Guest Post: Antony John (Author of FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB)

Today, debut author Antony John visits the The Hiding Spot to discuss writing a female main character and the challenges involved... and the surprising lack of challenges too.

Be sure to check out my review of FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB here. Find out more about Antony John here.

What’s it like to be a male author writing from a female perspective?

I was in a bookstore recently and someone asked me if it felt weird to be a guy writing from a girl’s perspective. Before I could answer, a bookseller who’d been listening in turned around and said: “He’s not deaf either, though, right?”

Actually, she could’ve kept going:

“He’s not eighteen.”

“He didn’t grow up in the States.”

“He didn’t attend a US high school.”

“His high school in England was single-sex.”

“He’s never played in a rock band.”

“He’s never managed a rock band.”

And on and on . . .

I’ve always thought that apart from entertainment, the main reason we read is to experience the world through someone else: to see things as they do, to face and overcome the hardships they encounter. This is also the main reason I write: for the privilege of empathizing fully with someone I will never be. The success of failure of a book often hinges on the author’s ability to pull this off.

In Piper’s case—she’s the narrator of FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, by the way—I had to do a lot of research: I mean, she doesn’t know anything about music, whereas I have a Ph.D. in music; she’s deaf, but I’m not. But most of my readers aren’t deaf either, and probably don’t know much about deafness. Whereas a LOT of my readers are female, which is why your question is so interesting. And embarrassing. See, it’s like this . . .

Confession time: In order to get fully inside Piper’s head, I had to get help every now and again.

In DUMB, Piper crushes on a boy. To be honest, I wasn’t completely convinced why she would like him all that much. So I asked my wife and sister-in-law: “What makes a boy attractive to a girl?” Now, as someone who has been happily married for a decade, I probably ought to have had some idea of this already, but I didn’t. And so both of them dutifully gave me a list of things that they would have found attractive in Piper’s situation. And I thought: “Huh. That makes sense. Cool.” And I included it. All of it.

Then there’s the moment where Piper makes out with someone-who-shall-remain-nameless. And I thought: “Huh. I’ve never kissed a guy. I wonder what that’s like.” So I asked. And again the answers were really illuminating, so I kept them in mind as I was writing the scene.

But you know what? As much as I had to ask for help for some parts of DUMB, I actually wrote 99 percent of it without asking for any advice at all. And the reason, I think, is that most of the challenges teens face are universal: they affect boys and girls equally. I completely understand Piper’s feelings of resentment toward her parents at the beginning of the book, because anyone would feel that way. I also know as well as Piper what it feels like to be an outsider at school, to crush on someone without them feeling the same way about me, to want to excel academically without having friends think I’m a geek/nerd/dork/loser (choose your noun). And, like Piper, I felt everything intensely as a teen. Seriously, I over-thought everything, and had enough hang-ups for entire class of students. Thankfully, I get to channel that into writing now, which is perfect.

So what was it like writing from a girl’s perspective? Fun, interesting, educational. And a lot like living high school all over again. Only this time, it was co-ed!

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Find out more about FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB and read my review here.

Interview: Catherine Ryan Hyde (Author of Jumpstart the World!)

Today I have the talented Catherine Ryan Hyde here at The Hiding Spot to answer a few questions about her writing, characters, and most recent release, JUMPSTART THE WORLD!

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The Interview

You have many published novels and, I’m sure many that didn’t reach publication. Are there one or two characters that you personally identify with more than others? In what way?

The first guy who comes to mind is Jordy from Becoming Chloe. Shortly after I wrote that book, I had a really good friend tell me, “You know, you are Jordy.” Which was kind of interesting, since I’m not a 17-year old male throw-away street teen. But I knew what she meant. Jordy is a little separate from the people around him. He doesn’t connect easily. But he cares, especially for those who have no one else to protect them.


I think the more my characters are emotionally vulnerable, the more I feel for them and with them.


The other character who comes to mind is Reuben in Pay It Forward. Because of that sense of “otherness” that holds him back. I think we all have that in varying degrees. But I relate to him a lot. It really bugged me that he never made it into the movie. He was only my protagonist, after all.

Your novel Pay It Forward was adapted to film, but, of your other published works, is there another that you feel is particularly cinematic?
I actually was given the job of writing a screenplay for my novel Walter’s Purple Heart. It was in development with a small film company at the time. But nothing ever came of that option. I still think the novel—being part war story, part very odd love story, part reincarnation-themed—would be great on the screen. And that screenplay is still kicking around.


I also think Chloe would adapt well because it’s a road story. When two characters set out traveling to find the beauty in the world, you know that’s going to be cinematic.

Give a short statement describing your most recent novel, Jumpstart the World.
Elle is a barely-16-year-old girl living in New York City. Alone. Her mother’s new boyfriend doesn’t want her around, and her mother is so smitten that she just rents Elle her own apartment and dumps her there. Frank is her new next door neighbor. He lives in the next apartment over with his girlfriend Molly. He’s the first one to find out how young she is, and he takes it upon himself to look out for her. Which is probably why Elle falls in love with him. Even though he’s older, and in a relationship. She knows all that, but doesn’t really care. She just loves him, and can’t stop. What she doesn’t know is that Frank is transgender. Female to male, in transition. Well, at first she doesn’t know. When she finds out, it’s a tough adjustment. Not so much because she has to overcome deep prejudice, but because she’s worried about what this might say about her. But here’s the even harder adjustment: finding out doesn’t change her feelings much. She knows, but she’s still in love. And she’s still grateful to have someone like Frank in her life, even if they can never be together in that sense.

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
For me that would be hiking and kayaking. Mostly hiking. I have a little motor home, and I like to drive away to someplace like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, and then take off in the morning and spend pretty much the whole day on the trail, by myself. That’s my favorite way to hide out.


Next year a friend and I are going to spend four days kayaking down the Green River through Canyonlands National Park. Nature is my escape.

Your novels come highly recommended, but which YA novels or authors do you highly recommend?
I like David Levithan. I’m reading Will Gayson, Will Grayson right now. But I’ve liked just about everything I’ve read of his. I really loved Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl and Love, Stargirl. I loved The Perks of Being a WallFlower by Stephen Chbosky. I think one of the best YA books ever was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.


The why is harder to say. I think because all of these books are both well-written and emotionally important. I have no patience for the all-plot-no-character sort of fiction. I want to know how these characters feel. I want to meet characters who can genuinely touch my own emotions. That’s why I take the time to read. And that’s why I read (and write) YA. Because it tackles emotion head-on. No cerebral existentialism. And no apologies.

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Learn more about Catherine here and her new novel here!

Interview: Mindi Scott (Author of Freefall!)

I was extremely lucky to be able to read Mindi Scott's FREEFALL in June, but I've been waiting (im)patiently to be able to say "Run to your local bookstore and pick up your own copy. Now!" I'm still a bit premature, but FREEFALL will be hitting shelves October 5th in the US so you can at least prepare yourselves! To be super prepared, you might even want to preorder it. Not sure? Maybe my review will convince you. Read it here!

I'm very excited to have Mindi here at The Hiding Spot to answer a few questions about FREEFALL and its subject matter!

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A Brief Bio

Read more about Mindi HERE.

Mindi Rochelle Scott lives near Seattle, Washington, with her drummer husband in a house with a non-sound-proof basement. Her first novel, Freefall, will be published by Simon Pulse on October 5, 2010.

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The Interview

Give a short statement describing FREEFALL. (This should be in your own words and is meant to draw in readers, so no copying from the book jacket, etc.)
Freefall is about Seth McCoy, a bassist in a rockabilly band whose nickname is “Dick” for arguably legitimate reasons. This is the story of how, two months after finding his best friend dead, Seth is now at a point where he thinks he might be ready to start living and feeling again—he just has to learn how.

To me, Seth was incredibly real, which I found to be commendable, since you are, after all, not a teen boy. I feel like many girls and women feel like they think they know how the male mind works, but guys are forever telling them they actually have no idea. How did you find a way into Seth’s head? Did you find it difficult to make him believable? Was there research involved? Did you have a male “consultant?”
While working on this book, I read lots and lots of other YA with male POVs to kind of get the flavor. My husband was a big help, too. He’d read each of my scenes and sometimes he’d say, “Really? You think a guy would say/think/do that?” Then I’d try again. The thing that was cool is after a few months of working on the project, our discussions shifted from being about whether the narrative was boyish enough to whether it was Sethish enough. I was very proud when I got to that point because it was like, Seth had become a real enough person that “boy” or “not boy” was no longer a consideration. If that makes any sense.

I appreciated the frank portrayal of underage drinking in your novel. Do you think teens fully understand the negative consequences of drinking? What message did you hope to impart by its inclusion in the novel?
Despite the fact that my dad was killed in a collision with a drunk driver when I was four, I know that I didn’t fully understand the negative consequences of underage drinking when I was a teen. For instance, it seemed like puking was a thing that should automatically happen while partying. (It isn’t.) I also didn’t grasp that a 100-pound girl trying to keep up with, like, 175-pound boys was not only stupid, but could be dangerous for a multitude of reasons.

I don’t imagine that it would be a stretch to say that other teens out there might be clueless in the ways that my friends and I were clueless. And, yes, this is probably pretty obvious, but what I really hope readers will come away with after reading this book is that taking care of yourself and making smart choices is never a bad thing.

I loved Mrs. Dalloway and Seth’s Interpersonal Communications class. What was your inspiration behind her character and her often zany lessons?
I took an Interpersonal Communications class in college. Mrs. Dalloway is a less annoying, but more out-there version of my instructor. For the class I took, we had to choose fake names for ourselves and make lists of ways that we would challenge ourselves. I stole those ideas, and also came up with things that I thought would make the format of the class in the book more interactive and unexpected.

Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel?
I don’t actually know what my next published novel will be, but I have a few YA projects in the works which might be contenders. I hope that I’ll know more in the coming months!

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
A combination of a book and a tropical beach is the ideal hiding spot for me.

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I urge you to pick up FREEFALL. There's been a lot of talk about the lack of males narrators and "guy" books in YA lately, so Scott's debut is worth picking up for that reason alone, but there are many, many more reasons to pick up this amazing debut. Be sure to check out my review and the book trailer:

Character Interview: Noah from The Absolute Value of -1

Today I'm joined by Noah from Steve Brezenoff's THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1. I found Noah to be one of the most interesting and, in ways, elusive of the three main characters in the novel. I think readers will get a good sense of Noah's attitude in his answers below... actually, I'm a bit surprised he didn't just decide to blow off the last few questions. I'm impressed.

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The Interview

Describe yourself in 5 words or less.

Um, high? Horny? Handsome? How many is that?


Name 3 of your favorite things and, for good measure, 3 of your least favorite too.
Number one is getting a good buzz on. I also like playing Madden and listening to Biohazard in the basement, especially if dear old Dad is out and I can pump it up. Least favorites? How about watching Lily fall all over herself to get Simon’s attention for half a second.


School doesn’t seem to be your scene… If you could be anywhere or go anywhere, where would you be?
Back in the OC, definitely—Orange County, CA. I’d like to be on Laguna Beach right now, actually, with a nice buzz, laying out and watching the girls.


You, Simon, and Lily are in a bit of a predicament. You’ve got a thing for Lily, but she only has eyes for Simon, while Simon’s head is somewhere else entirely. Why do you suppose Lily’s so blinded by Simon… what draws her to him?
Who the hell knows what goes her mind. Same as Mom, I guess. Same as most of the girls in school: they love the guys who treat them like garbage or ignore them completely. Hey, maybe I’m wrong, but if I am, how else can you explain it?


From the outside looking in, Simon doesn’t seem like the greatest friend… why do you stick around?
I don’t have a lot of options, first of all. The guy was my only friend when I moved out to Long Island. But hey, he’s also my number-one customer. Besides, I’ve got feelers out, looking into new social situations, you know?

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I was extremely impressed by this novel! Be sure to check out my review of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 here.

To win -1 bookmarks and other fun swag, leave a comment
on this post or the review linked above!

Review: The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Title: The Absolute Value of -1
Author: Steve Brezenoff
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pub. Date: 9.1.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Love, Friendship, Multiple POV
Pages: 264
Description (from GoodReads):
The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: I-1I = 1.

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew.

Having never heard of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1, I had no expectations as I cracked the cover. Not one. Which is why I was shocked to discover that this novel, Steve Brezenoff's YA debut, has landed squarely on my Best of 2010 list.

The novel is divided into three main sections - one for each character - but the first and last pages are told by Suzanne. I'll admit to being a bit confused when I saw her name printed largely on the first page... there's no mention of a Suzanne in the description. It doesn't take long to figure out who this mysterious narrator is, but it takes the majority of the novel to make sense of her role and meaning to each of the main characters.

I ended up preferring Lily and Noah over Simon. I appreciated seeing the events unfold from each POV, but Simon set me on edge. Even at the end of the novel, I wasn't completely sure I understood his motivations, which made is actions difficult to reconcile. In the end, I resigned myself to disliking his character, which was difficult for me because I can't help but try to connect with each character, even in a small way.

I found it easy to identify with Lily. She's the typically high school girl, in love with a boy who is oblivious to her. Or worse, is completely aware and chooses to act oblivious. I feel confident saying that every girl feels like a Lily at some point, whether it occurs in high school or later.

Noah was my favorite character, though it's hard to say exactly why. Part of me wonders if it's due to the fact that he had the smallest section. It's almost like when you meet someone for the first time and you think they're pretty cool, but then, the more you get to know them, the more you're aware of their flaws. And then they just don't seem so cool anymore. Simon and Lily's flaws were painfully clear, while Noah was just a stoner boy with an unrequited crush. He was much easier to like. Maybe I would have ended up liking him less if he was more of a focus, but I still can't help wanting to hear more of his story.

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 is unflinchingly honest and beautifully written. I'm very curious to see what Steve Brezenoff offers next, but, in the meantime, I'll be pondering this novel's final pages...

Grade: A

Part of the reason I decided to read THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 was the book trailer... I always thought book trailers were more fun than functional, but, more and more, I've found that book trailers have caused me to give a book a second look!

Contest: Win a copy of Ondine by Ebony McKenna!

Ebony McKenna has provided finished copies of ONDINE: THE SUMMER OF SHAMBLES for 2 lucky winners at The Hiding Spot!

Prizes:

(2) paperback copies of ONDINE

How to Enter:
You MUST fill out this FORM. If you neglect to fill out the form, you will not be entered to win.


Extra Entries:
Not required. Extra entries are detailed on the entry form as well.
+1 Tweet this contest. (Leave a link.)
+1 Link this contest on your sidebar, in a post, or on FB. (Leave a link.)


Details:
There will be 2 winners. Contest will close September 22, 2010. Open to US and Canadian mailing addresses only. Sorry International readers!

Good luck!

Interview: Ebony McKenna (Author of Ondine!)

Author Ebony McKenna is at The Hiding Spot today to answer a few questions regarding her novel ONDINE. The novel isn't out in the US yet, but it is available from BookDepository!

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BIOGRAPHY

From Author's Website

Ebony McKenna lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and young son.



She has worked as an award winning journalist, market researcher, waitress, website contributor, accounts manager and company director.


In high school McKenna excelled in English and Literature, earning herself a place in the journalism course at Melbourne's RMIT University.


In the 1990s she worked as a journalist on many leading Melbourne newspapers. She won many awards - including scooping first and second place in the one night for best news report. By day she wrote other people's stories, but by night she plotted epic adventures.


Now she writes novels for a living.

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THE INTERVIEW

Give a short statement describing ONDINE.
  ONDINE is about a teenage girl whose pet ferret, Shambles, starts talking with a Scottish accent. Mayhem ensues. She lives in the Eastern European country of Brugel, where everyday life with her family is crazy. Ondine discovers Shambles is really a man trapped in a witch’s spell - she’ll do whatever she can to break that spell to see the real man inside.


Was there a specific source of inspiration behind ONDINE?

I had written six novels prior to ONDINE, some were fantasy/science fiction, others were romantic comedies. The world can be so mean and cruel sometimes, comedies give us a break from all that. So I wrote the books I loved to read. But this inspiration was a whole new level of crazy for me. The setting - in a family pub - came naturally because I spent my childhood and teen years working for my mum and step-dad in our family restaurant. Lots and lots of work. A fair bit of stress. Everyone pitching in and helping. But it also gave me a love of food and an understanding that if you want something badly enough, and you work hard enough, you just might get the result you want. *lightbulb moment* I think this is why I have turned out the way I have. Thanks mum. (And at the time I thought you were just using me for slave labor, LOL!)

My family are a huge inspiration to me. There are a great many books featuring orphans or missing parents. When the ideas for Ondine first popped into my head, she was an orphan as well. But honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted her to have a family and have all that support and a bit of suffocation-love. Her life is different to mine for sure (none of my pets talked, except the cockatoos) but her feelings are very similar. As a teenager, I craved privacy but I needed my family. I also felt like grown-ups treated me like a child but also expected me to behave like an adult. All the tumult and emotional upheaval is there, even if the story is very different.

Why did you choose to have cast the romantic interest as a cursed boy turned ferret? (Instead of some other animal or creature…)

The first time I had the idea of the bewitched creature, he was a rat. But a few seconds later he became a ferret. I’ve never had a pet ferret, so I didn’t know much about them. But, I had seen a tv show a few weeks earlier featuring ferrets and the people who are crazy about them. They seemed perfect for comedy. Racing down drainpipes, scampering about, sleeping in a tangled knot. I thought about how they could make great spies. Once I imagined the scene of Ondine informing the Duke about a treat to his life - with the ferret wrapped around her pretending to be a scarf - it cemented the idea of Shambles being a ferret.

Ferrets have such vibrant personalities. And, while the ideas were percolating in my head, I did have the vague sense that rats had been done, whereas a ferret could be very different. They are so cute, but they’re also primed for mischief. It seemed such a good fit to have someone trapped in a ferret’s body as a form of punishment.

Also - I wanted a truly sexy hero. He had to be funny, a bit rude and full of adventure. So he pretty much had to be Scottish because they are the funniest and rudest people on earth (and I hope they can forgive me for taking so many liberties with their language!) And some of them are very sexy. *cough* David Tennant.

How did you choose name for your characters? Do you find it difficult to pick names?
I wanted names that gave a sense of something old-fashioned yet modern. Ondine was there right from the start. Many years ago I used to get my nails done (what a luxury!) and the woman who did my nails was called Ondi. I’d always loved her name. It sounded so exotic and other worldly. So maybe I was just waiting for the right book to come along to name after her? I grew up with a friend called Cybelle, so her name was perfect for the clever and very private middle sister. I needed a movie-star name for the eldest, because she’s the showy one, the singer. One of my favourite movies of all time (aside from The Princess Bride) is The Scarlett Pimpernell. The heroine in that is Marguerite. Such a gorgeous name, and very European, to my mind. The name Shambles turned up pretty quickly in the process as well. I often say ‘this place is a shambles’ so it was a name ready to leap out of my mind and onto the page. Once I had his name, his personality really grew to the point where he could get away with so much! Cheeky imp!


My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
These are such awesome questions. Love it!
Books are my escape too - they’re a pressure-valve to let off a bit of steam. They help me forget all about everything else for a while. I lose myself in books. Perhaps that’s why I put so much comedy into my writing - because there’s enough bad news out there I want to give people a good laugh and a diversion from the pressures of the real world.
As a kid, I used to hide in wardrobes looking for Narnia! After-school playtimes with friends were the classic, ‘Mum’s here, quick, hide!’ But she’d always find me in a wardrobe! I never did find Narnia.
Now I’m older, I’m supposed to grow up, but I still love hiding away in small spaces. Luckily my young son does too. So we hide in wardrobes together. In a year or so, I’ll let him read my Narnia books.

Thank you so much for the great questions and for being part of the blog tour. I’m having a fantastic time.

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Thanks, Ebony!

You can find my review of ONDINE: THE SUMMER OF SHAMBLES here. Be on the lookout for the sequel, ONDINE: THE AUTUMN PALACE, which will be released February 2011 from Egmont Books Ltd!

Review: Ondine by Ebony McKenna

Title: Ondine
Author: Ebony McKenna
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
Pub. Date: 4.5.2010
Genre: Middle Grade
Keywords: Enchantment, Love, Family, Ferrets
Pages: 336
Description (from GoodReads):
This is a brilliantly witty story with a furry tail ending. One girl. One boy. One spell to be broken. Ondine de Groot is a normal fifteen-year-old who lives with her family in the European country of Brugel. She has a pet ferret called Shambles. But Shambles is no ordinary ferret...He's Hamish McPhee, a boy cursed by a witch. A witch who happens to be related to Ondine. When Shambles turns back into Hamish temporarily, Ondine knows that she has to help him break the spell. He is the most gorgeous boy she has ever met and her one true love! He just can't remain a ferret forever. Can he?

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I usually don't read Middle Grade; It simply isn't my niche. That said, I was drawn to ONDINE. McKenna's novel received many positive reviews on GoodReads praising its humor and wit, which caught my attention.

For me, it was the footnotes that inspired the most laughter. In the text, Ondine mentions a BeDazzle and, in the footnotes, she defines it as a "completely unnecessary yet strangely compelling device to attach sparkly plastic jewels to your clothes." I couldn't have said it better myself! I admit it: if I owned a BeDazzle I'd probably use it. Secretly.

The romance between Ondine and her ferret, which sounds a lot weirder than it actually is, was cute. Though it was ridiculously far fetched, I went with it, taking into account that ONDINE is middle grade and a light hearted read. It helped that, though he was in ferret form, Shambles/Hamish never really acted like a ferret. He talked and thought like a teenaged boy, so I sometimes forgot that he wasn't in human form... until he did something weasley.

My main complaint is due to the fact that none of the characters seemed fully formed. There was no real development and their relationships felt disjointed. Part of me thinks that I wouldn't have noticed these inconsistencies when I was in elementary school and junior high, but the other part of me wants to give my younger self (and kids in general) more credit than that.

Overall, ONDINE is a cute read that will bring a smile to your face, but I think it's better suited to younger readers.

Grade: C+