Fortune Telling

Gazing into my crystal ball, I can see the future. And in the not-too-distant future this book:
will be taught - and loved - in classrooms across the country (and hopefully the world!).

Between Shades of Gray is an exceptional novel, but you don't have to take my word for it. Check out this Booklist review:

*Starred Review* Sepetys' first novel offers a harrowing and horrifying account of the forcible relocation of countless Lithuanians in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country in 1939. In the case of 16-year-old Lina, her mother, and her younger brother, this means deportation to a forced-labor camp in Siberia, where conditions are all too painfully similar to those of Nazi concentration camps. Lina's great hope is that somehow her father, who has already been arrested by the Soviet secret police, might find and rescue them. A gifted artist, she begins secretly creating pictures that can--she hopes--be surreptitiously sent to him in his own prison camp. Whether or not this will be possible, it is her art that will be her salvation, helping her to retain her identity, her dignity, and her increasingly tenuous hold on hope for the future. Many others are not so fortunate. Sepetys, the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, estimates that the Baltic States lost more than one-third of their populations during the Russian genocide. Though many continue to deny this happened, Sepetys' beautifully written and deeply felt novel proves the reality is otherwise. Hers is an important book that deserves the widest possible readership.

Ruta Sepetys has created a beautiful, heart-rending historical tale that will move and change readers. I highly recommend you get to a bookstore today and pick it up. Not only is the book incredible, but I was lucky enough to be at a conference with Ruta this past November and she is a fantastic human being. I am honored to share an imprint (Philomel/Penguin) with her!

Congrats on your debut, Ruta! And thank you for this extraordinary novel.

At the Bookshop

Amid all the debates about publishing deaths and e-book revolutions, I always wonder about how far said revolutions can go simply because of aesthetics. I was wandering around the mall with my brother yesterday before taking him to the airport. We did some browsing in the Apple and *shinynew* Microsoft stores - which, by the by, are facing off against each other in the mall, both sporting futuristic all glass fronts and both feature employees wearing oppositional colors: Apple - all red shirts, Microsoft - all blue shirts.

My brother and I decided that someone needs to stage a YouTube flash of a mid-day mall rumble between these two stores.

But despite all the shiny, futurey goodies, I get tired of looking at screens, flashing lights, and consoles. The only place I spent money yesterday was at the bookstore. And the bookstore is also where we spend the bulk of our time.

There's something so wonderful about wandering through aisles of books, not knowing what you'll pick up, what you'll discover. As much as I'm used to reading books by author friends or books recommended by booksellers or blogger, it's still incredibly exciting to pick up a book you've never seen or heard of only to be captivated by its premise and prose.

Instead of waiting to post reviews of some new books, I decided that today I'd post about recent books I've purchased, but have not yet read, and why I picked them up. It's a mix of books I'd been anticipating and a few I just found and am really excited about.

David Levithan's Lover's Dictionary
David is not only an incredibly talented writer and editor - he's a genuinely exceptional human being who I am honored to call my friend. I've been super excited for his first adult novel. It's beautiful and so creative. I've only read a few pages (I just got it!) but I'm in love!

Cynthia Hand's Unearthly
I haven't met Cynthia in person, but she is a friend of my friend - the amazing poet and scholar Kristin Naca - and Kristin introduced (via the internet) Cynthia and I to each other. Like me, Cynthia is an academic trying to balance teaching and writing and so I feel instant kinship with her. I also loved this review of Unearthly and Nightshade together.

Matt Haig's The Radleys
The cover snared me on this one. And then I read a few pages. Suburban vampires. Commentary on abstinence and the repression of animal instincts. Wow. Yes.

Cherie Priest's Boneshaker
Zombies. Alternate Civil War. Steampunk. My next project is steampunk, as well as being alternate history. I'm psyched about this book.

Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men
I adore Terry Pratchett and this series has been on my TBR list forever. Finally picked it up.

Andrew Shaffer's Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love
Maybe wins best title ever?? Andrew is a fantastic columnist for Huffington Post, a master of wit, and I have been really looking forward to this book.

So what makes you pick up a book? Have you been surprised by any recent literary purchases?

Some News

I have very exciting news to share!

The American Booksellers Association just published their Autumn Indie Next List. What's an Indie Next List you say?

It's this: "The list features the top 10 titles for the autumn publishing season and an additional 48 selections, spanning all age groups. The Kids' Indie Next List is compiled based on nominations from independent booksellers nationwide."

And Nightshade is #3 on the list!!!!!Happy! Happy! Happy!

And thank you, thank you, thank you to the wonderful booksellers for your enthusiasm for Nightshade!! I cannot wait until it's on the shelves of your stores.

Speaking of independent bookstores, I can also officially announce that the Nightshade publication party will take place at the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday, October 29 at 7 p.m. and since that's Halloween weekend, the party will have a costume contest! I'm so excited :) If you're around the Twin Cities or feel like making a trip to Minnesota, please stop by!

Birthday Today & To Be Contest

Six months from today Nightshade hits bookshelves!! So in a way it's Nightshade's -6th months birthday! No matter how I look at it, the six month countdown feels like a milestone. I can't wait 'til October!

Today, however, is another, actual birthday. April 19 is my mom's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

I have a wonderful mom to whom I am very close. I am greatly indebted to my mom for instilling of a love of literature in me. I have innumerable happy memories of being read to when I was small. My favorite read aloud books that my mom read to me and my brother are The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Dark is Rising series.

My mom is a giver. She's more of a giver than anyone else I know, which makes her perfect for her profession. She's a music teacher. She directs the high school choirs in Ashland, including show choir. Go Glee!

So my love of music is a gift from my mom too. Thanks Mom!

To enter this contest all you have to do is send my mom (Mrs. Robertson) happy birthday wishes in the comments of this blog post.

If you want your name to be entered into the drawing TWICE - leave the happy birthday message and a brief note about why music is important to you :)

I'm taking entries until midnight! Tomorrow I'll draw a random name for the winner of a signed Nightshade ARC!

CONTEST!: Top Nine O'Nine

It's three days until 2010 - a year that I am awaiting like no other - and I thought I'd send 2009 out with a bang, contest style.

This is my first (and last, of 2009) CONTEST (many more to come in 2010!) - expect all contests to be quirky - because I love quirks - and here is Andrea's Quirky Contest #1. *Trumpets blare*

The time honored tradition of countdowns easily turns into overkill this time of year, but lists are addictive and it's oh so much fun to review the things you loved about the past year (hopefully glossing over those bits you loathed).

The other great thing about the New Year is predicting what's ahead. Isn't playing fortune-teller always fun?

For this contest I'll be mashing these two ideas together.

Top Nine O'Nine (aka Andrea's first blog contest)

The contest: Create a 2010 slogan and post it in the comments section below. Slogans can be silly or serious.

Or, a combination: 2010: The Year Polar Bears Strike Back
The best will be clever, cunning, cataclysmic - you get the idea. I encourage wackiness and snarf-worthiness. Enter as many times as you like, though you can only win once. Bonus points for linking to this contest on your blog!

The prize:

Here come the Top Nine. It's been a great, great year for books (but watch out for 2010 - I think it will only get better!). I'll be awarding prizes for Winner, 1st Runner Up, and 2nd Runner Up. Each winner receives 3 books, a trio from my top 9 books of 2009.* The list is below in alphabetical order by author.

Cassandra Clare, City of Glass (Book 3, Mortal Instruments)
Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire (Book 2, Hunger Games)
Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush, Hush
Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Eternal
Sarah Rees Brennan, The Demon's Lexicon
Carrie Ryan, The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Maggie Stiefvater, Ballad**

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place may pick one book from this list they're itching to read, and I'll send it to get 2010 off to a fantastic reading start! Go, slogans, go. Deadline: What else? Entries accepted until 11:59 p.m. (CST) December 31.


**New twist: Since I'm loving the entries so much - here's an added incentive. If I reach 110 (because ya' know, it' s the '10 that matters!) blog followers by the end of this contest, each winner will receive 2 books from the list!
*Disclaimer: Ack!! Picking just 9 books was so hard! So many more I long to add - plus, so many just released books I have yet to read...remorse, remorse!!
** I loved Ballad and Shiver, but it didn't seem fair to have both books on the list and I loved Ballad an eency bit more, so it's the book for this list.

A Sidekick is Not Enough

Supporting characters (SCs) have a range of roles to fill in a novel. They can be the loyal best friend, the comic relief, the wise mentor. I'm sure we all have a favorite SC 'type' that we hope to find in the books we read, and recreate in the books we write.

Like MCs supporting characters must display that essential quality trademarked by the Transformers: they must be 'more than meets the eye.'

A pet peeve of mine in books are those narrative that offer intriguing, dynamic MCs (and possibly villains - they'll have their day tomorrow), but SCs who only serve as foils, fillers, and mechanisms by which to move the plot or just serve as another mirror through which to better understand aforementioned MCs.

The best books have SCs in whose lives, hopes, and dreams you're just as invested as what's happening on the main stage. They should be the opening act of show that leaves you breathless, wondering if they actually might upstage the main act. (Note: I had this experience when I saw Calexico open for The Shins a couple years ago.)

Harry Potter demonstrates the essential roles of well-developed SCs. As much as I love Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and yes I think all three are MCs not, SCs), my favorite characters from the series have supporting roles:

Hagrid. What would Harry Potter be without Hagrid. He's an interesting character who combines characteristics of bumbling comic relief with strong warrior protector, making him lovable and reliable at once.

Remus Lupin. Okay, who didn't see this one coming? Everyone knows I have a soft spot for wolves, and Remus is well, just wonderful. His character is compelling because like, Hagrid's, he has a mixture of traits. On the one hand he is a benevolent, witty mentor, but on the other his dark secret makes him edgy and dangerous.

Arthur and Molly Weasley. The parents that Harry never had; quirky, lovable and demonstrative of class conflict in the wizarding world. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have their own problems to deal with (and we care about those problems) as much as they help with shepherding Harry through his perilous world.

While I've mentioned just a few of my favorites above, J.K. Rowling created an astounding number of SCs who populate Harry's world in substantial ways (I purposely didn't write about Fred and George above because I wouldn't have been able to stop they do so much for the books!) and I firmly believe it's the power of this amazing cast of characters that kept the series lively and enormously successful for its run (and beyond).

As you weave your tale don't forget the fine details of SC creation. Your SCs won't help you or your readers if they're cardboard cutouts. Give them breath and being, give them their due - and believe me, they'll give back.

Ode to Librar(ies, ians)

I'm enjoying reading various ALA roundups. Descriptions of the conference buoyed my spirits not only because the ALA had record attendance, despite the economic slump, but also because I love seeing crowds of folks gathered to celebrate books.

Libraries have a special place in my heart. When I was very young the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland, WI functioned as my de facto babysitter. The library was across the street from my dad's office and I curled up in the stacks surrounded by books often enough that all the librarians knew me by name.

That familiarity helped a great deal when it was time to get my first job. The summer before my sophomore year in high school I applied to work, where else, but at the library! I worked amid those stacks I loved so well, full-time in the summers and part-time during the school year, for the next three years.

When I went to college my work study jobs were always at the library. I love the way libraries smell and though I am adjusting I still have a strange reaction to seeing computers instead of a Dewey decimal card catalog when I visit my local library. Libraries make and sustain readers, librarians are astounding founts of knowledge and exceptional defenders of civil rights.

Huzzah steadfast librarians, thank you for all you do every day!!
Getting back to that greatest of all librarian gatherings, my favorite rundown of the ALA thus far comes from the fabulous Maggie Stiefvater, whose upcoming book Shiver was well-feted at the conference (I can't wait to read it! And its release date happens to be my birthday...ahem).

Too much press of late has been disheartening about the "end of publishing" and how hard it is for new writers to break into the industry. While all this may be true, it only takes a few images from the ALA to remember how exciting a good book really is and that reading is here to stay.