my children I prefer. All of the characters are my babies, and I love them equally. Unless they go off and do weird stuff I don’t approve of.

· Do you base your characters off people you know?

I mash up peculiar personal traits appearing in my characters so no one can say, “Hey, that’s me!”

· Are there aspects of your story you just don’t like?

I love the story. I highly value my editor’s suggestions. I adore the book it became, with its illustrations and cover art. I’m so pleased and proud that I could craft a contemporary story with a mythological theme because I truly believe that a society without mythology is doomed.

· How would you advise young adults who want to become published authors?

Find an enjoyable career field, one you’re passionate about. Writers can’t be hermits – they need life experience and an income. Read, read, read books by prize-winning and best-selling authors. Above all, ask yourself this important question: Do I really want to be a writer or do I only like the idea of being a writer? There’s a big difference.

Thanks, Anna and Jackie! Great interview!

Jacqueline Horsfall's book, For the Love of Strangers, is illustrated by Mary B. Kelly.

Jackie with her many published books.

Pure Speculation Festival Today

On November 19th, meet Judith Graves at the Pure Speculation Fest in Edmonton, Canada. She'll be speaking on the Young Adult Fantastic Fiction: Not Just About Boy Wizards panel with Gail Siddonie Sobat, Marty Chan, and Nicole Luiken.

Here's the low-down:

“Testosterone-filled fantasy continues to dominate the industry, yet there are any number of compelling narratives featuring the female protagonist and her particular strengths, trials and passions. Unfortunately, women writers of children’s/YA SF novels with female protagonists are still all-too-frequently relegated to the literary backroom. Presenters will share insights about the female writer & the protagonist of speculative fiction, and their essential roles in righting the gender imbalance & the ghetto-ization that plague the SF genre.”

A chance you won't want to miss:

As a part of Pure Spec’s fundraising efforts for a local charity via the GEEKS FOR GEEKS auction,  Judith is raffling off naming a character after one lucky winner. That’s right, a character in SKIN OF MY TEETH could be named after YOU. Although Judith warns that "said character’s life expectancy is not guaranteed and it is likely that he/she may suffer a painful death under the light of the new moon – or some such paranormal goodness."

Still it's a great way to get your name in print and help charity at the same time.

Look for Graves other books:

Danger: Crime Scene

Author Bonnie J. Doerr appeared at Barnhills Bookstore in Winston-Salem, NC, on Saturday, November 12, 2011. The audience enjoyed her presentation about her hands-on research before she writes her mysteries about endangered animals.

Here are some photos of her presentations and booksignings after each event. Note the crime scene tape adorning the book display table and around the author's neck.

Here's the audience for the first sitting eagerly watching her slides about Key deer, sea turtles, and pelicans. To accommodate the crowds, Doerr did a second presentation.

Fans line up for autographs at the end of the first presentation.

SPIRITED 13 ARC Giveaway Winners!

Each correct answer to our research questions was considered a new entry, winners were then selected from the correct entries via random number generator.

The winners of the SPIRITED 13 ARC giveaway contest:

Elizabeth M
Breia B
Charlotte H
Joanna W
David F
Melissa M
Amy C
Jen M
Renee V
Jolene H
Ashley D
Caitlin
Ashley L

Winners will be notified directly by a Leap Books representative regarding shipping details.

ENJOY!

Round four of the SPIRITED contest starts today!

Hey Ghosthunters! Still trying to unearth all of the authors featured in Leap Books’ latest haunting release, SPIRITED? Awesome! We hope you’re ready for the final round…

Your mission? Use your paranormal spidey senses (or your trusty EMF detector) to decipher the information and tell us which authors you'll find in the anthology.

Email your responses to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by noon, October 31, 2011. 

Correct answers for each author will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a copy of SPIRITED. 

Winners will be announced November 1, 2011.

Hint: Follow the Spirited Twitter and Facebook pages...you never know what extra clues you might unearth.

Here we go:

AURHOR 1: She can keep a secret, win an argument, pick up spiders, handle the sight of blood, subdue aggressive dogs, make a mean grilled cheese sandwich, and keep her sanity. And if that's not enough, this Spirited author can also write...poetry, middle grade, young adult, contemporary, and creative non-fiction. Her YA speculative novel Shifters will appear in 2012. 

AUTHOR 2: Oast House is not this SPIRITED contributor's first short story to be featured in an anthology. She is one of 27 international authors included in Mon Coeur Mort (My Dead Heart), a collection of horror fiction. And her short story BEATING GOLD was one of six romantic tales in a special edition of Romance Stories Magazine. She began writing short fiction on a secondhand typewriter in her late teens. 

AUTHOR 3: This SPIRITED contributor has a bleeding cool job - she reviews comics for DC! She's also writing a graphic novel based along with other novels and screenplays. Her first fantasy/adventure screenplay DEVASHARD is currently in pre-production. And if that's not cool enough, she will soon to launch a web comic called Daedalus Wax.

AUTHOR 4: From martians to witches, this California-dwelling author began writing fiction in the third grade. And even though he’s a (wee) bit older now, he still loves tales of dragons and giants, along with the reluctant young heroes who battle these fierce creatures. In addition to his story in SPIRITED, this author has published several short works in various places and is currently working on the finishing touches of his novel, Love and Taxes. 

Good luck, Ghosthunters!

Watch October 30, 2011 for a special SPIRITED contest wrap-up post with even more chances to WIN a copy of the anthology everyone will be talking about.

Round three of Ghosthunters Spirited contest starts today!

We're giving you a chance to figure out which authors will be featured in Leap Books' latest release, SPIRITED - Ghosthunters style! 

So, how did you do with the first two rounds? Still working on them? 


This hauntingly good book stars some of the best young adult authors to die for. 

Your mission? Use your paranormal spidey senses (or your trusty EMF detector) to decipher the information and tell us which authors you'll find in Spirited.


Email your responses to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by noon, October 31, 2011. Correct answers for each author will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a copy of SPIRITED. Winners will be announced November 1, 2011.

Hint: Follow the Spirited Twitter and Facebook pages...you never know what extra clues you might unearth.


Ready for round three?

AUTHOR 1: It's a good thing Halloween happens only once a year, because this SPIRITED contributor loves a good ghoul fest. She'd admit to spending way too much on festive decor, including a collection of animated zombies and ghosts guaranteed to give the local trick-or-treaters heart palpitations. In fact, this writer enjoys all things of the heart, including a good paranormal romance, the occasional Nora Roberts marathon, and spending time with her three bull mastiffs. You know, just skulking around. In addition to her own list of works in progress, this author co-writes with another Spirited contributor, and pens adult fiction under a pseudonym. 

AUTHOR 2: Research is key for this New York Times bestselling author. She's picked a lock, toured a maximum security prison, studied karate and learned to ride a horse - all in the name of fiction. Not sure if this is your particular brand of poison? It will be if you read her thrilling series about a young woman who becomes a poison taster (how do you even get THAT job?) Or her brilliant books about a magician who can capture magic inside her glass creations. This talented writer has a black cat named Valek and loves to travel. In fact, you may have read one or two of her travel articles. 

AUTHOR 3: Chances are, you haven't read this SPIRITED contributor's blog about books, video games and movies--because if you had, he'd have to change the title from "Least Read Blog." But we'd bet you will check out his debut novel, Failstate, which launches early 2012. The story is about a superhero who is competing on a reality TV show. Sounds fun, right? He's a husband, a father, a sci-fi writer, a bookstore and library terror, an all around geek--and at 6'6", a towering giant! 

Good luck!

Next SPIRITED Ghosthunters post: Sunday, October 23, 2011

Ghosthunters take note: Week 2 of SPIRITED contest starts today!

We're giving you a chance to figure out which authors will be featured in Leap Books' latest release, SPIRITED - Ghosthunters style!

So, how did you do with last week's clues? Still working on them? Refresh your memory here.

This hauntingly good book stars some of the best young adult authors to die for. Your mission? Use your paranormal spidey senses (or your trusty EMF detector) to decipher the information.

Email your responses to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by noon, October 31, 2011. Correct answers for each author will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a copy of SPIRITED. Winners will be announced November 1, 2011.

Hint: Follow the Spirited Twitter and Facebook pages...you never know what extra clues you might unearth.

Ready for round two?

AUTHOR 1: Looking for the inside scoop on Hollywood? This author can help. She's one of America's leading entertainment journalists, hobnobbing with the likes of Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, George Clooney and Tom Hanks. She even wrote a biography on Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her novel writing career began in 2008, when a friend suggested she give it a try. Good thing. She's gone on to pen six best-selling novels for Berkley, and now writes for the Blaze line of Harlequin. In her spare time (ha!), she's the Vice President of the Television Critic's Association. 

AUTHOR 2: This SPIRITED contributor is guaranteed to get under your skin. She writes teen fiction to DIE for. A lot of teen fiction, actually. Aside from numerous personal projects, this prolific (and uber talented) author is co-writing several series with two of the other writers featured in Spirited. Isn't that LOVELY? Part writer, part musician, and full time geek, this author loves tragic romance, werewolves, vampires, magick...and her two Labrador retrievers, Willow and Higgins. 

AUTHOR 3: If writing's your passion, this young adult writer can help. She's part of two great groups - Novel Teen, a site where reviewers, writers, and critics take a look at good, clean teen fiction; and Teenage Authors, a fabulous resource for youth interested in making their writing dreams come true. Raised in rural Alaska, this author admits to having a fondness for Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Her latest novel will be published December, 2011.

Got it figured out? Email your responses to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com. Remember, each correct answer gets your name in the draw for a chance to win a copy of SPIRITED.

Good luck!

Next SPIRITED Ghosthunters post: Sunday, October 16, 2011