Quick Interview: The Book Muncher

1) Hi, Rachael! Welcome to Cherry Tree Notes. It’s been pretty quiet around here, but we love to have people stop by. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your blog.

Hi all! As Kristi said, my name is Rachael, and I’ve been blogging at The Book Muncher for over four years. When I’m not reading YA, I go to school at Barnard College of Columbia University, where I’m majoring in Comparative Literature, and work at a small literary agency called Fox Literary.

2) What genres of young adult literature do you enjoy most? And which recently published (or soon to be) titles are you excited about?

I have rather eclectic taste when it comes to books, so I read a little bit of everything from contemporary and historical fiction to paranormal and high fantasy—it really just depends on my mood! I do find, though, that I’m generally a little more particular to certain themes or concepts within genres; for example, I’ve been really into stories with time travel and parallel universes of late, so I’ve been drooling over a fair amount of sci-fi: False Memory by Dan Krokos, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (which doesn’t come out until Fall 2013), and Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate.

In other genres, I’m greatly looking forward to Diviners by Libba Bray, Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, Speechless by Hannah Harrington, and Burn for Burn by Jenn Han and Siobhan Vivian.

3) I know you are currently based in a big city and gaining work experience as a publishing intern. What is it that you do and how do you hope your role within the industry will evolve within the next few years?

As an assistant at a literary agency, I do a little bit of everything. Mostly, I do a lot of reading—in sorting through queries, of manuscripts in the “slush pile,” and of my boss’s clients’ projects. I’m also starting to do a fair amount of writing as well, by drafting rejection and revision letters. Since I aspire to be a young adult book editor, it is my hope that I’ll be hired as an editorial assistant at a publishing house soon after I graduate from college next year! When (not if!) that happens, I’ll likely be doing a lot of the stuff that I get to do now at the literary agency—but all the time!

4) Any advice for those who want to work in publishing, write, or something in between?

The best advice that I can give is very general but I’d like to think it’s very relevant to all aspects of the publishing industry, whether from the writer’s side or the publisher’s side: Don’t give up. Publishing is extremely competitive, because everybody wants to write a book and all those English majors out there want to get paid. Perseverance and patience can really make a huge difference; no matter how disheartening the present state of the publishing industry looks at any given time, your ability to stick things through while someone else couldn’t makes you that much closer to your end goal, whatever it may be!

Thanks so much for having me on the blog!

You can find out more about The Book Muncher and her reviews on her blog: http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter: @thebookmuncher.


*SIDE NOTE* : I will be attending the American Library Association's annual conference Friday through Sunday (or Monday, not sure yet) and will post a recap with photos next week!  :) 

Interview: Ruta Sepetys

Today I have a special treat for you: an interview with the author of Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys! 

This book has earned a honorable place in my heart, not just because of her writing (which is phenomenal) but because she has made the world a better place by telling a story that next to no one actually knows. 

My grandparents were persecuted by Stalin and barely escaped with their lives. I grew up knowing the story of the genocide hidden right before the Holocaust. I couldn't believe the masses that didn't share my knowledge. For giving these shadowed figures a voice, Ruta has earned a great deal of my respect. 

Let's jump right in to the questions! 

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Can you tell us about yourself?

RS – I was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. For nearly twenty years I worked in the music industry, managing the careers of recording artists, musicians and songwriters. One day, one of my clients said, “Ruta, you’ve spent years helping musicians tell their stories, but what’s your story?” That question sparked a career transition. I started writing.

What was the first thing you wrote, the one that decided for you that you were going to be a writer?

RS – Well, the first thing I wrote was a middle-grade mystery. Fortunately, a literary agent encouraged me to put that book aside and write “Between Shades of Gray” instead. I’m so grateful for that early advice!

Can you tell us about your book? Without giving it away, of course. 

RS – The book is set in 1941 and deals with a piece of WWII history that’s not often talked about – the crimes of Stalin. The story follows fifteen-year-old artist, Lina Vilkas, who is arrested with her mother and younger brother and deported from Lithuania to Siberia. The story chronicles not only their fight to survive, but their struggle to retain faith in mankind.

If you could go into one scene in your book and stand by your character's side instead of in heir head, which scene would it be? If not in your book, it could be from a story you read. 

RS – Wow, what a fantastic question! I would go into “Between Shades of Gray” and stand by Lina during the scene where she has to draw a portrait of the Soviet commander. It was such an awful scary scene to write.

What inspired Shades of Gray? 

RS – When I was in Lithuania meeting with relatives I learned that some of my grandfather’s extended family had been deported to Siberia. I was shocked and ashamed that I knew so little about Lithuania’s history. I decided to write the book to give voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who will never have a chance to tell their story.

Can you give one piece of advice to the writers out there?

RS – My one piece of advice would be to read. Good writers are good readers!


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If you want to learn more about Ruta and her book, Between Shades of Gray, you can visit her website or at BetweenShadesofGray.com. 


If you haven't read her book, you should. You never know, you might really like it. I know I did. You can buy it on Amazon, Kindle, or just check it out from your local library!


From her website:

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost.

Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in her art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?

Between Shades of Gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit.

Thank you all for reading, good luck, and keep writing!

Interview: Annie from The Epic, the Awesome, and the Random

Today I have a special treat for you all. Meet Annie, a fellow blogger, avid reader, and fantastic writer. She's here (metaphorically) from her blog, The Epic, the Awesome, and the Random. Everyone give a warm welcome!


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Tell me a little about yourself. What's your current project? Favorite book? The name of your blog? 


I'm Annie, a teenage girl, aspiring author, introvert, certified band geek, dreamer, and general lover of books.  I have a blog titled The Epic, the Awesome, and the Random, where I review books, give writing advice, and other assorted things.  It's so hard to name just one book as a favorite, so I'll mention several.  I've always been a huge fan of Christopher Paolini's Inheritence series, as well as D. J. MacHale's Pendragon series, Alison Goodman's Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, and Patrick Carman's Thirteen Days to Midnight.  I've loved books and stories from a very young age, so I suppose that naturally led me to writing.  My current project is a young adult high fantasy novel titled Secrets of the Legend Chaser.  It's about a boy who steals dragon eggs while running from his past life, a lonely king, and an orphan whom everyone thinks is the king's missing son.  I'm currently in the revision stages, and as soon as it's polished and revised I plan to begin querying agents and pursuing publication, which has always been a dream of mine.


What was the first thing you ever wrote? If you can't remember a specific thing, what sorts of things did you start out with? (Poems, short story, start right out with a novel, etc.)


I wrote my first story when I was about five.  It was a short "book" about a dinosaur that gets captured and taken to a zoo (yeah, even my five-year-old self knew what a plot was, apparently), complete with marker illustrations and sequels.  All throughout elementary school and I wrote various short stories.  In middle school, I started writing poems (and I tried my hand at song lyrics) as well as stories.  I wrote in just about every genre--historical, fantasy, realistic, sci-fi, dystopian, paranormal, and more.  I've accumulated quite a collection of writing--I love to look back and see how much I've progressed.  During seventh and eighth grade I wrote two novellas (like novels, but not quite as long) featuring a four friends and their horses.  At the beginning of my freshman year of high school, I looked at one of the short stories I'd written, titled Emerald Spark.  I realized that the main character's story went far beyond what was in those four pages.  And so Secrets of the Legend Chaser came to be.  It's my first full-length novel, and the first very large piece of writing I've had to revise.  


You're farther along than most of us in our current novels, do you have any advice for those finishing up their stories and starting to revise?


The first step is actually finishing the project.  I cannot stress enough how utterly important this is.  It may sound completely obvious, but this is a huge step that many writers can't get past.  It's so easy to not finish a project, to get distracted by a shinier idea and abandon your current work in progress.  If you ever want to be a sucessful published author, people are going to expect you to finish books.  Once a writer gets to the point where they can finish a full-length book, they have taken a very important leap.  Once they get there, though, they also need to learn to revise.  Revision is the key to producing publishable novels.  It makes the jumbled plot a smooth ride, it makes the awkward prose into a work of art, and it makes the cardboard-cutout character into a living, breathing person.  Before revising, though, you have to let the work sit for a few weeks.  It's hard to revise something that's still so fresh in your mind.  By distancing yourself from the novel, you enable yourself to look at it with fresh eyes.  And before you start revising, you need a plan.  Don't just dive in--figure out what needs to be changed, and how you'll change it.  A plan of action will go a long way towards making your revision sucessful.


What got you started on a blog? 


 I used to scan the writing help forum on Inkpop quite frequently, and I noticed that I was able to answer many of the writing-related questions that people had.  I also realized that I enjoyed this.  At that time I was getting more and more into following writing and book review blogs, so I thought I had nothing to lose by starting one myself.  And so The Epic, the Awesome, and the Random was born.  I figured that instead of just helping a few people at a time, I could type up an article on writing and let all my followers, and anyone else who stumbled across the blog, see it.  My blog also has another aspect to it--I also write book reviews.  This came about because I was already noting things I liked or disliked as I read books, and it really wasn't much more work to type these thoughts up after I finished the book.  In all honesty, the blog has been far more sucessful than I thought it would be.  It can be very rewarding at times, like when a reader leaves a comment saying how much an article of mine helped them out.  That makes me smile every time.   

Do you have any quick advice to share with the bloggers out there? 

Don't expect huge amounts of followers right away.  You don't gain followers without effort.  The way you get people to read your blog is to write posts that have content worthy of reading.  This seems obvious, but it really is the truth.  If you regularly churn out articles that are informative/entertaining/whatever the purpose of your blog is, there's a good chance you'll eventually gain a following.  Also, if you want lots of readers, get your name out there.  Guest blogging on someone else's blog, commenting on other blogs, and generally interacting with other bloggers are all ways to make people aware of your presence.  Don't worry so much about your blog's design--it doesn't have to be fancy as long as you have good content.  Also, use spellcheck, and read through your posts at least once before you hit "publish".  Please, please, please.  It doesn't take much effort, and it'll save you from embarrassing and unprofessional errors.  Write about things that have meaning for you, things you care about.  Just like with all forms of writing, if you don't care about what you're writing about, then your readers won't, either.

Why do you write? Or why do you keep writing? 

I write because that's who I am.  Writing, for me, is not a hobby, nor a pastime.  I need to put words on paper, just like a musician needs to have sound coming out of their instrument, or a painter needs to put paint on a canvas.  It's a part of who I am.  I love creating stories, and writing is the way I get them out of my head and into the world.  There are definitely things I don't like about writing, but for every aspect I don't enjoy, there are ten that I love.  I write for the exhilaration of typing those first few words, and the bittersweet satisfaction of "the end".  I write to walk that thin line between reality and imagination.  I write for the moments when my characters feel such emotion that I'm crying, too.  I write to create something out of nothing.  I write for that moment when someone reads what I wrote, looks up at me, and says "Wow."  I keep writing because of my passion for stories and imagination, and my tendency to daydream, and night-dream, and any dream in between.  I keep writing because my stories keep bouncing around in my head, and my characters keep nudging me to get their stories into the world.  Any writer can relate to the utter magic of writing, and in the end, I think we all write for the same reason--because if we didn't write, we couldn't go on. 


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Thank you Annie for visiting and we wish you luck with your blog and writing! You can talk to Annie at her blog, The Epic, the Awesome, and the Random. 


Have a happy Friday and keep writing, because if we didn't write, we couldn't go on. I couldn't have said it better myself, Annie!

Interview: Shelly Li

Our first interview of 2012! Oh yeah! Welcome, readers, back to the start of the new year and new writing advice. We have an amazing author here whose book is coming out in 2013. Sit back and read a little bit about Shelly Li!

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Can you share a little bit about yourself?

1. I am currently a freshman at Duke, studying economics and philosophy. I graduated last spring from a large high school in Omaha, where I was captain of the varsity golf team and vice president of my class, as well as an IB Diploma candidate (now a recipient.) I'm a writer of science fiction and fantasy, and I've published over 30 short stories in places such as Nature, Cosmos, Daily Science Fiction, and Science Fiction World. Lastly, my first novel, THE ROYAL HUNTER: THRONE UNDER SIEGE, is forthcoming in Summer 2013 from Philomel (Penguin Group).

How were you inspired to be a writer?

2. I was inspired to be a writer early on, you could say. My fourth grade teacher was very adamant about curse words, and forbade even the "soft" curse words in the class. As is my character, I set out to push the boundaries, and I did so under the banner of "Creative License." I wrote a horrifying, fantastical tale about a dragon trapped in a castle, and about the girl who came and saved him--a girl who swore every other sentence. As you can imagine, my teacher was shocked. But I had just gotten a taste of the writing life, and I wasn't going back.

Can you tell us about your book? Without giving it away, of course. 

3. The book is about a thirteen-year-old boy, Adrian Hall, who is recruited into the army to hunt creatures called dastyxes, creatures that possess magical abilities that transfer to humans upon the animals' death. Along the way, he finds himself deep in a community crippled by hidden agendas, and as he grows up and learns new secrets about the powerful people who surround him, he must face his own dilemmas and fight for his own notion of right and wrong.

If you were in a story, what would the genre be? If your up for it, give us a short summary of what the story line would be. 

4. I would most definitely be in a science fiction story--preferably a Ted Chiang one. I don't want to give a summary, because I think a mind-blowing story goes way deeper than plot. In terms of what the story would be made of... probably a lot of serious growing up business, a splash of humor, and maybe one or two things going awry/blowing up.

When you wrote your book, did you prewrite or just go with the flow? 

5. I made a brief outline about where I wanted to go with the book, and some ideas about the main character and his background. After that, I wrote by the seat of my pants, and a lot of twists resulted from that. Now, when I write short stories, that's another matter. Because there are only so many words you can use in a short story, you have to tighten everything as tightly as you can--if something can be said in one sentence, don't ever make it a paragraph in a short story. Therefore, when I write short fiction, I plan meticulously.

Can you give one piece of advice for new writers?

6. The best thing you can ever do for your writing career is to put pen to paper. And the best thing you can ever do for your life is to live wildly, recklessly, and use the best moments of your life to color your stories.

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Give a round of applause for the amazing Shelly Li! When 2013 comes around, be sure to check out her book, I know I can't wait to read it!

New Author Friday! Spencer Brokaw

Okay so today is Friday and I have an author interview! Yay! There's something very interesting about this author.... He's twelve! read on to find out more about the amazing author of The Impenetrable Spy. 

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Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Spencer Brokaw, 12 year old author of The Impenetrable Spy available on Nook, Kindle, Ibooks, and in paperback on Amazon. I love to write, and already have my second book done, and I am currently working on my third. I enjoy golf, swimming, playing the drums, reading, and writing when I have the chance.

When did you first have an interest in writing?

When I was 6 or 7, my dad suggested that I write as a cure for boredom. I wrote a short story (21 notebook pages) about a man that breaks out of jail. I wrote other stories until typing my first on the computer. I then moved onto a second book on the computer, that is now The Impenetrable Spy.

Can you tell us about your book? Without giving it away, of course. 

Zack Carter was an ordinary person until meeting up with the CIA. Zack creates a time machine that can transport him back in time when his heart rate stops. Zack is nearly "Impenetrable" and can not be beaten. Wang Bo, a rich leader of China discovers a small statue that can make peoples worst fears come alive. He is also the leader of a mass terrorist group dubbed the Bad Hounds. Zack's main priority is to save the United States from World War 3. He travels through several missions through huge mansions, a war torn D.C, an insane asylum, and New York City.

Are there any authors that have become your role models or books that you’ve read that you thought of while writing that you wanted to write one like it?

Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling,and Lemony Snicket were my favorite writers. There weren’t many books that I wanted to copy, but video games like Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon made me like the espionage genre a lot.

What inspired the Impenetrable Spy? 

It never would’ve started without my dad suggesting writing 6 years ago, but video games were a heavy influence. The action genre in movies also geared me towards this direction. I have always loved to write these types of books, so eventually this is a story I came up with.

Can you give one piece of advice to the writers out there?

Keep writing. If you stop writing, even for a short amount of time, it gets out of shape. It’s like exercise, you have to keep doing it otherwise you’ll get out of shape. Writing needs to be practiced at least once a week, but once a day is even better.

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And that's Spencer my friends! You can find him on his blog at Writing Tips from a 12 Year Old Author and get his book on your Kindle and on Smashwords. Good luck with your writing and have a nice beginning of December! It's off to the school play for me!

Interview: Jamie Brook Thompson

If you're here, back again from last Friday, I want to congratulate you! Welcome back! Right off the back I would just like to point out that today is the big 11.11.11! Whoopie! And I can tell my cat is also just as happy as I am as she is purring furiously on my lap. :) For those of you doing Nanowrimo, what is it? About a week and a half now? Congrats, only a few weeks to go!

Today I have the honor of introducing Jamie Brook Thompson! She's a new author, her book Fairytale Farms has just recently come out. I thought you guys might want to hear a little about her, maybe realize that eventually, someday in forever, you'll finish your book. But remember, there's a lot of hard work from now to that day.

Anyways, I interviewed our fabulous guest so read on!

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm pretty much just like everybody else. A dreamer, a believer, and a friend to everyone. I have the biggest problem with meeting new people and not realizing we haven't been friends forever. I also drink way too much Pepsi because I can't get enough of those burning bubbles down the back of my throat. Blast you carbonation!

What inspired you to write?

I'm gonna go with the book that started us all... Twilight! I'll be proud to admit I love Meyers! She did what all of us dream of... Got people to read! I say a person can love or hate Meyers, but we all have to respect her... Again, Folks, she got people to read!

Can you tell us about your book? Without giving it away, of course. 

I like to write about the dark truths of reality in a world of fantasy. In Fairytale Farms, Melody, has some dark secrets she can't tell anyone about. Right off the bat, she meets a couple of cowboys who distract her from her problems. But just as she falls for one of them, he becomes sick. Her bottled secrets are destroying his magical existence. The trouble is, even though he knows he can't be with her, the cowboy can't give Melody up. And she refuses to walk away from him, even when she knows being with him might cost Melody her life.

Out of all the characters in your book, who is your favorite? If you can't choose, who would most likely be your friend if they all saw you on a daily basis?

Melody would be my best friend because she's real. She's insecure, rough around the edges, not easily won over, and really she just a scattered teenager, but deep down she's a good person. She only wants what most of us want... To be accepted and loved.

Have any books to recommend that you've read and really liked? (Besides your own, which I'm definitely reading when I get the chance.)

Rather than give you a book I've been reading, I'll tell you I'm in a huge Sarah Zarr phase right now. I can't get enough of her. She's amazing. I would recommend readers start with her book Sweethearts.

Can you give one piece of advice to our readers out there on their writing?

My advice for writers... NEVER give up! If somebody doesn't like your work, they're not your audience! Believe in yourself. You are the only one that knows YOUR story. Tell it YOUR way. Nobody else can tell it like YOU can! Have faith in yourself, and work everyday like there's no tomorrow to perfect your craft. 

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Check out her blog here to find out more about her book, which in available on Amazon, Nook, and Kindle. Thanks guys and happy Friday!