Light-skinned-ed Girl

Thank you Broadway Books for a wonderful launch!

Thank you to everyone who braved the icy roads on Tuesday to celebrate the paperback release. It was a lovely evening and so exciting to debut the work in progress for you. And you really liked it? Really? Well I will keep plugging away then! Thanks Sally and Roberta for kicking off the tour in such a special way.

Holiday Blues in the form of Tree & a Weepy Cheery Greeting

It's been a hectic year--a wonderful year--but a hectic one.  I am finally able to see the top of my desk after a week of filing and organizing my office.

It's been so hectic that we didn't have the time (or energy) to get a Christmas tree.  We played our Christmas song collection about three times instead of every day for a month as usual.  And, we postponed sharing gifts with my family until I visit next month.

It's felt decidedly un-holiday-like around here except for our little blue tree--decorated by Niece & procured by sister-in-law who insisted that we must have some holiday cheer in the house.

And then there was a wonderful greeting from, Jessilynn, one of my favorite booksellers, who I would also like to count as a friend.  She invited me to her Michigan bookstore, McLean & Eakin, and it was one of the most amazing and magical trips I made all year for the book.  Jessilynn's greeting simply made me weep--in that very best of holiday ways.  So thank you Jessilynn!  The visit was one of the highlights of my year! xoxoxo

Mulatto (the word) on the Rise

I love to try out (read procrastinate and waste time) playing with fun new web apps.  Google has added to its Google labs a new web app called, Ngram, that allows you to compare how many times words appear in books over the last two hundred years. 

For fun, I decided to compare the words "biracial" (blue) and "mulatto" (red)-- and guess what?  Mulatto is on the rise!  In fact, the word "mulatto" appears more often in our contemporary time (the information only goes up to 2008) than the word "biracial."  I thought for sure "mulatto" was on the wane--but no.  Weird, huh?

What's going on?

Books: Ideas for Gift-Giving

Give a book this holiday season. You can't give more enchantment for less.  The Fiction Writers Co-Op—five dozen authors of distinguished, award-winning, and best-selling fiction—recommend:

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex. "...the writing is so vivid, lusciously sexy and chillingly outrageous by turns..." - The Star Ledger http://tinyurl.com/2eyohd4  (I met Karen at the Beverly Hills Lit. Escape--she's lovely and smart!)

The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh. "This tender tale of sisterhood, self-discovery, and forgiveness will captivate fans of contemporary women’s fiction.”- Library Journal  http://theresewalsh.com/books.html

The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. "A powerful portrait of sisters growing up in the shadow of violence . . . A thought-provoking, heart-tugging debut." Boston Magazine http://tinyurl.com/264efbn

The Day the Falls Stood Still  by Cathy Marie Buchanan. "A wonderful love story…Buchanan weaves Niagara Falls’ history and her storytelling together masterfully.” − Elle http://tinyurl.com/2wmccyv

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan. "Remarkably learned and heartbreaking romantic novel... Despite its medieval setting, the story has contemporary echoes... Hard to put down, beautifully executed, highly recommended." Minneapolis Star Tribune http://bit.ly/fzZoET 

Simply From Scratch by Alicia Bessette. "Fans of Cecelia Ahern’s PS, I Love You will find a lot to like here ... strong, richly detailed ... with a truly lovable heroine ... the spins and turns the story takes along the way are well worth the ride." —Library Journal

 The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate. "Senate handles the hefty topics of loss and remembrances with lightness and respect and in so doing, redefines comfort food." --Publishers Weekly  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439107238

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook. "Bestseller Cook [Must Love Dogs, Life's a Beach] charms again with this lively warm-hearted look at changing courses mid-life."-People Magazine http://ClaireCook.com/

The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri. "This hopeful, comforting novel is a testament to the power of taking chances and starting fresh, and a reminder that life can bring joy after sorrow."--Miami Herald

 All the Numbers by Judy Merrill Larsen.  "Larsen depicts a mother's year of grief and recovery with a sure and honest voice."--Booklist  http://www.judymerrilllarsen.com/buy.htm 

Spin by Catherine McKenzie. "The tag line is: ‘How far would you go to get what you always wanted?’ and Kate Sandford, protagonist of Catherine McKenzie's first novel, Spin, goes so far she makes you cringe. … Where A Million Little Pieces … was tortured and powerful, Spin is more about entertainment and fun. … Full of pop-culture allusions, some really funny ones. … Spin is a compelling, fast-paced read.” – The Globe and Mail  

The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen. "Both of Cohen’s previous novels (Town House and Inside Out Girl) are in development as films, and The Truth About Delilah Blue is sure to follow. She is clearly familiar with the cinema’s propulsive rhythms, and has an almost Hitchcockian sense of how to uncoil audience guts and play double dutch with them." --The Globe and Mail 

The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen, forthcoming from Crown Publishers, April 12th. "A magical debut, original and poignant, lovely and moving. I absolutely loved The Bird Sisters and will carry Milly and Twiss with me as if in a locket for a long, long time." --Jenna Blum, Bestselling Author of  Those Who Save Us. Visit http://www.thebirdsisters.com/ 

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos.  "[W]hat happens when life throws us kinks and crumbles the plans we've so carefully laid out . . . There is poetry in her words and all around the world she has created."--Richmond Times-Dispatch  

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin.  Diana Gabaldon says of this fictional biography of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, "This is magic!  Childhood, sensuality, love, sorrow and wonder, all bright and complex as the shifting patterns in a kaleidoscope." http://melaniebenjamin.com/books.php#buy 

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland. "Here's a warning: Mistress of the Sun is dangerously seductive. It's one of those books that will grab you and hold you captive till the last page is turned." —Calgary Herald  http://amzn.to/mistressofthesun  

Stay by Allie Larkin. "Larkin makes writing look easy. Stay has everything...humor, heart -and, endearingly, buckets of dog slobber." —The Miami Herald http://allielarkinwrites.com/  

Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch. Robert Goolrick calls it "eloquent and moving, written with precision and clarity to stave off loss — the loss of history, of art, of humanity." O Magazine's lead pick for summer reading, and a Washington Post Best Novel of 2010.    http://www.jonclinch.com/ 

My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher. "... rendered with humor and heart." -- People "... a laugh-and-cry novel whose plot includes equal portions of heartache and hope." -- The Chicago Tribune    http://juliannabaggott.com/  

 The Confessions of Catherine de Medici  by C.W. GortnerPower. Passion. Poison: History's most notorious queen tells us her side of the story. "Fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory will devour this!" - BookList. http://www.cwgortner.com/ 

Souvenir by Therese Fowler.  An IndieBound selection and book club favorite, this novel about family, fate, regret and redemption is "truly impossible to put down."--Booklist.  USA TODAY says it's "Compelling...the characters are likable, troubled, and human, and are well worth following on their journey." http://www.theresefowler.com/

After You by Julie Buxbaum.  Jodi Picoult says of this novel about love and friendship: "Buxbaum writes with honesty and grace about the things we know about our friends and the things we wish we didn't. After You highlights—beautifully and compellingly—the truth that sometimes we have to lose the people closest to us to find ourselves." http://www.juliebuxbaum.com/

Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice Jacquelyn Mitchard author,The Deep End of the Ocean, says of this novel about what really makes a family: "I was exhausted and singing the blues the hour I began Carleen Brice's new novel, Children of the Waters. Five hours later, I'd finished this fresh, free-rein novel about mothers' secrets and children's sorrows and was shouting 'Hurray!'" www.carleenbrice.com  (I adore this woman!)

Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell, the story of Claude Monet in his young struggling years which led to the birth of impressionism and his great love for his model and wife , the tragic Camille.  The Boston Globe said, "an enthralling story, beautifully told" and Bookpage added, "A vivid portrait of Monet's remarkable career." www.stephaniecowell.com

Remedies by Kate Ledger.  Remedies explores the complicated nature of pain, in the nerves of the body and the longing of the heart.... "an immediately gripping, expertly woven tale of pain and healing. Ledger is a brilliant writer; the book is dazzling, but more importantly, it is moving."--Elin Hilderbrand http://tiny.cc/ofni9

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay “What a gorgeous paradox of a book:  a deep, thoughtful exploration of a young mother’s first year of widowhood that is as much a page-turner as any thriller" says bestselling author Marisa de los Santos. Publishers Weekly deemed it "a wise and inspirational debut." http://juliettefay.com

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum.  In the stirring tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and the Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry is "spellbinding...A perfect melding of family saga, murder mystery and a meditation on faith, loyalty and love."--Susan Wiggs, New York Times Bestselling author www.christinameldrum.com

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman  - a New York Times bestseller. “Exemplifying Southern storytelling at its best…”  (Starred review) from Library Journal.

White Readers Meet Black Authors: Book-Giving Recommendations

Carleen Brice has a wonderful book recommendation series going at White Readers Meet Black Authors, her blog that hopes to interest folks of all stripes to check out the African-American section in bookstores.  Amen for that!  Here's the simple truth: if you don't ever venture to that section in some bookstores, you won't find Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison and Carleen Brice and yes, even moi!  So check out her month-long series of recommendations and giveaways--if you leave a post on my guest post with recommendations for younger readers--you just might win a copy of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky.

Some Tips on How to Give a Good Reading of Your Work

I love to do readings.  Yes, I get nervous each time.  Yes, I worry about whether anyone will show up.  But I love to do readings because I get to share this story that I care so much about with a real live audience.

But I don't always love to attend readings.  I don't need to describe what I mean--you've all seen those disastrous readings where you wonder whether the writer has ever seen the words s/he's reading before as s/he stumbles and stutters and mumbles and reads in that awful monotone.

It doesn't have to be that way--not even, you, the shyest of writers need be scared about reading your work--Here's why:

1) You know the words already!  You made them up.  Take confidence from this fact; and
2) Remember that the people who are there are pre-disposed to like you--I mean really, how many people actually go to readings at all?  And they are at yours!  Sure, half of the people may be your family and friends, so what!  Milk the audience. They're creating excitement and energy and it will be contagious for everyone there.

But the main reason you don't need to be scared about reading your writing is that you are going to prepare.  These are some tips I've come up with after doing some 60+ readings since the release of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin Books) earlier this year.

1.  Choose what you read carefully.
Three things to keep in mind as you choose what to read:

a) Never read an excerpt longer than five minutes;

b) The excerpt ideally has a beginning middle and end;

c) The excerpt should endear the audience to the character or engage the audience with the story so the audience is left eager for what's next or wanting more.

2.  Break up the excerpts with banter.
Readers want to know about the genesis and inspiration of the book.

3.  Throw in a funny.
I don't mean a joke per se.  But be sure to say something that allows the audience to laugh--this bonds you with an audience.  It's especially important if your work deals with serious issues.  Audiences are willing to listen to some pretty heavy stuff, but they crave a balance.  Give them a well-earned chuckle.

4.  Look at your audience.
Simple advice, but key.  No one wants to see the top of your head.  If the reader wanted to read the book, they would have stayed home and done that themselves.  Look at the people. Smile at them.  The people are there because they want to acknowledge you but they also want to be acknowledged.  They've come for connection. You owe it to them to look in their eyes.

5.  Read from a script you create--not from your book.
This is key!  You may be nervous; the lights may be distracting; you will not be able to see that small font when you are at a podium or on a stage.  So you're going to type up a script of what you're going to read in 14 or 16-point font.  And voila, you will be able to read it very easily.  More on the specifics of how to prepare your script in a separate post.

6.  Tell your audience what you're about to do in your presentation.
Most people don't know what to expect at a reading.  If you say, for example: "I am going to read a few poems," and they don't like the first one, they are squirming the whole time wondering how many is "some"?  I like to say upfront--"I'm going to read three excerpts from my book and tell you a little bit about my book."  Simple as that.  It cues the audience as to what to expect and focuses their attention so they know they won't be kept hostage by your presentation forever if they start to get bored.

7.  Practice and time your reading.
Over and over again.  I have found that a 15-20 minute presentation is ideal.  That allows me to read three excerpts from the book and talk a little about its genesis and about the book itself. After that, I take questions for 10 to 15 minutes--longer if the discussion is good.  There is a fudge factor in this--read your audience. But this is what I've done and I think it's worked pretty well.

8.  Say thank you.
Thank the host, bookseller, audience, the powers that be.  It's amazing that people come to readings at all given the array of entertainment choices they have (not including all the choices they have just staying at home).  Be sure to express your gratitude for being invited and for the audience's attendance.

9.  Record the event--audio AND video.
Do you know why writers don't have Live Tour Videos? They don't have video of their LIVE TOURS!  (I have one.)  I also have a podcst you can download on itunes.  Now you will have one too-- and then you can post snippets on your website, Facebook, You Tube as a tease and as another way for folks to find your book.  And you can use it as a coach--watch yourself in action, ask yourself: what can you do better?

10.  Give it all you've got.  Dress the part & give them the show of a lifetime everytime.

It doesn't matter whether you've got 10, or 100 or 1000 people in the audience.  Honor them by dressing the part -- look your best --and give them all the energy you've got.  They will appreciate you and your work for it.

EXTRA BONUS TIP: Never drink water during your reading--but if you must, be sure to have a bendy straw: that way you won't dribble because of an unsteady hand or missing the glass rim.  (Email me and  will tell you my source for very reasonably priced individually wrapped bendy straws--very easy to travel with.)

I'm writing up some more reading tips for writers: 1) How to Prepare Your Script; and 2:) Tools of the Trade; 3) Final Tips & Thoughts.  But tell me, what tips do you have?

Librarian Sara D. Reviews The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

I've mentioned before how much I love libraries--and I want to thank librarian Sara D. of the Capital Area District Library of Michigan (another reason I love Michigan) for this lovely video recommending The Girl Who Fell From the Sky! Check out all of her great reviews on YouTube!

Anna's Danish Cookies & Me

There are many people who have helped me along the way to publication & I have tried to thank them in some small way.

A few years ago, I struck upon my go-to thank you gift: a tin of Anna's Cookies. They're real Danish butter cookies--just as good as my Aunt Henny makes--but with a twist. In the tin I send, half the cookies are covered in chocolate. Get it?

Well, I order the cookies on-line and there's a little box for comments about the package. I didn't know what that meant really, but I started writing little notes about the reason I was sending the cookies (e.g. "This person wrote me a recommendation letter." or "This person wrote a blurb for me.")

I never really expected that anyone was really reading those notes, but then one day I got a call from Claire, the owner of Anna's Cookies. She was so excited to see that the book was finally published and she hoped she could meet me when I was in the area. It was too cool.

I did meet her this Spring, as well as her lovely daughter Molly, when I read at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, CA. (Of course, she served her yummy cookies.)

About a month ago, I ordered some cookies but decided to send them in a new beautiful blue and brown gift box that she's offering. She called to get some information I had input incorrectly and then asked why I had changed my go-to gift. "Because the blue & brown box is so pretty and it looks kind of like it goes with my website."

"Oh, you're right," she said. "How about if I change the name of the box to the Heidi Durrow Special?"

And now voila! You too can buy a Heidi Durrow Special from Anna's Cookies as gift or as a gift to yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Copy or Coincidence?: Bravo TV Book Cover Controversy

First noted on the blog by writer John C. Ford: the Bravo TV show Work of Art challenged the artists to design a book cover. Doesn't the runner-up's Alice in Wonderland cover look a lot like Connie Gabbert's design for The Girl Who Fell From the Sky?  Mediabistro's GalleyCat has picked up on the book cover controversy. What do you think?

My Guilty Pleasure: a NPR Confession & One-Click Request

What's my guilty pleasure? Find out by listening to my NPR essay that ran yesterday on All Things Considered. And please, click "Recommend" on the NPR story page. No sign-in, no sign-up, anonymous and free! But it would be immensely helpful to me!