The Maddening Summer Writer's Slump! Who's got it?

So, I don't know if it's the dog days of summer, the opening of the Harry Potter theme park or the fact that LOST is over forever, but many writers these days are reporting an inexorable writer's slump. Though I'm over mine (Yay!), many writers are still stuck deep in the doldrums of this maddening affliction.

When I'm in a slump, I just ride it out. It's usually because my mind is searching for a story breakthrough and it just hasn't reached it yet. I love doing research and that usually has a way of shaking something loose, as it did a few weeks ago in regards to Book II of the Nightshade Chronicles, which meets its deadline in three short months! Gah!

So, what about you?  How do you kick that block or that 'I have no clue what to write about and never will!' feeling to the curb and get going on your story again or heck, start a new one? I think knowing that so many of us have been feeling terminally slumped lately, it would be of great help to hear how each and every one of us deals with it.

Happy writing (despite that infuriating slump)!

xoxo -- Hilary

Writing Creepy for Kids Without Scarring Them for Life! | helluo librorum

Today, I'm lucky enough to be the guest poster on Teresa Frohock's fantastic blog, Helluo Librorum! Teresa is not only an uber cool, boot wearing librarian, but she's also a super talented horror writer! Her challenge to me, how do you write for kids without scarring them for the rest of their ever living lives! Good question!

Please check out the post and give Teresa a shout out and follow! Her blog is filled with author interviews of both adult and kid writers and on honing your craft, no matter what genre you write in!

Writing Creepy for Kids Without Scarring Them for Life! helluo librorum

Oh, and of note on this post: I got a hold of Stephen King's IT, when I was about nine. Let's just say...NOT GOOD! I didn't sleep for months! Still gives me shivers!

Happy writing!

xoxo -- Hilary

Welcome to Nightshade City! Let's Meet Our Players...

The Nightshade City hardcover arrived at my door last Friday! I have to tell you, holding the ARC in my hands was amazing, but holding the actual hardcover, the book that will be sold in stores, feeling that raised gold font on the jacket, heck, even seeing the bar code, is an unforgettable experience! On top of that, I finally got to see the amazing interior illustrations Omar Rayyan created. Below are some key players I'd love to introduce!

Killdeer is the High Minister of the Catacombs. He is large and in charge and someone you don't want to mess with--rather a nasty rat, who's quite convinced the world revolves around him. He is suave and charming and the only thing worse than being out of his Oshi berry wine, is having to actually run his kingdom.

Billycan is Killdeer's second in command.  He's left with the duties of running the Catacombs, not to mention cleaning up after Killdeer's messes. He is the Commander of the Kill Army and the High Collector of Stipend. He's an albino. To be exact, the only albino left in existence.  An ex-lab rat, Billycan has a fondness for brutality, not to mention collecting a misplaced tongue or two. In other words, not a kindly fellow.

Coming of age in the oppressive Catacombs, brothers Vincent and Victor Nightshade finally escape, avoiding mandatory recruitment into Killdeer's Kill Army. They soon realize their father, Julius Nightshade, was a very important rat--whose memory still shines brightly. They also learn life is meant to be lived, not just survived.

Mother Gallo is a kindly soul, forced to work as the High Mistress of the Robes, a seamstress for Killdeer and his army.  She does her job and she does it well, but she's hiding a secret--and a very dangerous one at that. 

Juniper Belancort--a rat among rats. Juniper knows to well of Killdeer, Billycan and their crimes against the rats of the Catacombs. He is a rat of principle, a rat who believes in doing what's right and never letting a few decide the fate of many.

So there you have it.  A few of the Nightshade City players! Only 3.5 months until they are sitting on a shelf near you!

Happy reading!

xoxo -- Hilary

The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment: NIGHTSHADE CITY

Today, I'm a guest on Matthew Rush's fab blog, The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. Try to say that really fast a hundred times!

We are talking about my query letter for Nightshade City that landed me at the Nancy Gallt Agency and with my uber awesome agent, Marietta Zacker!

My query letter is far from perfect, but it did the trick! Please show your support for Matt (err...and rats) and check it out! Every Friday he has a new query letter ready for review, one that nabbed an agent, which I think is so valuable--a great way for writers to figure out what works for them and what does not.

Happy Friday one and all and of course, happy writing!

xoxo -- Hilary

Hey! What's Your Favorite Line of All Time?

So, when I think about all the books I've read, certain lines, phrases come into mind--words that have always stuck with me. Some have touched my heart, others have made me laugh out loud and some were just so darn bizarre I couldn't get the words out of my head!

One of my most favorite lines of all time is from The Meaning of Night, by Michael Cox. I loved this book so much, but what really captured me was the first line of the book. It's so matter-of-fact and by the by, it surprised me to say the least, because who isn't a little hungry after offing someone? “After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper.” Enough said, Mr. Cox, please tell me more! I highly recommend this book, by the way--brilliant!

Currently, I'm reading The Somnambulist, by Jonathan Barnes and absolutely LOVING it. I can't get enough. It was the first line that got me with this book! "Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever." All I can say is, SOLD! At least he's telling us the book has no literary merit, honesty counts for something, doesn't it? And by the way, Mr. Barnes totally lied. This book is full of all types of merit! I'm addicted to it!

Okay, so I suppose I like first lines! Anyway, what is your favorite or most memorable line from a book you've ever read? If you don't have one, what's a favorite line from something YOU'VE written?

xoxo -- Hilary

And the Winning Rat Name Is...

This was a very tight race! The winner nabbed it by one vote! Every time I thought a name had it locked in, a few more people would cast their vote and change things up! While Finnegan, Snug and Cotter got some serious love, there was overwhelming favor going to Milo, Rooney and Topher.

So, without further ado, our little friend, whose name will be published in Book II of the Nightshade Chronicles, will be called TOPHER! Thanks so much to the lovely Valerie Kemp, who suggested the name. My little son is especially happy about this because Topher is the name of the actor (Topher Grace) who plays Venom in Spider-Man 3! Ha, ha! Although, my son did like Milo and Snug too!

I'm so glad I ran this contest when I did, because I'm about to start writing about our dear old Topher and had nothing to call him! I liked so many of these names I might end up using them anyway!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated! This was a lot of fun!

xoxo -- Hilary

And the Winning Rat Name is...errr...still don't know! YOU DECIDE!

Okay, so first I have to tell you my news! Nightshade City will officially be in hardcover in one week! We've run out of ARC's, so my publisher decided the rest of the Advanced Reading Copies will be in the form of the actual finished bound book, which is so exciting! All that hard work and editing is done! I'll have the real deal hardcover in my hands before Father's Day and since the book is dedicated to my husband, you can only guess what he's getting!

Now, onto the rat naming contest, so you guys totally ROCKED the name game! So much so, that I had a terrible time deciding what name are little friend will have! For those whose names are not on the list below, don't feel like I didn't like your name--please! I've entered character naming contests before and have never come close to winning! The names I chose were not just interesting names, but names that go along with the feel of Nightshade City. Below are my top picks in the order of the entries, not ranked in any way. Since I love them all, I'd like you guys to decide! The top pick will be our loveable, although not too brilliant rat's permanent moniker to be published in next year's book! Since I'm leaving it in your capable hands, I've reposted our friend's description below for reference. Please only vote once and anyone can cast a vote, not just people who entered the first time around.

I'll leave the voting open all weekend, announcing the winning name on Monday, so lots of time to drum up some support for your favorites!

Our John Doe:
He's a sweetheart through and through, but let's just say he's not the sharpest knife in the block. He's the kind of rat who knows not to give out a secret, but can be easily swindled into giving it up without even realizing it. He looks up to grown rats like him, but sees them more as parents than equals. He's lanky, with a gawky build, long necked and unkempt brown fur. He's chews on his claws quite a bit and pulls on his ears when he's nervous. His favorite food is a very sour root called Waterchip and he's been known to fall asleep in the strangest of places!
So I ask you...what is his name????

Milo

Rooney

Cotter

Rixford

Owain

Coriander

Snug

Topher

Stilton

Snicket

Garrick

Finley

Finnegan

Name that Rat Contest for Book II of the Nightshade Chronicles!

Okay, so I'm writing part two of Nightshade City's sequel which is due to my publisher on October 1st, the same day Nightshade City releases! Gah! So, in honor of that, I want to do something fun and get your help naming one of my characters, who will appear in the sequel!

Who is this nameless rat?
He's a sweetheart through and through, but let's just say he's not the sharpest knife in the block. He's the kind of rat who knows not to give out a secret, but can be easily swindled into giving it up without even realizing it. He looks up to grown rats like him, but sees them more as parents than equals. He's lanky, with a gawky build, long necked and unkempt brown fur. He's chews on his claws quite a bit and pulls on his ears when he's nervous. His favorite food is a very sour root called Waterchip and he's been known to fall asleep in the strangest of places!

Rat Naming Rules:
Please no goofy names like Mr. Pickles or Peanut Butter. It can be a common name or something unusual, but I'm going to tell you that Doug the rat will most likely not win! Ha, ha! I like unusual, but not too weird--a name that could translate over to our world, even though it might be considered a bit odd. It really just needs to be something that suits his description. Some examples of my characters names: Juniper, Billycan, Killdeer, Texi, Virden, Suttor, Vincent, Victor, Clover, Cole, Cobweb, Montague, Thicket, Stono...hopefully this will give you an idea of the kind of names that work! Please follow my blog if you don't already by clicking on the google followers link. You can put your entry in the comment section, but please only give one or two name ideas.

On Friday, I'll post the winner and that name (maybe the one you came up with) will be published in Book II of the Nightshade Chronicles!

Naming characters is a favorite part of writing for me, so have fun with this!  I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

xoxo -- Hilary

BEA goers! Be sure to grab the ARC for Nightshade City, Booth 2752, Holiday House!

Sadly, regular life has gotten in the way of me going to the Book Expo America 2010, but that doesn't mean I won't be there in spirit! If you happen to be lucky enough to go, please be sure to stop by the Holiday House booth, #2752 and ask for an ARC of NIGHTSHADE CITY! There will be a big poster of the Nightshade City cover at the booth, so if you see that, you're probably in the rat right place! This is the last of the ARCs, as the hardcover prints this week and I'd love one and all to nab one!

And I mean seriously, who doesn't like middle-grade fantasy novels about super smart talking rats who fight for what's right in the world? :)

That's all!

xoxo -- Hilary

Stranger than Fiction...HOPE!

Like most writers, when I was searching for an agent, I devoured every agency's website, I googled until my fingers yelled at me and endlessly scoured the writing boards and forums for info on agents until my head throbbed and my eyes wanted to go on strike. Why? Because that's what we have to do in order to land an agent.

I still have subscriptions from the forums, which alert me via email when someone posts on certain agency's threads---the ones that I was waiting for feedback from. Just this morning, I received an alert from one of those threads, because I new post had come through. The poster, a writer of course, was down because she'd received a call from this agency a couple months back. The agent she spoke with was very excited about her writing and told her she'd hear back from her right after Bologna, which sadly she never did, even after sending a few gentle email nudges she's gotten no response. Even though this post has nothing to do with me, my heart sank when I read it, because I've certainly been in her shoes. When you want something so badly, the waiting turns from nagging to all consuming. Even with family, friends, jobs, it's hard to think about little else.

Well...I have hope.

Some of you know, Craig Virden, Nancy Gallt's husband was my original agent. He was a wonderful man and a powerhouse in the publishing industry and it was a great loss to everyone when he passed away last year. Well, Craig was the agent I desperately wanted. You know what I mean...THE agent--the one. He'd had my requested full for what seemed like forever and a day (or about 6 months), I'd sent a couple email nudges hoping for an update, but with no response. Then finally a letter from the Nancy Gallt Agency arrived at my home. I nervously opened it, my heart beating like a rabbit's. What did a find? A rejection from Craig. Mind you, the nicest, most personal, genuine rejection anyone could ever get, but a rejection all the same. So there it was. What did I do? I immediately starting writing. He told me to send him whatever I had "moldering" in my desk that he might like. So I picked up the pace on a manuscript I'd been working on, finishing it about a month after his rejection--right after the 2009 Bologna, where he happened to be.

That's when I got the call. It was Tuesday. Just after returning from Bologna, Craig called me out of the blue. He'd changed his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about NIGHTSHADE CITY and wanted to represent me. He said he didn't care about the market and that my book needed to be published. The rest you know.

So, please, to this writer and to everyone else who's struggling to find an agent, keep having hope, even if you're down to your last agent or have subbed your third manuscript with no bites--keep having hope. Strange and wonderful things happen every day. Trust in whatever it is that forces you to be a writer. There is a reason why you're here.

xoxo -- Hilary

Who Won the Signed Copy of Ivy's Ever After?? Drum roll, please!

Giles is our winner!

Giles, my main man, you won the signed copy of Ivy's Ever After from the lovely Dawn Lairamore! Please send me your contact info via the email link on my profile and I'll send it off to Dawn! Giles was chosen using Randomizer. I highly recommend it for contests! Congrats Giles and happy reading one and all!

xoxo -- Hilary

Meet Debut Author, Dawn Lairamore and win a signed copy of Ivy's Ever After! w00t!

Hello everyone! We have a very special guest today, my buddy Dawn Laraimore.  Not only do Dawn and I share the same brilliant agent, Marietta Zacker, and publisher, Holiday House, but her debut middle grade novel, IVY'S EVER AFTER hits the streets THIS Saturday, May 15th! So, in honor of her looming debut, we are going to talk to Dawn about Ivy, her take on writing for the wee ones and her road to finding an agent! She also has a nice surprise for you! She'll be giving away a signed copy of Ivy's Ever After. Just leave a comment and you're entered! The winner will be announced this Saturday--contest closes at midnight on Friday, so leave your comment ASAP! Let's get this party started!

All right, Ms. Dawn, in a nutshell, what's IVY'S EVER AFTER about?

IVY is my version of a fractured fairy tale for middle-grade readers. According to tradition, Princess Ivy is to be locked in a white tower guarded by a dragon. The prince who slays the dragon and rescues her will, of course, win her hand in marriage. The problem is Ivy doesn't want to be rescued. And Elridge, the rather unferocious dragon sent to guard her, most definitely doesn't want to be slain! Neither wants anything to do with Romil, an unscrupulous prince from the frozen North who will be the doom of them both. And so IVY'S EVER AFTER is a fairy-tale-with-a-twist in which the princess and the dragon actually team up to thwart the handsome prince. I think it's a lot of fun, an adventure with a sassy heroine and a light-hearted, humorous tone. You can read Chapter 1 on the Ivy's Ever After website (if you have a low screen resolution and only see the menu, be sure to scroll down), and watch the book trailer here.

What are your tips for making a fairy tale into something unique--something that's not already been done to death?

I love fractured fairy tales, which are fairy tales where some element of the traditional story is changed. As entertaining as stories of old can be, I think it's quite obvious to modern readers how outdated some of the mentalities behind these tales can be. I think it's a lot of fun to shake things up and revisit these stories with modern sensibilities in mind. If you're interested in creating a fractured fairy tale or retelling of a traditional story, try challenging some element of the story that you find archaic or superficial by today's standards--the role of female characters, the focus on wealth or materialism, the emphasis placed on beauty and good looks, etc.

How do you think writing for kids varies from writing for adults? How do you make it work?

I love writing for middle-grade readers! They are such an imaginative and fun-loving audience. When writing for kids, I think it is important to keep in mind that many members of your audience are going to have a much shorter attention span than your average adult. For this reason, I think kidlit typically needs to be faster-paced than stories geared toward adults. Focus more on the external (action and events) than the internal (emotions, inner dialogues, etc.). This keeps things moving. Not that you can't have quiet moments of inner reflection, but you're probably going to lose the interest of a lot of middle-grade readers if your characters spend a lot of time doing nothing but thinking. And humor helps--kids love to laugh!

Was it hard for you to find an agent? What advice can you give to writers who are in the process of finding one?

My journey to finding an agent was pretty straightforward--I just kept sending out queries until someone made an offer of representation, lol. It was a lengthy process, as it is for a lot of writers, and involved a fair number of rejections, which are never fun to get. I feel so incredibly lucky to have ended up at a literary agency I love! Finding an agent is all about finding someone your story resonates with, so do your research. Visit agents' websites, read interviews with them, find out their likes and dislikes. An agent who hates horror is obviously not the best match for your slasher novel. Find books on the market that are similar (but not too similar) to yours--and then find out who represented them. This is usually pretty easy to do by reading the acknowledgments, visiting the author's website, or simply Googling. That agent might be a good match for you. Above all, don't get discouraged and don't give up!! Rejections are inevitable, but what one agent dislikes about your manuscript could very well be what the next agent loves about it.

Dawn, thanks so much for giving us the skinny on Ivy, you, not to mention giving away a free signed book! w00t! Reluctant dragons rule! :)

Well, that's it kiddos! Please be sure to check out Dawn's uber cool website and way awesome book trailer and for goodness sake, buy Ivy's Ever After! You won't regret it--it's fantastic!

Keep writing and be sure to enter the contest for your signed copy of Ivy's Ever After, ends Friday at midnight so enter NOW!

xoxo -- Hilary