Interview with Amy Spalding, author of INK IS THICKER THAN WATER

I'm super excited to introduce my guest today, Amy Spalding, whose second YA contemporary book, INK IS THICKER THAN WATER, came out December 3rd.

From Good Reads: For Kellie Brooks, family has always been a tough word to define. Combine her hippie mom and tattooist stepdad, her adopted overachieving sister, her younger half brother, and her tough-love dad, and average Kellie’s the one stuck in the middle, overlooked and impermanent. When Kellie’s sister finally meets her birth mother and her best friend starts hanging with a cooler crowd, the feeling only grows stronger.

But then she reconnects with Oliver, the sweet and sensitive college guy she had a near hookup with last year. Oliver is intense and attractive, and she’s sure he’s totally out of her league. But as she discovers that maybe intensity isn’t always a good thing, it’s yet another relationship she feels is spiraling out of her control.

It’ll take a new role on the school newspaper and a new job at her mom’s tattoo shop for Kellie to realize that defining herself both outside and within her family is what can finally allow her to feel permanent, just like a tattoo.
 
The Los Angeles release party for INK is in one month at Skylight Books! If you live in Southern California, come join the fun on January 18th at 5pm!

In the meantime, kick back and learn some more about Amy and INK, of which author Trish Doller (WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE) says, "Spalding depicts a blended family with compassion, humor, love, and pitch-perfect authenticity."

Photo by Jesse Weinberg

Q: You recently traveled to your hometown of St. Louis, which also happens to be the setting of INK IS THICKER THAN WATER. Did you make it a point of visiting places the book references or alludes to, and did it feel any different being home now that your book located there is out in the world? How was the launch party? Did you meet up with anyone from your past? (Specifically who knew you as a teen?)

A: I absolutely went to places mentioned in the book, mainly lots of coffee from Mokabe's, but it wasn't so much because I mentioned them in INK but because these are the places I love going anyway. I liked being able to write about the places I love in St. Louis, particularly spots like Fitz's and Vintage Vinyl, where I logged A LOT of hours growing up.

Most of my friends in St. Louis have known me since I was in high school (or earlier, even) so there's a lot of history there. I just had to be careful writing about teenage hangouts and such that I checked my favorite places were all still open (the ones that weren't...HEARTBREAKING!).

Q: You have a beautiful and personal variety of tattoos that reference musical theatre as well as other passions of yours. Are there any tattoos you've seen on other people that stand out for you, in either good or bad ways?

A: Thank you! I love other people's tattoos, so, yes, absolutely, all the time. I usually get really envious when people are more inked than I am, because due to my dayjob, I know there are certain limits I need to hold myself to. So whenever I see amazing hand tattoos, for example, I get pretty dreamy.

Q: I think each of your contemporary YA books, THE REECE MALCOLM LIST and INK IS THICKER THAN WATER, would translate exceptionally well to an ABC Family series. What are your favorite teen-centric or family-centric shows? What makes them great for you? 

 

A: That's totally my dream! I love ABC Family, and I love teen-centric and family-centric shows. I just watched all of THE FOSTERS that's available on Netflix, and it's completely up my alley. PARENTHOOD is probably my favorite (and the best) of family shows on TV. I also love love love THE CARRIE DIARIES and wish it got more credit for being such a good teen show, considering it has so little to do with SEX & THE CITY.

I was a big fan of The WB back in the day, and loved EVERWOOD, GILMORE GIRLS, and BUFFY. And probably my favorite family show ever is SIX FEET UNDER.

Q: What other TV shows, if any, inspire or teach you about character, setting, dialogue, or tone?

 

A: Definitely all the above, but I think any serialized TV show can be great for writers to watch (or at least I tell myself that when I'm mainlining shows on Netflix and not actually writing). Novel-writing and TV seasons have a lot in common, and there are lessons to take everywhere. There's hardly a better place to watch expectations pay off than SCANDAL. I'm not sure anyone has been so economical with writing as the BREAKING BAD staff, in that not a damn thing went to waste. PARKS & REC is a good reminder that you can still find comedy and drama in people mainly being good to each other. THE GOOD WIFE does great things like throw characters into interpersonal drama and then quickly remind you, the viewer, that these people still have to attend to other responsibilities like work, which is great for a YA writer because my characters still have school and extracurriculars and chores and such.

Basically I just love TV.

Q: Can you give us a little scoop about your next book, KISSING TED CALLAHAN (AND OTHER GUYS)?

KISSING TED CALLAHAN (AND OTHER GUYS) is a romantic comedy set in L.A.'s eastside. It's about bands, friends, and making out. And it's out in 2015, which is...the future!!

Thanks for stopping by, Amy!

Art Designer Maria Middleton Talks About The Cover for BRUISED & More!

I'm extremely excited to post the following behind-the-scenes interview with Maria T. Middleton, the talented Associate Art Director at Abrams Books.

Welcome, Maria!

Before I ever knew she'd be designing the cover for my book, I'd admired her breathtaking work on such stand-out titles as SHINE and BLISS by Lauren Myracle, SPLINTERED by AG Howard, and ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET by Joanne Rocklin. Check them out:

Here's Maria in her own words about her process, and how she came up with the cover for my martial arts-themed book, BRUISED (below, available March 5th!)

How did you get started in art design? Was it something you always hoped to pursue?
I was always one of those "artsy" kids, but didn't really get into graphic design until high school. I was the editor of my high school yearbook, so in addition to writing articles, I was also responsible for the theme and design of the book: creating spreads, placing photos, text, captions, sidebars, etc. (Which is pretty much what I do now!) Aside from appealing to my slightly OCD personality, I loved the creative process of bringing stories to life. Having this foundation, I went to art school and knew design was what I wanted to pursue.  

Did you have a favorite book cover growing up?
Yes! The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I thought the illustrated Charlotte Doyle—with her blue eyes and 80s wind-blown brown hair—was SO pretty. (I think I actually took the paperback with me to the hair dressed and said, I want my hair to look like that.) It's still one of my favorite novels.

Which covers stand out for you today as being particularly remarkable, evocative, or beautiful?
Oh, there are so many! One of my favorites is the Beautiful Creatures series designed by David Caplan. The third book in the series, Beautiful Chaos, literally called to me from the shelf in the bookstore. The typography is stunning and the special effects are perfect—especially the soft-touch matte lamination, which makes it impossible to put down. Bunheads, designed by Tracy Shaw, is another great cover, as is Chasing Lincoln's Killer designed by Phil Falco and Lizzy Bromley's insanely, incredible double-sided jacket for The Blessed.  

How many sketches or drafts do you typically go through before a cover is finalized? Have you ever gotten it right with the first try?
It really depends on the project. For Lauren Myracle's Shine, I probably did something like 15 exploratory comps before landing on the right idea. With other projects, like Shelley Coriell's YA novel, Welcome Caller This is Chloe, my first idea ended up becoming the final.  

How many books do you design for Abrams/Amulet a year, and how do you go about designing them? Do you jot down ideas as you're reading, or read first and brainstorm later? How did you go about it for BRUISED?
In the course of a year, I'll design/art direct about 25–30 titles. For novels, I like to read the manuscript first, 1) because I'm a big kid at heart and YA/middle grade fiction is still my favorite, and 2) I think the best ideas for covers come straight from the text. I'll sketch ideas/thoughts while I'm reading and then discuss them with the editor to make sure we're on the same page. I think editorial input is really helpful because most editors have a vision for a project and I like to use that vision as a spring-board for the design. Bruised happened exactly this way.  

Many YA books in the past few years have used headless models, or partial images of teenage girls. Your cover for BRUISED is symbolic rather than literal, which I absolutely love. How did you come up with the broken trophy concept for BRUISED?
First off: I love this story! I took Tae Kwon Do as a kid, so Imogen's character appealed to me immediately. After reading an early manuscript, I knew there were three things I wanted to convey with the cover: the female narration, the sense of loss/brokenness, and the martial arts angle. My first comps were actually more literal and less symbolic, but I changed course after talking to the book's fabulous editor, Maggie Lehrman, who wanted something very iconic. So I started browsing stock photos for visual metaphors for martial arts, which is where I came across the trophy.

On its own, the trophy checked two of my three requirements—I just needed to add the element of brokenness. Separating the limbs from the body seemed like the most obvious way to show brokenness, so I didn't explore that right away. At first I tried making the trophy look rusted, then corroded, then burned, but those effects started to muddy the graphic approach. In the end, the clean breaks worked best. And splaying the limbs at weird angles rounded out the idea.

How important are colors when setting a tone, mood, and style? What mood were you hoping to evoke for BRUISED by using a gradient blue background, red title font, and a gold trophy? Are there any colors you generally stay away from?
Color is a powerful tool, ranking right up there with concept, composition, and typography. There really aren't any colors that I specifically avoid, but I do gravitate toward complimentary and primary color schemes, which I used for Bruised. Because the trophy is an orangey-gold, I knew it would pop on a darker background. Solid black was striking, but seemed a little too heavy, so I replaced it with blue (orange's compliment) and the gradient adds depth and brings the focus right to the trophy. It also gives a subtle sense of rising or transformation, which is key to Imogen's journey. I will admit that red is my favorite color (so use it a lot!), but I chose red for the display (or title) type because it vibrates ever so slightly on the blue background, and that creates a sense of tension that prepares readers for the story within.  

Something I never realized until going through the publishing process is that art designers don't just focus on covers, but inside elements as well. Tell us a little bit about the inside design for BRUISED. How do you go about choosing fonts, spacing, chapter headings, page number placement, etc.? What factors go into your decisions?
As a book designer, it's my job to ensure that a book feels like a package deal. I view design as the glue that aesthetically holds a book together. Continuity in design can add to the storytelling process when all of a book's elements (fonts, end papers, margins, jacket effects, folios, etc.) work together to carry the theme of the book from cover to cover.

For novels, the design process almost always begins with the cover, so a book's interior should feel like an extension of the cover. With Bruised, the cover is minimal and graphic, so I wanted the interior to mirror that aesthetic. Being the typography-nerd that I am, I like to believe that the main body font sets the tone for the text, so I always begin there. I wanted a more angular, slightly modern serif that would pair well with Democratica, the display type, so I chose Spectrum (designed in 1952 by Jan van Krimpen) because it has those qualities as well as a vulnerability that seemed fitting for Imogen's character. The chapter pages are very minimal, containing just one illustrated element: the blood spatter from the cover. I reused the display type for the chapter numbers and folios because the Democratica letterforms are quirky and add visual interest.

As a reader and designer, I love generous margins, so I always try to incorporate that into my design. But with Bruised in particular, I wanted to balance the tension of the cover with a delicate lightness that would flow from page to page.

I would say you did a fabulous job, Maria. Thanks so much for answering my questions, and for creating such a terrific cover for BRUISED!

Interview with THE SECRET UNDERGROUND's Natalie Bahm

Need to find a great kids' book for the holidays? Look no further than Natalie Bahm's middle-grade contemporary adventure, THE SECRET UNDERGROUND:

Twelve-year-old Ally is the only witness to a bank robbery in her small town. Unable to block out the memory of the robbers, a notorious gang known as the Gauze Men, Ally joins her little brother and a bunch of neighborhood boys digging a hole in her backyard. Only the hole isn't just a hole - it's a massive set of tunnels snaking beneath the neighborhood and heading for an abandoned steel mill. Ally is old enough to know the danger, but she reasons spending time with sixth-grade heartthrob Paul is more fun than sitting at home with her worries. And dangerous it is - none of the kids' parents realize the tunnels exist, but the Gauze Men might.

Not only is the story a heart-pounding read, but all proceeds of the book go to help a sick baby. 

LASTLY! If you're an aspiring writer with a finished OR unfinished manuscript, you must check out Natalie's blog, where our mutual agent, Sara Megibow, is offering a 50-page critique in honor of Natalie's debut. It runs through December 12, so hurry over there for details. 

And then hurry back and read my interview with Natalie, who is one of the most genuinely kind and talented people I know.  I hope you enjoy our chat (picture us with mugs of cocoa, next to a fire). (It wouldn't be accurate, but that's the feel I wish to evoke.)

What sparked the idea for THE SECRET UNDERGROUND? 

My dad used to tell us stories about when he was a kid.  He lived in a tiny town in Idaho and he and his friends got into all sorts of mischief, including digging tunnels and caves in a vacant lot down the street. I was kind of fascinated with digging when I was a kid too, only my parents wouldn't let us dig tunnels (for good reason!), so when I grew up I wrote about them instead. :)

The Gauze Men bank robbers are so vivid and creepy -- how did you come up with them?

I think they were probably partially based on the bad guys in GOONIES.  In the first drafts of the book there was only one Gauze Man.  The other two came in later.

Was the town you grew up in anything like the town in the story? I found the abandoned mill to be particularly poignant.

Not much--unfortunately I grew in a pretty big town totally devoid of steel mills.  But I lived in the foothills and the kids in my neighborhood were always building secret forts up in the hills behind our houses.  I think the mill idea came from Geneva Steel, a gigantic steel mill that used to sit right on I-5. We'd drive past it on trips to Utah and I was always blown away by its size. It was demolished a few years ago and there was a feature about it in the newspaper with tons of cool pictures.  I remember thinking it would have been the perfect place to hide out.

What were your favorite books when you were Ally's age?

When I was a little younger I was obsessed with everything by Roald Dahl.   I read Number The Stars in fourth or fifth grade and it started a bit of a war book binge. I think by the time I was Ally's age I was kind of a reluctant reader.

Are there any special songs, films, or books that you turned to for inspiration or creative renewal when writing UNDERGROUND?

GOONIES for sure.  I think I was reading mostly YA while I wrote it, so that might have contributed to the little romance. 

The ending is extremely tense -- without giving anything away, did you find your heart racing as you wrote? Did you ever worry the children were in too much jeopardy?

It is tense!  I think I definitely had some heart-racing moments while I was writing it.  The funny thing is it didn't start out that way.  The first ending I wrote was actually kind of light and funny.  I think I rewrote the ending about a hundred times by the time the book came out. The current ending might be too scary for some kids!  My ten-year-old niece told me she had to sleep in her parents room after finishing it! Luckily my daughter and my eight-year-old nephew thought it was awesome.

Ally sometimes finds it easier to relate to the boys than the girls. Did the same hold true for you? Were you ever a tomboy growing up?

My best friend in kindergarten was a boy. We never fought.  We just had adventures and played nice.  He moved away in first grade and after he left all my friends were (very drama crazy) girls. I think I always kind of missed him and the simplicity of our friendship.

Did you draw a map of the town or the tunnels to keep everything straight in your head (or even just for fun?)

I think I did early on.  It was a make-believe town so it was hard to remember where everything was in relation to everything else.

You held a successful auction for baby Jayden. How did the idea to sell your book for charity come about? 

I actually decided to do the book before we had the auction.  I'd been talking to Jayden's grandma and hearing about all the horrible things his family was going through--struggling to make ends meet at the same time as their sweet baby was fighting for his life. It hadn't been very long since I'd had a sick baby in the hospital, so I could kind of relate. I just couldn't imagine dealing with financial stress at  a time like that. I felt like I really needed to do something to help.  I called Sara and asked if we could use THE SECRET UNDERGROUND as a fundraiser and she thought it was a great idea.  But, even though we put it together really fast, it took 5 months to get the book out.  While we were working on it, I decided to do the fundraiser so we could get the family some money sooner. The auction was a great success and helped them through some of the toughest months they'd had.

Can you give us an update on Jayden's health at the moment? 

I'm so happy to have good news to report. He's doing really well now!  He's had a couple of very scary hospital visits in the last six months--one where his family was almost certain they'd lose him.  But Jayden is so tough!  He miraculously recovered and even gained a little weight and now he's home and healthier than he's ever been.  He's still tiny.  At two, he weighs less than twenty pounds. Plus, his immune system is weak so any illness sends him straight to the ICU. He's nowhere close to out of the woods yet, but he's doing well for now.  His family is so, so grateful for all the love they've been shown from people all over the world. It means so much to them to hear how people they don't even know are buying books to support Jayden.

Happy Holidays, Natalie, and thanks so much for (metaphorically) sitting down with me.

Interview: How Writing Contests Can Advance Your Career

Ever wondered what it's like to win a writing competition, and what effect it might have on your career?

My good pal Kristen Kittscher, a talented author of middle grade novels, won the YA category of the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association Literary Contest last year, so I thought she'd be the perfect person to interview.

Q: How did you hear about the contest? Were you a member of the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association, or did you join in order to participate?

A: I took an online class with Sean Murphy, whose first novel The Hope Valley Hubcap King won The Hemingway Award for a First Novel. He and his wife, writer Tania Casselle, both emphasized the value of entering contests to boost writing confidence, practice promoting our own work, and attract the attention of editors and agents... I figured, why not give it a shot? I wasn’t a member of the PNWA when I entered the contest. It is open to everyone.

Q: What were the guidelines to the contest? (Submit a full manuscript, a partial, a chapter?)

A: The guidelines were very detailed. When I was named a finalist, I joked that I was simply one of the few who was able to follow them! The guidelines have changed a bit since last year, but at that time writers submitted a partial and detailed synopsis. The entry fee is $50.

Q: Had you entered any other writing contests before?

A: I entered the Maryland Writer's Association contest as well. I earned second place in the YA category; however, the conference was too far away for me to attend.

Q: Were you always planning on attending the Seattle conference, or did you feel compelled to go because of the contest?

A: I'd been to Seattle quite a few times, as I have family there. I'd been considering going to the conference regardless, but becoming a finalist certainly helped my decision. Finalists receive discounted rates and free attendance to the awards banquet.

Q: What was the conference like? Did any of the events or speakers stand out as particularly helpful?

A: Held at a Hilton not far from the airport, the conference was much larger than I expected. Writers from all over the country converged to network and learn more about the publishing business. They came to the right place, as this conference was focused much more heavily on the business than craft.

Agents patiently stood and listened as long lines of writers pitched them projects. Writers could make appointments to speed pitch editors and agents. Workshops focused on query letters and panels discussed trends in the market. I especially enjoyed the panels focused on writing for children and young adults, of course. All of the workshops were helpful, but they were definitely more geared towards writers just getting started in their careers.

Q: What was going through your head when they called your name as the winner?

A: At the award banquet Saturday evening front tables were set aside for the finalists, and we were each seated according to our category. My husband was in town with me, so he joined as well — as did several of the finalists’ spouses. We joked that it was set up a bit like the Academy Awards.

Our photos were projected on a large screen as a host for the evening read off the "nominated" titles then announced the third, second, and — finally — first places in each category. I was hopeful I'd win, of course – and I could tell my fellow competitors were as well. Still, I was surprised when the host called my name for first place. As they ushered us up front for a quick photo with the conference organizers, I remember thinking how close I'd been to not entering the contest at all. I'm sure glad I did.

Q: Were there any immediate benefits to winning? Did you get approached by agents or editors?

A: That was the best part! Immediately after the awards banquet, winners were escorted to a hotel suite where a wine and dessert reception awaited. Agents and editors joined to mingle with us. After spending several days watching agents and editors swamped by authors pitching, it was a pleasant reversal to have agents hoping to talk to us! I ended up speaking with about twelve agents that evening — and getting several requests for either partials or fulls.

The only downside for me is that, naïve beginner I was, my manuscript was not nearly in good enough shape to send out immediately. Still, it was great to be able to make those connections and speak so frankly with agents. The party didn't end until the wee hours! Those agents know how to have a good time :)

Of course, there's one other lovely benefit to winning the contest. The Zola Award comes with a $700 check.

Q: What was it like to be a judge for this year's contest?

A: As a judge, I developed an even deeper appreciation for agents' and editors' work. The stack of partials I read was nothing compared to what they receive on a weekly basis, yet it still took a good deal of time to read and score them all. I was very impressed by the quality of submissions. I learned a great deal about my own weaknesses and strengths as a writer while trying to evaluate others' work, as well. I followed the contest closely and was glad to see that deserving manuscripts were recognized. I know what a boost in confidence the contest had been for me, so it certainly felt good to be part of the process.

Q: Tell us a bit about what you've done with your manuscript since winning, and what the next steps are for you. Will you mention the win in your queries?

A: You may be surprised to hear that I tossed [the manuscript] in the trash and started over! The conference and my subsequent talks with agents and editors helped me realize how much better shape my manuscript could be in – and should be in – before submitting. Thanks to careful readers and critiquers, I now have a new, tighter, more suspenseful draft of my manuscript.

I definitely will include my win in the queries... It's a way to show I take my writing seriously and have some skill. I’ve also been lucky to get editorial interest in the manuscript, so I will be sure to include the names of those editors who have read sections and are interested in reading the full.

Congrats, Kristen, and best of luck with your agent search!