Next up, a reading in Chicago plus contest winners from March

I'm off to Chicago for a reading Monday, April 7th at Borders Books, 150 North State Street @ 12:30 noon. If you live in the area and are able to make it out, please do. I'd love to meet you.

Secondly, here are the winners (belatedly) from March's blog contest. Please send me your mailing addresses so I can forward the packages.
Thanks, and congrats!

1. J. Thomison from Oregon
2. Marie Wyliss from Lansing, Michigan
3. Rhianne Platt from New Jersey

By the way, we received 392 contest entries this month. Thanks everyone!

The Silver Compass has arrived ... Readings planned for Alberta/Chicago

In some ways it seems odd having an April Fool's Day release date for a book, doesn't it? Either way, the next 3-4 weeks will be busy as I put aside what I'm working on now to properly introduce everyone to novel #3 of my writing career.

If you live in Southern Alberta, please join us this Friday, April 4th at 7:00 pm at Redwood House (Wolf Willow Room) in Redwood Meadows, approx 15 mins west of Calgary. Last year, we had over 50 attend and most stayed until 11 pm to chat, ask questions, and talk about the publishing industry.















There's no fee to attend (coffee, beverages, snacks included). However, this year, we've added a Silent Auction with $850 worth of books donated by fellow authors as well as book bags from the Strand Book Store in New York. (All proceeds will be donated to the Banded Peak School Library.)












And if you live in the Chicago area, please come join us at Borders Books, 150 North State Street on Monday, April 7th at 12:30 noon for a reading/signing. I'd love to meet you!

Additional events are also planned for later this month. Please refer to sidebar on right.

Spring break balancing act

It's spring break, the kids are out of school, and my husband is away on business until Friday night (seems suspiciously convenient, don't you think?)

So far, I've spent three days juggling promotional details for the novel I have coming out next week (yes, The Silver Compass hits book stores Tuesday) along with my kids and a steady flow of interruptions...

First there was an hour-long argument where my youngest swore he saw his brother cheating at Monopoly. "Where are your ethnics!?" he kept screaming. "Where's your confidence?!" (To clarify, he meant ethics and conscience, both often discussed in our home.)

Then, on Tuesday, my oldest (with a straight face and seemingly 100% serious) asked why I don't run a daycare from our home during the summer months? My response? Something along the lines of, Are you out of your tiny little mind?!

Yesterday, I took them for haircuts, and my youngest suddenly became a wall, refusing to let anyone touch his head with scissors & demanding to know why(loudly) I can't just accept him for who he is?!

Of course, all this rattled the hairdresser so badly that she gave me the worst haircut I've had in years... I'm talking such a hack job here that as we exited that spring-break-infested hair salon, my oldest turned to me, grimaced, and said, "It's not too bad, Mom. Just don't show anyone the back of your head when you're promoting your new book."

Dream vacation gone bad?

Now here's a picture that'll get any writer's creative juices flowing... Can you imagine wandering down a beach and stumbling across a sight like this?! I sure wouldn't be boarding a flight to leave that island any time soon, not unless I was medicated and strapped to a stretcher with restraints of some kind!

The fun behind character creation

I've been developing a secondary character for my new novel, Keeper of the Pond. He's only in the first half of the book, but the man himself, and what he does for a living (he's a magician in the 1930s) will have a big impact on my main character and the choices he makes later in life.

This is my favorite part, creating the characters that will carry the story from beginning to end, letting them get under my skin, allowing them to become familiar enough that I start thinking about them all the time.

Want a character to be shorter? Poof! He's now four feet tall. Think she should have an addiction problem? Tap-tap-tap on your keyboard and suddenly the woman's gambling online after her family goes to bed. Need some dramatic tension? Poof again as a door opens and there stands the 15 year old son your protagonist never knew he fathered back in high school...

And all this states the obvious: that writers really are just a buncha control freaks, don't you think?

Oblivious to my own back yard

Why is it that we often can't see the beauty of our own back yard until someone else comes along and explores it with a fresh set of eyes? When I looked at these photos this afternoon

(all of them taken 30-60 min from my front door) I went very quiet (a rarity for me), mostly because they show me what I've been missing over the last year while I've been hunched at my desk, writing, or else juggling my family's needs.










My author guest, Patricia Wood, leaves tomorrow and given the sheer volume of photos she took (I'm talking hundreds here) I think I can safely say she enjoyed her visit stumping through Kananaskis country and the Rockies almost as much as I did.

Author acting as tour guide

The guest room at my home is a busy place. There's forever someone coming or going, family or friends on their way to the mountains or on their way home from skiing/hiking/climbing...

At the moment, I have an author, Patricia Wood, visiting from Hawaii who's never seen the Canadian Rockies. Or a black bear. Or a dog as big as a black bear. She flew in to meet with four Calgary book clubs and a library group, all enthusiastic readers and huge supporters of my work. (By the way, thanks ladies. I can't believe there were 38 of you at the bistro last night from the first two clubs. You guys rock!)

While she's here, Pat's also determined to see the mountains, so today I took her to Kananaskis (only minutes from where I live) and also plan to take her to Banff. She keeps begging me to help her spot a moose, which will take more effort than she realizes as she's under the impression one simply snaps their fingers and *poof* a moose materializes, camera ready. Clearly she's been watching waaaay too much Animal Planet, don't you think?

Three prize packs for March + don't forget to check out these debut authors

The Silver Compass hits book stores a little over three weeks from now on April 1st and because we've had such good response to the monthly blog contests (in Feb we received a total of 286 entries) this month we're giving away three prize packs.






Each winner will receive a copy of the book, their own silver compass and the funky book bag shown above. So pass the word to your friends and family and get them to enter too. One entry per person and please send your email entry to holly@hollykennedy.com before March 31st. Good luck!

P.S. Don't forget to check out these brand new debut authors: http://www.theresefowler.com/ http://www.charlienewton.com/ as well as Trish Ryan's upcoming debut, due out April 30th. It's called He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope and Happily Ever After. Learn more at Trish's blog here:
http://trishryanonline.blogspot.com/

Meeting readers in cyberspace

As a kid, and then a young adult, and then a young woman, I used to dive into books to escape, not unlike the average reader. I was always on the hunt for a good story, a story I could not put down. Some of the books I read were good, others only average, and then there were those that touched me or moved me in such a way that I'll never forget them.

I hated the last twenty pages of those books. You know the feeling. When you're reading and it's so good, the story and the characters and the writing so fine, you don't want it to end. And then you get that awful feeling in your stomach when you notice there are only twenty pages left.

Right about then I would read as slow as I could go, savoring every sentence, not ready to say good-bye to the story or the characters. Then I'd close the book and immediately think about the author.

At that point, I would (and still do) read the book's Acknowledgments Page, trying to get a 'feel' for this person. I wanted to meet the author. I wanted to send him/her a note and tell them what their book had meant to me, but back before the internet existed that wasn't easy to do.

Thankfully that's not the case today.

ie., Yesterday I received the sweetest note from a seventy year old woman from Albany who borrowed her granddaughter's laptop to send me an email. She was writing to tell me how much she loved The Tin Box, although she complained about three swear words that offended her, and then we had a brief back-and-forth about how important it is for an author to write with 'realism' in mind vs. worrying about offending readers.

Some emails are pure gush, which is great because every author needs a certain amount of gush to keep going. Others complain about a scene a reader didn't like, or an ending that wasn't wrapped up enough for their taste, or they might point out a piece of dialogue they feel didn't ring true.

It's all good, though, because I learn from all of these comments. Better yet, because of cyberspace I'm accessible to readers, and genuinely open to whatever they might have to say.

Please keep those emails coming :)

And the winner is...

February's winner of a silver compass and a copy of my new novel is... Wordman17, who said I could post his real name, Mitchell Taylor. Mitchell just moved to Alaska (something to do with a job in conservation) so the compass will come in handy as will the book when he's stuck in his igloo-like new home late at night with nothing else to do. Happy reading!

Calumet City an amazing 'debut novel'

This business comes packed with more rejection than the average person faces in a lifetime, unless you sell vacuum cleaners door-to-door, cause I know someone who does and that's another job where there's a lotta door slamming going on.

That said, when a debut novel is creating buzz those of us in the business realize there's a good chance the author who wrote it has half a dozen manuscripts under his/her bed that have never been published, which is good news for readers, because it means they're about to read a 'debut novel' from a talented author on the rise who not only writes like a dream, but is probably business savvy and has battle scars from years of rejection to prove he/she can stay the course.

Charlie Newton is one of those writers.

We started our writing careers in the same classroom seven years ago. Charlie writes noir fiction, the kind you read with the lights on and a baseball bat next to you. He's also written eight novels in eight years, and after a whack of steady rejection on every level, his eighth -- considered his debut novel -- is being released March 4th. It's called Calumet City and yes, it is as good as the reviews below say it is.

Here's his website http://www.charlienewton.com/ and when you buy his book, you might wanna buy one of those baseball bats, too!

"Readers are likely to need a day off work after finishing Newton's breakneck debut—they'll have been up all night. Those who relish tortured heroines, unrelenting intensity, and full-throttle races through urban minefields will snatch this one up." —Booklist (starred review)

"The best cop noir in years..." —Lee Child, NYT bestselling author

"Newton's debut novel is a galloping ride from first page to last." —Kirkus Reviews

"In Newton's searing debut, Patti Black, Chicago's most decorated cop, gets caught in a web of murder and betrayal. Newton, who based his heroine's character on a real Chicago police officer, creates a netherworld full of violent and duplicitous people." —Publishers Weekly

"Couldn't put it down. Newton's one hell of a writer..." —Jonathan Eig, senior special writer for The Wall Street Journal

At the mercy of technology

It started last week and it's been going down hill fast... I can no longer check email cause my system won't recognize the wireless card. It suddenly won't print, either. Then yesterday, I turned it off and backed away for six hours so I wouldn't toss it against a wall, and when I returned I learned the battery had died. Now the only way it works is if it's plugged in and I type in s-l-o-w motion so it doesn't lock up (ever met a writer who types slowly?)

Clearly February 2008 won't go down as one of my best months. Gah!! Isn't it crazy how dependent we are on technology and how fast a person's mood goes south when things go wrong?

Research & other pursuits

I've been working on my new novel, The Keeper of the Pond, and while doing so I keep having to stop to look up details I otherwise wouldn't have to if the front end of the story wasn't set in the 1930s and 40s. This is new for me, because my other novels have been set in current day. Still, I'm enjoying it.

ie., I had to insert three lines into a scene where a family is listening to a radio, but what kind of radio? (Philco radios were common back then btw) While googling I found this photo. Isn't it gorgeous? Oh, how I wish I could have this sculpture in my office!

Also, while looking for info on shipping & distribution in the 50s, I found this snapshot of a man who built a 'traveling hotel bed' which he pulled 1200 miles behind a bike from Michigan to Boston to save money along the way. Can you even begin to imagine sleeping in this thing?!

Moving on from that burst of enthusiasm...

Reminder: This month's contest to win your own jazzy little silver compass and an autographed copy of the book (due out April 1/08) closes Feb 29th. If you haven't already done so, you can enter by sending an email to holly@hollykennedy.com including your name and an email address where you can be contacted. Good luck everyone!

BC Book Fair + Fellow authors news

I just got back from the BC Book Fair in Victoria, an annual event attended by 50+ independent book sellers. It was a great trip... as long as I take out the part where I learned enroute that my identity has been stolen. But let's not go there!! Let's stick to a post about books so I don't blow a gasket...

I came home from the book fair with a dozen ARCs of upcoming novels and a few spring/summer catalogues.

Flipping through one, I was thrilled to see that Kristy Kiernan has her 2nd novel coming out in August 2008 so mark your calendars and watch for Matters of Faith everyone!

Beyond that, Therese Fowler's debut, Souvenir, came out across North America yesterday. Therese was kind enough to send me a copy and although I haven't read it yet, I'm looking forward to starting it this weekend. It's been sold in numerous foreign countries, was chosen as a Book Sense Notable, and is creating a lot of industry buzz!

On a final note, I also stumbled across a gorgeous two-page spread in Berkley's catalogue promoting Patricia Wood's June 2008 paperback release of her debut Lottery.

NOTE: I'm having ZERO luck with Blogger adding links to this post, so I give up. Instead, scroll down my sidebar and check out blogs and websites for Therese Fowler, Patricia Wood, and Kristy Kiernan.

Ladies, you rock! I hope the author highway continues being kind to you, and I also hope you're able to hang onto your identity along the way :)

Upcoming Events & Appearances to promote The Silver Compass

The Silver Compass will be released April 1st and we've begun scheduling events and appearances. Check the sidebar on your right for a list of where and when. Oh, and Ohio readers? A reading has been set for Cleveland! Chicago & Winnipeg are also confirmed: see sidebar.

What would be your bliss?

Two years ago, I went through a bad period with my back, a problem that revisits whenever I sit for long stretches of time writing. A friend suggested I try acupuncture & cupping, a toxin busting procedure where glass cups are heated and placed on your skin to suck out impurities & restore circulation.

I decided to give both a shot, a big decision for me because I have zero tolerance for pain. None. On any level.

The woman I went to couldn't speak English, and I was so scared I couldn't speak. Put these together and you'd think the results would be hit and miss. Not so. After three sessions, I felt better than I had in years.

My husband suggested I reward myself when I complete a novel, sort of like how novelist Paul Sheldon in the movie Misery has one cigarette and a glass of champagne each time he finishes a book. I've decided he's right, and if you're a writer, I think you should do the same thing. Finish a novel, get a spoil day.

What would be your bliss? I'm gonna hunt down the Chinese lady who stuck pins in my back and see if she remembers the trembling customer she took care of two years ago!

And January's contest winner is...

I'm not sure if this is even close to what she looks like, but I'm hoping this is how our monthly contest winner reacts when she finds out she just won a jazzy little silver compass and a copy of my upcoming novel.

Congratulations and have fun reading Nadine Lavolie from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Your package will be mailed out to you as soon as I receive early copies of the book in mid-March.

Blog day for author Patry Francis

I often complain (in a half-hearted way) about how hard it is to write and promote my work while juggling kids and a husband who's forever in another city on business, but I know how lucky I am. And I cannot imagine trying to do so while fighting cancer.

Author Patry Francis is doing exactly that, so over 300 bloggers, including bestsellers, Emmy winners, movie makers, publishing houses, etc., have come together today to give her debut novel, THE LIAR'S DIARY by Patry Francis all the attention it deserves.

The Liar's Diary is a novel about two women who couldn’t be more different. They form a friendship that will alter both their fates and their story shows just how far one woman will go to protect another. This novel signals the launch of a talented novelist who knows how to grab you by the throat and keep you guessing. Buy a copy, settle down in a big old chair, and get sucked into a page-turner you won't soon forget.

How to capitalize on a major cold snap

Unreal. Including the windchill, today it was minus forty-six below. Schools were closed, buses weren't running, and my office quickly became a daycare. Tomorrow they're predicting a repeat, only possibly even colder.

Hmmmmm... One day I can live with, but two? I think someone should strap Rambo-style winter tires on those school buses, throw in a few space heaters, get creative, and turn this into a learning experience!

Give our kids each a thermos of hot soup, zip them into ski-doo suits, and take them on a field trip to pass out blankets to the homeless. That way they'd learn an important lesson about empathy and maybe I'd get some writing done. *smile*
Here's hoping it's warmer where you are!

January Contest Reminder

This month's contest to win your own jazzy little silver compass plus an autographed copy of the book (due out April 1/08) will close on Thursday, January 31st.












If you haven't already, you can enter by sending an email to holly@hollykennedy.com including your name & an email address where you can be contacted. Good luck everyone!

Eye doctor misconception

I barely slept last night. You wouldn't either if you had a 165 pound dog snoring on one side (when my husband's away our dog WILL NOT sleep on the floor) and a nine year old on the other, tossing and turning like he's possessed.

That said, today is eye exam day and I'm taking both of my boys in later this afternoon (they've never had them checked before.)

This morning, my youngest came downstairs dragging a knapsack filled with clothes. He was pale and when he sat down, he said, "What time will I get out tomorrow?"

I had no clue what he was talking about so I asked what he meant. He explained that some kid at school told him when you get your eyes checked you have to stay overnight and you're only allowed soup broth and gingerale.

"That's for tonsils," I clarified. "This test only takes ten minutes. We'll be in and out before you know it."

"Really?!" he said, looking relieved.

Believing I'd now pegged why neither of us had slept well, I went back to making breakfast. On his way out the door to catch the bus ten minutes later he whispered, "Mom? Can I ask one more thing? How big is the needle?"

Oooh! Ever have one of these days?

I'm posting this video clip as a mid-week picker-upper. It makes me smile cause it reminds me of writing for days on end and then having to toss everything I've written into the garbage before starting from scratch all over again.

The fun behind building a compelling story

There are a few things I have to do before I begin writing a new novel. First (and most important to me) I need to shake off the characters I worked with on my last novel by creating a whole new set I can't wait to play with in a new one.

That's now been done.

I have two brothers who haven't seen each other in forty years, a blind girl, a character who made his living as a magician in the 1940s, a middle-aged, unemployed construction worker with a secret, one woman who sacrificed much of her life for her children, another who was never able to have any, an old man, a pond, a bench, and a random act of violence that changed everything.

Some people think I shouldn't share this kind of information on my blog, but I see no reason not to. Trust me, I have enough trouble following my own train of thought when it comes to piecing together each story, so if anyone believes they can steal something useful, have fun with that.

Back to the point: I've sketched out the main story line for my new novel, and now I have all the characters impatiently waiting to drag their sub-plots into the mix. They are an interesting group and each one will contribute an essential piece of the puzzle that completes this story.

My old characters from The Silver Compass are fading fast and these new ones have begun to dominate my thoughts. And am I having fun? Yup! My day job rocks.

ARCs for The Silver Compass are here

I received a box of ARCs from New York yesterday and when I sliced it open, I felt the same surge of excitement I did with my first two novels. Then I sat back and realized if I write one each year and I live into my 80s, I'll be able to slice open at least forty more boxes of ARCs, and that'd be a really good thing!

Wouldn't a duck race for writers be great?

Where I used to live, there was an annual duck race every summer to raise funds for a local charity. You'd buy a duck with a number on it, and on race day thousands upon thousands of ducks would be released into the river, drawing a massive crowd that followed their progress downstream to the finish line. The first duck to cross the line won.

Everyone had an equal shot. There were no special hurdles that had to be cleared. Just pay $25, get yourself a duck, and off you'd go.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a duck race for writers? Conceptually, there would be one race for each genre (science fiction ducks over here, romance ducks over there, thrillers in the corner, etc.) You'd have the opportunity to buy one duck for every completed novel you want to enter (no WIPs or premises for novels that haven't yet been written).

The ducks for each genre would then get tossed into a river and everyone would elbow their way to the finish line to see which book had won.

Those books, in turn, would be given the full backing of a publishing house for a minimum of sixty days. No profit/loss statement required. For two months, your novel would be given full co-op placement in all book stores, receive ad placement in the best magazines for your genre's intended target audience. You'd gear up and do an exhaustive list of radio spots, morning talk shows, etc.

Would any of them become bestsellers? Who knows, but I'm guessing it'd be as entertaining as any of the reality shows you see on television.

And the best part? The money raised could go towards supporting writers with talent who can't afford to attend writers conferences, retreats, university, etc., fostering good literature for the future.

Yup, I like the duck race idea. Move over American Idol!