April Afloat

2011-02-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

GOTTA GET KISSED!

A student of mine sent me this photo today, and it made me laugh so hard that I just had to post it!

Life has been crazy lately. One of my novels, Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds was recently adapted for a musical at the Zach Scott Theatre in Austin, and the whole experience has been wonderful and surreal. I've had such a great time watching the kids perform and make the characters come alive. Here's a clip from the show.

2010-06-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Presenting ... Romeo!

Oh, man it's been a long time since I've posted. Lots to catch up on.

Back in February we adopted Romeo from Austin Boxer Rescue. I've been meaning to post a photo of him for a while, but the truth is he' s not that photogenic. Every time I take his picture he winds up looking like some ferocious snaggletooth, and he's really such a lover. He's got these soft mushy jowls and a HUGE tongue and loves to give kisses. He keeps me company while I write.

My daughter Korina and I just returned from NYC. We saw Billy Elliot and In the Heights - two amazing shows. We also spent a lot of time in the East Village, shopping on St. Mark's and walking the streets of Alphabet City. I had lunch with my lovely editor, which is always a treat. But I forgot to take my camera! Which is why I don't have any photos. Oh, well, next time.

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in a reader's theatre in College Station with Kathi Appelt, Jenny Moss, Varian Johnson, and Janet Fox. What a fantastic time! Here's a photo.

Kathi's husband, Ken, took a little footage from the show. Take a peek.

After the show, Kathi fed us some amazing guacamole and other goodies, and while we were eating and drinking wine, she opened her flip-cam and did a few spur-of-the-moment interviews. Take another peek.

On the book front, I'm busy working away on my WIP. (Not giving away any details yet.) Also, I was so pleased to find a nice review of The Less-Dead in ALA's GLBT Round Table Newsletter.

Here's lover boy again...

2010-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

A Brand New Year

All my kids are home, and life has been crazy but fun. In fact I feel like I've been on a non-stop vacation. Last night my daughter Liz and I went out for sushi and a George Clooney fix with Up in the Air. So good. Here are some photos of our New Years Eve hike at the Barton Creek Greenbelt. And yes, Daniel dove into the frigid water.
Ed took this photo of Jonny. I'm thinking, first album cover?

And so ... The Less-Dead will be released tomorrow. I seriously need to do something like update my website and myspace page and stuff like that, but I can't seem to get my act together. There's always tomorrow. Anyway, I've got some reviews to post -- so far so good. Whew.

"In her compelling mystery, Lurie draws attention to the prejudice and hatred many gay teens face ... suspenseful and emotional." Publishers Weekly

"Lurie has wrought a compelling, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep readers riveted to the end." Kirkus

"Peppered with surprises ... Lurie's character detail are totally refreshing ... dead on." Booklist

2009-10-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Bakugan, Human Groove Hormone & Bromberg

Yep, that about sums it up since the last time I posted. This summer I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting my brothers in Maryland, and one of the highlights was playing with my nephew Ryan. He's got this collection of, well, little plastic balls, but when you drop them on the floor they turn into super hero Bakugans. Pretty amazing.

Next on the list is Jonny's new band, Human Groove Hormone. Isn't that a great name? They play funk/alternative/experimental and you can check out their music here. (Jonny is the good looking one in the green shirt.)

And now for a stroll down memory lane. When Ed and I first started dating he introduced me to the music of David Bromberg, and took me to a bunch of his shows in NYC. In fact, we even saw him play at Carnegie Hall. Anyway, last month Bromberg was playing at the Cactus Cafe here in Austin, so we took our son Daniel to see him. What a great show. Check out a snippet from one of his shows here. Guaranteed to crack you up.

2009-08-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Dylan Fontaine Video

Check out this cool book trailer I found on Teacher Tube!

2009-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

A Wicked Time

Just about every year I take one or two of my kids to New York to visit my parents and see the sights. This time I took Jonny and Korina - first to Maryland to visit their cousins - then to the Big Apple. We always take in a Broadway show and this time we saw Wicked. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. We had perfect seats (although there was a couple making out in front of Jonny so he was a bit distracted), and the music was outstanding.

The following night I took Jonny to The Blue Note in the Village, and we saw Dizzy Gillespie's All Star Band. We sat about two feet from the tenor sax player who was incredible.

Before the show, we watched an intense basketball game right outside The Cage on West 4th Street. It brought back memories of Dylan Fontaine, Toulouse Lautrec, and Mother F. (You'll need to read my novel The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine to understand).

I also caught up with some friends, old and new, and had a great time with my parents. They still live in the same house I grew up in. Here they are in Washington Square Park. Here's Jonny and Korina too.

On the book front, The Less-Dead is completely finished (Yay!) and I'm waiting for my ARCs to arrive. Can't wait to see it in print. The flap copy has changed a bit since my last post. Here it is:

Noah Nordstrom has been dissing the religious beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular Christian radio show and
whom Noah accuses of spreading hate. When two local gay teens are murdered, Noah’s anti-evangelism intensifies—he’s convinced that the killer is a caller on his dad’s program.Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But when he learns that Will is gay, Noah gets a little weirded out. Especially since Will seems really into him. Noah gives Will the brush-off. Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and soon Noah finds the next victim. It’s Will.Racked with guilt, Noah decides to investigate. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay teens, but only those who live in foster homes, whose deaths are not that important to society; they are the less-dead. Noah, however, is determined to prove that someone cares. With the help of Will’s journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime and in which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on an opponent more dangerous than he can guess.

The fabulous DDDs did an event at Book People last week (a panel with the amazing author Sarah Bird) and we had a big turnout. Shana stole the show by talking about her Mango allergy. So funny! Check out her post here.

2009-03-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Triple Ds, Scoobies, and the amazing Laurie Halse Anderson

Here we are outside Book People - The Delacorte Dames and Dude Society. We've been getting a bit of press lately. Check out the article Jeff Salamon wrote up in the Statesman. He mercilessly teases me in the very first paragraph, but I forgive him.

Now onto the Scooby. My son, Daniel The Health Nut, brewed me a batch of Kombucha over spring break. Yesterday it was time to harvest the Scooby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). That's the slimy mushroom thingie floating on top. I wasn't sure what to do, so I gave him a call at college.

"Hey Dan, what do I do now?"

"Okay. Pick up the Scooby and set it aside in a ceramic bowl."

"Pick up that slimy, disgusting thing with my hands?"

"Listen Mom, if you send bad vibes to the Scoobie, it's not going to work for you."

Do you see what I'm dealing with? Anyway, I was kind to the Scooby and managed to pick it up and make the kombucha. The bottles are sitting on the counter carbonating. Nice little bottles.

Now the best part. Laurie Halse Anderson was at Book People in Austin, and we got to chat a bit. She's so sweet and humble and amazing. My daughter Korina recently read Speak so I introduced her to Laurie and right away Laurie said, "Friend me on Facebook!" See what I mean? Anyway, we got a signed copy of Wintergirls and I can't wait to read it.

I'd better get back to work. I got my final revision letter on The Less-Dead, and after a couple of new scenes and some tweaking, I'll be done!

2009-03-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

My Bud, Leo

Well, enough time has passed since my good buddy Leo went to doggie heaven so I thought I'd post his photo an say what a great friend he was. Believe it or not, this photo was taken only six months before he died of a ripe old age of sixteen. We got him at the pound when my kids were little. He'd been a stray and had every disease in the book, but we nursed him back to health. He stole food off the table and chased the cat and chewed the superhero action figures, but we loved him anyway. We miss you, Leo.

On the book front, my lovely editor sent me the flap copy for the Less-Dead. She's so much better at writing copy than I am. Here it is:

Noah Nordstrom has been getting drunk at parties, eating crackers topped with apricot-hash jelly, and dissing the religious beliefs of his father, a man who hosts a popular Christian radio show. The deaths of two local gay teens intensify Noah’s anti-Evangelical stance, since he’s convinced that the killer is a caller on his dad’s program. And he blames his father for spreading hate.

Then Noah meets Will Reed. He thinks Will is cool; he shares Will’s love of poetry and music. But after finding out that Will is gay, Noah gets a little weirded out. Especially as Will seems really into him. It’s easier to stop being Will’s friend.

The killer, though, is still at large . . . and Noah is the one who finds the next dead victim. It’s Will.

Racked with guilt for giving Will the brush-off, and for not being as tolerant as he thought he was, Noah decides to investigate the murders. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay teens, but only those who live in foster care. Their deaths are not as important to society; they are the less-dead. But Noah determines to prove that someone does care. With the help of Will’s journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime, and in which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on a dangerous opponent. At the same time, Noah must confront his crisis of faith and determine what beliefs to fight for.

Do you think I'll get hate mail?

2009-02-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Cover Art for The Less-Dead

I'm very excited about this cover. If you closely, you'll notice that the cover of the book is a book. A leather bound journal. See the stitching, the ragged pages peeking out around the edges? Mostly I love how the artist superimposed (is that the right word?) the creepy woods at dawn over the leather. So happy!

2009-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Tao of Pooh

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully."It's the same thing," he said.

My son Daniel read me this little excerpt from the Tao of Pooh and it made me laugh. I thought about it yesterday when I was at Sam's excitedly buying food for lunch. I chose thick, crusty sourdough bread, goat cheese dipped in red wine (it's called The Drunken Goat), and deep purple blackberries the size of quarters. Eating this feast was definitely the most exciting part of my day.

Okay, now on to more important things. My daughter Korina is in a play at the Zach Scott Theatre in Austin. Wanda's World! (Korina is top row, second from right.) If you have middle school kids, they will love it.

Here's what it's about:

Wanda is the coolest 8th grader ever. She’s beautiful. She’s confident. And she’s the star of her own TV talk show where she gives great advice to troubled tweens. That is...in her fantasies. In real life, Wanda has a problem of her own to face. Will the kids at her new school tease her for being different…or will she finally find a way to fit in? Find out when you ‘tune in’ to the critically acclaimed, Off-Broadway hit, WANDA’s WORLD, live on stage beginning January 31. For ages 6 and up.

2009-01-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

Lazy, Lounging, Sleeping Till Ten (or eleven) Chowing Down and Basically Goofing Off

Yeah, that pretty much sums up what I've been doing over the holidays. I finally finished my three month long revision on The Less-Dead (yes, I'm aware some people write complete books in three months), sent the manuscript to my lovely editor, and now I'm crossing my fingers, hoping she'll call and say, "It's perfect, April. I'm sending it to copy editing." Ha.

Besides all the lounging around, my daughter Liz and I made a lofty goal to see all the 2008 Oscar contenders. So far we've seen Milk, Doubt, Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight (ugh) and Slumdog Millionaire. (So far, Slumdog is my fav.) Next two on our list are Synechdote New York and Revolutionary Road.

Our family did something completely different this year. We decided to skip the tree, the gifts, the decorations, the lights, the shopping, the stress, and just hang out together. We had a really nice time! We took walks, cooked, talked, laughed (we were all pretty silly), and generally had fun without really doing much of anything. Oh, and Jonny and his band had a gig at the Thirsty Nickel on 6th Street the day after Christmas. They were awesome.

Pretty soon it's back to work which means facing the blank page. It's scary in a way, but exhilarating too. There are so many possibilities. I've been reading some post-apocalyptic/dystopia novels, and I'm thinking about giving that genre a try. I seem to skip around a lot. So far I have a character and scene involving a poisonous mushroom. I know that sounds weird, but I can't seem to get it out of my head. But ... for now, a glass of wine and a Belgium chocolate are calling to me. Must go.

2008-11-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Unreal

I don't normally get political in my blog posts, but ... Yay! Obama!

So, check out my son Jonny and his new band, The Unreal. Pretty cool, huh? It's so funny because Jonny (the tall guy with lots of hair) looks like a dangerous dude, but he's a real sweetie. Anyway, they're playing tomorrow night in Denton, and they're awesome.

Jeez, I haven't posted a blog in ages. The reason? I've been using all my creative energy working on my revision of my serial killer YA novel coming out in Spring 2010. After I finish, mark my words: I am writing something light and funny - no controversial subjects, no murders.

News flash: Book People in Austin is having a very cool party on November 13th. I hear Philip Yates will be dressing up like a pirate and reading from his zany new picture book. There will be a number of panels, and yours truly will be on one of them. Should be lots of fun. Here's the invite:

A Celebration of Books for Children and Young Adults
Austin Style!

Thursday, November 13, 2008
At BookPeople – 6th & Lamar
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Readings * Panel Discussions * Door Prizes * Refreshments * Book Signing

Presented by

The Austin Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Your number one resource for published authors and illustrators of youth literature
&
BookPeople
"2005 Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year"

6:30 Social Time – Second Floor
Visit and enjoy refreshments

7:00 A Holiday Reading - Amphitheater
Join us in the amphitheater as author Philip Yates (in full pirate costume) reads from his latest book, A Pirates Night Before Christmas (Sterling, 2008)

7:15 Picture Book Panel Discussion – Amphitheater
Featuring: Greg Leitich Smith, Philip Yates, Don Tate, & Emma Virgan
Moderated by Brian Anderson

Middle Grade/Young Adult Panel Discussion – Second Floor by the Stairs
Featuring: Lila Guzman, Shana Burg, P.J. Hoover, Helen Hemphill, and Jo Whittemore
Moderated by Tim Crow

8:15 Young Adult Panel – Third Floor
Featuring: Jennifer Ziegler, Cynthia Leitich Smith, April Lurie, Brian Yansky, &
Varian Johnson. Moderated by Julie Lake

2008-08-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Slumber Party!!!

Oh, I've been such a naughty blogger. Almost a month since my last post. Well, I thought I'd catch up a little on what I've been doing this past summer. On August 3rd the lovely teen librarians of Austin - Michelle and Allison (the two girls on either end) - invited Jenny Ziegler (Astros shirt) Cynthia Leitich Smith (she's the one taking the photo and let me tell you her purple satin PJs were to die for) and yours truly (Hook 'em Horns) to the Teen Slumber Fest. We had such a blast. Teens from the area came out for a visit. We painted our nails, played Truth or Dare (Michelle took a dare and had to make kissing noises. Honestly, I didn't realize how talented she was!) and the teens did passionate readings from our books. There were prizes galore. Thank you Michelle and Allison for a great time.

I also had the pleasure of visiting Gardner Betts Juvenile Dentention Center, and speaking with a group of wonderful girls. Devo Carpenter is the founder of the award winning Second Chance Books program at Gardner Betts and let me tell you she is one awesome lady. The girls were so receptive and so into reading. Thank you Devo!

The reviews for Dylan keep dribbling in and I recently got a really nice one from VOYA. Here's a quote:

"This coming-of-age story is compulsively readable ... Lurie creates such a sympathetic and engaging character that readers cannot help but become invested. Dylan's story has it all: humor, pathos, family struggles, and great characterizations and voice."

2008-07-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

There's No Shangri-La

Those were the last words my father spoke to my son Daniel before Dan ventured off to a raw foodie commune on the big island of Hawaii this summer. At the time I sort of rolled my eyes, "Please Dad, give the kid a break," but it turned out my father was right. For a while Dan had a good time working the farm - milking goats, harvesting coconuts, hacking his way through the jungle - but even paradise has its price. Like disease. Poor Dan got really sick and wound up in the hospital. And since worrying seems to be what I'm good at, that's what I did. But he's home now and doing much better. Now my job is to fatten him up.

Anyway, I was thinking that the writing world is no Shangri-La either. Believe me. Oh sure, I love what I do and wouldn't choose anything else, but you do pay a price. Like I recently got a nasty review on Dylan Fontaine from PW (why are these people so mean? all I did was write a book); a not-so-nice blog comment - one I didn't post - accusing me of plagiarizing two books that I have not read; and a scolding from my mom because there are some "inappropriate" parts in Dylan. Like I said, no Shangri-La.

But on the flip side, Dylan got a really nice review from The Bulletin. Here's a quote:

"Calling to mind Hinton's classic That was Then, This is Now, this story of a guy in danger of losing his hero brother to drugs is updated in just about every way: Dylan is a well-off, hip guy from Brooklyn who knows his way around Greenwich Village, has a thing for vintage LPs, and plays a mean classical guitar ... Readers may well be inspired by Dylan to take some risks and discover their own latent powers."

Dylan also got nice reviews from Becky's Book Reviews and Edge of the Forest. Thank you Becky and Kelly!!!

2008-07-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

A Stellar Weekend at The Awesome Austin Writer's Workshop (aka AAWW!!)

The literary dynamic duo, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, hosted one fabulous workshop this past weekend. It's already Wednesday, but I'm still on a high.

Not only did we get great feedback on our manuscripts, but we bonded even closer as a

group. One thing I love about Austin is its amazing writing community - one huge group of friends who love, support, and encourage one another. I'm blessed to be a part of it.

A huge, hearty thanks to Cyn and Greg! Their generosity blows me away.

2008-06-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Much to Celebrate

June is a time for change.

Jonny graduated high school.

Korina graduated elementary school.

I typed "The End" on The Less-Dead, and Ed (my very sweet husband) likes it! (Okay, I have some tweaking to do, but still.)

Dylan got a starred review from KLIATT. Here's a quote:

[Lurie] really understands sibling relationships and family life. She writes with wit, intelligence, and compassion for her characters. This is a story about guys, primarily ... brothers; fathers and sons; lonely young men who are feeling somewhat lost. Any reader will care for each one of them. Lurie does a wonderful job of making them real. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

2008-05-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine is Released! Yay!

It finally dawned of me that I should announce the release of my new novel. Release dates are so weird. It's like this big build up and then ... what? It's out there. We poor writers sitting at home in our pajamas staring at a computer screen and trying to be creative wonder if anyone cares. So, what do we do? We google. And today I found a review from Hope's Bookshelf that really made me happy. Thank you Hope!

To the left is a photo from my recent trip to Madrid to visit my daughter Liz. (She' the gorgeous girl with the sunglasses. I'm the dork wearing the sneakers.) I'm not exactly sure whose nose that is. I should find out.

2008-04-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

My Two Sons

Last week I attended TLA in Dallas and had a really great time with my lovely editor, my terrific friends, some wonderful librarians, and many talented authors. After that I went to visit my son Dan (handsome but slightly ticked off looking dude on the right), who's a music major at UNT. It was a beautiful day, so we walked around town, went to a very cool used bookstore where Dan promptly handed me two of his favorite classics - Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, and A Portrait of the Artist, by James Joyce, and told me, "You MUST read these!" So, okay, I will. For dinner we ordered some really good take out Indian food and shared a bottle of organic red wine. What a great day.

Both Dan and Jonny (Jonny's the handsome and patient looking dude on the left), inspired me to write Dylan Fontaine. It's not a story about them, but it's about two brothers who love each other very much, but sometimes have trouble showing it. Anyway, what's cool is Jonny just got the MVP award for varsity basketball this year, and his number is 34. When the cover was being designed for Dylan, my editor asked what number I would like on Dylan's jersey, so ... guess what I chose? Yep. 34. She's a sweetheart.

Oh yeah, Readingjunky posted a really nice review for Dylan on teensreadtoo.com. It should show up on amazon soon. Thank you Readingjunky!!

2008-04-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Road

I recently finished Cormac McCarthy's stunning post-apocalyptic novel, The Road. Wow. Basically it's about a father and son who walk through burned and ravaged America. Dark? Definitely. Depressing? Maybe. Hopeful? Absolutely. The love shared between father and son is so strong and so moving, it lifts the reader above the death and destruction they encounter. I loved it. This is the last sentence of the book, which really stayed with me: "In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery."

After The Road, I needed something a little lighter, so now I'm reading Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Susan Vreeland. As I've mentioned before, I love the Impressionists, and this book is about Renoir and how he came to paint Luncheon. Above is a closeup of my favorite part of the painting.

As for writing, my WIP is coming along nicely, and I should make my June 30th deadline. Yay. Also, I've been biting my nails, waiting for the review from Kirkus on Dylan Fontaine. I'm happy to report that Kirkus was much kinder this time around. (They annihilated Brothers.) So, here is a quote - it's not much, but hey, I'll take it: "Lurie has created a well-paced story about a teen guy who shoulders responsibility while becoming his own person."

I'm also happy to report that Dylan has been nominated for BBYA, and Brothers is a KLIATT's Editor's Choice!

2008-04-02T07:47:00.001-07:00

So Cool

Last night I found this awesome video on you tube. A girl named Melissa did a project for her English class on my novel, Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn. Thank you, Melissa. I'm totally honored. Click on the link below to see it.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/dancing-in-the-streets-of-brooklyn/4201261432

2008-03-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

One Busy, Crazy, Fun Week in Spain

I just got back from visiting my daughter Liz in Spain. I met my mom at Newark airport, and the two of us hopped a plane and flew into Madrid. It was so great to see Liz! After a couple of days there, we took the train to Barcelona where we wined, dined, walked along the beach, and saw the amazing architecture of Antoni Gaudi. Above is a photo of the roof of Casa Batllo. Below are a few more pics. But the best part of the trip was just being together with my mom and my daughter. Liz is teaching English as a foreign language, and we were able to visit her classroom and meet her students. What a great time.

When I returned, I was greeted with some happy news. Brothers, Boyfriends ... is a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage. Also, I got my first review for Dylan Fontaine - from Booklist. Here's a quote:

"...The strong first-person narrative opens in a Brooklyn police station, where Dylan, the family's "good boy," has landed after an uncharacteristic shoplifting incident, and over the following five months, he learns to take chances with his food, his art, and his relationships. The banter among Dylan, his brother, and their friends is believable without being obscene ... and the healthy doses of humor balance this well-crafted story of a family in pain and a boy's self-discovery."

2008-02-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

Two Lovely Brooklyn Girls

The best thing about writing for teens is that some of them actually write back. This is especially wonderful if I'm having a really bad day. A note like, "I loved your book, it was so funny, and when are you going to write a sequel?" is one of the best feelings in the world. If I can give a teenager a bit of enjoyment, then I have done my job.

But last week something even more wonderful happened. I received an email, but it wasn't from a teen. It was from a very kind Norwegian-American gentleman. He informed me that his 88 year-old mother is reading my novel - Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn - over the phone to her 89 year-old blind sister. Wow. The two women grew up in the Norwegian community of Brooklyn during the 1940s, and my book is bringing back fond memories for them. I was truly blown away.

2008-01-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Author, Google Thyself

A dangerous practice, I am told. Think about it, if poor Vincent did a "van Gogh" search while he was still alive (okay, I know he's an artist, but you get my point) he may have cut off more than just one earlobe. But since authors are usually the last to know anything about how their books are doing, it appears to be necessary. Sigh.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find this article in the January issue of ALA Book Links. BROTHERS has been classified as a mystery novel! I'm so excited! Most reviewers (to my dismay) have called it chick-lit (alas, the bright pink cover) but the truth is, while I was writing the book, I never thought of it as chick-lit. I mean, come on, it's a Mafia story. So, I'm thrilled that a lovely librarian was thoughtful enough to not judge my book by its cover. Thank you!

2008-01-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

A Very Nice Consolation Prize

I thought I'd start the new year off with a Degas painting. Pretty, don't you think?

So, the bad news is that Brothers didn't make the Cybils YA fiction shortlist, but ... I found this awesome review by one of the judges - Trisha, a YaYaYa librarian. (Just scroll down past the winners to see it.) It seems that if there were a few more spots available on the list, the novel might have made it! So, I'm very happy. And honored. Congratulations to the winners and a big hearty thanks to the judges!

2007-12-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Wild Things

These are the three guys who have been keeping me company this week while I've languished in bed with the flu. They've been my inspiration to keep writing (even though I feel like crap) but now it's time to take a major break and enjoy the holidays.

My son, Dan, is coming home from college today with his lovely girlfriend, Mami (pronounced mommy, which, as you can imagine, makes things a little confusing), and pretty soon my parents will arrive from NY! I haven't bought one gift yet, nor do I have a tree, but I have faith that I can pull it together.

Great news! My dear friend, Varian Johnson, has a new book out! MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS just hit the shelves. The novel is hip, tender and funny with a great cast of characters, and the most amazing thing is Varian's ability to capture a teenage girl's voice. It's pitch perfect. It's a great book. Congratulations Varian!

2007-11-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Two Guardian Angels, and One Very Naughty Girl Scout

Well, besides being a very naughty blogger, let's see it's been how long...? I've become our troop's worst girl scout mom. Besides saying no to selling cookies this year, I have succumbed to buying a tray of sushi for tomorrow's cook-an-international-recipe day. It's pathetic, I know. I've come to the conclusion that I'm completely burnt out on motherhood. Plus, I write books. Hopefully that's a good excuse.

Anyway, that brings me to my next topic: guardian angels. (Sorry Vincent, I had to go with Raffael today.) My daughter, Liz, made it to Spain in one piece, but if it weren't for two guardian angels she'd still be stranded at the airport and possibly homeless. The first angel , an older Spanish gentleman, helped Liz out when she was unable to board a bus or take a taxi with her two Texas-sized suitcases. (Everything in Madrid is much, much smaller.) The second Angel, whose name happens to be Angel (think an-hel') helped her find a wonderful flat with a very sweet flatmate. So, all is well.

Oh, some wonderful news! I'm honored to announce that BROTHERS made the Texas Lone Star List!

2007-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Preparing for a Meltdown

My daughter, Liz, is leaving for Spain on Tuesday. She's going to live in Madrid and teach English as a foreign language. I'll be driving her to the airport, and saying goodbye. Why, why does this have to be so hard? I mean, she's going to have the time of her life, right? It's just, well, she's my BFF, you know? I love her so much, and I'm going to miss her. I chose Vincent's cafe painting because it reminds me of Liz. I can just picture her sitting there, sipping coffee, enjoying her new life ... missing me, just a little.

The Texas Book Festival was a blast. I sat on two panels with some lovely and talented young adult authors. Panels are great because you don't have to prepare a speech, but they can be a little nerve-wracking. I mean, you never know what question is going to be thrown at you. For example, I was asked, "Motorcycle or Vespa?" To my chagrin, I didn't know what a Vespa was. (Come on people, I live in Round Rock! Ask me about a Hummer or a pick up truck!) Anyway, I was able to save myself with a little self-deprecating humor, and the rest of the evening went pretty well. Now, it's back to reality. Hard work, and a soon-to-be goodbye. :(

2007-10-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Tough Girls

As far as I know, Vincent didn't paint any tough girls, so I decided to go with Manet this morning. I've always loved this piece because even though the barmaid looks like she can throw a good punch, if you study the painting closely, you can sense her vulnerability.

Actually, Tough Girls is the name of the panel I will be on this Sunday at the Texas Book Festival. I'm a little nervous because in real life I'm sort of a wimp. I hope I do all right. I'm also on a panel Saturday evening at the Alamo Drafthouse called Not for Required Reading. I'm a little nervous about that too, but also excited because I get to meet Sherman Alexie. I recently read his new YA novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and it was fabulous. That's one very cool thing about being a writer - occasionally you get to meet your literary idols.

Well, I got a call from my lovely editor last week, and she really likes the pages I sent her of my WIP, The Less-Dead. Very happy about that. The novel is not about zombies, but about a boy, Noah, who tracks down a serial killer who has been preying upon marginal teens in the Austin area - foster kids with no family or friends. When they are dead, they are less-dead. The book also explores the dynamics of Noah's family, and so the challenge is blending the two. It's an important story for me personally, so I hope I can do it. Better get back to work.

2007-10-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the Chill

I'm posting Vincent's Starry Night, hoping to hasten the cold front that is supposed to hit this weekend. I can't wait.

Some happy news: I just received the ARCs (advance reader copies) for Dylan. This is the step I love best in the whole process. It's very cool to finally see your story in print. Check out the UK based design company that illustrated the cover. They're called I Love Dust.

More happy news: Brothers got a Cybil nomination!

2007-10-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Stretching

This week I've been doing something completely new and different - stretching myself by reading poetry. Because the narrator of my WIP, 16-year-old Noah, is an aspiring poet/songwriter, and because I've basically been reading prose all my life and neglecting the lovely form of poetry, I've had to take sort of a crash course. Well, I still have a lot to learn, but so far I really like the imagists, who are similar to the impressionist painters in that they give us a glimpse of ordinary life and somehow make it extraordinary. So, here is a poem I like by William Carlos Williams:

Iris

a burst of iris so that

come down for

breakfast

we searched through the

room for

that

sweetest odor and at

first could not

find its

source then a blue as

of the sea

struck

startling us from among those trumpeting petals.

2007-10-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Lying Around ... Thinking

Yes, it's true. That's what we writers have to do sometimes, especially if our WIP is, well, not working. Friday night, I asked my very supportive, very honest husband, Ed, to read a few chapters of my WIP. When he was finished he said, "Um, I like it but ..." Right away, I knew this was not a good thing. After all, I thought it was just fine. Quite good, in fact. "It's a little slow," he said. Okay, slow is definitely not a good thing, considering my WIP is a thriller.

My first reaction was, no, he's wrong, he's tired, he's in a bad mood, he wants to make me crazy. (I can totally understand how Vincent lost his mind.) But since I know Ed's instincts are generally right, I thought long and hard. And yes, it was slow. I realized I needed more tension in the first few chapters, more suspense, and guess what? After lying around thinking all day I came up with a solution. I think my story is going to be a lot stronger now. Thank you, Ed! xoxo

2007-09-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

SLJ Review

Whew, Brothers, Boyfriends ... survived SLJ, which has been a pretty tough review journal lately. Here's a quote: "...the colorful characters, including a bad boy rocker with whom April is enamored, make this a thoroughly enjoyable read ... a fun, thoughtful story." BTW, this painting of Vincent's is hanging in my daughter Korina's room. I love it.

2007-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Licking Frost and Eating Moss

Yes, it's a hill, painted by Vincent, but for now we'll pretend it's a mountain. Here's why: while reading the novel, After Dark, by Haruki Murakami, I came across an interesting story told by one of the characters. Here's the abridged version:

Three brothers went out fishing; there was a big storm and they were washed up on an uninhabited island in Hawaii. It was a beautiful island with coconuts growing and tons of fruit on the trees, and a big high mountain in the middle.

The night they arrived, a god appeared in their dreams and said, "A little farther down the shore you will find three big, round boulders. I want each of you to push his boulder as far as he likes. The place you stop pushing your boulder is where you will live. The higher you go, the more of the world you will be able to see from your home. It's entirely up to you how far you want to push your boulder.

Now these were huge, heavy boulders and pushing them up an incline took enormous effort. Early on, the first brother quit. He said, "This place is good enough for me. It's close to the shore and I can catch fish. I don't mind if I can't see much of the world from here." The remaining two continued on. Halfway up the mountain the second brother quit. He said, "There's plenty of fruit here. It has everything I need to go on living. I don't mind if I can't see that much of the world from here.

The eldest brother kept going. The trail grew narrow and steep, but he did not quit. He had great powers of perseverance, and he wanted to see as much of the world as possible, so he kept rolling the boulder with all his might. He went on for months, hardly eating or drinking, until he had rolled his boulder to the very peak of the mountain. There he surveyed the world. Now he could see more of the world than anyone. This is where he would live - where no grass grew , where no birds flew. For water he could lick the ice and frost. For food, he could only gnaw on moss. But he had no regrets, because now he could look out over the whole world. And so, even today his great round boulder is perched on the peak of that mountain.

What is the meaning? If you really want to know something, you have to be willing to pay the price.

So, tell me, how far does a writer have to push his boulder?

2007-09-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today's Muse

Well, yes, it's a skull. Like Vincent, I have a thing for skulls, and if you've read Brothers, Boyfriends... you know that April (my narrator) has a collection of skull candles that drip blood (red wax). It's also my muse today because I need something to get me in a morbid mood. How can you write a serial killer book when you're feeling so happy? The thing is, I had a great weekend. On Saturday, Greg and Cyn gave a presentation on picture books, followed by lunch with some Austin writer friends. On Sunday, my family and I went to Schlitterbahn Water Park (no long lines!), and Monday I had coffee with the lovely Liz Scanlon. So now I must think, death, horror, and worst of all...plot.

On a lighter note, my son Daniel just turned 20! This poster of Bob Dylan reminds me of Dan because it's hanging in his room at UNT (sniff, sniff). Dan's a music major and a serious health food nut. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday he gave me this list:

1) Schizandra berries
2) Chlorella
3) Krill oil

What are these things? I have no clue. But happy birthday Dan. Hmm, I just had a thought. Bob Dylan is playing at ACL this Sunday. Maybe I should buy Dan a ticket from the scalpers for his b-day, have him home for the weekend....

2007-09-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

Tribute to Vincent

One of the highlights of our trip to Paris last year was visiting the Musse d'Orsay. I love impressionist and post-impressionist art and Vincent is one of my favs, so I thought I'd begin each blog post with one of his paintings.

I chose shoes today because I have a new hobby. Jogging. I actually began about a month ago, but kept it a secret just in case I decided to quit. Today, however, I ran without excruciating pain and right now I'm feeling pretty good. The endorphins are flowing and I'm ready to write.

My work in progress is finally coming along - I've got one polished chapter and a few rough ones, and even though the plot is sketchy, I've got my characters. Well, the main ones anyway. I'm a little nervous; this book is something new for me. A thriller involving a serial killer. Can I do this? I sure hope so.

2007-09-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

A Star is Born

This is Star, our latest addition to the Lurie clan. Hopefully one day she will grow into her ears.

2007-08-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

An Interesting Morning

This morning my 10-year-old daughter left for school without her homework, so I figured I'd be a good sport and bring it to her. I didn't have to look in a mirror to know I had that just-rolled-out-of-bed look. But since I'm not vain (ha, ha) I quickly threw on some gym clothes from a heaping pile in my closet and hopped in the car.

5 minutes later I was in the school office, and the lovely lady behind the desk assured me that Korina would soon have her homework. Mission accomplished, I needed to high-tail it out of there before anyone else saw me. But then she began telling me that her 14-year-old daughter read Brothers twice over the summer and loved it!

I was flattered, and stunned. At Korina's school I'm not a writer, I'm just one of the moms. Anyway, we talked for a while and I told her I'd be happy to sign her daughter's book. Afterward I was feeling pretty good about life in general, but when I got to my car I looked down and saw a large, neon-orange tomato sauce stain in the center of my T-shirt. Nice. Oh well ...

2007-08-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Inquirer Reviews Brothers

So, so happy with this review. View here

2007-08-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Embracing Austin

It's kind of funny, after our vacation in NYC I realized just how crowded, congested and well, dirty, New York can be. So I decided to stop lamenting the fact that I live in Texas and really embrace Austin. Even the heat, which is no easy thing. My family and I went hiking and swimming at the Barton Creek greenbelt, visited the Blanton Art Museum, went shopping on South Congress, and saw Bob Schneider at Antone's. We had a fabulous time!

I also spoke to adults, yes adults, at the August SCBWI meeting, which I think went well. At least I hope it did. The topic was Turning Fact to Fiction, and instead of blabbing about how I wrote my books from true life experiences I had the group do some writing exercises. Ha, ha. First, they had to list three little-know facts about themselves. (One woman volunteered that she had once set off a roman candle in her kitchen.) Next, they had to list three of their darkest life experiences. And last, I posed a thought provoking question: who is your personal censor? I got some interesting responses.

I also updated my website - actually revamped the whole thing - and even though I wanted to shoot myself during the process, it's ultimately rewarding to be my own webmaster. And now, today is the first day of school! I'm free again! Back to work.

Oh, almost forgot. Saturday I had a book signing at B&N in Round Rock and had the honor of meeting one of my myspace friends - a very nice, very sweet teenage girl from Georgetown who enjoyed my books! Afterward, Korina and I had lunch with Cyn and Greg. It turned out to be a really nice day.

2007-08-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Great Time at Gardner Betts

Last week I had the privilege of speaking to about 75 teens at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center. The kids - ages 12-17 - have a lot of time to read without the distraction of TV and video games and they were a great audience. One boy said, "My friend was dissing me for reading your book because it's pink, but I told him 'I don't care! It's about the mob and I like it!'" Another boy said, "Dude, just take off the cover. That's what I did." Devo Carpenter is the librarian who created this award winning program called 2nd chance Books and she is my new hero. The kids have great books to read because of her. Check out their website.

I guess I haven't posted my recent review from VOYA. It's a good one! Yay! "Lurie's first person narrator makes this novel come alive. April is bright and insightful. 'I was the oddball, the embarrassing question mark in our family.' Readers will identify with her situation. 'After all, I needed someone to rescue me from my boring life.' Start to finish it is April's story, one that most girls in junior high and high school will enjoy."

2007-06-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Author Interview

The lovely and talented Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of the bestselling gothic fantasy novel, TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007), has posted an author interview with me on her blog. Check it out. http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2007/06/author-interview-april-lurie-on.html

2007-06-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Booklist Review

Just in -- a review from Booklist. Very happy.

Fourteen-year-old April Lundquist lives in the colorful neighborhood of Dyker Heights, where many of Brooklyn’s most dangerous mobsters live. She and her best friend Brandi can hardly refuse when Soft Sal requests that they escort his mentally handicapped son, Larry, to and from high school. April thinks that her service might buy a bit of protection for her older brother, Matt, who has fallen in love with a mobster’s daughter. Lurie has written a delightful book about growing up in Brooklyn’s Mafia-dominated 1970s. Colorful characters—Soft Sal, “Gorgeous Vinny” Persico, Frankie the Crunch—hold ever-present but largely benign control over the neighborhood. Against this rather sinister backdrop, April enters high school, learns to play a mean game of tennis, babysits for her younger brother Sammy, and falls madly in love with bad-boy rocker, Dom. A classic growing-up-in-America story with a twist, this is lighthearted yet complex, with just enough gut-wrenching love and suspense to make it an obvious hit with the girls and a potential sleeper with the guys. — Frances Bradburn

Loose Marbles

Just got back from a wonderful family get-together in New York and Pennsylvania. Highlights of the trip were: walking all over Manhattan with my mom and dad, hearing Loose Marbles play in Washington Square Park, rafting down the Delaware River, and having lunch with my lovely editor. First, she gave me a tour of her office and introduced me to the book designer for Dylan and the publicist for Brothers. After that, we had a long, relaxed lunch at a very nice Greek Restaurant. It was great to see her and catch up on things, and now it's GREAT to be home. I love Austin.

2007-05-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dylan Cover Art

I've been taking a much-needed break from writing, and have been busy pulling weeds, planting flowers, and enjoying the outdoors. My next project is an herb garden filled with lavender, lamb's ears, rosemary, sweet basil, and thyme. I've got quite the sore back and about 100 killer mosquito bites, but I'm happy. I'd almost forgotten how satisfying pure physical labor can be.

Anyway, yesterday, when I was taking a break I checked my email and was pleasantly surprised to see that the cover art for Dylan is in. And the best part is, I love it. The artist/designer did a great job of blending in parts of the story. I'm thrilled.

Also, I'm pleased to announce the release of my good friend Brian Yansky's YA novel, Wonders of the World (Flux 2007). Check it out here. It's a great story, beautifully written, and has gotten some fabulous reviews. Congratulations Brian!

Also, on a google search I was happy to discover that Brothers is a nominee for the Texas Lone Star list, and a BWI Top Pick.

Wonders of the World, by Brain Yansky

2007-05-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Lovely Librarians, Dorkmobiles, and a Little Angst

A few weeks ago I was the honored guest at The Austin librarians' first ever book club meeting. After the lovely ladies did "flash talks" of new books such as Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Pants on Fire, by Meg Cabot, they proceeded to discuss Brothers. (My editor had supplied them with ARCs.) The very charming leader of the group, Allison O'Reilly, posed some interesting questions that had me thinking. The whole experience was fun and a bit surreal. All in all, a great way to spend an afternoon.

But the really big news (at least for me) is that I am no longer driving a dorkmobile. Yes, we have officially given my son Daniel the family van and I am now sitting pretty in a zippy little phantom blue Mazda 3. Very happy.

The not so good news is that after a starred review from Kliatt, I got a mean one from Kirkus. Which goes to show you what a crap-shoot reviews are. Anyway, at first I thought I would ignore it, but since that's probably not healthy, I decided to announce it via this blog, then plunge back into my serial killer story and make the next victim a mean-spirited children's book reviewer. Just kidding. Not.

2007-04-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happy News

I just got my first official review on Brothers. It's from KLIATT and it's starred! I'm very excited and sooo thankful. Whew! Here is a quick quote: "When a story makes me laugh out loud, I love it. And so, I love this novel ... April is finding her own voice and she is one of YA fiction's most memorable narrators." JS*

2007-03-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Jonny Wins at "King of the Blues"

Forgive me, but I have to indulge for a moment. Last night my 16-year-old son, Jonny, blew them all away at King of the Blues. The best part was that he was the youngest contestant and before he played, the MC was teasing him about having to bring his mommy (me) along to sign off on his paperwork. Afterwards, it was clear that Jonny was in a different league. He totally rocked. Watch the video here. Also, check out his band's myspace page.

On a literary note, the fabulous Greg Leitich Smith, author of Ninjas, Piranhas and Galileo (Little, Brown, 2003) and Tofu and T. Rex. (Little, Brown, 2005) wrote a very nice review on Brothers. Check it out here. Thank you, Greg!

2007-03-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

This and That

Wow, it's been a while. Let's see, several nice things have happened since my last post. First, my good friend Cynthia Leitich Smith threw this amazing launch party for her new book, Tantalize, which is already in it's third printing! Ed was my very charming date, and we had a wonderful time. Cynthia handed out some door prizes, and one of the Austin teen librarians, Alison O'Reilly, won a copy of Brothers. I'm very excited because she has decided to begin a teen librarian book club and will be discussing Brothers at their first meeting. I am invited!

Also, I've decided to go with the serial killer story for my next book. I've done most of the research (some of it was pretty sickening) and I've got a general idea of the main characters and plot. This past weekend I attended a writer's workshop given by the amazing D. Anne Love and she inspired me to get organized. This time around I'm going to try an outline. We'll see how that goes.

Another piece of good news is that I did NOT get accepted into the MFA program at Texas State. I will admit at first I felt dejected and after a few tears I got sort of ticked off (just who do they think they are?), but then I realized that their faculty must be WAY too literary for me, so I'll just go back to writing books. Instead, I think I'll take up a new hobby, and maybe do something really daring like take a drawing class, or a kickboxing class.

Last, but not least, Jonny hooked me up with a myspace page. Cyn was the one who suggested I take the plunge, and since Jonny thought it would be a good way to promote his band, (i.e. make friends with my readers) I figured, why not? Jonny saved me a full week's worth of work trying to figure the whole thing out, and set it up in ten minutes. Yes, ten minutes. I've got to write my profile and beg for friends, but at least it's up and running.

Finally, Jonny has entered the King of the Blues national guitar competition that is being held tonight at Guitar Center in Austin. Wish him luck!

2007-02-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

Tantalize

Yay! I just ordered my copy of Tantalize, a new and deliciously dark gothic fantasy, which BTW is getting fabulous reviews (check it out at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com ) by my dear friend and fellow Austinite, Cynthia Leitich Smith. Can't wait to read it! Go Cyn!

Well, I did finish Dylan, and I'm happy to say that my lovely editor at Random House is very pleased. The book is scheduled to be released in May 2008. Believe it or not the art department is already having a meeting for cover concepts this week, so I should know pretty soon what they are planning.

Right now I'm relaxing my brain, but also doing a lot of reading/research, letting my mind wander, and considering ideas for another book. At this point I'm torn between a story involving a 19th century artist and his model, or a story about a serial killer. Yes, I realize these two options are vastly different, but that is the great part about writing. All the possibilities!

Also, now that I am between books I've had some smaller victories such as taking Leo, my terri-poo with severe doggie halitosis, to the vet for a teeth cleaning. We are much better friends now.

2007-01-31T10:21:00.000-08:00

I've Been Tagged

My lovely friend and fellow YA author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, has tagged me with a writing exercise: 5 little-known things about me. The rule is to also tag five other blogging writers, but she has already tagged the ones I know! Anyway, here we go:

1- When I was a kid I used to dress my pet Yorkie, Dino, in baby doll clothes, set him in the basket on my bicycle and ride all over Brooklyn. The poor thing was terrified, but I didn't seem to care.

2- During outdoor recess in Kindergarten one day I decided that I really didn't have to go back to class (I mean, really, why should I?) so when the teacher wasn't looking I skipped out. They found me hours later. My mother was somewhat horrified.

3- In nursing school when I gave my first injection, the needle went in one side of the man's arm and out the other. (He was very skinny.) My instructor calmly told me to withdraw the needle and try again. I did. I got it right the next time.

4- I was a redhead for two days.

5- I am a sucker for martial art flicks such as Crouching Tiger, House of the Flying Daggers, and Kill Bill.

2007-01-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

Confrontations

In real life people don't always confront. In books, characters must. Especially toward the end of a story where things generally tie up, although never neatly. Poor Dylan. He has to confront so many people - his mother, his father, his brother, the girl he loves. Himself. Poor me. I have to write it. Actually, I've sort of become Dylan. Anyway, one more chapter to go. I hope I make it.

2006-12-04T07:23:00.000-08:00

Coming Up for Air

No posts lately since I've been writing like a madwoman, trying to have Dylan Fontaine finished by the end of the year. As usual things are going slower than I expected, but they are going well (wonderful hubby read my last 40 pages and laughed numerous times) so I'm content. The big news is that today I will be mailing off my portfolio. Yes, I am taking the plunge and applying for entrance into the MFA program for creative writing at Texas State University. If accepted I will begin in Fall 2007. Wow, it's been a long, long time since I've been a student, but I expect it will stretch me in many ways. Very excited. Back to work.

2006-11-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

A New Hobby

Had a very intense (and sometimes frustrating) week of writing, so on Saturday I decided to crack open The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting and do something completely new and different. I actually taught myself to cast on and now I'm making a scarf using big needles and chunky yarn. I's pretty fun. Next I will have to borrow some of my son's Mozart and Bach CDs to make the experience complete.

I also dragged Ed to the movies and we saw The Departed. Gory, yes, gritty, you bet, but I'm a Mafia nut so I loved it. Nicholson and DiCaprio were awesome. I think next weekend I'll drag him along to see Borat. Sounds too funny to miss.

2006-10-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

Inspiration

I'm very happy to report that we are all set for Halloween tonight. Lighted skulls adorn our walkway, and Lightening Jack (Ed's fabulous jack-o-lantern creation) is carved and ready to scare trick-or-treaters. We've got Baby Ruths, eyeball gumballs, and Nerds to pass out. I can't wait.

Had a really great time at the Texas Book Festival this past weekend. I had the honor of being a judge for the UIL short story contest (11th and 12th grade) and had the pleasure of meeting the lovely girl who took first place for her remarkable story, "The River Cantanha." What captured me the most was her voice - sad, mysterious, and haunting. Also, I was able to sit in on a session of one of my favorite writers, Janet Fitch (White Oleander, Paint it Black), and received mega inspiration. When Janet was asked if she outlines her books, she said, no, she enjoys the element of surprise and watching her characters unfold. Great news for me since I still don't know what Dylan Fontaine is going to do in my next chapter.

2006-10-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hooray!

Just got a call from my lovely editor at Random House. She really likes the 120 pages I sent her of Dylan Fontaine, and is scheduling the book for a 2008 release. So happy. Now, the hard part. I have to finish it. Back to work.

2006-10-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Edits, Gigs, and Campouts

Let's see ... much has gone on since my last post. I received the typeset pages of Brothers, and after much back-and-forth with the proofreader my copyediting journey has finally come to an end! (I think.) Anyway, now I must worry about all the mistakes (caused by yours truly) packed into my bound galleys that go out to yes, the reviewers. Oh well, hopefully they'll be so taken in by the story that they won't even notice. Right.

I'm happy to say that I survived my first girl scout camp out. I was sort of dreading it - even thinking of sending Ed in my place (that would have gone over big)- but in truth it wasn't too bad. Korina had a blast with her friends and I managed to sleep, well, a few hours. While I was toughing it out in the wilderness Jonny and his band had their first paid gig at the coffee shop up the road. Apparently they had a big turn out, and now the rock stars are taking a break while I get a short reprieve from the all the noise. Yes, they practice in our game room.

Oh, also received some very nice news from my agent the other day. An editor from a NY publishing house is interested in my YA summer camp novel! She is going to send me a revision letter. Very, very excited.

2006-09-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

New Cover Art

Good news! The art department had a major brainstorming session and designed an elegant and girl-friendly cover for my book. Very excited. Also, I just got the okay from my agent and have now sent 120 pages of Dylan Fontaine to my lovely editor for feedback. Happy to say I'm taking the week off - shopping, painting toenails, going on long walks, reading, and gazing at my new cover design.

2006-09-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Cheeseballs

Hmm, another cold front. These rare occurrences in Texas seem to spur me onto blogging. Which is good because I've been in a bit of a funk all week. Cover art for my novel Brothers . . . coming out June 2007 just came in, and it was not AT ALL what I was expecting. It's been difficult for the art department to tie together themes of 1) the mob 2) a fourteen year old crush, and 3) a heart warming brother/sister relationship. Anyway, I placed my complaint (my agent did too!) and we will see what happens.

On a brighter note, I went white water rafting in the Tennessee Mountains this summer. Since I'm not exactly the outdoorsy adventurous type, this was quite a big deal. Needless to say, I came back alive, but it was pretty frightening at times. Thankfully, we had an excellent guide named Christian (rather fitting, hey?) - a tall, blond, well built, college wrestler who (I thought) was very good looking. My 22 year old daughter, Liz, thought differently. When we docked our boats, he started flirting with her, and afterwards she told me he was a "cheeseball." Since I have to keep up on all the lingo in the Young Adult world, I asked her for an explanation. So, if your wondering, here it is. Cheeseball: A young, blond, bulky, mid-western guy with un-cool tattoos on his bulging muscles, who is completely full of himself. Hmm. Not sure if I will ever have a cheeseball in one of my books, but it was interesting research.

2006-08-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

A Tease

A cold front blew in today, a tease really since it'll be going back up to 97 by the end of the week, but hey, I'll take what I can get. I went for a long, glorious walk, had a cup of coffee, and finally read some good news in the paper - Polygamist Warren Jeffs is finally off the streets! A nice way to start the day.

Yesterday I sent off 100 pages of my new YA, The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine, to my agent, and now I'm waiting to see what she thinks. Publishing basically shuts down in August, so it may be a while. In the meantime I am going to work on some new scenes, and eventually write a detailed synopsis of the story, even though I don't really know where it's going. A little scary.

Oh, a bit of good news. A very nice librarian from Cedar Park contacted me last week. She is starting up a teen book club, and they will be reading Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn in 2007. I am invited to their meeting!

To follow up on my brother's body-building escapades, I sent him a T-shirt he can wear while he's training for his next competition. It reads, No, I'm Not on Steroids, but Thanks for Asking.

2006-07-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hard Bodies in Annapolis

Wow, what do you say to a 50 year old dude (who happens to be your brother) standing on stage wearing tanning cream, a skimpy Speedo, and flashing a big white smile? How about this: "Whoo-hoo, looking good number 4-0!" (FYI: Each contestant has a number pinned to their speedo, and calling it out supposedly influences the judges. Ha!) Anyway to continue, "Let's see those abs number 4-0! All right, Big Dog, way to go!" Embarrassing? Nah. However, after this flesh feast comes dum, da, da dum, the routine. This is where each contestant performs a dance/flex program to a song of their choice. Some of the younger guys do rap/hip-hop/robotic numbers, which work well, but what does a 50 year old dude do? You guessed it. Bob Seager's "Old time Rock and Roll." All in all it was a great time, and after the contest our very generous father took the whole family out for a fabulous Italian dinner. The only one who couldn't make it was my niece who was working in New Mexico, but she did send her dad a card with the following inscription: Dear Dad, sorry I couldn't be there for your mid life crisis, but have a great birthday! Love you, Sonja.

As for the writing life, things are tough in the summer. In fact this will be my last blog entry until school begins in mid August. All my creative energies must be channeled into Dylan Fontaine since I am on a mission to finish this book by the end of the year. One bummer: my editor did not like the final cover art that came in for Brothers, so it's being re-done. A blessing in disguise, I'm sure. I'm glad she's going to bat for me. Back again in a few weeks.

2006-06-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Punctuation 101

This week I received the copyedited manuscript of Brothers, and now I'm wondering if the local community college offers Punctuation 101. If not, I may have to sit in on my daughter's 4th grade class and suffer through DOL (daily oral language). I seem to do okay with the basics like periods and question marks, but commas, apostrophes, and hyphenated words can be very tricky. I have to confess, some of my pages look like road maps. And I'm supposed to be a writer! It must be that I'm using the creative side of my brain and those little dots and dashes just get in the way. Maybe I'm just humoring myself.

On a personal note: Thanks to Round Rock Animal Control, the vicious pitbull no longer lives next door! I no longer have to wield my trusty shovel and handmade spear when I go out to get the mail!

I must get back to work now, but stay tuned. My next blog entry will be about my brother's 50th birthday/body building competition.

2006-06-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Funny How Things Turn Around

Looking back on a couple of posts ago, I noticed how I'd mocked the State of Texas for having a concealed hand gun license as a form of ID for a driver's license. Well, after my neighbor's pitbull jumped the fence yesterday morning and almost killed Leo, my cute little poodle/terrier, I'm beginning to have some really aggressive thoughts, like wouldn't it be nice to own a gun and shoot the pitbull if he ever showed up on my property again? But no need to worry, after taking care of Leo (he's going to pull through) I took a a few deep breaths, called animal control, and they are taking care of things in a civilized manner. Still, a gun could come in handy one day, you never know.

Enough of that. I had a great time with my critique group last night - three very talented and serious writers - and got some really good feedback on Dylan Fontaine, my work in progress (WIP). So, as long as the kids don't interrupt, I'm hopefully going to get a few hours of writing in today. Tomorrow, lunch with Cyn. Can't wait!

2006-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Summer Chaos

After returning home from an incredibly fun, romantic, stress-free week in Paris I am suddenly hit with a house full of kids back from college and on summer vacation. Total bedlam. Needless to say, it's a bit difficult to be creative in this environment, especially when I am screaming things like, "Stop banging on the piano!" and "Who left their clothes all over the bathroom floor?" Today I resorted to earplugs and posted a note on my bedroom door that read, DO NOT INTERRUPT UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY. Things seemed fine until I got up to brew my second cup of coffee and discovered a cloud of noxious fumes in the kitchen. Apparently, my son Daniel had burned the motor of my blender while making one of his famous coconut-blueberry-banana smoothies.

Oh well, this too shall pass. In the meantime I'm excited because I heard from my editor that the final cover art for BROTHERS will be ready this week. If so, I will post it on my website. Can't wait.

2006-05-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Strange Thing About Texas

On days like this it's very tempting to either renew my Texas State Nursing License or, even worse, call the PTA Chairperson at my daughter's school and ask if they need any volunteers for Field Day. I'm stuck on this one scene where Dylan must confront his brother Randy about the huge bag of purple bud under the floorboards in their mother's art studio, but I can't seem to reach a cathartic moment. Frustrating.

Anyway, the good news is Jonny finally got his driver's license and drove himself to school this morning. Guess everything went well since there are no phone messages or police at my door. But the weird thing was that when I was filling out this enormous amount of paperwork Jonny needed to take with him to DPS, I noticed that on the list of items you can bring to use as ID was: a concealed handgun license. Just one of those strange things about Texas that I'll never get.

2006-05-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Grasshopper Instruction

I'm happy to say that progress on Dylan Fontaine is going pretty well - have about 70 polished pages and one hundred or so total. Unlike most writers who do a full-on first draft, I tend to be anal, revising and tweaking as I go along. Anyway, the story feels a lot more solid now, and I actually think I know where I'm going.

However, the really good news is that I have finally joined a critique group! It's a first for me and I'm very excited. We are meeting next Wednesday at Borders to discuss the particulars. I'm a little nervous, not about being critiqued (happens every day living with three teenagers) but about giving a critique. I'm not sure I'm good at it. We shall see.

Another piece of exciting news is that my lovely editor called this week, asking for detailed descriptions of the main characters in Boyfriends. Seems that the art director has an idea for the book jacket: a police line-up similar to the one in The Usual Suspects. At first it seemed a bit odd to me, but now, if done well, I think it could work.

Now an aside that has absolutely nothing to do with writing. Yesterday, as I was driving my 9-yr-old daughter Korina to the ice rink, an ad came on the radio for a new plastic surgery technique; Breast Augmentation through the belly-button. Now usually when commercials come on I change the station, but I thought this was so bizarre I listened. Well, apparently Korina was listening too, but it seems we heard differently. All of a sudden she burst out laughing and said "Grasshopper instruction through the belly-button! That's crazy!" I didn't even correct her. We just laughed for the rest of the ride while she picked up her shirt and pretended a grasshopper was singing "instructions" through her belly button. It was one of the best rides of my life.

2006-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

The House of D

I've been a bit remiss blogging this past week, so I thought I'd drag myself away from cleaning bathrooms (yeah, right) and type a short note. One very cool thing about being a writer is that you can watch DVDs on the weekends and call it "work" instead of "vegging out on the sofa." Even if you see a bad flick you can analyze as to what went wrong with the characters, plot, pacing, etc.

Anyway, since there was no hope of Ed and I going out for dinner (for some reason our 16-yr-old son Jonny thinks it's way cooler to hang out with girls and go swimming in his friend's pool than baby-sit his little sister) and since I wasn't in the mood to see anything heavy or depressing, I rented Must Love Dogs for Friday night, and The House of D for Saturday night.

Must Love Dogs was exactly what I thought it would be - light, pointless-but-fun romantic comedy starring the very classy Diane Lane, but House of D blew me away. Set in NYC in 1973, it is an engaging, funny, powerful, expertly acted coming of age story. In fact, when I'm finished cleaning bathrooms I may just do a little "work" and watch it again.

2006-04-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Idol Fascination

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means . . . American Idol! This is the first year I've watched the show, and I am hooked. It's strange because except for the news and an occasional Disney Channel Movie (High School Musical is kind of addicting) I rarely watch TV. So, I think the fascination comes from feeling a certain kinship with the contestants. Lets face it, as writers we put our vulnerable selves out there for all to judge, and there are plenty of reviewers who are just like Simon. Cold-hearted and a little too blunt. Possibly mean-spirited? What cheers me up though, is the way the contestants rally around each other, just like we in the writing community do. All in all, it's a great place to be.

2006-04-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Arnold

Looks like I will be flying out to Maryland next month for my significantly older brother Mark's 50th birthday. When I called him yesterday he filled me in on the details. Turns out Mark will be competing in the master's division bodybuilding extravaganza in Annapolis. Yes, you heard right. Speedo, tanning oil, big fake smile while he's flashing those stellar abs. I should mention here that Mark is the inspiration for my young adult novel coming out next year - Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds - and there is a scene in the first chapter where he is 16, shirtless, and flexing in front of a big mirror until one of his friends calls out in an Austrian accent, "Hey Arnold, enough pumping iron! Give your reflection one last kiss, and let's play some ball!" Some things never change.

2006-04-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Superior Gender

Had a great time with the 'rents over Easter Holiday. (Mom, FYI "'rents" is a hip yet endearing term for "parents.") Anyway, highlights were: 1) Seeing Jonny's new Maxima pull up into our driveway, making my Dorkmobile quite the eyesore 2) strolling along South Congress (Austin's answer to Greenwich Village) while listening to my dad quote the great Fox News conservative, Bill O'Reilly 3) watching my two six-foot-three gigantor sons get into a fist fight over who-bent-the-guitar-pick? 4) Having an in-depth conversation with my mother and my daughter, and coming to the conclusion that the female gender is quite superior to the male gender. Although, I must admit, my husband Ed grilled up some great filet minion and lamb chops on Easter Sunday, so I suppose we can tolerate the men as long as they know their place.

Now, it's back to Dylan Fontaine, who has a real advantage when you think about it, since I (a female) am his mouthpiece.

2006-04-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hmm, what to do?

I am happy to announce that I got my first royalty check today! Yay! Now, what to do? I could a)take my very sweet husband out for dinner, b)buy a few books, c) put it towards my dream car (powder-blue VW Bug convertible) or d) frame it. Not sure. For now it's back to making the house spotless since my parents are coming tonight.

2006-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Blissful, Brainless Activities

Had a great time Saturday shopping on the drag with my daughter Liz. She's an English major at UT, and since her birthday is coming up very soon, I splurged and bought her a very cute swim-suit, shoes, blouse, and purse. We also sipped iced lattes at Starbucks, and ordered two plates of Greek chicken (yum) at Kirby Lane. Later that night I cuddled with Ed and watched The Kingdom of Heaven. It was no Gladiator, but still, Orlando Bloom was not bad.

Now I'm going to go over my revisions one last time, print out the manuscript and send it back to my lovely editor. Then for the next two days I will move on to blissful, brainless activities like cleaning the house, doing piles of laundry, washing my smelly dogs, and yes, I may even clean the Dorkmobile, although I'm not sure why. By the way, I have to say that Ed (master handyman) has successfully glued on the sideview mirror and so far it has not fallen off. I'm kissing duct tape goodbye.

2006-04-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Dorkmobile

My parents are coming to visit next week! They'll be driving their top-of-the-line Nissan Maxima all the way from New York City to Austin, Texas in order to give the car to my soon-to-be sixteen-yr-old son, Jonny, who will have his license on May third. So when Jonny drives to his blues gigs in his souped-up, fully-loaded, all leather interior dream car, I will be tagging along in my dorkmobile - an Oldsmobile minivan with a big dent in the rear and a side view mirror held on with duct tape.

However, the good news is . . . my Random House editor called yesterday and she loves the chapters I sent her of my YA work-in-progress, Dylan Fontaine! I'm thrilled. Okay, I must get back to work. The tweaking is taking longer than I thought. Oh, I have another reader, my mom's boss. Hi Brian!

2006-04-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ted Hall's Blues Church/Jam featuring . . . Jonny

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Ted Hall's Blues Church/Jam at Gino's Italian Grill in South Austin (located at the corner of South 1st Street and West Stassney Lane) with my husband Ed, my daughter Korina, and "The Blues Machine" guest guitarist, my 15 year old son, Jonny! You may wonder how this has anything to do with writing, but it does. In the YA novel I am currently working on, my narrator, 15-yr-old Dylan Fontaine, is a classical guitarist who is challenged to face his fears, let go of convention, and play in a blues jam in Greenwich Village. So, in a way I was doing research. Kind of.

Anyway, the food was great, the band was fabulous, and Jonny was, of course, outstanding. He traded off leads with an awesome harmonica player, keyboardist, trumpet player, and Ted Hall himself. The bass player and drummer were exceptional as well. So, please come out next week! Ted Hall's Blues Church/Jam takes place every Sunday night at Gino's from 8pm until 11:30pm.

Another interesting piece of news is that my mother, June Andersen, is now an avid reader of my blog. Hi Mom! At least I have one fan.

2006-03-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Tweaking

Happy to report everyone is on the mend, so today I am going to sit down with a cup of coffee, a pumpkin muffin, my revision notes, and begin to tweak. Yes, tweak, which is a much better word than revise since revision involves deep thought,pain, and loss. It should be a great day.

This weekend I will have the pleasure of attending my good friend Dianna Hutts Aston's book signing at Book People in Austin. I call Dianna The Picture Book Queen because she is becoming quite prolific. This year she has three books coming out - An Egg is Quiet, Mamma Inside, Mamma Outside, and Mamma's Wild Child, Pappa's Wild Child. Way to go, D!

My 18-yr-old son still holds to the fact that it is vain to have a website about one's SELF. So, I've decided that well, maybe I am vain, I mean I did have the photographer touch up my photo in the hopes of looking a few years younger. I gotta love the kid. He keeps me honest.

2006-03-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Vanity

It's been a rough several days, but since I like to remain positive, on the upside: my editor claims the revisions on Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds will only take a week or so to complete, I read a great book, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, by Markus Zusak, I saw Aquamarine with my daughter and really enjoyed it, I connected a writer friend of mine with my agent. On the downside, my 9-yr-old daughter broke her elbow, my 21-yr-old daughter got T-boned by a sorority girl from Houston driving a brand new Infinity (no one was hurt), both my dogs are sick and leaving lovely presents in the living room, and my 18-yr-old son believes I am vain for launching a website. The joys of parenthood.

2006-03-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Annibus

Looks like this is Pet Week for me. Not only am I trying to nurse my poor dog Hershey back to health (he is 15-years-old;living on borrowed time), but my daughter and I are taking care of our neighbor's three cats and pet rat, Annibus. In case you are wondering, Annibus is pronounced "on a bus" although I think "on a train" would better describe him since I've seen many of his kin-folk alive and well on the NYC subways. Anyway, I'm warming up to him a bit. Because he lives with three cats, he believes he is one. Yesterday, I scratched behind his little pink ears, and he tried very hard to purr. No kidding. Okay, enough of this, back to work.

2006-03-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

The Blank Page

Ah, yes, spring break is over, the kids are back at school, and now as I am (eagerly?) awaiting my revision notes, it's back to the dreaded blank page. The new YA I'm working on is called The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine. I'm trying something new - a fifteen-year-old male narrator who has been arrested for underwear theft and possession of marijuana. The book burners may light their torches, but you only live once, right?

2006-03-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, this week I have finally decided to create a web site and blog, and it's a miracle I have not shot myself in the process. I'm down to the last edits with the site, and very soon I will click "publish" and off we go. Monday I am supposed to be getting revision notes from my editor on Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds. Crossing my fingers they are not twenty pages long. Hoping she has written lovely comments in the margins such as, "Oh April, your prose is lovely, your characters jump off the page, your plot is riveting." My chances are slim.