Crawdad Blog Tour

Happy New Year &Welcome to the Crawdad Book Blog Tour!

For the whole month of January, my new contemporary young adult novel Crawdad, will be featured on the blogs of some of my besties - authors and book bloggers who support the readers and writers of  diverseYA - and I couldn't be more pleased. I hope you can visit them all and enter the giveaway.  Here's the schedule:

Magic of the Muses - Eileen Schuh January 1
I Read too much! January 5
Rich in Variety January 8
Beth Fehlbaum Books January 15
CJ Burright January 22
Twinjas Book Reviews January 29

~About the Book~

Seventeen-year-old Jamil Ramos grew up on Alabama’s Gulf Coast believing his mom, Loretta, was his only living relative. She put a trumpet in his hands as a toddler and sparked his love of jazz. But when Loretta drops a bomb on Jamil from her deathbed- she’s not his mama and his daddy is still alive, living in Charleston, S.C. – his world is turned upside down.

Now, with the only mama he’s ever known gone and the Loyola University trumpet audition less than a week away, Jamil has trouble feeling his music. When his band teacher tells him to get it together, Jamil decides to hitchhike to South Carolina over to find his father and get his questions answered. All he has is a name –Leon Ramos.

Jamil relies on the kindness of the strangers he meets-a gay teen kicked out of his home, a runaway prostitute, and a street musician-as he makes his way across Florida and Georgia trying to avoid the cops along the way. But when Jamil is robbed of his most prized possession, his trumpet, his plans go anywhere but where he’d hoped. That trumpet was supposed to be his ticket for a scholarship, the only way to college his mama could give him. Lost and alone without it, Jamil wonders if finding his father is worth risking his future.

You can find Crawdad in print and e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads!

~About the Author~

Lisa T. Cresswell has been writing middle grade and young adult books for what seems like a mighty long time. She can never seem to make up her mind if she likes reality or fantasy, so she writes both. She also likes lemon jasmine green tea, dark chocolate almonds, and lots and lots of coffee. And of course, BOOKS. ALL THE BOOKS!! You can see all of her work at www.lisatcresswell.com 

~Enter the Giveaway~

Enter to win one of three copies of Crawdad to be given away in January!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Setting: The Silent Character

I’ve heard it said that setting can act as another character in a novel and I tend to agree. A rich setting can create a mood or an atmosphere that compliments a story, perhaps even illustrates the theme in a subtle way. It’s true, a character-driven story may not rely that much on setting, but even those need a sense of place. Sometime a place can even be a driving force for a character. What would Gone with the Wind have been without Tara and Scarlet’s love for it?

In my novel Hush Puppy, the forbidden romance between Corrine and Jamie could probably take place anywhere in the world there’s prejudice. I chose to set the book in rural North Carolina for several reasons. The South is a place of great contradictions and conflict, beauty and ugliness. As any author knows, the best stories have strong tension. Having grown up there myself and experienced that tension, it seemed the natural place to set the story. My feelings about my childhood home are complex and multi-faceted, filled with contrasting memories of love and hatred. I wanted to show the reader that complexity, so I used the setting to invoke both positive and negative emotions.  The sweet tanginess of wild blackberries, the burn of the summer sun sizzling in August, the smell of cigarettes and perfume in Mama’s hair all gently remind the reader that there is no black and white. No good or bad. Only shades of gray in a world that’s doing the best it can.

You can read more about me and Hush Puppy at www.lisatcresswell.com

 

October 30~ Welcome #UncommonYA author Eileen Schuh

Happy Birthday to Eileen Schuh's FATAL ERROR!

 

 

One year ago, FATAL ERROR hit the stands during a very sad time for me. Just months prior, our two family matriarchs, my mother and mother-in-law, passed away within weeks of each other. It had been a summer of funerals and flowers and family visits. Tears and fears as I faced the stark realization that my husband I were now the ‘older’ generation, keepers of the family traditions and lore.

Amidst the grief, to keep my mind busy, to dull my pain, to escape reality, I closeted myself when I could over that sad summer and worked fervently with editors, cover-designers, formatters and the publisher to bring the book FATAL ERROR out of the potential world and into the real one.

FATAL ERROR was my distraction, my achievement, my immortality in a way. When I lamented to Cheryl Tardif, publisher at Imajin Books, that I wasn’t able to do all I wished for my book launch she mentioned not to worry, that FATAL ERROR was now out there forever. I could market it for as many years as I wished, whenever I wished. It was mine, it was a legacy to my children and grandchildren. It was there for the world to enjoy—forever. So, I invite you to join me in giving FATAL ERROR the ‘launch’ it deserves in celebration of its very first birthday!

Find Eileen Schuh online!

Website

Blog

Follow me on Twitter

'Like' my author page

My author presentations to young people top the list of the things I’m most proud of when it comes to my writing career. All my books are on the shelves of Canada’s northern young offenders facilities and in the outreach libraries of the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre.

FATAL ERROR, I tell my young audiences, is an entertaining, dramatic story that can help us develop a positive, well-rounded sense of justice that goes beyond our formal legal system of law-makers, law enforcement and the court house, although those concepts, too, are part of the story.

What the reviewers say about FATAL ERROR:

 “Wise, haunting, deeply moving…unforgettable!”

 “Courage and insight make for a compelling read”

"I recommend the book to other parents. I think it will speak to them."

 “For any young person facing struggles...this is a must-read series”

“...excellent pacing. It's a worthy sequel to the explosive ‘THE TRAZ’

 “The very best in today's motorcycle gang stories just got a little better.”

"...brilliantly entwining the characters and their lives through dialogue"

"...douses the reader headfirst in a psychological drama..."

I explain how our sense of justice affects our personal lives. As we enter adulthood, our understanding of blame, guilt and forgiveness expands considerably from our basic black and white childhood concepts of right and wrong, good and evil.  As we mature we loose our self-centred childish outlook on life and being to notice, comprehend, and empathize with the experiences and feelings of others. This helps us develop our mature sense of what is fair and empowers us to take responsibility for our own lives.

FATAL ERROR is Book 2 in the BackTracker series. However, it reads well on its own as I wrote it before I wrote THE TRAZ (originally intending THE TRAZ to be a prequel to the series). FATAL ERROR is sold as a Young Adult crime novel. Action/Adventure. A psychological thriller that also appeals to adults.

In The Traz, Katrina made some poor decisions that landed her in a lot of trouble. The book ended with her being rescued from a biker gang during an undercover police operation. In FATAL ERROR, Katrina (along with the cops and the bikers) face the emotional, social, and legal  consequences of their actions during their time with the gang.

Aside from all the lessons and underlying themes, FATAL ERROR is an exciting read.

FATAL ERROR is available as an eBook and in paperback from all fine online book sellers. If it is not on the shelves of your local library or bookstore, you can ask to have it ordered in. And, if you want an autographed copy—just contact me through any of my social networking sites.

Purchase links:

All Amazon sites

Smashwords

iTunes library (for all your Apple products)

Barnes & Noble

Missy Ames Blog Stop # 8 on the Hush Puppy Tour

Missy wrote Hush Puppy the most wonderful review on Goodreads and Amazon.  We've never actually met outside the Lair of the Dark Fairy Queen on Facebook, so I'm fairly certain hers is an unbiased review. 

Either way, it really made my day to hear a parent say they would let their child read my book.  That's what it's all about, right?

Hop on over to Missy's blog and check out her review. There's lots of fun things over there, so enjoy~

My Meet the Characters Blogfest Entry

Corrine is my entry for the "Feistiest Girl" character on the Meet the Characters Blogfest today.  Hop on over there and VOTE for her!

 

You'll be my best friend forever :)

 

 

  
 

October 10 ~ Book Cover Love for Hush Puppy

There's definitely a story behind the cover of Hush Puppy. My publisher, Featherweight Press, was kind enough to give me the opportunity to help choose the cover.  They even asked for my suggestions. Originally, I thought perhaps the cover could show a woodland scene with a fallen tree across a creek, since that plays an important role in the story. Other ideas I had were Jamie's red notebook with doodles and scribbles all over it or a diner scene.  Their cover designer did the best they could with my ideas, but when the proofs came, none of them were really what I wanted.

 

In the meantime, I had come across this photo of a young black woman in deep thought. The image was so starkly beautiful to me, I just fell in love with it. It's just as I imagined Corrine, a simple pure beauty that goes much deeper than the surface. I had to have it.

 

As fate would have it, I have a good friend who's a graphic artist who's made all my self-published covers. He took the photo and made a cover, which we presented to Featherweight Press. Although they have a general policy against accepting self-made covers, they decided to use the image and the rest is history. I couldn't be more pleased.

In other news, Hush Puppy continues to receive kudos. Please visit the Children's Book Review website to see the latest review of my young adult novel~

Hush Puppy Blog Tour Stop #5 ~ Laura James

Today I'm over at Laura James' blog doing an interview about Hush Puppy and my writing habits. She asks some pretty entertaining questions, so you should check it out!



Hush Puppy has been receiving some of the most lovely kudos here lately. I just wanted to share a bit of a review on Amazon~ 


Hush Puppy starts out simple and sweet: a 17-year-old black girl in North Carolina meets a white boy her age and starts a friendship. Corrine's life is difficult, but it's not stereotypically tragic. It's something that many readers can relate to, as is Jamie's. Corrine handles it well, though. She tackles racism, poverty, absent parents, and peer pressure with admirable grace, usually taking the high road. She's not a Mary Sue character, though: she has moments when that decision is so hard to make. In the end, she serves as a role model for real girls.

Jamie isn't quite as strong as Corrine, taking his trials but blaming others for them. At this point, he doesn't have high hopes for the future. Jamie is right in the middle of the toughest part of his life, and he's well aware of it. There were a couple of moments in the book where I felt Jamie wasn't worth the trouble he caused, but apparently the heroine of the book had more faith in him than I did.


Hope you've gotten your copy and will review soon too!  And if you haven't gotten a copy yet, I'll be signing print books at the Barnes and Noble in Twin Falls, Idaho, on October 19, 2013 starting at 11 am.  I'll stay till they kick me out :)  Come see me if you can!

Welcome #UNCommonYA author Julie Anne Lindsey~

 

What you don't know can kill you . . .

Ever since she could remember, Elle has had to hop from town to town to keep up with her dad's demanding career as a corporate insurance agent. Each time, a reoccurring nightmare followed her wherever she went--until the day that the frightening figures haunting her at night became all too real. When news of a serial killer spreads throughout her new school, Elle worries that the Reaper has been leaving her his calling card in the form of cigarette butts on her doormat and an unusual ribbon in her locker. With the help of Brian, a boy she meets at a flea market, she discovers that this isn't her first encounter with the murderer and that her father has been concealing her true identity for the past twelve years. But despite her father's desperate attempts to protect her, Elle still comes face to face with the darkness she has been running from her whole life. Trapped in the woods and with help hundreds of miles away, will Elle be able to confront the Reaper and reclaim the life she lost?

 

"Ms. Lindsey crafts an exquisite tale that kicked my adrenaline up with every turn of the page. Deceived is stunning and more than a little scary. From the first page, I had to know what happens next, while at the same time, I had to know what happened before. As Elle's life unravels, the reader will feel just as raw and betrayed as she does." --Gwen Hayes, author of Falling Under

 

   

To read more and learn about the author visit http://julieannelindsey.com/ ~ Enjoy!

Hush Puppy Blog Tour Stop #4 at Rachel Schieffelbein's

 
 
Hi Everyone!  I’m so glad Rachel invited me to visit with you on her blog as part of my book release blog tour.  If you don't already know, I’ve just published a young adult contemporary novel titled Hush Puppy.  It's had some lovely reviews, such as~
 

  Hush Puppy is a sweet, sweet story of conquering prejudices, forgiveness and family, and a reminder that positive perspective, determination, and the support of one special person are enough to overcome whatever trauma life may deal.

 

So far, I’ve done lots of author interviews and talked plenty about myself. Today I want to switch gears a little. I’d like to talk with you about the themes in the book and what I was striving for when I wrote it.  I’m a huge fan of themes in writing. Hop on over to Rachel's blog and see what's new! And if you just want to look at pretty pictures that illustrate the themes in the book, go HERE. Peace~

 

YA Romance Novel Hush Puppy by Lisa T. Cresswell

Hush Puppy is the story of Corrine Lamb, a seventeen year old black girl, and Jamie Armstrong, a poor white boy, living in a backwater North Carolina town. Intelligent Corrine, abandoned by her mother, and artsy Jamie, forced to play football by a redneck father, both dream of leaving their podunk town and never looking back.   

Their shared love of literature and a dream of a better life brings them together and a romance blossoms between them in a secret place of their own in the steamy North Carolina woods. When Jamie is involved in the accidental death of a white girl, he's terrified of his abusive father. Corrine takes the blame to protect Jaime, with dire consequences for herself and her dreams of the future. Her life in danger, Corrine's left wondering if Jamie ever cared about her at all.

The events surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin underscore how prevalent fear and hate still is in our country. Sadly, many of the themes explored in Hush Puppy are extremely relevant to today's youth. It's my hope that Hush Puppy is a story not only about poverty and race, but about hope, friendship, and the power of love.  Enjoy~

 
                            

Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive:

With a lot of emotion and skill, Cresswell weaves together a story that promotes the power of friendship and the importance of being true to oneself.

Hush Puppy is a sweet, sweet story of conquering prejudices, forgiveness and family, and a reminder that positive perspective, determination, and the support of one special person are enough to overcome whatever trauma life may deal.

To read an excerpt and more about the author, click on over to www.lisatcresswell.com~

William Hazelgrove introduces you to THE PITCHER's main character!

Please welcome another UncommonYA Author today ~ William Hargrove

 

In the novel The Pitcher, Ricky Hernandez is a Mexican American boy with a golden arm but no money for lessons. He is dyslexic and the victim of domestic abuse as his father comes back and steals money and hits him and his mother. A broken down World Series Pitcher, Jack Langford, who lives across the street, sits in his garage and drinks beer.
Ricky's mother Maria is sick with Lupus and desperate to get his son lessons to make the high school team.  The Pitcher is a man who is in mourning over his wife and cannot move on.
Maria convinces him to coach her son and they make progress but then he goes on a binge like Ricky's father did, and doesn't show up. Maria steadily gets sicker and is nervous about her immigration status. A Tea Party mom reveals that Maria is an illegal immigrant and bars her son from trying out for the team. The Pitcher finds out she has no medical insurance and pays for her hospital bills.

In a turnabout he and Maria date and then fall out. It comes down to the final game and a tryout where Ricky is barred. The Pitcher has a decision to make.
Find out more about William Hazelgrove and his books: The Pitcher (Koehler Books, August, 2013)
One Up (Merit Press, March, 2014)
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blogs:   The View From Hemingway's Attic
  Cell Lit
NPR Interview with Robert Siegel
Sixty Second Stories for your phone
Rocket Man Book Trailer
Reading Rocket Man from Hemingway's Attic

Buy William's books:
Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound

A Few Things Nobody Told me about Publishing

Good Monday to you~

So Hush Puppy has been out a couple weeks now and it's been a real roller-coaster of ups and downs, highs and lows, and just plain general confusion. Being newly published, I've been excited and elated and at times, discouraged by it all.  I'm doing my best to just go with the flow and not get too worked up by any of it.  Here's some of the things I'm discovering that I never thought about or learned about before.

1)  Publishing is just as glacially slow after the book comes out as it is before. I am eager to know what readers think, but it takes time for them to find and read a book. Even longer to review it. I know all that in my rational mind, but I'm still dying to know what readers think.  Receiving copies of the book and arranging signings with bookstores is also equally slow, which leads to the second thing I didn't know.

2) I have to ask local bookstores to carry my book and they must give their blessing. I guess I just assumed bookstores would be willing to carry books of all kinds. I've also learned that some book stores don't like print on demand books because they can't return them if they don't sell.  Call me crazy, but I thought only printing the books you need would help save some trees. I look at it as a good thing. I hope to learn more about how this end of the business works and I will keep asking questions.

3) Looking at some ridiculous sales rank squiggles on Amazon Author Central will drive you batty. Here's the roller coaster part. The lines go up and down like a theme park ride designed to make you puke.  I've decided it's probably best not to look at them, but it's like a train wreck that's hard not to see. Even Amazon admits their figures can't take into account all sales of your book, so it's really just a snapshot of what's happening on the Amazon website at that moment, nothing more. Right? Right!

4) I also realize now I haven't got the foggiest notion how to reach school and public librarians, the true gatekeepers of young readers in all of this. If my readers are high school age, the best way for them to find my book is in their school library, no?  This is a puzzle piece I really need to find out more about.

None of this is to say it isn't worth it.  My book is being read (and hopefully enjoyed) by people I don't even know and that's very exciting. I just hope I get the hang of this marketing thing. If any of you have some helpful hints or ideas for me, I'd love to hear them~