Got a 2016 upper MG or YA title?

WLMA wants you! (And so do we.) We still have space for authors in the "Behind the Books" session SCBWI WWA will be co-hosting for middle-school and high school teachers and librarians at the Washington Library Association's October 15, 2016, conference. If your book was published by a PAL publisher this year — or is still to come in 2016 — and works for readers in sixth grade or up, please consider joining us for a fun, easy way to help raise your book's visibility among these book lovers (and library purchasing influencers).

It's okay if your title works for younger readers, too; this particular session is simply targeted to those who don't have picture books or chapter books on their minds... including those who work with "high/low" readers, who need heftier books but with easier reading levels.

Learn all the details here.

Then sign up here right away!

Raise a glass to Rori on SUNDAY!

 

 Books...and WINE! Two great reasons to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

Please join Rori Shay for a book launch party to celebrate the release of PERFECTED, the last novel in the YA Elected Series trilogy. 

 

 

Sunday May 22

4-6pm

Matthews Winery

16116 140th Pl NE

Woodinville, WA 98072

Wine samples will be free for the first 100 people, plus…live music, food, desserts, book-themed costumes, and favors for the kids!  

The party is open to the public and is kid friendly, so feel free to bring family members, friends, etc.  Feel free to contact Rori through her website for any additional info: www.rorishay.com

The Elected Series is the story of an eighteen-year-old girl who masquerades as a boy to take her country’s presidential role in a futuristic America. It delves into themes of technology dependence, gender identity, and environmentalism.

Lynn's launch!

You are invited to Lynn Hooghiemstra's first-ever book signing, for her "slightly paranormal" 

YA novel, OUT IN THE DARK (written under the pen name Nicola Adams).

 

WHEN: Saturday, April 2 from 11:00 am to 12:30pm

WHERE: Magnolia Bookstore, 3206 W. McGraw St., Seattle

About the book:

Jake’s father is one of a group of psychic warriors from a CIA/Stanford University project designed to train people in “remote viewing,” but he's been taken by a rogue unit with more sinister plans for his skills. Now, seventeen-year-old Jake must set out on a journey to rescue his father. Jake doesn't know where his father is, and his only clues are the flashes of images he gets in his mind. Taking his father's vintage 1966 Pontiac GTO, Jake sets out across the Cascades from Washington, to Nevada. Along the way he picks up Shelley, a girl scarred by poverty and who has had to do some pretty unpleasant things to get together enough money to go to college. He was only going to give her a lift to Nevada, but soon they're both running for their lives.

 “A fast-paced roller coaster adventure for a daring young man, trying to save his father’s life.” Lynne Kennedy, author of Pure Lies

“Following secret government psychic experiments, Jake needs all the help he can get to save his father. The psychic link helps him … mostly! Stephen King needs to watch out!” Richard Hardie author of the Temporal Detective Agency series.

       

Hope to see you there (with teens in tow)!

Lynn's good news

Hi,

Just wanted to share that my latest YA, Out in the Dark, under the pen name, Nicola Adams, is out.

It was released by publisher Untreed Reads in both ebook and paperback on Feb. 11.

Author events will follow.  Find all info on it here: Out in the Dark

Straight from the back cover:

Description:

Jake’s father is one of a group of psychic warriors from a CIA/Stanford University project designed to train people in “remote viewing,” but he's been taken by a rogue unit with more sinister plans for his skills. Now, seventeen-year-old Jake must set out on a journey to rescue his father. Jake doesn't know where his father is, and his only clues are the flashes of images he gets in his mind. Taking his father's vintage 1966 Pontiac GTO, Jake sets out across the Cascades from Washington, to Nevada. Along the way he picks up Shelley, a girl scarred by poverty and who has had to do some pretty unpleasant things to get together enough money to go to college. He was only going to give her a lift to Nevada, but soon they're both running for their lives.

 “A fast-paced roller coaster adventure for a daring young man, trying to save his father’s life.” Lynne Kennedy, author of Pure Lies

“Following secret government psychic experiments, Jake needs all the help he can get to save his father. The psychic link helps him … mostly! Stephen King needs to watch out!” Richard Hardie author of the Temporal Detective Agency series.

Thanks!

Lynn Hooghiemstra

www.elynnhwriting.com

 

CONGRATULATIONS, Lynn! Keep us posted on your events!

       

February meeting recap

Yes, this is coming a little late, but February's monthly meeting was so good, you'll want to hear all about it if you weren't there:


In a stunning, Valentine's Day twist, our two presenters represented two sides of young-adult stories:

WAR/FIGHT SCENES/PHYSICAL ACTION (Fonda Lee)

and

LOVE/SEX/ INTIMACY/LUST (Amber J. Keyser)

Fonda Lee brings us closer to the ACTION!

Fonda Lee, author of ZEROBOXER, is a black-belt martial artist and has done a lot of writing and thinking about fight scenes and the way we depict physical action in telling stories. Action, she told us, must contain a Climatic Moment, High Stakes, and Specificity. Her Principles of Great Action include: Action Evokes Emotion (in the characters and the reader); Action Must Serve a Narrative Purpose (consequences); and Action is About Character (character is revealed through decisions made under extreme circumstances).

Fonda's stellar outline featured so many pertinent details of how to deepen a scene and a character, whether they're about to hurt each other. It's about putting your characters in harm's way, emotionally, physically, or psychologically––and seeing how they behave/react.

Amber J. Keyser flings open the bedroom door.

On the other side of the spectrum, Amber J. Keyser spoke about THE V-WORD, her anthology of sexual awakenings and experiences by authors from their, ahem, formative years. Without talking around the issues surrounding sex, Amber made the case for WHY we need to include sex in our stories of teens: because it's a big part of their lives, of their self-discovery. And, it's always in their minds! To NOT write about it would be to leave out a very present and authentic aspect to the teenage experience. The goal in writing about sex, she emphasized, is to not write with the goal to titillate but to convey authentic experience––and all of its awkward, messy moments. If you choose to include it, then make it matter. Because it matters to teens. Being specific and honest and detailed will give the ultimate audience––teens––a way to figure their own sensibilities out.


LOOKING AHEAD: Stay tuned for specific posts on the blog with dates, etc.

Monthly meeting 3/16: Siblings in middle-grade stories (with SCBWI-Oregon's Roseanne Parry) AND a panel on Diversity (featuring Philip Lee, Liz Wong, and more)

Kid Lit Drink Night 3/10: Our fearless leaders, Kevan and Lois, are looking for a convivial place in the South End. Any suggestions? Please send them along to the blog, or to either of them directly.

Monthly meeting NEXT WEDNESDAY!

Next Wednesday, prepare for an emotional roller-coaster. You will be taken to the heights of lust, er, LOVE, and to its combative opposite, WAR. Bring Kleenex, ice water, and some chocolate. It's going to get crazy up in here!

Amber J. Keyser!

Amber J. Keyser (THE V WORD, THE WAY BACK FROM BROKEN) and Fonda Lee (ZEROBOXER) will represent both extremes and how to best utilize them in your YA characters' lives. For more about Amber, click here.

Fonda Lee!

Fonda Lee writes science fiction and fantasy for teens and adults. She is an avid martial artist with black belts in karate and kung fu, and goes mad for smart action movies (think The Matrix, Inception, and Minority Report). Fonda’s the Willamette Writers Up and Coming Award winner for 2015 and her debut YA sci-fi action novel, Zeroboxer, is a Jr. Library Guild Selection, an Oregon Book Award finalist, and has been named to the ALA’s Top 10 Picks for Reluctant Readers, the CCBC Choices List, and VOYA’s annual list of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Fonda believes that phenomenal action writing is an often overlooked aspect of strong writing, and aims to share with you principles, examples, and tactics for making your readers' hearts pound with adrenaline.


We HEART these writers, and we HEART you, too! Come and rage and hug and weep and just let your emotions spill. It's okay. It's all good. You'll be among friends.

Martha wins!

Good year and good news to all!

Martha Brockenbrough, whose wonderful THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH has garnered stars, praise, and shortlists for months, has been awarded a 2016 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award!

To see all the winners, and to read more in detail, click here.


Needless to say, it's a HUGE honor, and we are falling over ourselves to wish Martha many high fives and congratulations.


Happy 2016!

Everything you wanted to know about sex...

...and YA but were afraid to ask!

J. Anderson Coats, Martha Brockenbrough, Jeanne Ryan, Lish McBride, and Rory Shay are doing a book panel this Saturday night  on sex. Yep, it’s going to pretty much be a high school sex class where teenagers are allowed to ask anything they want. They’ll talk about everything subversive related to YA books, from how far the thrills and chills go to the degree of intimacy. Please come on out and heckle/ask questions! 

WHAT: YA After Hours: The Secret World of YA: Sex, Scandal, and Shame

WHEN: Saturday, January 9 at 6pm

WHERE: University Book Store, U-District

       

Deb Caletti's new book and appearances

(This is straight from YA author Deb Caletti herself):

 

Dear friends, family, colleagues and favorite readers–––

I wanted to tell you that my second novel for adults, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, was just released a few days ago.  I'm really excited about this one. SECRETS is about two sisters with troubled marriages who unite at their aunt's former divorce ranch in Nevada.  Taking place in both the present and in the past - 1951, one of the last years the glamorous ranches existed - SECRETS explores a forgotten period of history, as well as the subjects of love, marriage, and sisterhood.  Readers are calling it "poignant", "beautiful", "poetic", "engrossing, complete with breathtaking vistas," and Booklist says, "Caletti once again combines interesting characters, pitch perfect dialogue, and an intriguing plot to tell a deeply memorable story."

Upcoming events:

Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park), July 31 at 6:30 

Elliott Bay Books, Seattle, August 12, 7pm

Queen Anne Books, Seattle, August 13, 7pm

Martha, Martha, Martha!

Our very own Martha Brockenbrough, who will soon participate as a panelist in the LA Summer Conference's SCBWI Success Stories session, is featured in the latest issue of the SCBWI Summer Bulletin! Martha's had a very busy, exciting year, with FOUR starred reviews for THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH, as well as many appearances nationwide at conferences and bookstores.

Photo by Emerald England.

To read the full story, click here. Or, enjoy your copy when it hits your mailbox.

And so they met....and how!

At Seattle Pacific University, in Demaray Hall. They shuffled and skipped and loped and meandered until they found their seats.


And then, dear readers, they learned.

So, so much!

Read on, and let this be an inspiration to you to attend future meetings in which the transmission of wisdom and experience and creativity and ambition end up happily scrambled in your brains. As always, we look forward to seeing everyone there.

But I digress.

Jennifer Bradbury, right, with Stephanie Guerra.

Last Thursday, March 19, our chapter had itself a humdinger of a meeting. First up, YA authors Jennifer Bradbury and Stephanie Guerra talked COLLABORATION.



These two former critique-group-mates decided to work on a project, which has turned into an upcoming early chapter book series. Besides being individually talented and prolific, they discussed how two writers with very distinct personalities and ideas pushed through the creative process. Through mutual respect, patience, negotiation, and pure enjoyment, they figured out how to elevate the work by staying true to their best ideas.


The result will the Zach and Lucy series (Simon Spotlight), which hits shelves soon. While publication was a bonus in their initial decision to tackle a collaborative effort, both writers agreed that, above all, they made it work because they placed their friendship above everything else.


Who could possibly follow such inspirational writers? LIBRARIANS, that's who!

Librarians let loose! Our esteemed panel shares the importance of reaching kids.

Brenda Winter-Hansen moderated a panel of five (count 'em!) librarians from Seattle Public Library branches and Seattle Public Schools. They represented everything from board books and storytimes to middle-school and elementary school.

What's on their minds? We wanted to know, and they told us:

1) Diversity. They crave books that reflect their children, from ethnic backgrounds to various life experiences.

2) Hand-sells. You kinda had to be there, but each librarian had a few titles that they encouraged kids to wrap their minds around. If, for nothing else, than to get them to look beyond the predictable series-to-series pattern.

3) How to get your book into the library. Go to the library. Tell them you're a local author. Even stealthier, get your friends to request your books and they will order more copies. Meet the librarians. They won't bite. Come talk to them, establish a relationship, and offer to do a Teen book group or a storytime, or a talk.

4) Reach out to the most under-served kids. This is a priority. A book in the hands of a kid who attends a tougher school might not own their own books. Come to these schools, out of the goodness of your heart, because they just don't have the money to pay you for your appearance. But it makes a difference.

Jennifer's great news!

 How about THIS to start the month off right?

Way to go: Jen scores a two-book deal!

Chelsea Eberly at Random House has bought Six Feet Over It author Jennifer Longo's Up To This Pointe, in a two-book deal. In the novel, a girl who is the descendant of an explorer who died in a race to the South Pole knows that big dreams come with big risks. When her dream of becoming a star ballerina dies, she's willing to go to the ends of the earth (literally to the South Pole) to chart a new path. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management did the deal for world rights.

Horrors!

Women in Horror Month (?#?WIHM?) is coming up in February, and SCBWI-WWA member G.G. Silverman (Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress) is looking to make some noise for female YA horror authors. If you are a female author writing YA horror featuring a strong female protagonist, she'd like to interview you for her blog. 

Message her through the contact page on her site at www.ggsilverman.com, and she'll email you some interview questions––and will also ask you for a few things like book link, cover image, and head shot. She'd like the first interview to go live on February 2 or 3, and is capping this at 12 interviews, so get in touch soon!  

Thanks!

David speaks out

Local children's book writer David Patneaude will be the featured guest at the Redmond Association of Spokenword (RASP) on Friday, January 31 from 7–9pm. Besides the author of such YA books as Thin Wood Walls and Epitaph Road, the event showcases other local writers in an open-mic format.

 

WHAT: David Patenaude and open-mic readings
WHEN: January 31, 7–9pm
WHERE: Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, Room 207  (16600 NE 80th St, Redmond)

 

 

Published YA authors Facebook group

PAL young-adult authors, this one's for you!

Seattle-based author Katherine Kirkpatrick (The Snow Baby, Mysterious Bones) is starting a Facebook group for published YA authors to support each other with encouragement, practical advice, and book promotion on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, GoodReads, etc.). If you're interested in being a part of all this virtual action and all the benefits it could have for you, please contact Katherine through email or Facebook.

For more information about Katherine, and her writing projects, please click on her blog. Her very first post just went up, featuring an interview she gave to a high-schooler. 

 

Zoinks! Four local YA authors blaze a promotional trail!

From left: Beaudoin, Brockenbrough, Emerson, and Patrick. Reprint courtesy of M. Brockenbrough.

It seems we are in the midst of a sea change in how authors promote their work. A stellar example can be found not too far from home, as four local YA authors have taken a novel approach to promoting their work––with a grassroots tour called You Are Next, a whirlwind blitz that has rocked the West Coast and shaken the very idea of the Author Appearance to its core. The prolific quartet of writers includes Sean Beaudoin (The Infects), Martha Brockenbrough (Devine Intervention), Kevin Emerson (The Lost Code), and Cat Patrick (Revived). This group has been there, done that in Portland, San Francisco, Vegas, and this weekend in Disneyland, as part of the YAppiest Day on Earth event, which will bring numerous YA novelists and their legions of fans together, and which marks the culmination of the You Are Next tour.

In a recent feature article in Publisher's Weekly, this gang got a well-deserved spotlight for their innovative approach to promoting their work and connecting with their readers.

What will this outfit do next? They're extremely good-looking, charismatic, have a bunch of books under their collective belts, and pretty much create a ruckus wherever they go. Whatever they have planned, it's going to be wild.

Here's to the future of this amazing assemblage of talent, and to many more novels from each!

What's news this week

And now, on to all the good news that's fit to print!

Martha Brockenbrough's Devine Intervention, J. Anderson Coats' The Wicked and the Just, and Kelly Milner Halls' Girl Meets Boy were included in Kirkus Reviews' Best Teen Books of 2012. Cheers to you all!

Chadwick Gillenwater, aka "Professor Watermelon" announces the release of his new children's chapter book, Herbert. For more details about this book and how to find a copy, click here. Congrats, Chadwick!
 

Necromancing the Stone author Lish McBride appears this Tuesday, Decemebr 17 from 7-8pm at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park to discuss the much-anticipated follow-up to Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Come support Lish and her Necromancer series.


December's Kid Lit Drink Night on December 7 was a convivial event for all! Dana Arnim recaps:

Gathering at Hale's Brewery in Ballard, my husband Bill and I were joined by 8 other SCBWI-ers for a great evening of talk and beer. A mix of both veteran and new members, we enjoyed the cheery mood at Hale's. I even snagged an "emergency business card" coaster––what clever folks. Thanks to all for coming out!

Lois Harris' My Maxfield Parrish: Painter of Magical Make-Believe book received a lovely review from Fran Lewis. Lois also shared that her biographies of artists Mary Cassatt, Charlie Russell, and Maxfield Parrish are mentioned in local artist Ellen Clark’s Bellingham Herald blog. To find out more about Lois' books, Discussion Guides for which were developed by SCBWI Northern Network Coordinator and teacher Rebecca Van Slyke, can be found on Lois's website. 





Laurie O'Keefe's picture book, Gopher to the Rescue: A Volcano Recovery Story (written by Terry Catasus Jennings, illustrated by Laurie O'Keefe), has been named to the 2013 list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), in combination with the Children's Book Council (CBC) collaborate each year to choose top reads for children in grades K-12 that promote science and literacy.

Andrea Lawson has a new store on  Etsy, Flying Selki Art Studio.
Please visit! SCBWI members get a holiday coupon!  (coupon code: FlyingSeDec2012Art)
 

Children's book illustration classes with local illustrator Craig Orback begin in January, both in Seattle and Bellevue. Check his website for details on Children's Book Illustration I and II, to be held at Bellevue College (Saturdays, January 19–March 9) and North Seattle Community College
(I: Tuesdays, January 15-March 5; II: Mondays, January 14–March 18).

YA Authors Event

Please join Helen Landalf, Jennifer Shaw Wolf, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Megan Bostic, Kiki Hamilton, and a number of other local YA authors for a Teen Author Showcase at the Tumwater Timberland Library, Saturday April 28, from 2-3:30 p.m. The event will include an author panel, audience Q & A, and a book signing.

Come Meet the New Kids on the YA Block!

Please join Northwest debut YA authors Helen Landalf (FLYAWAY), Kendare Blake (ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD), Kiki Hamilton (THE FAIRIE RING), Megan Bostic (NEVER EIGHTEEN), Carole Estby Dagg (THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS), and special guest Kathy McCullough (DON'T EXPECT MAGIC) for an evening at Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Activities include an author panel, a Speed Reed, prizes, and goodies. We'd love to see you there!

New Kids on the YA Block will also be appearing at Timberland Library in Olympia on Thursday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Garfield Books in Tacoma on Friday, March 16 at 7 p.m.