I am the author of FLASH BURNOUT, and THE MERMAID'S MIRROR, both young adult novels published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

This blog is my online playground. I do talk about writing, but you might also find me posting photos, talking about my family, or reviewing books. I conduct a series of interviews with authors of middle and young adult novels, too. You can find those by clicking the tag on the left called “Authorial Intrusion.”

If you would like to support my local independent book store when purchasing one of my books, you can contact Annie Bloom's Books at (503) 246-0053 or books@annieblooms.com. Think globally, shop locally!

Today is Shakespeare's birthday. The only reason I know that is because it is also Lisa's birthday. She would have been 49 today. I'm going to plant a tree in our yard today. Clerodendron something. They smell wonderfull when they bloom. We put a small one on the front lawn of our old house in Southeast Portland. Now it is amazing. I'm hoping for the same result here.

Today I'm thankful for decent weather for gardening, and moist soil to dig. I'm thankful so many of you in the writing community appreciate all of Lisa's hard work. Enjoy your day!

I'm thankful for memories and stories. So many wonderful memories and stories in these archives. I'm thankful for my son. For having had the opportunity to spend a lifetime with my beloved Lisa. For journals, photos, digital images, external hard drives, and corrective lenses. Thankful for Lisa's friends and fans, and thankful for our dogs.







If the desire to give to the one who has passed on is what impels us to learn something we would not have otherwise learned, to do a mitzvah we otherwise would not have done, to go higher and further than we would have otherwise gone, then this soul lives in us. Our hands and feet, mind and heart and mouth become the hands, feet, mind, heart and mouth of the departed soul. (From Chabad.org)

Dr. Kilpack:

We are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of two separate lives. We have come to unite Neil and Lisa in marriage... to rejoice with them in this public declaration of love. It is a decision into which they do not enter lightly, but rather one which they undertake with great consideration and hope.

Neil and Lisa chose September 18 as the date for this celebration because it has special significance for them. One year ago today, Neil asked Lisa to marry him. Also on this day in 1923, Neil's mother, Elaine, was born. She would have been 65 today.

Neil and Lisa are pleased to have the presence of of friends and family on this most memorable day. Over the years, each one of you has given something of yourself into their lives. They want you to know that your love, guidance, and friendship have helped shape their lives, and your attendance today is testimony to that love and friendship.

These are the words of Kahlil Gibran, upon marriage:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. You shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone... even as the strings of the lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of nature can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together. For the pillars of the temple stand apart. And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

By choosing to link your lives together in the ceremonious tradition of marriage, the two of you are telling the world that not only do you love each other, but but you wish to be recognized as a family unto yourselves. You have come together from two separate backgrounds and experiences, and you have united your families to create a new one. All of us here today join in expressing our wishes for your happiness. We wish for you a love that will forever give you pleasure and friendship... a love that continually evolves and provides energy to face the responsibilities of daily life. We wish for you a home... not a place of stone and wood, but an island of serenity in a frenzied world, a place of private joy and retreat. We wish for you a long life filled with romance and laughter.

Neil, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Neil: I will.

Lisa, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together in the Covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Lisa: I will.

Neil and Lisa join hands.

Neil: I, Neil, take thee, Lisa, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.

LIsa: I, Lisa, take thee, Neil, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.

(Neil places the ring on Lisa's finger, and says): This is my beloved and this is my friend. I give you this ring as a symbol of my enunding unending love (I was nervous, okay?). With this ring, I thee wed.

(LIsa places the ring on Neil's finger, and says): This is my beloved and this is my friend. I give you this ring as a symbol of my unending love. With this ring, I thee wed.

Dr. Kilpack:
A circle is the symbol of the sun, the earth, the universe. As circles, your rings have no beginning and no ending. Let them be symbols of unending love and commitment, an outward symbol of an inward choice. Bless those who give and those who wear them.

Lisa and Neil, you have honored us in allowing all of us to share in this special day and rite of passage. I ask for a quiet moment during which we may all silently extend our love, energy, and prayers for your future.

(Dr. Kilpack pours wine)
Into this cup is poured wine, bitter and sweet, even as life itself will pour its bitterness and sweetness into your marriage. Only in the deepest intimacy of man and woman may the bitterness of life be so blended with the sweet, that the love you share may be full and rich. Drink now, and may the cup of your life be always full and running over.

(We drink, and then I smash the glass.)

Dr. Kilpack:
And now, by the authority vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.

Today I'm thankful for friends like Wendy at Morgan Video.

www.morganvideo.com/

Love always,
Neil

Today I’m thankful for the opportunity to put something new (?) on Lisa’s blog. Lisa kept scraps of paper, notebooks, note pads, journals, programs, you name it. She loved her paper. I’m thankful she kept these treasures for me to find and read, and for her many readers, fans, and friends who have written these past weeks. I read everyone’s messages.
This bit comes from her journal entry of May 22nd 1986, during her year of study at the University of Bradford, in the north of England.


I have a theory about success which comforts me a great deal. Looking back through my family’s history, I can see the various trends in the women: my great grandma Wilkening was a strong, sturdy, hard working, and loving woman, but her downfall was religion. She let it rule her life. My grandma “onna” was a hard-worker who led a somewhat “fast” life (back then) by drinking, smoking, neglecting her daughter, and getting divorced, but her downfall was booze. My mom was a trend-setter by surviving her patchwork up-bringing and wanting to go to college, but her downfall was getting pregnant with me.

Now I have set the family-trend by getting a college education and traveling at a young age, but maybe that is all I will accomplish. I haven’t discerned my downfall yet, but maybe I’m not destined to write books and do anything out-of-the-ordinary. Maybe that destiny belongs to my child. That thought comforts me when I fear that all my scribbling will come to nothing. I can imagine that all of us, the women in my maternal line, possess(ed) great ambition, but are premature in our desires. My mom wanted to do the kinds of things that I am doing. Maybe my child will do the things that I want to do. On and on in an “improving progression.”


Lisa at the University of Bradford, "C" floor kitchen sink. Photo by Kevin Colling

Dear friends and fans of Lisa –

This is Neil, her husband. Many of you have probably already heard about the loss of my lovely wife of 22 years, Lisa. I have so appreciated everyone's prayers, messages, deeds, and kind words these last few weeks. They have kept me propped up, and I will continue to lean upon them.

Everyone at Portland’s Hopewell House hospice was kind, and caring, and loving. The staff treated Lisa like a queen from the moment she arrived. Their focus was always to manage Lisa's pain, and she was resting comfortably at the end. Wednesday morning at 7:00, with a view of snow flakes falling into the garden, and soft piano music playing, I bid farewell to my love. My best friend.

I really appreciate the unwavering support we have received from Lisa's employer, Becker Capital. For 16 years, they have treated us like a part of their family.

There are no immediate plans for a service, but eventually I do want to gather people together for a celebration of Lisa's life.

Between her followers on Live Journal, and friends on Facebook and Twitter, I am truly moved by the number of people Lisa touched.

Many of you have been asking about ways to help. One of Lisa’s wishes is for our son Nate to attend college. To help ensure that dream comes true, a trust fund has been set up to provide for Nathan’s college education. You can donate by sending a check made out to the Nathan Wolfson Trust to:

Becker Capital Management, Inc.
Attn: Sharon Gueck/John Becker
1211 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Suite 2185
Portland, OR 97204

Donors will be sent acknowledgement letters.

Should anyone have questions, please contact Sharon Gueck at sgueck@beckercap.com or John Becker at jbecker@beckercap.com.

This blog has had so many readers. I would love it to continue and live on with guest posts from other authors. Look for more information about this in a future post.

Today I’m pleased to share this interview with Blythe Woolston, author of THE FREAK OBSERVER, another finalist for the Morris Award:

Sixteen-year-old Loa has experienced a year full of tragedy the likes of which most people will never know. She clings to her daily routine and her schoolwork, even as she suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Can you describe some of the research you did for this book?

First of all, in order to write a realistic novel, the story must be grounded in experience of the world. Every living moment is field research.

As far as secondary research ("looking things up") is concerned, when I was writing for Loa, I did the research she would have done for herself. I didn't want to lose her perspective. Knowledge or understanding beyond a character's experience can contaminate the point of view, I think. I defend the perimeter of my imaginary worlds--if something shows up, I must know its provenance.

Each section of the book opens with a fact or observation about physics, a class Loa loves. Are you fond of physics yourself?

Yes. Science is central to me, to how I live in the world.

Have you always been drawn to contemporary realism? Would you share some favorite titles with us?

I'm actually a very promiscuous reader--not genre bound at all. I like books that cause me to realign my thinking. If I start listing favorite titles, there will be no end to that. Chronologically, my fiction list begins with The Magic Boat (Wright) and ends with The Blue Fox (Sjon)--at the moment. As I said, I'm promiscuous and inclined to fall in love again soon.

Is this your first finished novel, or do you have abandoned manuscripts in a drawer somewhere? How long was your publishing journey, from starting the book to getting The Call?

I have an unpublished and probably unpublishable book. While writing it, I discovered how much writing was like reading. There are still some corners of that book I haven't quite read/written yet. I will never abandon it because I love it.

I started work on TFO on October 5, 2007. Between then and January 2009, I was working on it actively for about 4 months. I don't write every day--I only write if I'm interested in doing it. I queried a handful of agents--it wasn't working for them. I submitted it to Carolrhoda in April of 2009 and Andrew Karre said he liked it on August 23, 2009.

The Morris Award is for a “first time author writing for teens.” Why do you write for teens?

Because I like them. In my experience, they are smart, funny, fierce people.

What’s next in your writing life?

Carolrhoda Lab will publish my second book in early 2012. Other than that, I feel like I need to move forward very cautiously. I have experienced a joy of writing. I want to respect that and make it my priority.

Flash round:

Writing advice in five words or less.

Reveal a world to me.

Favorite fictional character.

Aslaug of Cristina Meldrum's Madapple

Vera Dietz of Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King

and Little My of the Moomin Tales by Tove Jansson

Those are three that matter deeply to me. Please tell the world if you can...

"You'll never have a face of your own until you've learned to fight."
--Little My, "The Invisible Child" by Tove Jansson.

Spaghetti or sushi?

Sushi--although this one worried me...





What are you reading right now?

These are the things currently in progress: a couple of non-fiction things for indexing; a couple of things written by friends; and two of the other Morris Award shortlist books.

Three favorite movies.

Tomorrow I might list different ones, but these are wonders that shouldn't be missed, that's for sure: Walkabout (Australia, 1971), Smoke Signals (First Nations, 1998), The Cuckoo (Russia, 2002).

Who do you wish you could meet, living or dead?

Ursula K. Le Guin. I'd like to tell her thank you.

In writing, are you a plunger or a plotter?

A plunger. (Although that word evokes certain kinds of plumbing problems. Maybe we could call it being a puzzler? I collect pieces of the story and then assemble them. Please, let's do. "I am a puzzler, not a plotter.")

Thanks for stopping by, Blythe!

I had great plans to read all five finalists for the Morris Award this year:

Hush, by Eishes Chayil
Guardian of the Dead, by Karen Healey
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish McBride
Crossing the Tracks, by Barbara Stuber
The Freak Observer, by Blythe Woolston

But life had other plans for me, and I have only managed to read two of the books … but I have also managed to interview their authors. So … yay! A Morris Award Finalist Authorial Intrusion.

I encourage you to go here to learn more about all five worthy books. The winner will be announced a week from today, Monday, January 10, at the Youth Media Awards Press Conference.

In the meantime, today I have an interview with Lish McBride, author of HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER:

HMCN is a hilariously twisted novel (Chapter Four managed to both shock me and make me laugh) about necromancers (people who can raise the dead), witches, werewolves, and various other supernatural creatures. What were the best and worst parts of writing this book?

Hm, well, when I wrote it, I didn’t really think anyone was going to read it—the book was my thesis to graduate from my MFA program. The nice thing about this was there wasn’t that much pressure so I got to be silly with it and just really throw myself into the process. My main goal has always been (and I hope will continue to be) to write something fun that makes my friends laugh. I’m just lucky that other people have been enjoying it, too. So I really loved that part of the process and the creation of it all.

Then revisions happened. Read. Edit. Read. Edit. Again and again and again until I lose all perspective on a book. I believe that editing is extremely necessary (ahem…especially for me) and that revising is integral to the process…but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I work on it and the whole time I’m anxious to start something new. And I always worry that I’m not going to get it right—that my editor will take one look at my revisions and lose all hope.

That being said, my editor, Reka, was extremely patient and kind throughout the whole thing. My agent is also hand’s on and between the two of them I had a lot of support and a lot of help. It’s a good thing, too. I was having a hard time with the middle. Middles and I just don’t get along.

Have you always been drawn to the paranormal genre? Would you share some favorite paranormal titles with us?

Yup, as far back as I can remember. My mom read the Narnia books to me over and over when I was a kid and my stepmom read the Bunnicula books. Both of them were readers, both have a healthy love for fantasy and it passed on to me. I don’t remember when I lost my first tooth or learned to ride a bike, but I can tell you what bookstore I was in when I picked up my first David Eddings book (Walden), who first told me to read the Earthsea books (my oldest brother, Darin), who gave me my first Laurell K. Hamilton book (my grandmother handed it to me in a grocery store in Florida saying, “This looks like something you’d like—weird.”) and how old I was the first time I read Stephen King (seven). I can’t really read King anymore because his stuff messes with my head too much, but the rest still line my shelves. I remember my brother, Jeremy, taking me into a bookstore one year for Christmas and asking me what book I wanted. I picked out the Thief of Always by Clive Barker. I was so excited to read it…and the jerk wrapped it up and put it under the tree. I knew it was there and I couldn’t touch it. I’m not sure Jeremy understood how torturous this was—he’s never been a reader.

So yeah, I’ve always been drawn. I still read it. It’s easier for me to pick authors than books because, well, I read a lot. Kelly Armstrong, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, and Christopher Moore—they’re all on my list. I love Jasper Fforde and recommend him all the time even though I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s much smarter then me. Same for Robert Rankin (Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse is still one of the best titles in the world). I just finished the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Prachett. If I ever get to the point where I’m half as witty as him and I’ll be happy. I loved the Graveyard Book. I also just started reading Libba Bray. Amazing. I…I should stop now. No one should ever ask me this question. Same goes for movies. Floodgates unleashed…

Each of your chapter titles in HMCN is a snippet of lyric or a song title, for example, “Dead Man’s Party,” “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” They serve as funny portents of the action in each chapter. I’m curious – is there actually a song with the phrase “Hold Me Closer, Necromancer,” or is it just a play on “Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer?” (Which, by the way, thanks for that earworm.)

It’s a play on “Tiny Dancer” and I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I’ve gotten the song stuck in their head. I’m still not sure if I should apologize or not.

Is this your first finished novel, or do you have abandoned manuscripts in a drawer somewhere? How long was your publishing journey, from starting the book to getting The Call?

Oh man, I wish I had abandoned manuscripts. Wouldn’t that be nice…no, this was my first shot at the whole novel thing. So as awesome as everything has been, to be honest I’m still getting over the excitement of just finishing a novel in the first place.

Like I said, this was my thesis to graduate. (Ha ha—I got a DIPLOMA for this.) So, I wrote it over about a six-month period and turned it in, then before I even graduated, my agent picked me up. I edited it while packing up and moving cross-country, then we sold it in October. So, from genesis to sale, less then a year. But then we edited it forever. When Holt bought the book, they had other books lined up to go, so mine wasn’t going to be published for two years. I’m not super patient, but it was nice to have the time to edit and fix the bugs.
I know many talented authors that take years to even land an agent, so my luck kind of makes me feel like I cheated somehow. I wrote a book and someone bought it. It’s kind of insane.

The Morris Award is for a “first time author writing for teens.” Why do you write for teens?

I always planned (or hoped, at least) that I would start out writing fantasy books and then wander my way into teen after I’d been established. Everyone else seemed to do it that way, so I thought that was the way it had to be done. So I planned even though I’m not good at following plans…and I did it all backwards. This shouldn’t be surprising. I do everything backwards. I didn’t aim the book for teens. I wrote the book I wanted to write.

Then my agent, Jason, and I had this conversation:

Jason: This is YA. I want to aim it at those editors.

Me: Really? But what about all the curse words? Will I have to cut any of the violence or the sexy bits?

Jason: Have you read YA lately?

Me: Not the right ones, apparently.

Jason: Do you not want to be YA? Are you worried some stigma might be involved in being a YA author?

Me: No, no, no—I love kids and teen books. Seriously. As for stigma, I write about werewolves and zombies, and I’ve been writing about them even while in a MFA program. Well used to stigma and I could care less about that.
Jason was right—it was YA. I didn’t have to cut any of the stuff I was worried about and I’ve since learned that I’m kind of tame. I will say that one of the editors (I can’t remember who) that I talked to said that the [Editorial decision: Cut for spoiler!] was a clear marker that it was YA—that the humor and everything was definitely juvenile. I asked the editor if they were calling me immature because this was the kind of stuff I found funny. I never really got a straight answer. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what makes some books YA and some not, but I’m truly glad that I ended up where I did. I wasn’t expecting how much I’d love talking to teens about the book. When they get passionate about something, the responses are so honest and there isn’t the same level of posturing you get with adults sometimes. If a kid or a teen tells me they love it, I know they really, truly enjoyed the book. And if they said they hated it, then I know that’s exactly how they feel. It’s kind of cool.

I know you have a sequel to HMCN scheduled. What's up next?

What’s up next with the sequel? Or after that? For the sequel, you’re going to see Sam and the gang struggling with the fall out from HMCN. You’ll meet some new folk and get to know some other characters a little better. I’m being incredibly vague. I’m not good with talking about things when I’m still working on them and I’m still editing book two. I’m also working on a New Thing. I don’t want to say much about it except that Sam isn’t in it and it’s going to have more explosions and as well all know more explosions equals better book, right?

Flash round:

Writing advice in five words or less.

Read. Write. Revise. Fail. Repeat.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished the last Tiffany Aching book as well as Reaper Man and then I watched the Hogfather, thus making it a very Terry Prachett Holiday. Right now I’m reading The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss. I’m also reading My Family and Other Animals, which is hilarious. To my kiddo, I’m reading Odd and the Frost Giants and I’m introducing him to the Percy and the Olympians books (we’re on book three). I’m excited to start reading the Artemis Fowl books to him. I also like to listen to audio books while I do boring things like dishes. I just finished Gaudy Night by Sayers and I’m cycling back through some Agatha Christie. I’m also reading the Scott Pilgrim series and I’m starting the Amulet graphic novels. I was going to start reading the new Holly Black book and start Zombies vs. Unicorns, but I just got my edits back, so I’m going to have to wait I guess.

Three favorite movies.

Remember when I said you should never ask me about movies? I can never pick just one—I love too many for different reasons. So I’ll give you three but I need to preface that these aren’t necessarily my top three, but just a few of my tops. (I take this stuff seriously, friend.)
Better Off Dead
Hot Fuzz
Princess Bride
Please know that it was almost painful for me to only pick three. I kept wanting to add.

M&Ms or Skittles?

Depends on my mood. Both are good, but I’m more likely to pick Reeses Pieces.

Skiing or snorkeling?

Skiing. I used to ski when I was a kid. I forget about the snorkel when I snorkel and I choke on a lot of salt water that way.

In writing, are you a plunger or a plotter?

Plunger. I tried to plot once and mapped out a few chapters. Then I completely ignored my outline. I’ve learned to just write and then go back and fix things later.

Any phobias?

Not in the extreme sense of the word, but I’m afraid of clowns. I’ll cross the street to avoid them. And mustaches. They’re okay if they’re attached to a beard or not close to me, but if I’m dating someone, they have to shave or I won’t go near them, which I guess is more of an aversion than a phobia.
I guess a clown with a mustache would be like my kryptonite.

Favorite fictional character.

This…this is a terrible question. Not terrible to ask, but man, to answer? I’ve seriously been sitting on this question for days. That’s like asking to pick a favorite amongst children. Sure, you prefer some to others, but you keep it to yourself, or the others get hurt…and I’m right by all my books and I’m worried that some of them might be looking over my shoulder…eavesdropping…

Thanks for stopping by, Lish!