Terry Lynn Johnson: Someone to Watch for

I first started trading manuscripts with Terry Lynn Johnson several months before her first MG novel, Dogsled Dreams, was published in December 2010.

A little bit about DogsledDreams: Twelve-year-old Rebecca dreams of becoming a famous sled dog racer. She’s an inventive but self-doubting musher who tackles blinding blizzards, wild animal attacks, puppy training, and flying poo missiles. All of her challenges though, seem easier than living up to the dogs’ trust in her abilities. Rebecca runs her huskies along the crisp trails near Thunder Bay, Ontario, where northern lights flare and dangerous beavers lurk. Through the bond she shares with the dogs, Rebecca learns that hard work, dedication and living in the moment bring their own rewards.

Presently we are about one year out from her second MG novel’s publication date. I’d tell you the title but that is still being debated. 

I will say this: 

I read this manuscript a few times and watched as it went from being great to out-of-this world. I watched as Terry went from being a writer who got her own book deal from a small press for Dogsled Dreams to signing with Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and then getting a book deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

A little bit about Terry’s new novel:

Victoria Secord, a 15-year-old dogsled racer loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her.

Check out Terry’s blog and website. She lives in the wilds of Northern Canada where wolves have come up to her deck, bears roam the woods by her house, and anytime you step outside could be the start of an unanticipated adventure.

Closer to her publication date, we’ll get Terry over here for an interview and then we’ll give away a copy or two of her books. Keep your eye on Terry. She’s going places.

Typing v. Longhand?

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool typist myself. I find using a word processor easier and far more convenient. If I want to move text around, forget scratches and arrows. There’s this nifty little feature called cut-and-paste. It makes editing and organizing so much simpler. And I can type faster than I can write with a pen and paper, making it a more efficient use of my time as well. But mostly, I type because when I try to write longhand, it ends up looking like this:

Yeah. When I go back to type up what I’ve written, I can’t read half of what’s there. And that’s another thing I don’t like about longhand—first I have to write everything out and then I have to go back and type it up. It makes me feel like I’m doing the work twice.

So I’m amazed to know that authors like Garth Nix and J.K. Rowling write entire novels longhand. But obviously something about this method of writing works for them, and I guess that's the point—finding what works best for you.

So, which do you prefer: typing or longhand? And if there happen to be any longhanders around Project Mayhem parts, please explain to this perplexed typist what the appeal is. You’ve seen what my longhand looks like :)

-Dawn Lairamore

photo credit: Kat...B via photopin cc

Freedom Pen: A Powerful Novella Against Animal Cruelty

Freedom Pen by Dionna L. Mann (Pugalicious Press, September 2012)
(My review is from an ARC sent by the publisher.)

I consider myself a dog-lover, even though I haven't had a dog since childhood--despite the pleadings of my 9-year-old. (My wife is not so keen.) So I am always horrified when I hear stories where dogs (all animals, actually) are mistreated. And when animals are intentionally trained to be vicious--like being trained for dog fights--my blood boils.

Perhaps that is why this novella by debut author Dionna L. Mann spoke to me so strongly. Freedom Pen, set in rural Virginia, tells the story of Billy Morris who's "near to thirteen," and his younger sister, Sarah (also known to Billy as The Twerp.) They have gone to live with their aunt and uncle after their mother has been imprisoned for killing their abusive father. Uncle Jim takes Billy to a dog fight and decides to buy two puppies and have Billy train them to be fighters. Billy and Sarah recoil from this violence and make plans to hide the pups in the woods, in a place Sarah calls Freedom Pen. Will their plan be foiled, and will the pups be consigned to a life of fighting?

Things I liked:

The cover: C'mon guys, who could resist that cute little puppy on the cover? Just look at those eyes!

The language: Mann does an excellent job, both in dialogue and narrative, in finding just the right language for these characters and the setting in which they live. Here's an example, from when Billy is surprised by a wild turkey in the woods. (Frank is his uncle's friend.)

The turkey was as big as they come. It wore its brown and white wings like a cape. Its red wattle swung below its funny, little head, and it looked at me with its beady eyes as if it were surprised to see me. Then it changed direction and strutted out of sight. Good thing Frank's not here, I thought, or that plump bird would've ended up on somebody's plate for sure."

The satisfying character arc: A near-disaster changes the characters' relationships to one another. Uncle Jim realizes that there's more important things than breeding dogs for fighting, and Billy and Sarah come to appreciate one another without it all becoming too saccharine. (Those two will always tease and needle each other. Trust me--I have siblings.)

A strong message, without being didactic: This story has a message about kindness, both to animals and to fellow humans. Yet it never feels preachy. That's because Mann has her characters embody their emotions. For example, when Billy tries to persuade Sarah that fighting is in the pit bulls' blood, she shouts at him, "Bein' mean ain't in anybody's blood." Billy feels as if his face has been slapped, but amid all the ordinary sights, sounds, and smells of the day, he admits he's wrong and hatches the plan. ("The smell of my aunt's fried chicken made my mouth water. I rubbed the grooves in the wood floor with my bare feet and whispered in Sarah's ear, "Let's help the dogs escape from Uncle Jim's plans." And Sarah's face began to glow like the butt of a little lightning bug.")

An accessible length: Even though I actually wanted the story to be longer--since I liked the characters so much--I think it's the right length for many middle grade readers, especially those who are daunted by larger tomes. Tender-hearted readers will also rejoice in the ending.

About Pugalicious Press: Pugalicious Press is a small press out of New Hampshire. As they say on their website: While Pugalicious Press will work as a traditional small press, meaning our authors will receive an advance and royalties, the process of putting your book together will be less traditional. We want our books to be a creative collaboration between authors, artists, designers and editors.

You can learn more about them, and about their authors, including Laura Pauling, Kell Andrews, and Dionna L. Mann, at their website. Pugalicious Press is open to direct submissions from middle grade and young adult authors.

A Special Project, a Great Book

The Secret Underground

by Natalie Bahm

 

Goodreads Blurb:

Twelve-year-old Ally is the only witness to a bank robbery in her small town. Unable to block out the memory of the robbers, a notorious gang known as the Gauze Men, Ally joins her little brother and a bunch of neighborhood boys digging a hole in her backyard.

Only the hole isn't just a hole - it's a massive set of tunnels snaking beneath the neighborhood and heading for an abandoned steel mill. Ally is old enough to know the danger, but she reasons spending time with sixth-grade heartthrob Paul is more fun than sitting at home with her worries. And dangerous it is - none of the kids' parents realize the tunnels exist, but the Gauze Men might.

100% of proceeds from this book will be donated to help a baby boy named Jayden, and contribute toward his family's massive medical expenses. Jayden suffers from a combination of congenital problems including Hirschsprung's disease.

Natalie wrote this book to help Baby Jayden and his family, who have been through untold emotional and financial hardship since his birth. The proceeds for this incredible book will go to Jayden's parents. Wow. I am blown away by Natalie's compassion and generosity. I hope you will all buy a copy, spread the word, whatever you can . . .

GUEST POST:

When I was a kid reading aloud terrified me.  When I read to myself the words on the page made sense, but when I read aloud they got blurry and mixed up.  I stuttered and missed words and read very slowly to compensate.  When a teacher called on me to read in class I’d panic, sure that I would mess up and look silly. 

I was lucky enough to have teachers who realized I was a good reader (thanks to comprehension tests), but other students teased me. I never volunteered to read aloud, and tried to keep my eyes down during class reading times so I wouldn’t be asked to read.

It was bad.

When high school came I knew I needed to get over my fear. I practiced reading aloud to myself at home.  I tried to skim ahead when the class was reading something, so if I got called on I could recite bits from memory.

Then one day, I was in English and my teacher asked me to read a long poem to the class.  I read the entire thing without stumbling once.  I still remember the feeling of triumph in that moment.  I’d conquered my fear.

Two weeks ago, I finished recording the audiobook for The Secret Underground.  It was such an interesting experience.  I learned a ton about narration and recording.  I made all sorts of mistakes and spent HOURS fixing them.  Fifteen years ago I never would have imagined I could read a whole book aloud, much less a book that I’d written. I’m pretty sure middle-grade-me would be proud.

Natalie Bahm’s The Secret Underground will come out September 28^th with all profits going to the family of baby Jayden Huynh.  Jayden is a two-year-old with serious health problems. You can read more about the project here. The eBook version of The Secret Underground is available for preorder on Amazon and Apple/iTunes.  The print and audio versions will be available on release day at all major online booksellers.