Matt Holm, Co-creator of Babymouse

Matt Holm, co-creator of Babymouse, has been a fabulous support in the fund raising effort for Bridget Zinn.  He’s donated an original piece of Babymouse art for the on-lin auction as well as some original proofs of the latest Babymouse book, Babymouse: Dragonslayer, due out later this year.  Oh, and he has donated a visit or two to schools for th raffle as well as an auction item.

Matt responded to my interview questions recently:

What have you recently published and what are you currently working on?

I’m doing final art for Babymouse: Burns Rubber (#12)

What books are on your nightstand?

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson and The Vile Villageby Lemony Snicket.

Where do you find inspiration?

From memories of childhood embarrassment. Plus my dog. She’s the model for Babymouse’s sad face.

 What advice to do you have for would be writers/illustrators?

Keep at it! “Talent” has very little to do with success. Infinitely more important is practice, practice, practice. Also, time and space need to come together just right for deals to happen. Get out there, get to know people in the industry, let them know what you’re working on. Eventually, the stars align and the right person is in the right place at the right time and will need the thing you’re working on.

What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

Child: Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss

Teen: Billy and the Boingers Bootleg by Berke Breathed

Adult: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (probably … lots of choices)

Genres: Sci Fi and Comics

Writing the first draft or revising? Which is your favorite?

For writing, first draft. For art, finals. Both are times when you can sort of be on autopilot, and stuff just flows out. The harder work happens in-between, when you have to see what you’ve done that’s awful and figure out how to fix it.

Favorite time of the day to work?

All day long. Eep. Oh wait, that’s when I DO work. Did you say “favorite”? Probably late morning. That’s the good time of day. Unfortunately, I still need to work many hours before then, and many, many hours after.

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

Milk. You mean milk chocolate, right, not chocolate milk? Not a huge fan of the latter.

Coffee or tea or —?

Diet Dr Pepper.

Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

Neither, sadly. Keep meaning to get around to taking those ballroom dance lessons…

Thanks, Matt.  See you tonight.  Tonight is the Portland Kidlit Drink Night and Silent Auction to Support Bridget Zinn.  Lucky Lab, 6:30-9:00 PM.  We are less than 48 hours away of closing the on-line auction.  You can bid on items here.

Meet Christine Fletcher

Christineis a YA author living in Portland, OR who attended the blogging conference last fall.   Her books, Ten Cents a Dance and Tahlullah Falls will be an auction item at the Lucky Lab tomorrow.

 Wow!  The Portland Kidlit Drink Night is tomorrow. Unbelievable!

Christine also convinced her friend and co-worker to donate two gift certificates for canine massage.

I caught up with Christine recently and discovered this about her:

What have you recently published and what are you currently working on?

My most recent novel, Ten Cents a Dance, is a historical YA that came out in 2008. My next book, which is also a young adult historical, follows an ex-child star and a Broadway wannabe who go overseas during WWII to perform for the troops…and find far, far more than they bargained for.

 What books are on your nightstand?

Moloka’i by Alan Brennert, Coralineby Neil Gaiman, Possessionby A.S. Byatt, and a biography of John Adams which I swear I’ll finish eventually—it’s currently doing a superb job holding down the doily.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love the forgotten bits of history, the stuff that doesn’t make it into the textbooks. I find out about extraordinary things that ordinary people did back in the day, and I start asking, “What if?” And sometimes that turns into a novel.

 What advice do you have for would-be writers?

Hone your craft. Always strive to get better, always keep learning. Make time to learn the business. Read tons in the genre you’re writing so that you’re familiar with what’s out there. But most of all, keep writing.

 What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

As a kid: Just So Stories, The Jungle Books by Kipling. As a teen: The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I was drawn to both writers for the same reasons: their inventive use of language and their amazing storytelling. As an adult, my all-time favorite is Middlemarch, by George Eliot.

 Writing the first draft or revising? Which is your favorite?

Writing the first draft is the fifth circle of hell. My friends can tell you the amount of moaning and complaining I do is monumental. Really, really pathetic. The two things that pull me through are 1) I have to find out what happens, which means I have to write the damn thing; and 2) I know that once I put words on the page, then I can start revising. I looooove revising. Can do it all day and half the night. Often have.

 Favorite time of the day to work?

Mornings.

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

White. People never fail to point out that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate. To which I reply: Exactly.

 Coffee or tea or…?

This absolutely decadent hot Ghiradelli white chocolate drink you make with milk. It helps with the fifth circle of hell.

Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

I would love to be able to dance the tango. Given my physical talents, I’ll probably never rise above the funky chicken. I have come to accept this about myself.

Thanks, Chris.  I have heard that Moloka’i is an excellent read. will have to check it out.  BTW, when Chris appears to promote her books you can often find her in historical garb that matches the time period of her book.

You can bid on her books or the canine massages, tomorrow at the Lucky Lab, 915 SE Hawthorne, 6:30-9:00 PM.

The Cost of Being Nausea and Pain Free

Bridget writes that her treatments for nausea cost $1300 a piece for a nausea patches or $400 a piece pain killers. 

It reminds me why our health care system must change.

It reminds me that while the on-line auction is beyond what I ever dared to hope, her medical costs will go exponential on us.

It reminds me why I will be a pest and remind people that there are so many wonderful things to bid on.  With over 100 items, there are secret ones with very little bid on them, little gems such as

Heavenly Lullabies, Signed CD by Dr. Kathy Reilly Fallon

Heavenly Skies & Lullabies, Book/CD signed by Dr. Kathy Reilly Fallon

Basket of First Edition Books from e.E. Charlton-Trujillo and Colleagues

Signed Book and Cover Art Print: Imagination

and  last night April Henry, committed to a signed book if bidding for her manuscript critique reaches $150.

There was a wonderful article in the Oregonian about Bridget last week.

Friday, there is the silent auction in Portland, OR at the Lucky Lab, 915 SE Hawthorne. It is the official Portland Kidlit Drink Night and everyone is invited.

Debut Author: Fran Cannon Slayton

Fran Cannon Slayton is  part of the “Class of 2K9″ authors who have donated a “Basket of MG Books” for the Bridget Zinn Auction.  Her debut book, When the Whistle Blows,  sounds like an interesting coming-of -age story set in the 1940’s. 

I interviewed Fran recently to learn more about her.

How long have you been writing/ illustrating?

I’ve been seriously pursuing my writing career since 2005 (4 years). I started writing my first attempt at a novel in 1991 (18 years ago). But I’ve enjoyed writing my whole life long!

When you aren’t illustrating/writing, what might we find you doing?

Trying to keep seedlings alive long enough to finally plant them in our garden, singing in the shower, rehab-ing my shoulder at the gym, going on a retreat, reading, or getting ready for my summer book tour.

Who influenced you as a writer/illustrator?

Madeleine L’Engle. I loved A Wrinkle in Time and Walking on Water.

What is your current project?

Well, my debut novel, When the Whistle Blows is getting ready to come out on June 11th, which is exciting. I’m currently writing my next novel, tentatively titled Ship’s Boy, which is a fantasy about a girl who wants to be a pirate.

What books are on your nightstand?

Road to Tater Hill by Edith Hemingway, My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald, Crash Into Me by Albert Borris, Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph, and Compassion by Henri Nouwin.

Where do you find inspiration?

 In my dreams, my family, and from my reflections on some of the struggles I’ve faced in my own life. I also sometimes get ideas from noticing things about random people and places.

What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

 My favorite books as a child were A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Sounder by William H. Armstrong, and Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor.

As a teen it was probably Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and as an adult it is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

I tend to go for books that hit me in the gut or present a new way of looking at the world.

Favorite time of the day to work?

I do my best work in the middle morning. I like writing best at night though!

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

Milk, without a doubt. With hazelnut. Mmmm!

Coffee or tea or —?

I feel the need to rhyme with “me” here, but I can’t. Decaf soy lattes.

Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

The Funky Tango!

Thanks, Fran.  I am looking forward to reading your book when it arrives on June 11.  If you want to bid on the 2K9 Basket of MG Books, visit here.

Meet Lisa Yee, Absolutely Maybe Author

Lisa was one of the first donors, a signed copy of her latest YA book, for the Bridget Zinn Auction.   What would you do with the name: Maybelline Mary Katherine Mary Ann Chestnut, named for two Miss Americas and her mother Chessy’s favorite brand of mascara. Isn’t it fun?  You can read about her life in Absolutely Maybe.

Enjoy this interview with her.

What have you recently published and what are you currently working on?

 Absolutely Maybe, a YA, came out this past February. And in August I’ll have a story in the Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd anthology. Plus, September marks the debut of a new chapter book series. The first title is Bobby Vs. Girls (Accidentally).

 What books are on your nightstand?

 What I Saw and How I Lied, the National Book Award winner, by Judy Blundell, The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst, The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee.

 Where do you find inspiration?

 Anywhere I can. One time it was in Berkeley, CA.

 What advice to do you have for a would be writers/illustrators?

 Read, read, write, read, write, read, read, read, and write. (Illustrators, please replace the word “write” with the word “draw.”)

 What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

 Child: Katie John series, All-of-a-Kind Family series, Charlotte’s Web.

Teen: To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice.

Adult: Recent favorites include, The Time Traveler’s Wife and Olive Kitteridge. (Those are two separate books.)

Genre: Fond of contemporary-ish fiction.

Writing the first draft or revising? Which is your favorite?

 Revising. . . no wait, first draft! Uh, no, make that, er, revising. Yes, revising.

Favorite time of the day to work?

Nighttime between 11 pm and 2 am.

 Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

 57% of the time, dark. 43% of the time, milk. 0% of the time, white.

 Coffee or tea or —?

Diet Pepsi.

 Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

 I prefer to watch funky chickens doing the tango.

Thanks, Lisa.  I agree about the white chocolate.  I am not a big fan.  And I really need to pick up and stick with The Time Traveler’s Wife.  Too many people have raved about it.  I cannot believe I have yet to read it.

If you would like to bid on Absolutely, Maybe, please visit here.

Fields of Joy

Fields of Joy

This lovely painting is donated by Eve Porinchak for the Bridget Zinn Auction.  You may know Eve, she was a member of the Disco Mermaids blog team that also included Robin Mellom and Jay Asher.  The Disco Mermaids have gone off on their own adventures. 

Today, Eve stops by to tell me more about what she’s up to.

How long have you been writing/ illustrating?

 Seven years full time. But like everybody else in this business, I’ve written stories since I could hold a crayon.

 When you aren’t illustrating/writing, what might we find you doing?

 Running, playing tennis, golf, softball, traveling, hanging with friends, painting and going to movies. Or sleeping. Good sleep is the cure-all for anything in life that ails you. (Or maybe I’m just lazy.)

 Who influenced you as a writer/illustrator?

 My first loves were Dr. Seuss and S.E. Hinton. Now I’m obsessed with anything Dave Eggers and John Krakauer. And Brad Herzog writes fantastic and hilarious, very Generation-X-ish travel memoirs. His books greatly influence my style now. His new book, Greek To Me…brilliant! Go read it. I insist!

 What is your current project?

 An intense Young Adult love story, called Fall, about a beautiful, successful 18-year-old girl with a perfectly planned out future ahead of her, who discovers she’s inherited a lethal gene for a rare (but real life) disease that will cause her body and mind to age very rapidly. Naturally, just as symptoms set in, she meets the love of her life. Sounds uplifting, doesn’t it? Actually, somehow, it is.

 What books are on your nightstand?

 The Life of Pi, The Art of Happiness (Dalai Lama), and to balance out the positive zen-ness, there’s Alice Sebold’s Lovely Bones, Dave Eggers’ What is the What, and Mark Salzman’s True Notebooks.

 What advice to do you have for would be writers/illustrators?

 Force yourself to be part of the writing community. Writing classes and critique groups are invaluable, and book-people are the greatest, funniest, and most generous people on the planet! And eat lots of chocolate. If you don’t like chocolate, learn to. It’s the best brain food. That’s a scientific fact.

 Favorite time of the day to work?

Late night, post-good TV, when my neighbors and dogs are asleep, I’m not hungry and there’s no chance of the phone ringing.

 Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

 Whatever’s the fattest. The more fat, the better. Fat is good. Mmm…fat.

 Coffee or tea or —?

 COFFEE. Strong and chocolatey and milky and sugary and whipped creamy.

 Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

 Both. At the same time. It’s an unexpectedly beautiful combo.

I am in total agreement with Eve about joining the writing community.  It is indeed a very generous one.  If you would like to bid on “Fields of Joy”, visit here.

Meet Jennifer Smith, Author of The Comeback Season

It has been a joy getting to know the auction donors through email.  Jennifer Smith donated her debut novel, The Comeback Season.  I had an opportunity to find out more about her recently.

What have you recently published and what are you currently working on?

My first novel, The Comeback Season, was published last spring, and my new one, You Are Here, will be out next month. I’m currently working on a couple other YA books, though none of them are anywhere close to finished yet…

What books are on your nightstand?

What I Saw and How I Liedby Judy Blundell, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banksby E. Lockhart, If I Stayby Gayle Forman, and The Giant’s Houseby Elizabeth McCracken – all books I’m hoping to find time for soon. And then I always have a daunting pile of manuscripts to get through as well, since I’m also an editor.

Where do you find inspiration?

It completely depends. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea (most of which turn out to be remarkably less brilliant the next morning), and sometimes it can be sparked by something mundane, hearing a story or remembering something that happened to me in high school. But if I waited around for inspiration, I’d probably never write at all, so usually it’s more a matter of brainstorming and coming up with ideas that way.

What advice do you have for would be writers/illustrators?

My advice to writers is always the same: read, read, read! (As for illustrators, if you can draw beyond stick figures, you’re already way ahead of me.)

What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

As a kid, I was really into animal books. I know a lot of girls go through this phase, but for awhile there, you literally couldn’t pry The Black Stallion out of my hands. And I can’t say enough about Where the Red Fern Grows, which is one of my all-time favorites. I guess not all that much has changed, since the most recent book I’ve fallen in love with is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a gorgeous and totally unique take on the old boy-and-his-dog storyline.

Writing the first draft or revising? Which is your favorite?

Definitely writing the first draft. It’s like splatter painting versus doing detail work. I like throwing stuff in there and seeing what works as I write, whereas revising is always sort of a teeth-gritting exercise in patience for me.

Favorite time of the day to work?

Whenever I manage to find an hour or two. (Which is never often enough!)

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

White! I’m one of those weird people who doesn’t really like chocolate all that much, until Easter rolls around and all the white chocolate bunnies come out…

Coffee or tea or —?

Diet Coke!

Dance: Funky chicken or the tango?

Trust me, you don’t want to see me do either.

Thanks, Jennifer for taking the time to be interviewed.  Please visit here to bid on The Comeback Season.  And be sure to look at the rest of the Bridget Zinn Auction.

Tolerance Disconnected

gentle tolerance
forgives the aggrieved, looks back
at errors, walks on
open path discovers
unexpected redemption

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

unspoken words shout
disconnected quietness
night  envelopes dream
shroud of silent tolerance
dissipates at dawn

Both Sunday Scribblings (disconnected) and One Single Impression (tolerance) dish up some powerful words today.

I am sitting in the outdoor living room of our patio and enjoying this glorious day!

Gratitude and Mark Your Calendars: May 29

 
Created by Johanna Wright

Johanna Wright, Bridget’s friend and member of the Portland Kidlit community, created this flier to get the word out about May 29 at the Lucky Lab Pub.  We are having our Portland Kidlit Drinks Night to Support Bridget.  There will be a silent auction.  The items are amazing and the list keeps growing.  I hope we have a lot of people attending. (There is the BEA in NYC that weekend and book tours so some will not be able to be there).

I am receiving emails thanking me for organizing this.  So many kind words but there is a committee  working behind the scenes such as Johanna.  Also behind the scenes is Lisa Nowak (who, btw, is donating 5 hours of landscape service to the Lucky Lab auction). Lisa has been helping immensely with the blog site, creating links, fixing links and forwarding comments that I may have missed.

Then there’s the “go to” people. The people I email the “what do you think about this or that”.  Some of these people sat at the kitchen table in April to plan.  Thanks to April, Matt, Kim, Laini, Lisa, Johanna, and Rosanne. (and hopefully I have not missed anyone)

Finally, there are people in the blogosphere that are blogging and twittering about the auction. The response has been overwhelming.  I am so grateful for it all.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please  bid at the Bridget Zinn Auction. Watch the items for Lucky Lab grow here.

 

Bobbette Rose, Creator of “Nested”

 

Got to find out a bit more about Bobbette Rose, creator and donator of this fabulous art work for Bridget Zinn’s Auction.

How long have you been writing/ illustrating?

I started making art as a child sitting through long Sunday sermons, drawing on the back of church bulletins under the watchful “don’t squirm” eye of my mom (personally I think pews are made for squirming). My first painting was bought (and therefore my beginning as a “professional artist”) came in highschool when a guy who owned a local restaurant and hired me to paint some paintings to put inside his antique frames to hang in his restaurant. It marked my most lucrative financial year as a painter until only just recently now some 30 years later…sigh.

When you aren’t illustrating/writing, what might we find you doing?

When I’m not painting I am flying through life as a designer for print and web. Sometimes the nerdy coder and sometimes the “we don’t get it but it looks good” designer. I also love to garden…or at least dig in dirt…

Who influenced you as a writer/illustrator?

Well…some of the artists I love include William Turner, John Singer Sargeant, Mark Rothko and Makomoto Fujimura (he’s actually still alive and you can see his work at http://www.makotofujimura.com/). All these artists have an amazing sense of light that I love to float in. There are also a lot of other artists I like including what is happening among environmental artists like Andy Goldsworthy.

What is your current project?

I’m currently preparing for a solo exhibition that at the moment is called “Journey Along The Golden Thread”..,the title may change but I’m thinking a lot about journeys and passages these days as I paint.

What books are on your nightstand?

I just began reading Nueromancer by William Gibson. One of his first books, written in 1984, now thought of as a cyber-punk sci-fi novel…credited for the coining of the term “cyber-space”.

Where do you find inspiration?

The biggest influencer of my creativity on earth is probably THE earth and all the amazing things that happen on it. As a kid I would spend hours looking at the way the light works it way through layers of leaves on the trees and I still find myself being amazed at how beautiful that is. I understand why there are so many stories written about rabbits as I sit and watch the life patterns of the ones that have made my own backyard a lattice work of underground havens. I can barely make it through my morning walk into work without stopping to take a pictures of crack in the concrete opened up under the force of tiny seedling sprouts.

What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

As a child I was a bit Dr. Seuss fan…not to read but have read to me…I loved the way my mom’s voice would move with the rhythm of the words. As a teen I read pretty much everything but that’s when I got into sci-fi and biographies.

Favorite time of the day to work?

7pm – midnight

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

milk

Coffee or tea or —?

Milk….not a caffeine girl

Dance : Funky chicken or the tango?

I like to sway to the beat.

Thank you, Bobbette.  If you would like to bid on “Nested”, you will find it here.