DRIVING SIDEWAYS - by Jess Riley

Jess Riley, author of the debut novel, DRIVING SIDEWAYS, is my guest on the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit Lit Blog Tour. Jess got the idea for the book because of her fascination with cellular memory. Is it possible for our organs to retain our energy if donated to another person? Can we really channel someone else’s tastes in music, food, or hobbies? And what happens if you’ve had a transplant and simply convince yourself this is true?

Driving Sideways tells the story of Leigh Fielding, a twenty-eight year-old kidney transplant recipient who—six years, hundreds of dialysis sessions, and a million bad poems after being diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease—finally feels strong enough to pursue a few lofty goals she’s been mulling for years: find herself, her kidney donor’s family, and the mother that abandoned her over twenty years ago.

And what better way to do just that than a solitary road trip across the country? Well, maybe not entirely solitary, because Leigh suspects she may have inherited more than just an organ from her deceased donor. It’s this sneaking suspicion that takes her trip down some unexpected detours—and the juvenile delinquent who blackmails Leigh into giving her a ride is only the beginning.

DRIVING SIDEWAYS (Random House, May 2008) just went into its second printing and has been hailed as ‘hugely entertaining and genius’ by Marian Keyes, and “a hopeful and hilarious debut” by New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster.

Here are some other great blurbs:

“Smart and funny without being forced, sentimental without being maudlin, Riley’s funny, picaresque vision of America will make readers wish they could go along with Leigh on her next trip.”
--Booklist

“Brilliant…Jess Riley proves herself a huge new talent.”
--Kristy Kiernan, author of Catching Genius

DRIVING SIDEWAYS was also selected as a Target “Break-Out Book” for display June 19, 2008 – August 9, 2008

When Jess isn't reading or writing fiction, she'd reading or writing school grant proposals—which some would say are still pretty fictitious. She lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin with her husband and their neurotic terrier. Jess is currently hard at work on her next novel, but took some time off to answer a few questions:

Name three songs that would be perfect for the soundtrack of your book.
I actually put together an iMix of songs that comprise the soundtrack of the book. It’s a roadtrip story, so I felt I had to—what roadtrip is complete without a soundtrack? But if I had to pick the top three, I’d say “Driving Sideways” by Aimee Mann (of course), “Girl on the Wing” by The Shins, and “Missed the Boat” by Modest Mouse.

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?
How different publishing is from the craft of writing. When it’s just you and your story unfolding, that’s a craft. It’s art. After your book is sold, that art becomes a commodity, subject to change based on economic indicators. Depending on how your publisher is positioning you, decisions will be made to maximize appeal to a certain audience and sell books. It’s a business, and you can’t get sentimental or attached to things like covers, titles, or even certain scenes in your book. (Wow, that sounds really harsh!) But really, it’s best to adopt a very professional attitude when it comes to publishing. Your book is now a product, and you are its best advocate in the market. All of that said, I still believe in the power of language and stories … I adore the writing and reading side of it all. The promotion and marketing end of things, not so much!

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum, The Girls by Lori Lansens, and a galley of Cancer is a Bitch (*or, I’d Rather be Having a Mid-Life Crisis) by Gail Konop-Baker. I love them all!

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?
Learn everything you can about the craft, about making your novel the best it can be, first. Then move on to the agent querying stage. If you pitch agents too soon, you might burn some bridges. (I learned this the hard way with my ‘practice’ novel.) And never give up! It can be a heartbreaking, discouraging process, but the more you write, the better you’re getting, and with a little luck (plus your innate talent *grin*), your perseverance will land you that book contract you dream of.

What and where is your favorite restaurant and why is it your favorite?
Oh, great question! My favorite restaurant is Water City Grill, just a few blocks from my house. I love the atmosphere, my husband loves the Friday night perch, and they used to have the BEST roasted vegetable alfredo lasagna. I’m thinking of begging them to put it back on the menu. I’m a vegetarian, and it’s hard to find many options at local restaurants (other than a baked potato or fries and an iceberg lettuce salad). So when I find a restaurant with SEVERAL delicious vegetarian entrees on the menu, I spend a nice chunk of change there on a regular basis. And they have fabulous martinis.

Think I'll just set off on my own road trip and mosey on over to Jess' Web site and join her for one of those martinis.

MOONPIES AND MOVIE STARS by Amy Wallen

Amy Wallen, author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller, MoonPies and Movie Stars is my guest today on the Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit Lit Blog Tour. Her delightful first novel, described as “Eudora Welty on speed,” has just come out in paperback.

Ruby Kincaid has her hands full these days. In addition to running the bowling alley after the death of her husband, Rascal, she has the daunting task of caring for her two boisterous grandchildren, since her daughter Violet disappeared without a trace four years earlier. It’s 1976 and Ruby and her nearest and dearest in Devine, Texas are watching their favorite soap opera at the bowling alley when they see Violet in a Buttermaid commercial. Expecting it will only take a little motherly guilt to rein in her wayward daughter, Ruby loads up the Winnebago and heads for Hollywood to try and bring Violet back to the Lone Star State.

Along for the ride are Imogene, Violet’s over-bearing and pretentious mother-in-law (who’s ready to assume the title of “celebrity-in-law”), and Loralva, Ruby’s wild sister who is itching to visit Tinsel Town because it’s where all the game shows are taped – and nothing’s going to stop her from making it to her favorite, The Price Is Right. Rounding out the group are Ruby’s grandchildren Bunny and Bubbie who are confused, sad, and excited at the prospect of finding their mother. They give Ruby the courage she needs to track Violet down and try to make things right.

While MoonPies and Movie Stars is great fun and a lot of laughs, it is also a poignant story of dreaming big, finding home, and coming to terms with family.

Amy has studied with a number of acclaimed writers, including Janet Fitch (White Oleander). She has taken those talents cultivated in the workshops of these great writers and brought them to her own creative writing classes at UC San Diego Extension. Amy also hosts an open mic night in San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York called Dime Stories Live, in collaboration with the National Public Radio show airing this summer. She is currently a Writer-in-Residence at the New York State Writers Institute on the campus of Skidmore College.

Amy took time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for me.

Name three songs that would be perfect for the soundtrack of your book.

Patsy Cline’s CRAZY
Waylon and Willie’s MAMMA’S DON’T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS
The theme to the Price is Right.

What was the inspiration behind the writing of MoonPies and Movie Stars?

I started with a monologue I wrote in which I was imitating my grandmother. She was a wild and crazy woman who owned a honky tonk (beer joint), hair salon, café, convenience store/gas station and various other businesses in a a small town in Texas. The character and story grew into something that was only a slight resemblance to her, but my aunts and cousins could see her in there after all.

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?

It’s a revolving door of editors. But mainly I’ve learned to focus on my writing and not get caught up in the business side. That’s why I have such a great agent. I’m the writer and that’s what I should be doing at all times.

How do you approach writing your novel? Do you outline the plot? Start with a character or...?

Most definitely character is what gets me started. But plot is what gets me through to the end. Just like reading, I’m dying to know what happens to my characters and I don’t know until I write all the way to the end.

Who are the top three writers who have influenced your writing style?

Roddy Doyle, an Irish writer who writes humorous and poignant novels about the hardworking, never get a break Irish. Janet Fitch of White Oleander was my writing teacher and mentor for at least 4 years while I was writing MoonPies and Movie Stars. Mary Gordon who wrote Pearl and many other wonderful books has been my writing teacher and mentor for many years also and she has always referred me to Flannery O’Connor when I get stuck or have a question. She’s always been right.

What are you reading now?

Manuscripts from students at the NY State Summer Writers Institute where I’m a writer-in-residence for the next few weeks. I have 4 student manuscripts I’m reviewing. The one I just finished had beautiful language and a gorgeous tale. Very dark with an ironic narrator, which I love. I just finished reading Rachel Shukert’s memoir called HAVE YOU NO SHAME. I reviewed it for the LA Times. It’s hilarious and a must-read.

What is your writing schedule like?

Anytime and all the time. Stephen King said in his memoir and book about writing that a writer should be reading every chance they get—the bank line, while they chop onions, in the shower, etc. I try to do that, or if I forget my book, I rework scenes in my head.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read. I’m also an avid walker and hiker, but I use that time to mull over my story’s scenes and situations in my head. I push through to the next thing I need to sit down and write. That way the page may be blank, but my head is spilling over.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

Write the best damn thing you can possibly write, then revise it again, and again, before you even think about sending it out.

What and where is your favorite restaurant and why is it your favorite?

Mexican. Rancho’s vegetarian restaurant in South Park San Diego Because it’s always fresh, I love Mexican, and it’s near my house. And they make the best avocado enchiladas.

Thanks, Amy! Check out her Web site at:

www.AmyWallen.com

Cody's Has Closed

It’s sad news to hear that Cody’s, a longtime independent bookstore that had locations in Berkeley and San Francisco, has closed. My tour for “Midori by Moonlight” (my first book tour!) had a nice mix of events at both independent and chain bookstores and the appearance at Cody’s on Fourth Street last October was one of the highlights. Many friends came as well as people I didn’t know! I’d always loved the large San Francisco branch of Cody’s as well and had been excited when Hiroshi Kagawa of IBC Publishing in Japan had stepped in to buy the store when it was in trouble of closing in 2006. Kagawa gave it a reprieve but found he couldn’t go on once the rent on the Fourth Street store tripled, the SF branch had to be closed, and the new, smaller branch on Shattuck couldn’t make it.

I will remember Cody’s with great fondness and thank the staff for the wonderful welcome they gave me at my event.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

I once was deluded enough to think I could be a translator of Japanese into English. I’d studied Japanese in college, lived in Japan for a year, visited many times, and had acquired various sleeping dictionaries in the form of Japanese native speaker boyfriends and husbands. But it was not to be. My feeble attempts at translating technical documents and even a magician’s handbook gave me nothing but headaches. And the tedious hours I spent trying to complete this work had me making the equivalent of about twenty-five cents an hour.

Translating dry, technical material was difficult enough, but I could never imagine translating a work of fiction; not only getting down the accuracy of the story, but the unique voice of the writer. Of course I have read all of my favorite Japanese authors—Haruki Murakami, Junichiro Tanizaki, Banana Yoshimoto—in English translation and have been grateful to the wonderful and talented translators who have presented their work so I can access it.

Even more daunting is the translation of poetry, which brings me to a beautiful book of poems translated from Japanese by Shogo Oketani and Leza Lowitz, called America & Other Poems. With their exquisite translations, Oketani and Lowitz have brought the Japanese poet Ayukawa Nobuo, who up until now has not been well known in the U.S., to a whole new audience. Ayukawa was born in Tokyo in 1920. As the son of a man who published a nationalist newspaper, he always had a longing for democracy and a fascination with America. Through his poetry he took the social responsibility of expressing an anti-war sentiment, and believed Japan should accept responsibility for its actions in World War II. Many of his poems reflect the conflict he felt in being sent to Sumatra in 1943 as an unwilling soldier of the Japanese Army.

Along with these moving poems (which are not all about war), in the preface and afterward written by Oketani we learn about Ayukawa’s life (he died in 1986 in Tokyo while playing his favorite Super Mario Brothers video game), and the possibility that one reason why Western scholars of Japanese poetry of the past were not attracted to his poems was because Ayukawa’s images are concrete, more in a European style, as opposed to subtle and vague, which is more the style of traditional Japanese poetry.

Oketani also describes the painstaking process of translation he employs with partner Lowitz. He first translates the original poem from Japanese to English, then Lowitz reworks this into a more natural English. He writes: “I then explain the nuance of each word I want to change and discuss the words she has decided to change, and we try to find the best word that captures the spirit and sense of the original in the target language, English. I also read each poem aloud in Japanese so that she can hear the rhythm and music of the words. Finally, we edit each sentence of the poem again and again.”

America & Other Poems was the winner of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature. The book can be ordered from your favorite bookstore or purchased on Amazon.

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MARRYING - by Melissa Senate

“Sideways” is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I found it intriguing that my guest on the Girlfriend’s Cyber Circuit blog tour today, Melissa Senate, prolific author of seven novels, including the classic, “See Jane Date,” cites this film as one of her inspirations for her latest book, QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MARRYING. Here’s the scoop:

A very popular New York Times article lists fifteen questions couples should ask (or wish they had) before marrying. Ruby Miller and her fiancé, Tom Truby, have questions 1 to 14 almost covered. It's question 15 that has the Maine schoolteacher stumped: Is their relationship strong enough to withstand challenges?

Challenges like…Ruby's twin sister, Stella. The professional muse, flirt and face reader thinks Ruby is playing it safe. And that the future Mrs. Ruby Truby will die of boredom before her first anniversary or her thirtieth birthday, whichever comes first.

Challenges like…sexy maverick teacher Nick McDermott, Ruby's secret longtime crush, who confesses his feelings for her at her own engagement party.

But before Ruby can plan the wedding that may never be, Stella announces she's pregnant by a one-night stand whose name might be Jake (or James? Maybe Jason?) and who lives somewhere under the glittering lights of Las Vegas. Ruby and Stella hit the road to find him—with a lot more than fifteen questions.

And after three thousand miles, a stowaway relative and hitchhiking teen lovebirds bound for an Elvis wedding chapel, the Miller sisters might get some answers.

The Boston Globe says, “Senate’s prose is fresh and lively.”

Melissa was nice enough to take the time to answer a few questions. I was especially interested to hear her comments about plot-driven novels versus character-driven.

What was the inspiration behind the writing of Questions To Ask Before Marrying?

I was inspired by three things: The first was my love of the movie Sideways. Oh, how I wanted to write a road trip book after seeing that wonderful film. The idea of two very different people trapped together in a car, being on the road, really gripped me. Enter my estranged twin sisters, one a conservative school teacher from Maine, newly engaged but with serious feelings for another man, and the other a professional muse and face reader from NYC who is searching for the father of her unborn baby (would help if she knew his first name). These two hit the road with many questions and get to know each other—and themselves—very well three-thousand miles later. The second backstory is my divorce, which I went through while writing this book. I wanted to go “back to the start” and explore what you know when he slips that ring on your finger. The third was a New York Times article, the most popular of 2006, a simple and practical list of questions couples should ask before marrying or (wish they had). The article gave me my title and honed the theme for me, which is that asking questions, even questions without answers or answers you don’t like, is the most important thing you can do.

How do you approach writing your novel? Do you outline the plot? Start with a character or...?

This time I started with the idea of the road trip. I wasn’t sure who would be in that car, though! When a book idea comes to me, the characters always come in pairs: a main character and her foil. In Questions To Ask Before Marrying, Ruby’s foil is her twin sister, Stella. They could not be more different, but what they learn from each other completes the both of them in ways they never expected.

I tried to be more driven by plot when I turned in the proposal for this book, but my editor MADE ME be more driven by character! She basically took away what she called my “plot gimmicks,” situations that gave the characters reasons for what they were doing. She wanted me to pare down the book to the essentials: these twin sisters and their issues. Best advice I’ve ever gotten and it has definitely shaped how I approach my work.

Who are the top three writers who have influenced your writing style?

In Bridget Jones’ Diary, Helen Fielding taught me that it’s okay to write in your voice, to say it the way you mean it, the way you feel it, just like that. I also love Elinor Lipman and Fay Weldon. So brilliant and witty.

What are you reading now?

On the bedside table are: Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner, Making A Literary Life by Carolyn See (I’ve read this 10 times), two manuscripts to blurb, and Your Six-Year-Old by Louise Ames (my little guy is turning six and apparently six is even harder than four). I just started reading Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. LOVE this booK! And I just finished Rhymes With Witches by Lauren Myracle. WOW is all I have to say. If you’re a YA writer (I am writing my second YA now) you must read Lauren Myracle! This book is a reminder to me of where you can go in your work if you let yourself think outside the box.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

If I’m not writing, I’m with my adorable and amusing almost-six-year old son, Max. I write around his schedule. I am LIVING for first grade in the fall: SIX hours of free child care to write, write, write. I almost can’t believe it! If on the off-chance I’m not writing or with him, just give me a good book and a tall glass of Coke Zero. I’m also on a furious hunt for very comfy cute shoes, yet they elude me.


Diet cola, cute, comfortable shoes, a good book -- I’ll drink (anything but Merlot) to that!

Thanks, Melissa! Get more info at her Web site: www.MelissaSenate.com

BACKSPACE WRITERS CONFERENCE 2008

For those looking for a writers conference coming up this summer, you should check out the Backspace Writers Conference, which will take place in the heart of the publishing biz world -- New York City -- and will boast many prominent speakers and panelists, including my wonderful editor at St. Martin's, Hilary Rubin Teeman.

Here's some more info:

The 2008 Backspace Writers Conference (August 7 & 8, Radisson Martinique, New York City) brings together literary agents, acquisitions editors, best-selling authors, and publishing professionals for a two-day, two-track program of workshops, panels, and networking in the heart of the publishing world.

In addition to keynote talks by Mark Tavani, a senior editor at Random House, and New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, program highlights include a conversation with Simon Lipskar and Mark Tavani on agents and editors working together, a marketing discussion by M.J. Rose, a workshop from independent editor Jerry Gross on finding and working with a reputable book doctor, a role-playing workshop from Jeff Kleinman: “Buy This Book!”, agent and editor panel discussions, and panels on the young adult market, short stories, memoir, nonfiction, crime fiction, erotica, children’s picture books, and more.

Attendance is limited to 200. $355 for Backspace members; $395 for non-members. In addition, Mystery Writers of America is offering their members a special discount. Register Now and come meet the people who can make a difference in your career!

Literary Agents: Richard Curtis, Simon Lipskar, Jeff Kleinman, Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Paige Wheeler, Laney Katz Becker, Jenny Bent, Maya Rock, Michael Bourret, Scott Hoffman, Ronnie Gramazio, Elisabeth Weed, Stephany Evans

Authors: M.J. Rose, Harry Hunsicker, Jason Pinter, Jackie Kessler, Heather Brewer, Gail Konop Baker, Laurel Corona, Lisa McMann, Jenny Gardiner, Danielle Younge-Ullman, Claudia Gray, Marlys Pearson, Jessica Keener, Elizabeth Letts, A.S. King, Robin Slick, Susan Henderson, Pam Jenoff, Trish Ryan, Leora Skolkin-Smith, Caroline Leavitt, Reed Farrel Coleman, Chris Grabenstein, William Powers

Editors and Other Publishing Professionals: Hilary Rubin Teeman (editor, St. Martin's), Charis Conn (contributing editor, Harper's Magazine), Kristen Weber (senior editor, New American Library), Bella Stander, Jerry Gross, Lauren Cerand, Eileen Winnick


"Backspace is relatively new but it's the real deal - which is amply proved both by the quality of discourse within and the truly amazing hit-rate its members have already achieved." – Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author

"I love being associated with you guys. Such a class act. Backspace is the pre-eminent writers organization because you guys have made it so. Always innovating, thinking outside the box, and just generally doing conferences bigger and better than they have been done before. I'm just honored to have been there from the start." – Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency

"I mention Backspace whenever I teach my writers' workshop around the country. The yearly Backspace conference is an invaluable resource. I've taught there and can’t say enough good things about the information, encouragement, and enthusiasm they provide." – David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author

From Attendees:

"I have never had such an excellent time at a conference! The presenters were uniformly accessible and pleasant. The overall mood was also excellent."

"The workshop was so well organized and run. Bravo to all of you who worked to pull together a truly remarkable event, well worth the price of admission!"

"The superlatives just flow whenever I try to describe my experience at the conference. I can't say enough or thank you enough. Superb. As I keep telling folks, it's impossible to convey what I took away from the experience, because the most valuable things are the intangibles."

"It was the best writing conference I've ever attended on all dimensions - the amount of new information, real contact with other writers and people in the industry, and the level of truth-telling made it stand out."

"I thought the conference was absolutely fantastic. The informal atmosphere and seriousness of intent combined into an exciting, very useful, very enjoyable weekend of talks and panels. I learned so much, met so many wonderful people, and got a far stronger handle on how to market my work. Many, many thanks."

SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB by Maggie Marr

I’m a sucker for books and movies about Hollywood. In fact, I just watched Robert Altman’s “The Player” over the weekend for the third time, one of the best Hollywood satires ever made. So it’s great to have Maggie Marr as my guest today as part of the Girlfriend’s Cyber Circuit blog lit tour. She is the author of the new novel, SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB, the sequel to her successful HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB.

Maggie is well qualified to write about the world of entertainment. She is a writer and producer for Six Mile Ridge Productions and Dahooma Productions. She began her Hollywood career as a motion picture literary agent at ICM Talent Agency in Los Angeles, where she represented writers, directors, and actors. Maggie worked with Owen Wilson, Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, and Reese Witherspoon, and was involved in big-name projects including The Rule of Four, He's Just Not That Into You, Charlie's Angels, Austin Powers, Meet The Parents, Wedding Crashers, and Something's Gotta Give. Prior to becoming an agent, Maggie was an attorney, having received her JD from Loyola University in Chicago. She recently completed the television pilot Daughters, and is currently developing a pilot with Mandeville Productions as well as producing two films for Dahooma that begin lensing this year.

LIFE IS GOOD AT THE TOP OF THE A-LIST—
BUT IT’S A LONG WAY DOWN IF YOU FALL

Advance Praise for SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB:

“Marr’s prose is fast and sharp and she keeps the plots flying”—Publishers Weekly

“Frothy, gossipy fun”—Booklist

Here is an interview with Maggie. I have to say I agree with her wise advice for those who are are trying to get their novel published. She’s also got a great “elevator pitch” for SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB.

What was the inspiration behind the writing of Secrets of The Hollywood Girls Club?

Probably my life. I was a literary agent for ICM before writing full time. And I am still a film producer and screenplay writer. So I’ve gotten to witness so many fun and …uhm…interesting things in Entertainment.

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?

How much work an author had to do to get the word out about their books! Wow, I love what I write and I want everyone to read the books, but it’s a ton of work to tell people about the books…

What is the elevator pitch for Secrets of The Hollywood Girls Club?

Entourage meets Sex And The City.

What is your writing schedule like?

The ideal day is this; get up at 6 am eat breakfast with the family and be in the den at my computer by 7:30 am. I write until noonish. The girls come home and we eat lunch together. Then I put them down for nap and write again from 2 to 4. I might read in the evening, or work on a screenplay, but manuscript writing, pretty much never happens for me after 4 pm.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

I blogged about this recently and I have a really Zen approach to getting your first book published. I truly believe that when the manuscript is ready, the agent and publisher will appear. Not that they’ll hop out of your Diet Coke can and offer to represent or publish your novel. Buuuut…if you work and work and write and rewrite and really make the prose shine, then you will find an agent and a publisher. So read a ton, write a ton and persevere. Don’t ever give up.

Good luck with the book, Maggie, and thanks for stopping by.