Online Writing Classes with Kat O'Shea

Want to learn more about writing? Leap Books Editor-in-chief, Kat O'Shea, will be presenting two online workshops this summer for Savvy Authors. These four-week-long classes are available at a bargain price. Here's information. Click on the links below to register. And if you don't want to wait several weeks, you can find writing advice from Kat now in "First Chapter Mistakes." Best of all, if you been dying to submit to Leap Books, taking one of these classes will allow you to do that. [Please note that except for special calls for submissions, such as for the Spirited anthology, Leap Books only accepts submissions from agents.]

Editing with an Editor

Instructor: Kat O'Shea. One of the fastest ways to get your manuscript rejected is to submit one that needs substantial editing. Grammar and punctuation are important, but they aren’t the only things that give your manuscript a quick trip to the rejection pile. Learn editors’ pet peeves and how to avoid them as well as how to tackle overall manuscript revision and still keep your sanity.

WHEN:   Jun 27 - Jul 24, 2011

COST:   $15 for Premium Members; $25 for Basic Members


Click Here to Register


Story Structure

Instructor: Kat O'Shea. An interesting and exciting beginning will draw readers in, but how do you keep their interest high throughout? A well-plotted story will keep them turning the pages and make them eager to read your next book. Both plotters and pantsers will benefit from knowing how to structure a story that readers can’t put down. Learn about different story structures, such as the 3-Act and the Hero’s Journey, and how introducing change bombs and writing cliffhangers can help you avoid sagging middles.

WHEN:   Aug 1 - Aug 28, 2011

COST:   $15 for Premium Members; $25 for Basic Members

Click Here to Register

Meet Editor Kat O'Shea

If you're in the Portland area, you'll have an opportunity to meet our editor-in-chief, Kat O'Shea. She'll be speaking at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference. For the great lineup of classes, check out the schedule of breakout sessions and coaching classes. Kat's speaking on Writing for the YA Market and giving great editing tips on How to Update Your Writing. You won't want to miss either of these sessions. Kat will also be doing manuscript critiques.

Here's more information about the conference:

Journey in the Write Direction

August 2–5, 2010
Canby Grove Conference Center, Canby, Oregon

o    At least 12 coaching classes
o    Editors representing fiction, nonfiction and periodicals
o    Agents
o    Professional writers
o    Manuscript critiques
o    Round-table discussions 

Keynote Speakers: Bill Myers and Jeff Gerke

If you're interested in attending, there are still spaces available. More information can be found here:

Download a full-color flyer HERE*
Download the mail-in registration packet HERE

And if you attend, be sure to say hi to Kat. She'd love to meet you.

Meet Editor Kat O'Shea

If you've been longing to submit a manuscript to Leap Books, this may be your opportunity. As you know, Leap Books only accepts agented manuscripts. They do make exceptions for attendees at conferences where any Leap Books editor speaks. If you haven't been able to attend conferences to meet one of our editors, you can meet Kat O'Shea, Editor-in-Chief, online at Savvy Authors during October.

Kat will be teaching at:

If you attend her workshop Handling Backstory the Right Way, you can submit one manuscript directly to Kat following the four week class.


Here's a brief blurb:

You only have a paragraph or two to capture an editor’s or reader’s interest. If you don’t draw readers in quickly, it’s hard to make a sale. Get your story off to a more exciting start by eliminating backstory. Discover how to identify backstory, when to cut it, where and how to use it effectively.

WHEN: Oct 4 - Oct 31
COST: $15 for Premium Members
$25 for Basic & NON-Members

So head on over to Savvy Authors to register.

A Great Way to Help Japan

Children's authors, illustrators, and publishers are banding together to help Japan. They've donated goods and services that are being auctioned at Children's Authors and Illustrators for Japan. Everything from books to prints to editorial services are available.


Leap  Books editor Kat O'Shea is offering three critiques. Not only can you take advantage of her expertise, but if you've been dying to submit to Leap Books, here's your chance. Normally we only take agented submissions, but the three lucky authors that Kat critiques will have an opportunity to submit their completed manuscripts to Leap Books after they've revised them. We hope you'll leap at this chance to get your foot in the door. Watch for Kat's offering to come up. Here are the details:

Auction #67
From Thursday 3/31 @ 11:00AM EDT to Tuesday 4/5 @ 11:00AM EDT
Kat O'Shea: critique-50 pages
Value:  $250

And while you're there, be sure to look at all the other great items. Nab a badge to show your support. Better yet, pop over to the website now and start bidding.

Saturday Shivers by Editor Kat O'Shea

Photo by Dr Joseph Valks

 It's Saturday again, and time for some spooky encounters with the paranormal. This one comes courtesy of Kat O'Shea, Editor-in-Chief of Leap Books. Is it any wonder Kat likes to edit the Leap Books line of paranormals?

When I was in high school, I was eating lunch with my friend Alice at a picnic table outside. Two girls sat at the table in front of us, spread out their lunches, and began making fun of Alice. When they made ape sounds and kissing noises, Alice’s eyes filled with tears. (Some people called the guy Alice had a crush on “Apeman.”) She gathered up her stuff and started to flee, but I’d had enough.

I stood and said, “You’d better watch out because I’m a witch. If you don’t leave Alice alone, I’ll cast  a spell on you.”

The girls giggled and pretended to cower.

“Ooo, scary,” one of them said.

I have no idea why I did this, but I held out my arms and wriggled my fingers toward their lunches in what I hoped looked like a witchlike motion.

A sudden breeze blew their bags of chips off the table and dumped them into their laps. Their eyes got wider.

The wind grew stronger. The plastic wrap on their sandwiches and cookies flapped open, a partially eaten pack of Tastycakes slid to the ground. They clutched each other and screamed as a carton of chocolate milk tipped over and doused the cookies.

As the puddle of milk flowed toward their laps, they leapt up. Throwing frightened glances over their shoulders, they fled, leaving their lunches behind.

Truth was, I was as petrified as they were. I have no idea if the wind was a coincidence or if I caused it, but I’ve been afraid to repeat that performance. I worry that nothing will happen, or even worse, that something will. I’m not sure which I’d prefer.

I still wonder: Can people really cause things like that to happen? Why did the wind stop as soon as I lowered my hands? How come only their table was affected by the wind? Nothing on our table or nearby tables even moved.

 Any thoughts? Anyone else ever have an experience like this? Feel free to leave comments or send your story to Lexie North and we’ll post it on the blog.

A Chance to Work with Editor Kat OShea

Upcoming Workshop at Savvy Authors

Handling Backstory the Right Way with Editor Kat OShea

				Registration Information Click to register
March 17 - April 6, 2014
About the Workshop One thing that puts off many editors—and most readers—is lengthy passages of backstory dumped into a manuscript. Putting too much background information in the first few chapters can slow down the story and prevent readers from bonding with your main character. Yet that same information, used at the proper time, can build tension and provide dramatic conflict. Learn to distinguish between essential and nonessential backstory, and discover ways to use your character’s past to add dramatic tension to your manuscript. Cost: Premium Member $20 / Basic Member $30 Where:  The Savvy Forums About the Instructor Kat O’Shea is Editor-in-Chief at Leap Books. She has 20+ years of editing experience with a variety of publishers and also does freelance editing and critiquing. Kat has been published under several pseudonyms in both the YA and adult markets.

Need Help with Story Structure?

Story Structure with Author and Editor Kat OShea

				Registration Information Click to register
April 28 - May 25, 2014
About the Workshop   An interesting and exciting beginning will draw readers in, but how do you keep their interest high throughout? A well-plotted story will keep them turning the pages and make them eager to read your next book. Both plotters and pantsers can benefit from knowing how to structure a story that readers can’t put down. Learn about different story structures that can keep your novel riveting from beginning to end and prevent sagging middles. But story structure isn't only about plotting. A novel needs other basics to give it structure -- thematic resonance and character change. Adding these underlying elements can take any story from good to outstanding. If your goal is to write a bestselling novel, this is your opportunity to learn from an experienced editor.  Cost: Premium Member $20 / Basic Member $30 About the Instructor   Kat O’Shea is Editor-in-Chief at Leap Books, a small, innovative publishing house for teen and tween novels. She has 20+ years of editing experience with a variety of publishers, and she has been published under several pseudonyms in both the YA and adult markets.

Blogmania Is Here!!

Thanks for joining us for Blogmania today. Be sure to check out all the great prizes at the official site. More than $38,000 in prizes will be given away on Sept 15-16. Only 2 days to enter.

We hope you'll friend us and leave a comment for a chance to win the following prizes:

3.1 MP digital video camera;
4X digital zoom,
1.5 color LCD screen,
includes USB cable and
audio/video cables $90.00 value

Leap Books gift certificate $10.00
Plus 3 Leap Books $46.00 value

Handmade glycerin soaps in a beautifully
decorated Victorian padded box $35.00

We're glad you stopped by. Be sure to visit Leap Books website for Free Reads, great new books for teens, and fun activities for schools and book clubs.

http://www.leapbks.com/exclusives/ofdh.html

FREE READs:

http://www.leapbks.com/exclusives/mpdav.html

Here are a few upcoming events for Leap Books:


OCT. 4

Kat O'Shea, Editor-in-Chief of Leap Books, is teaching a workshop Handling Backstory the Right Way.

Here's the blurb:

You only have a paragraph or two to capture an editor’s or reader’s interest. If you don’t draw readers in quickly, it’s hard to make a sale. Get your story off to a more exciting start by eliminating backstory. Discover how to identify backstory, when to cut it, where and how to use it effectively.

WHEN: Oct 4 - Oct 31
COST: $15 for Premium Members
$25 for Basic & NON-Members

So head on over to Savvy Authors to register.

###

Throughout October, author Judith Graves will be available for visits:

October 2010: Young Alberta Book Society TALEBLAZERS Lit Fest. Touring schools and libraries across Alberta, discussing my journey from singer/songwriter to Young Adult paranormal fiction author. I explore what makes fiction to DIE for, how to develop characters that ROCK, and how to REVAMP your  work (revision with BITE!). She'd love to meet all students, library staff, and teachers from across the province. Book her now: www.yabs.ab.ca

 Here are two of Judith's scheduled appearances:

October 5: Red Deer College Confluence Campus (Rocky Mountain House, AB).

October 22:  Author visit in Grimshaw, AB.

Spirited Release

An anthology of ghostly tales by Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Shannon Delany, Jill Williamson, Linda Joy Singleton, Heather Kenealy, Judith Graves, Kitty Keswick, Dawn Dalton, Carmen Tudor, John W. Otte, Halli Dee Lilburn, and Mark Finnemore

ISBN-13--978-1-61603-020-9

Edited by Kat O'Shea

Haunted houses. Haunted hearts. And a past that refuses to die. . .

Leap Books summoned best-selling paranormal and dreadfully talented debut authors to conjure up Spirited, a haunting collection of 13 tales guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Get entombed in stories of Egyptian treasures, shudder at tales of malevolent spirits, and become enthralled with the adventures of witch-hunters, ghost seekers, and lost souls. From steampunk to cyberpunk, our collection spans past, present, and future hauntings. One story actually leaps off the page with 3D augmented reality.

Go ahead. Turn the page if you dare. We won't tell if you sleep with the light on. Because after all, there's no rest for the wicked.

All proceeds from the sale of SPIRITED will be donated to 826 National.

Print book available exclusively from the Leap Books store.

Spirited Authors Featured on TBR

TBR, the website that introduces new authors to avid readers is doing a monthly feature on the Spirited authors. You can check out the feature here.

Learn about the authors, read an excerpt, and see the trailer.

PRAISE from Bookshelf Confessions:


"I love the cover. There’s the feel of something eerie in it. Plus it was lovely in a way that it really speaks of what’s inside the anthology.

"Praise for Kat O’Shea, the editor. The lay-outing was superb. I love the fonts, the designs. The whole book was well-thought out."

To pick up your print copy, head to the Leap bookstore.
Ebooks available here.


And watch for more October specials!!

All proceeds from Spirited will benefit charity. 

What Do Leap Books Author Kitty Keswick and Orlando Bloom Have in Common?

Many celebrities, including Orlando Bloom, have openly discussed their struggles with dyslexia.  Studies have shown that dyslexics don't use the same part of the brain most people use for reading, so dyslexia makes it hard to read, write, and spell because numbers, letters, and even words often get transposed.For this reason, many dyslexics choose careers that don’t involve reading, writing, or math.

Careers where dyslexics excel include art, interior design, crafts, sports, acting, music, mechanics, politics, and engineering. Famous people who are believed to have dyslexia include Beethoven, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, John Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Jefferson, and Walt Disney.

Like Orlando Bloom and these other famous people, author Kitty Keswick, too, deals with dyslexia on a daily basis. Yet, she did not let her struggles hold her back from reaching her dreams. As she says, “It's my nemesis...and my cheerleader.”

Dyslexia also has a positive side. According to Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, Inc., “People with dyslexia have a larger right-hemisphere in their brains than those of normal readers. That may be one reason people with dyslexia often have significant strengths in areas controlled by the right side of the brain, such as artistic, athletic, and mechanical gifts; 3-D visualization ability; musical talent; creative problem solving skills; and intuitive people skills.”

Keswick’s editor, Kat O’Shea of Leap Books, says that working with Keswick was a joy. “Kitty works hard to make each novel the best it can be. And I strongly believe that the most creative people often have difficulty with spelling and grammar. One of the things that drew me to Kitty’s writing was her unusual word choices and phrasing. It keeps her work from being cliché. That, and her terrific sense of humor and creativity, made me eager to snap up these books.”

Leap Books Launches

Leap Books is thrilled to announce three new titles:

FEBRUARY 12
 The second book in Judith Graves' Skinned series:

 

ISBN-13 978-1-61603-006-3
ISBN-10 1-61603-006-2

With Fiends Like Eryn…

Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist—she's been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she's ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.

When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec—the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy's son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?

What happens when you’re both the beauty and the beast?


FEBRUARY 14

Patrice Lyle's humorous paranormal...

ISBN 13 978-1-61603-013-1
ISBN 10 1-61603-013-5

Morgan Skully is the world's only blonde demon girl, and she's got a brand new, very unusual afterschool job. Spying for the Devil. She'd much rather use her cloak-and-dagger skills to spy on hottie-licious Derek with her friends, but the Devil won't take no for an answer. Luckily for Morgan, her new boss is kinda hot. Her assignment is simple: find out who at Pitchfork Prep is funneling secrets to the Siberian Werewolf Council. If she succeeds, pedicures and platinum highlights are just the beginning.

But if she fails…there's more on the line than killer shoes.

MARCH 28

An anthology of ghostly tales by Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Shannon Delany, Jill Williamson, Linda Joy Singleton, Heather Kenealy, Judith Graves, Kitty Keswick, Dawn Dalton, Carmen Tudor, John W. Otte, Halli Dee Lilburn, and Mark Finnemore 

ISBN-13--978-1-61603-020-9

Edited by Kat O'Shea

Haunted houses. Haunted hearts. And a past that refuses to die. . .

Leap Books summoned best-selling paranormal and dreadfully talented debut authors to conjure up Spirited, a haunting collection of 13 tales guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Get entombed in stories of Egyptian treasures, shudder at tales of malevolent spirits, and become enthralled with the adventures of witch-hunters, ghost seekers, and lost souls. From steampunk to cyberpunk, our collection spans past, present, and future hauntings. One story actually leaps off the page with 3D augmented reality.

Go ahead. Turn the page if you dare. We won't tell if you sleep with the light on. Because after all, there's no rest for the wicked.

All proceeds from the sale of SPIRITED will be donated to 826 National.

Print book available exclusively from the Leap Books store.

Saturday Shivers

Another tale from Kat O'Shea, Editor-in-Chief at Leap Books:

When I was about eight, we went to visit my cousins in Maryland. They took us into the woods behind their house to this ramshackle old building that had once been a crude cabin, but was now falling apart. We stepped inside, but couldn't go far because the splintered, rotting boards of the floor gave way to a huge hole. The jagged edges of the floorboards exposed a dank cellar far below constructed of irregular stones.

Across the room in the dim light, we could see a staircase to the second floor with most of the treads gone. As we stared at the creepy railing, with gaps like missing teeth, festooned with cobwebs, we heard footsteps overhead. Not the scritchy-scratching of squirrels or rodents, but the heavy tread of a man's boots. It sounded as if it was coming toward us. We screamed and ran, tripping over each other in our haste to get away.

When we were some distance from the house and convinced that no one was chasing us, we looked back. In a first floor window, we could see the shadowy face of a man peering out at us. We hightailed it out of the woods and never went back.

Was the man a figment of our overactive imaginations? I don't think so. A tramp? But if he was, why was he standing in the exact spot where the floor had caved in? A ghost?


Photograph Courtesy of  Nick Coombs

LEAPing Ahead: A New Leap for a Small Publishing House

In an age when self-publishing can bring a manuscript to life as a book in twenty-four hours and bloated publishing entities gobble each other up readily, small publishing houses face unique challenges--most not lasting any longer than the average small business. Even house lines can disappear in what feels like the blink of an eye leaving authors orphaned and struggling to regain the rights to their novels. But one small house is getting new life breathed into it through the efforts of a few popular young adult authors.

LEAP BOOKS LLC was founded in 2009 by literature lover Laurie Edwards. She, with the help of a handful of clever authors recovering from the recent death of a YA line at another small house, decided it was time to build their own. 

Things haven't been easy for LEAP. Within their first year their book distributor folded, leaving owner Edwards with a product she believed in but with no easy way to get it into the public's hands. Still, with great determination and the assistance of a few stalwart writers, LEAP continued forward. LEAP produced several young adult and middle grade titles each year and although they were well-received and the company attracted names like Maria V. Snyder (NYT Times Bestselling author and author of the recent Leap release STORM WATCHER) and more, still LEAP struggled to get the public attention it needed to thrive.  

"Let's face it," says author Shannon Delany (New York), "we live in a fickle world. Getting and holding the attention of a target audience--especially teens and twenty-somethings--is serious business. The market is flooded with YA novels. Everyone's heard that YA is this growing marketplace and folks think, "Well, I was a teen once--surely I could write something and reinvent myself."" 

While LEAP's owner was keeping the company going and reinventing herself by finishing her degree in children's illustration, longtime LEAP author Judith Graves (Alberta) was busy figuring out how she could make LEAP the house it deserved to be. Well aware of the consumability of modern literature, Graves decided to officially join Leap and run SHINE, a line focused on edgy YA and NA e-novellas.

When Delany opened her mouth on Facebook and suggested she was toying with the idea of founding her own boutique publishing house, Graves contacted her and suggested she come aboard SHINE. Having known Graves since their time together as part of the Class of 2k10 (a joint marketing group for debut authors) Delany had no doubt in Graves' capabilities. "The girl is Wonder Woman," Delany says of Graves. "Forget Gal Gadot in the Batman vs Superman movie, Judith Graves is the real deal."

The two began to formulate a plan but, in the midst of their plotting, Graves suddenly asked to give Delany a call. "Judith never calls me. She's in Canada, I'm in upstate New York... We're Facebook friends. Who needs the phone?" Delany knew then that something big was up.

She was right. When LEAP's owner heard Delany was coming on to work with Graves she suggested they take over the entire company. 

"Everything changed," Delany admits. "I had been offered a line with a well-respected small house before, and had just watched yet another house close its doors on the YA line Strange Chemistry. A student of my workshops had recently self-published his novel and won a national award for it. Meanwhile my agent was submitting my manuscripts to a much larger house. Just the idea of it all in that sort of context required sea legs of sorts."

Delany talked it over with her husband and a few family members and decided to take a leap of faith. In short order she became the owner of the company and moved it to New York state. "Then the madness began," she says. "We were in this crazy and fluid state of existence during the transfer--trying to get access to everything we needed, bring the right people on, and figure out how and when to tell the authors."

Delany and Graves quickly agreed that what LEAP needed was a better presence in the market. "I sent author and YA Fest organizer Jennifer Murgia (Pennsylvania) a cryptic message asking her to give me a call. I asked her to be our Director of Marketing and it caught her off guard. She said she thought maybe I was going to invite her to write a story for an anthology I had dreamed up--that she had never imagined this."

Within twenty-four hours Murgia had agreed to accept the title of Marketing Director. "I also suggested bringing someone in who could handle the finances and sort out the craziness of authors and royalties," Delany says, "so we brought on William Gee as CFO. We're keeping Kat O'Shea as a Senior Editor during the transition and rounding out the marketing team with the accomplished Elana Johnson (previously of Entangled Publishing). By expanding our team we can focus on what we're best at and provide support to each other as needed." 

Delany, Graves, and Murgia debated when and how to tell the already contracted authors there was a change in both ownership and management, and, with Edwards' help, released two letters in quick succession, the first from Edwards and the second from the new team. "I knew there would be questions. Authors are curious folks--we build our careers around two important words: What If? So we arranged to have two private online chats with authors, editors, and illustrators to introduce ourselves and field questions. I think that's one of the advantages small houses have: accessibility. You have the professionalism of a bigger house but the comfort of a cozy home. You can get to know everyone if you try."

Why will LEAP BOOKS succeed? "Well, I can't give all our secrets away," Delany teases, "but I can tell you this: we have a passionate team, a nice backlist, and a clear vision that includes pursuing opportunities in the market that have been traditionally overlooked or viewed as out of reach for small houses. Laurie gave us a great foundation to build our house on. We're forging ahead with SHINE's e-novellas, rebranding both our YA novel line SURGE, and our MG line, and occasionally opening submissions to unagented writers. We are focused on not only continuing to improve the quality of our books and better define our brand, but also we're aware that for authors to thrive and keep producing quality work they require proper care and feeding--we're like any other creative monsters. Each step along the way as we develop, we're LEAPing forward... together."

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