Homecoming Reunion

My children wear orange and black stripes. I want to support the town I live in, my parents' and children's hometown. I even bought a shirt with the word Tigers across the chest.

But it doesn't change the fact that my blood still runs like a Bulldog's.

Homecoming Court 1993

  I remember the dance to the fight song and am not afraid to do it.

Headed to Nationals, baby!

When I feel the bass drum of a marching band in my belly, I see red and black. When sneakers squeak on a gym floor, I remember slam dunks and three pointers and open mouthed opposing teams. When I walk in a theater, I feel at home.

Polariod taken during opening night. That look on my face? Acting. The dress? Sewn on.

When a football team rushes a field beneath a star-studded sky, I breathe deeply and wonder when the news helicopter will arrive to catch footage of our record-breaking running back and a team with heart.

That's what I remember most about my high school: heart.

When I hear someone (from another school, obviously) speak with anathema of their classmates, it saddens me. They missed out on so much. I'm not saying heartbreak and humiliation didn't happen to me or others--we were teenagers, after all--but there is so much more to treasure from those years. And the hard stuff taught me things. It was a good place to grow up because I was lucky to grow up with nice people.

And that can make all the difference.

I graduated with about 103 others.  In middle school, our class was twice that size, but closed factories, an oil bust and the economy caused a mass exodus. Maybe watching so many leave made us hold on to each other a little more.

We called ourselves The Class that Makes Traditions.  Yeah, we had a motto. We knew we were special.

10 year reunion.  Can you find me?

I missed my reunion this weekend.  Many things prevented me from attending, but on the morning of the reunion I thought the stars had aligned so that I could at least make the parade, tailgate, and game. For a couple of hours, I was ridiculously excited.

But, we had two people out at the office. Then, my daughter got sick.  Then...

I went on Facebook to wish a classmate a belated birthday. After posting a cheery message on his board, I scrolled down.

My heart stopped. My throat burned. I didn't like the messages before mine. As I sent a text to two of the reunion organizers who were probably herding classmates toward a parade float, I prayed that Jimmie was there with them. That I'd misunderstood the messages.

He wasn't.

Then I received messages from other classmates asking if I'd seen his wall and wondered the same as I.  We watched Facebook. Eventually, someone posted that he'd been in an accident that morning and had not made it.  I deleted my birthday wish and added a comment of condolences instead.

And cried.

I went to school with nice people, and we lost another one. Jimmie's smile, and orneriness, and energy will forever be a part of my memories and my life. Thank you for that, Jimmie.

And thank you to my classmates for being such a fun and loving group through the years.  Thank you for your heart.

This photo was all over Facebook. I'll give photo credit when someone fesses up.

Camping Round Up

Are you a happy camper?

 

This post explains how I avoid tent camping with my babies.

This one indicates I do enjoy the great outdoors.

Posts like this one about the Inklings and this one about the Red Tent Sisterhood show I'm not totally opposed to camping within walls. And with air conditioning.

Have you seen my post on Oklahoma Women Bloggers today? I shared my guide on how to glamp.

What do you think about camping? What about glamping? Where is your favorite spot to camp/glamp?

Friday Favorite: Miss July

I'm pretty excited that my little blog and I are Miss July over at Oklahoma Women Bloggers. Check us out this month.  While you're there, get to know some of the other Oklahoma bloggers.

Inklings Retreat 2013

I love my writing group and our annual writing retreat at Lake Tenkiller.  This summer was our tenth-ish year to hang out at the lake, eat lots of food, critique works in progress, and laugh. A lot.

photo courtesy of Lisa Marotta

This year Dee Dee Chumley introduced a word tournament.  It's kind of like March Madness, but with a bunch of logophiles instead of athletes  We (okay, mostly I) slung a lot of words around trying to intimidate other players and help Dee Dee with tough-talk dialogue for her next novel. Of course, one can only sound so intimidating when throwing around language like "confabulation" and "diaphanous." But it paid off.  I won with the word "petulant."  (Ironic since I was talking trash, don't you think?) We might have trouble if you tell me you would have voted for Lisa Marotta's word that also made the finals:"serendipity.'

Sometimes we make it to the water to float around and commune with the dragonflies.  This year, a few of us ventured forth and practiced water yoga with Heather Ezell of Hang Zen.  It was awesome. Then we went back to the deck and enjoyed some of my daddy's special sangria--that Kelly helped doctor with OJ--while talking about all things bloggy. I'm already looking forward to our fall retreat!

Pictured below are Martha Bryant, Dee Dee Chumley, Kelly Bristow, Heather Ezell of Hang Zen, Lisa Marotta, and Brandi Barnett.

photo courtesy of Kevin Ezell of Hang Zen yoga

  
 Read more about my ideas about yoga over on Oklahoma Women Bloggers.

OWFI's Agent Panel's Quotable Quotes

The first weekend of May is the annual writers' reunion/conference for Oklahoma Writers Federation.

My writing group's party room. Yes, we have wine with our name on it.

Here are a few helpful quotes from the agent panel:

On Query letters

"Be short, sweet, professional." --Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

"Please include a phone number." --Paul S. Levine  of Paul S. Levine Literary Agency

"A 2000 word query letter is not going to excite anyone."--Paul Lucas of Janklowa & Nesbit

On Pitches

"The best pitch is the one that makes you want to read more of the book.  The worst one is the one that makes you wonder why they're writing a book." --Jim McCarthy

"Best pitches are the ones that make me want to sign that person.  The worst are when I think I can't wait to talk about this at work on Monday."--Jim McCarthy

On Self Publishing

"I'm very open to self-published authors.  I'm more enticed if you've sold a butt load of copies."--Jim McCarthy

On Social Media

"Own it if you're going to do it.  Delete it if you're not." --Paul Lucas

Other tidbits

"Looking for projects I think are fun."--Paul Lucas

"New Adult is very happening." --Sara D'Emic of Talcott Notch Literary Services

"Don't be an asshole.  It's not worth it." --Jim McCarthy

Happy writing, ya'll!

Does anyone else have a quotable quote from a writing conference? Please post in the comments.

Oklahoma Love

 During a still Monday morning, I looked at a weather map indicating storm chances. I said, "Oh my. Oklahoma is the center of a bull's eye.  

But I was thinking, "Dear God, help us."

Here are a few links addressing ways you can help with the recent tornadoes that ripped up Oklahoma and broke our hearts.

Child psychologist Lisa Marotta wrote how to soothe your child's fear after the storm. 

Be sure to check out Metro Family's ways to help victims of the May 20 tornado.

Oklahoma Women Bloggers posted a list of different ways to help, too.

Please comment below if you know of other ways to help.

Cheer for Your Team

I'm not very good at the preschool athletic mentality. 
1.  Every kid is not the Most Valuable Player.
2.  Each game should have a winner and a loser.

That's life. 

Don't get me wrong. Winning isn't everything, but losing doesn't mean hanging up your sneakers, either.  When you fall, brush yourself off, quit your crying, and get back in the game. It's important to always do your personal best because your only real competition is yourself.

I was a cheerleader--the kind that believed more in the job than the uniform.  I disdain the "spirit leaders" who leave when rain or sleet falls from the sky. If the team can still play, then they can still cheer.

12th grade: front and center in a parka in the pouring rain

After a few adult beverages, I'm willing to dance my high school's fight song.

Go Bulldogs!

 

Last month,  I put my dormant cheer skills to use and cheered myself on through my own special version of March Madness.

Here are the rules: If a writing opportunity presented itself, I must enter the competition.

Even if I doubted my abilities--especially so--I must take action. With failure comes wisdom. With wisdom comes success.

Want to know how the brackets turned out?

I submitted my essays to two Listen to Your Mother shows.  Instead of submitting to one show, I embraced March Madness and submitted to two.

Two! Two! We want two!

And, well, you know how that turned out. Read about it here and here.

Gooooo team!

Then, I tried Brenda Drake's agent contest.  My cheerleader was still asleep when I dragged myself out of bed to submit early in the morning.  Right before I pushed send on my carefully written entry of my novel's first 250 words and 35-word pitch, I doubted myself.  I changed the pitch.

I did not make the next round.

That's all right. That's okay. We're gonna win another day!

Then another opportunity presented itself. Mini Vaughn, one of the slush zombies for the contest, volunteered to critique the pitches on her blog Dirty Silly Things.  I thought, "Oh my. I can't put myself out there and face rejection again. It's so public. She even says something about spanking us and making it hurt."  *Blushes* 

My cheerleader gave me a high-kick in the butt.  

Be aggressive! B-E Aggressive! B-E- A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! Be aggressive! B-E aggressive!

Because she was an obnoxiously perky, insistent little inner cheerleader, I not only sent the rejected logline, but I also submitted the one I'd planned to send. If I was going to get a smackdown, I might as well really feel the pain, right?

The critique wasn't painful at all. She thought the original pitch was "fantastic." Lesson learned.  My biggest opponent is self-doubt. 

Defense! (clap, clap) Defense! (clap, clap)

Over the month, I had a couple of contest triumphs and forfeited one opportunity. The point is that I put myself in the game.

I'm gearing up for submitting my freshly revised novel to agents. I've listened to agents who seemed excited about the story but rejected it. I've rewritten the novel and improved my game. 

First (clap) and ten! Go! Fight! Win!

Why compete? Because someone has to win.  Why can't it be me?  Or you?

  Dribble it! Pass it! (clap) We want a basket!

Have you stepped outside your comfort zone lately? What would you like to achieve?  

Go for it!

Listen to your personal cheerleader and take the challenge. Let me know what it is.

I'm already waggling my spirit fingers for you.

Listen to Your Mother

"Do you need me to go with you?" Mama asked.

Um. No. My facial expression was likely reminiscent of my teenage years.

"Don't look at me like that.  Your dad is worried. Everyone knows you get lost."

True. But I'm not incompetent. I'm a reasonably intelligent, somewhat independent wife and mother-of-two.

And I'd made a call back for Listen to Your Mother! Oh, yeah.

I could drive to a simple audition by myself.  Probably.

I'd leave early.

If I drove alone to the audition for Listen to Your Mother--Northwest Arkansas, I'd get about three hours BY MYSELF. My fantasy life took hold and I dreamed: No crying. No food fights. No one needing me at all.  I'd go to my son's soccer game, drive the windy, crooked road through the foothills of the Ozarks,  audition for the NW Arkansas show Listen to Your Mother, and return in time to take the kids to a Hot Wheels party.

Yep. This mama was going places.

Giddiness prevailed until I received another email. It was a callback for the inaugural show of Listen to Your Mother--Oklahoma City. My home state.  Good news. But my heart fell when I read one little line in the email.  I would not be able to audition if I made the NW Arkansas show.

And that made me anxious.

I liked my essay for NW Arkansas.  But the piece for Oklahoma City... was my story.  I didn't realize how important it was to me until that email told me I might not get the opportunity to share it.

When I saw the amazing cast list for Arkansas, relief flooded me. My name wasn't on it.

I got to tell my story!  It might be only once in front of the captive audience of directors and producer, but I. Would. Share. My. Story.

And that made me nervous. Because I wanted to tell everyone.

So, when my mother said, "Do you need me to go with you?" I said, "No."

I didn't need her to go. But it might be nice. "But if you want to spend the day together, I'd love to have you along."

"I'll drive," she said, "so you can practice."

Half an hour into our drive, I read the piece.  Only a few lines in, her hand flew off the steering wheel to get my attention. "Stop."

She offered advice. Good advice. Before the audition, I read the piece for her three or four times. She commented and critiqued. The rhythm was familiar--reminding us both of when I was in high school and she'd help me run lines for a show or a competition.

When I walked inside the building for my audition, I didn't feel like a child who'd been driven by her mother.  I felt like a woman with a story to tell.

And, boy, I was a wreck.  All heart palpitations and nervous chatter. The directors and producers were kind women, willing me to do my best.  They wanted to hear my story as much as I wanted to tell it.

Afterward, my mom and I ate, shopped, and headed home. We laughed and talked without life interrupting us until my phone rang.  I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

It was Heather. One of the directors. She claimed she wanted me to get some sleep and informed me I made the show!

I babbled a response, my emotions busy tumbling over each other for attention. Happiness. Relief.  Excitement.

When I hung up the phone, I could tell by the look on my mom's face that she knew.

Sometimes you need to listen to your gut.

Sometimes it's best to listen to your mother.

Come see our show on May 5 at the Will Rogers Theater in Oklahoma City. Tickets are available here. Listen to Your Mother OKC benefits Infant Crisis Services.

Listen to Your Mother

Last year I heard a lot of buzz about a show called Listen to Your Mother.  Some of my favorite bloggers participated in "giving Mother's Day a microphone." I didn't attend, but I checked out performance after performance online.

I submitted this year. It sounded so cool that I submitted two different essays to two different cities.  I haven't heard about the Oklahoma City show yet, but...

Guess who has a callback to the NW Arkansas show on Saturday? 

That's right.

Me.

I'm so excited to make the first cut.  It seems like a great opportunity to grab your favorite ladies and enjoy a night out.

Check out the website for a show near you.

Or in stolen moments, check out past performances here. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to share my story, too.

For the love of . . . friends

I've been writing along with the Oklahoma Women Bloggers Challenge this week.

Monday: The Love of Music

Tuesday: The Love of Knicknacks

Wednesday: The Love of Friends

Which reminded me of this post about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Jewelry.

I am blessed to have so many different kinds of friends in my life--childhood, college, married, church, mommy, yoga, work, club, etc.  Each friendship has its own lifetime.  And I'm grateful for the existence of each one.  Wicked's For Good pretty much says it all:



Take a little time and check out Oklahoma Women Bloggers.

You may just meet a new friend.

Oklahoma Women Bloggers: Poopie Diaper Path to Enlightenment

Did you see it? 

I had a guest post on Oklahoma Women Bloggers! OKWB is a brand new network of bloggers all around Oklahoma. Cool stuff is happening around here.

Check out my Poopie Diaper Path to Enlightenment.  See a picture of Max doing downward facing dog. 

I asked Alexandra to pose, too, but she just got on all fours and barked. 

Jingle Jangle

I'm not athletic or crafty, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  On the way to a 5k, I sewed ribbons on shirts.

See that ribbon? I sewed it. My son was impressed.

My friends Ange and Shannon invited us to join them at the Jingle Bell Run.  Well, they knew I wouldn't actually run, so Ange volunteered to walk with me.

But I did run--three times--during the 5K.  That's a personal record that provides bragging rights.

My pals still make fun of my attempt in high school to run a 5k for extra credit. OH MY GOODNESS. And no witness can forget the hilarious ONE DAY in the spring I went out for track. (In my defense, the boys and girls were both state champions, runners-up, gods straight from Mt. Olympus or something that year).

I don't have a good track record.

So, I'd planned to train for this event, but...I didn't.

My training buddy and I still have not met and my treadmill is used by my hubby, who WON a 5k last week, by the way.

That's Ange, Shannon, and Garrett holding me up before the race (and mimosas).

I may not be cardio-fit, but at least I'm festive.

Shirts personalized at Society Shirts. Proceeds provide birthday parties for children in emergency foster care.

Our shirts supposedly say Super Cutie or Awesome Hottie or something similar in Cherokee.  Garrett suspects Ange and Shannon tricked us and they really say World's Greatest Grandpa.
 
 

Bedlam, Baby!

If you are a college football fan, you may have heard of a little game we Okies call Bedlam.

Garrett and I rarely get a date, so the fact that we had an entire day together was an exciting prospect. Spending it on the campus where we met almost nineteen years ago was rather romantic.  The stadium was packed, the game was tremendous, and the University of Oklahoma won in overtime. Bonus fun!

Don't let me mislead you. I am not what you'd call a football fan. People stopped inviting us to Superbowl parties years ago. This weekend I had a revelation. I realized when the love was lost.

In high school I was a cheerleader. The news stations came to our games and recorded our pep assemblies.  Red and black was everywhere because school spirit was contagious.  It was easy to be a fan then. Our teams won. All the time.  My little high school had impressive athletes. Games were a blast. I grew up thinking that sports were always like Switzer's Sooners and my hometown Bulldogs. If my school didn't win the championship each year in basketball, football, track or whatever, we held our own in the finals.

As a little girl, I thought that being a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader was a reasonable and attainable career choice.

After attending OU, of course.  I'd heard you could learn things besides football there.

Then I went to OU...during the early nineties.  Football fans, you may recall this as the dark ages.  Coach Schnellenberger. Coach Blake. Just thinking about it makes me frown.

After one of the first home games, I remember refusing to leave the student section when everyone else had gone home.  Hot sun reflected off the empty bleachers surrounding me. I was going to be a real fan and stand by my team. Sweat poured down my face and back, but no one was around to see it.  I stuck it out until the fourth quarter, then I left, too. It's not like anyone was there to see me leave.  It was like our team had never shown up in the first place. The score was demoralizing.

It was that moment when I defected.

College can be confusing for many reasons. It's a time people reinvent themselves, lose themselves, renew themselves, etc.  But if this small town Oklahoma girl didn't even have a football team that was good, what was I to hold onto? How could I have school spirit?

After that, the madness that hit campus every game day surprised me.  What was the big deal? Didn't these people realize it was just football? College campuses were supposed to house smart people. Didn't they realize in a few hours they were going to be upset at their "victory" parties because our team was awful? What was with all the pomp and circumstance? How long could a team--no, an entire school--live on their laurels?

For some reason, yesterday gave me perspective and made me get it.

My son has attended several games with his dad and papa.

at his first OU game holding his first football

 He wanted to go yesterday, too, but nobly told me I would have a good time in his place. He filled me in on details an experienced OU fan could impart to his mother.

"The guns are loud. I don't like that," he said.

Then he told me what he did enjoy. "I like it when the whores run on the field."

I'm pretty sure he meant the horses and the Sooner Schooner.

He also told me "tailgating is the best part."

Tailgating. When friends--old and new--gather together over food and drinks and share a common bond. Everyone is drenched in crimson and creme. The air is electric with excitement. Generations of people fill the campus.

As The Pride's baton twirler artfully tossed flaming sticks into the air, I thought about my Max and his wise words.
Maybe game day isn't about football after all. Maybe it's about being a part of a community. Sharing fun. Reliving memories and creating new ones.

This must be what the Grinch felt like when his heart grew three sizes in one day. With the help of his dog Max, the Grinch took their Christmas presents, but the Whos celebrated anyway.

Even in the dark ages of football, OU fans gathered together for a common purpose.

Wow. I get it.

Of course, it didn't hurt that we won the game.  Boomer Sooner!  

Maxisms

Our week was full of Maxisms. Here are a few:

Monday:
The boy child had been ornery all day. Frustrated, I asked, "Who are you?"
He said, "Maximus the Magnificent."
Hmmm. I'm sure this all might be connected.

Tuesday:
Max: Did you see Miss Bri's dress? It was pretty, pretty, pretty.
Me: Did you tell her?
Max: NO! (grinning and nodding knowingly) I want it to be a surprise.

Saturday: 
Max: EW! What's that smell?
Me: Steamed broccoli.
Max: It smells like Elmo poop.

Sunday:
Max: Mom, you're a princess. I'm going to buy you a crown.  A crown you put on your head, not the kind you draw with.
Me: (privately to confused hubby) Crayon. He's speaking with an accent.

Inklings Retreat 2012

L-R: Dee Dee Chumley, Kelly Bristow, Sonia Gensler, Lisa Marotta, Martha Bryant

Fellow Inkling Lisa Marotta led our 2012 summer Inklings retreat by guiding us through a series of exercises designed to help us identify our own passions, how those passions appear in our writing, and how we can nurture an audience and develop a relationship with others by letting them get to know our passions.  

Sonia, Lisa, and Martha during a session

I learned A LOT.

The weather felt like fall, so we didn't get to swim. Mostly we had workshops, critiqued pieces, and took walks.

Appreciating the scenery during a walk with Lisa and Dee Dee. (Photo courtesy of Sonia Gensler)

Since the focus was on "platform," we thought we'd build one for Lisa.  Okay, I STRONGLY encouraged the others to do it, but it gets the point across, right? Note: I am not bossy. I just have good ideas.:)

Lisa on platform

Glamour was about fairies.  Lucky Charm, the novel I just completed, has fantasy creatures in it, too. I accept that unicorns don't exist, but I still believe in the fairy tale. Perhaps that's why I love how our group wears tiaras at conferences--and at the lake.

If you can't play princess with your friends, then I don't want to grow up.

Inklings lake tiaras

Lisa Marotta conducted the weekend workshops in such a way that when it was over, I announced, "I would pay a lot of money for this experience."

So...other authors, take note and contact her! You won't be sorry.

OWFI 2012

This weekend was my big birthday party. Other people know it as the annual conference for Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc.  

Potato.
Potawto.

Writers are such a friendly bunch most conferences are enjoyable. However, this year was special. Most of the speakers were (sing this next word) outstanding. Not only did I pitch stellar agents I've been cyber stalking for well over a year (Louise Fury and Jessica Sinsheimer), but also the sessions were great.  My friend Lela Davidson infotained us about social media. She's kind of a guru. I'll post some of what I learned over the next few weeks.

For now, please check out my friend Lisa's blog for an excellent summation of the weekend.

Who is that, you ask? That's me with my checks and certificates--and wearing the Inklings celebratory tiara.  I was especially thrilled with my first place win of my young adult short story. It's my next book idea!

Our entire table did well. You may remember me writing about Dee Dee Chumley's Beyond the Farthest Star. Don't take my word for it being a great book...it won Best Juvenile Book of 2011.  The fact that I missed her win and Lela win Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 for Blacklisted by the PTA because I took a badly timed bathroom break need not be mentioned again.

If you've not attended OWFI, mark it on your calendar. It's always the first weekend of May. See you there!

And the winner of The Revenant is...

I used random.org to select this week's winner, and it is... Lisa Mc!

Congratulations! Please contact me with information regarding how you would like the book sent.

Thanks for entering. Be sure and check back soon and often.

Are you chicken?

Thanks to my parents, my kids are learning to connect with the earth.

My mom and dad grew up in the country.  In fact, my father grew up on what his grandmother called "the plantation." (She was from Kentucky. Around here we call it a ranch.)

Some of my favorite books are Gone With the Wind, The Good Earth, and The Grapes of Wrath. So, I'm all about connecting with the land...I just don't really know how.  What little experience I had was hard work, so that's a deterrent. My husband is worse off than I am.  For years he thought the "sale barn" we passed on the way to the lake was where "sails" were made for boats.

Every once in a while, my dad gets an itch to do something out of the ordinary. A nearby Amish community hosts an enormous sale of just about everything under the sun. My hubby, son, and father went to buy...chickens.

Happy boys after finding chickens.

My husband said some of the animal conditions were enough to make him turn vegetarian, but my father purchased some happy, healthy, and dare I say? pretty chickens. (The first batch he wanted to buy were all roosters. Oops! He read a book to teach him everything he didn't already remember from his childhood, but there's nothing like on-the-spot training, right?) 

Now, what do we do?

I know! Let's feed them popcorn!

"Hey! I can do that myself."

Hi there, chicken!

 I'm not sure who is more excited.  Max and my dad think it's fun. Garrett can practically taste the fresh eggs. My mom and I hope the eggs are pretty. And the dogs...well, we're keeping a close eye on them.

Check out the special chicken house. The wheels on the left and wheelbarrow handles on the right allow it to easily move and "fertilize" different areas. 

March Madness Inklings Book Giveaway: The Revenant

This week's giveaway is Sonia Gensler's debut novel The Revenant. 

It is a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. Hooray for Sonia!

This young adult paranormal is set in the late 19th century at a real Cherokee girl's school right here in Oklahoma. It is now known as Seminary Hall at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

Read below for a little chat Sonia and I had recently.

Congratulations on being a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award.  The setting of your book in the Cherokee Seminary is unique.  The Revenant truly could not happen against any other backdrop.  What is it about the place that spoke to you? 

Thank you, Brandi! This is fun to talk about because it involves you. (Note: I did not ask this question for her to mention me, but...I'll take the attention.) I'd always wanted to write a book set in a girls' boarding school. Boarding school settings offer potential for drama and conflict in any era, but I was particularly drawn to the mid to late 19th century because it was during this time that educators finally started taking female intellectual capacity seriously.

But no particular setting or school called out to me until YOU gave me a tour of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

When you (and your mom) pointed out Seminary Hall and told me it used to be a school for Cherokee girls, I knew I had to set a story there. I'd always thought of 19th century Indian schools as oppressive institutions where agents of the church or government forced students to assimilate. This school, on the contrary, was funded and operated by the Cherokee Tribe. To me, that was very exciting, and I had to know more. My research gave rise to the plot of THE REVENANT.

And though this is more superficial, I have to say that the Seminary building itself absolutely captivated me. I love Victorian architecture and this building seemed particularly Gothic and imposing. It really just begged me to write a story! How lucky was I that the history of the building turned out to be so fascinating?

What is it about ghost stories that makes you want to write them? Did you set out to be a writer of ghost stories?

I actually didn't set out to be a writer of ghost stories. In fact, spooky/ghostly things used to scare the crap out of me. (Aren't I eloquent?) At some point during the last decade, however, I began to appreciate the story value of hauntings. Actually, it turned into an obsession. I don't particularly like films or books in which ghosts jump out of corners -- cheap scares like that annoy me. What I love is the idea of an emotion or action so powerful and/or transgressive that it transcends death, lingering in a place or clinging to a particular person. I also like the idea of there being people who are especially sensitive to these remnants or echoes. Great stuff for stories!

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most? Least?

This is an easy one. I love researching and planning a novel. Outlining is great fun for me because everything is shiny and brimming with potential at that stage. I actively dislike the drafting process because of the disconnect between my shiny fantasy of what the novel should be and what actually appears on the page. But I've given myself permission to write very rough first drafts. Things can always be smoothed out during the revision process. 

Did you write with a particular audience in mind? If so, please describe.

Honestly, I write for the teen reader inside me. Of course I want to write something that's sufficiently marketable, and that is appropriate and appealing for today's teens, but I'm writing the sorts of stories I'd like to see on the YA shelves in bookstores and libraries -- gothic tales full of mystery, dark secrets, forbidden romance and struggles for independence.

What book are your recommending to others right now?

My favorite YA novel of 2011 was Franny Billingsley's CHIME. I read it months and months ago, but it's still on my mind -- such a gorgeously written book with a very unique sister relationship and an amazing love interest for the heroine. If you want to read a more detailed slobberfest over this novel, please read my Book End Babes review! :) 

Isn't she fabulous? Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Sonia!

To win your very own autographed copy, simply...
1. comment on this entry.

If you'd like TWO entries, then...

1.  follow my blog. (Click that little follow button at the top of the page and follow the instructions.)

2.  comment on this entry.

Contest will end on Sunday at midnight. Winner will be announced on Wednesday--as well as a new contest.

March Madness Inklings Book Giveaway: Glamour

With all the great writers I know--especially in my own writing group--I'd be "mad" not to share their words with the world.  I can tell you about their books all day long, but I figured, hey, why not give you a book so you can read it? Seeing is believing.

This month I'm giving away an autographed book each week.

Mefirstmefirstmefirst!

How far are you willing to go to look beautiful? Glamour is not your ordinary fairy tale.

To enter to win my young adult novel  Glamour, follow my blog (click the word "follow" at the top of your screen and do whatever else it says) and leave a comment on this entry (so I can keep track).  If you're already a follower, simply comment below.

You can enter until Sunday. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday...and start a new giveaway.

Let's get this party started!