Rachel Hawthorne: Experience the Passion!

…The passion of life.

A couple of years ago, they (you know, the infamous "they"?) built a ballpark a few miles from my house. When I look out the window at night, I can see the lights glowing in the distance. One night I decided to go to a game. It was $1 night: $1 to get in, $1 for a hotdog, $1 for a drink, etc. Inexpensive entertainment.

The field was built for a collegiate league team. During the summer, college baseball players moved to the town, lived with the local families, and played on the town's team. That particular night was family appreciation night. The host families went down to the field before the game started to be recognized. It was obvious the families were fond of the players—and the players were fond of them. And the seed was planted for The Boyfriend League, the story of a girl who talks her parents into being a host family—so she can get to know all the guys better and hopefully get a boyfriend.

As a writer, I spend a lot of time in front of my computer. I'm an introvert, shy. Sometimes I think I would be content to never leave my office, but I've discovered that I have to get out and experience life to keep the ideas flowing. If I hadn't gone to the game, watched the families cheering their players on, I might have never had the idea for The Boyfriend League.

I once had a reader offer to sell me her story ideas, but I don't need to buy other people's ideas. I have so many of my own. I'll bet you do, too. Stories are part of who we are, and ideas can come from the ordinary or the not-so-ordinary. Thrill Ride came about because of a vacation we took to Cedar Point and the memory of a guy who called my college roommate and ended up talking to me—and then he kept calling me. The idea for Snowed In was sparked by a trip to Mackinac Island.

Do your story ideas come from experiences, from somewhere else, or from a little of both? Do you think you'll ever run out of ideas? Or are you like me, wondering if you'll have time to write them all?

Rachel Hawthorne
Author of The Boyfriend League

P. E. Ryan: Exploring the Issue

First, a bit of history. When I was 18, I was a freshman at Florida State and had a job shelving books. One of the books I came across was The Anita Bryant Story (an autobiography of a singer-turned-orange-juice-spokesperson who surprised everyone in the 1970s by becoming America's #1 homophobe). I was in the closet, nervous, and immediately read the chapter titled, I think, "The Homosexual Problem." I then committed my one and only act of censorship: I went into the elevator and, with the doors open, I dropped the slim, little book through the gap and down into the elevator shaft. It's probably still there.

I wrote Saints of Augustine because I wanted to write the book that I wish had existed back in 1983: a novel about a gay guy, a straight guy, their various problems, and how they could forge a solid friendship despite—or because of—their differences.

Thankfully, it's easier for teens to come out these days, but that doesn't mean it's easy. I see it as a "right of passage" that shapes the adults we become. With that in mind, the subject matter is still very, very relevant. There are many prejudices thriving in the world, but the prejudice against gays and lesbians will probably be the last to evaporate. Therefore, it's up to us to explore the issue, celebrate it, and hopefully reach out to the world with our writing.

I wrote Saints of Augustine for all readers, not just a gay and lesbian audience. In fact, I purposefully kept in mind straight readers (both guys and girls) and was just as interested in the straight characters as the gay ones.

If you're a straight guy, Id love to know what you thought of the book and if you'd recommend it to your straight friends. Likewise if you're a straight girl or a lesbian. And as for my gay male readers…did I get it right?

P. E. Ryan
Author of Saints of Augustine

Lisa (a.k.a. Dorkysokerchick): Part Two: My Day at HarperTeen

The first thing we did when we got to the HarperCollins Children's building was meet Farrin and Lexa (both editors, of course—you've probably seen them around the site). They gave us a tour where I got to meet a ton of other editors that work on some of my favorite books (all of Meg's, of course, and Pretty Little Liars). I got to meet Naomi, too (who you've also probably seen around the site).

Then we were huddled into an art meeting. I never knew how much work went into making a cover. Between picking out models, colors, and fonts—the possibilities are endless. Then I got to see Farrin's office and pick her brain about how she became an editor.

Then it was on to lunch with Rachel Vail. We ate at this amazing Italian restaurant and Rachel was so nice. I got to hear tons of stories, one involving Judy Blume, and I even got to give my opinion on a title for her new series.

Then we went to an editorial meeting where several editors discussed if they wanted to pursue certain books or pass on them, and I also got to hear what kinds of books they're looking for in the upcoming year.

We were then shuffled into another meeting where we celebrated some birthdays (the cupcakes were really good) and then everyone discussed a manuscript I had gotten to take a look at earlier.

Finally, before the day was over, I got to meet Melissa from Publicity and take a tour of Marketing and Publicity—basically where they set up all the promotions for a book.

I met way too many editors to name, but each and every one was nice to us and they all went out of their way to make it a great day for me.

Did I not answer any essential questions? Well…you know what to do…

Lisa (a.k.a. Dorkysokerchick), Grand Prize Chapter Winner

Lisa (a.k.a. Dorkysokerchick): Part One: Are You Sure I WON?

I never dreamed when I stumbled upon this site that I would win anything. Well, OK, I didn't stumble on it so much as read about it on Meg Cabot's blog, which I religiously view.

Anyway, the fact that I was a chapter winner floored me. I mean, things like that don't happen to me, and then on top of that I won a trip to NY. Insane right? Not to mention that I got to go to meet the folks at HarperTeen. It still makes me all giddy just thinking about it.

So from December, when I fell down the stairs after hearing the news, until March 26, I had plenty of time to prepare and pack (OK, I admit I didn't pack until the day of). On Monday March 26, we boarded a plane headed for NY.

Unfortunately for us, our plane was delayed an hour, but that gave me plenty of time to catch up on some of Rachel Vail's books (she was the author I got to meet, but more on that later).

We stayed at the Omni Berkshire Hotel in Manhattan, which was extremely nice—nicer than anyplace I had ever stayed before. From there we ended up walking to Rockefeller Center, went shopping (duh), and then went to the Empire State Building. By the end of the night, I crashed into bed completely nervous about the next day, which I know is what everyone wants to hear about.

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until next time to hear all about it. So in the meantime, any questions you want me to answer? You know what to do...

Lisa (a.k.a. Dorkysokerchick), Grand Prize Chapter Winner