Beware of the White's Journey to Publication by Kai Strand

I am so delighted to have as my guest today, Kai Strand, a friend, colleague and fellow author at Guardian Angel Publishing.  Welcome, Kai.  I know the readers will enjoy your post!

At the beginning of my tour – on Mayra Calvani’s blog  – I explained the inspiration behind BEWARE OF THE WHITE. But that was only a small part of the story. This book has taken a long and arduous NINE years to make it to publication. Here’s why.

BotW was the first novel I wrote. The inspiration and the story flowed out quickly, but most unfortunately not very cleanly! The first draft of the book topped out over 85K words! After some research I learned that first time authors don’t have a lot of luck selling middle grade works with such high word counts. Every single one of those words was a masterpiece in and of itself, but alas, I had to cut. And cut. And cut.

After I thought I’d whittled and tweaked enough, I started querying. And querying. And querying. Nothing. This was back in the day when I had to print the cover letter and first chapter or ten pages or whatever the publisher or agent requested and physically mail it and then wait. And wait. And wait. I submitted to agents first, but didn’t see any interest and then I submitted direct to publishers and was encouraged by at least some positive feedback and the occasional request for more. However, I didn’t find any takers and eventually I tucked the manuscript in for a long rest.

A really long rest, actually. Years long rest. The interesting thing is, as I toured my other books, hosts often asked about my other works-in-progress and I often bragged about this book. I loved this adventure and knew that I needed to wake it up and rework it. And you know what? This time around, after having written more books and after having gone through the editing process with a couple publishers, I came at it with a more experienced eye and I could see what wasn’t quite working. So I worked really hard on a very major rewrite.

By this point, I had developed a dramatic love/hate relationship with the story. As much as I loved the story, I hated the amount of work it was. The rework was probably the hardest I’ve ever worked as a writer and I was feeling like a big hater, but I had a publisher in mind and that helped to keep me focused. After I finished with the extensive edits, I read the book out loud to the kids and when I finished reading, I was back in love. Thank goodness. So with a big deep breath and while blowing kisses I hit the send button on my submission. THREE days later I got an email of acceptance.

You know those stories of ‘overnight sensation’? That’s what it felt like. After all those years and all that hard work, it felt like it happened overnight. At that point, I was truly in love with my story.

If you’d like to know how my relationship with my book faired through edits, be sure to join me when I visit the Pen & Ink blog on June 3^rd.  My complete tour schedule can be found here.

About BEWARE OF THE WHITE

As is tradition, Terra learns on the Saturday past her twelfth birthday that she is a Natures Spirit. It is her legacy to serve in the peaceful underground city of Concord. Learning she is named in a prophecy and being threatened by the leader of the death tribe…that part breaks tradition.

The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld, responsible for delivering fatalities with a smile and cleaning up after themselves until Blanco, recent leader of the Trepidus, decides the day of reckoning for his species is coming. He begins organizing the creatures and leads them toward an uprising. The prophecy says there is one person who can stop him. Terra.

With Spirit of Security, Frank, protecting her, Terra attempts to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents. Together, they go on a rogue investigation to learn how to defeat Blanco. In the end, it comes down to a battle of the minds. The future of Concord is at stake. Will Blanco, the older, more experienced being win? Or will Terra, the young, new Spirit earn back the peace of the city?

SPONTANEOUS GIVEAWAY!

As if the big book related prize packages giveaway wasn’t enough, I’m going to choose one lucky reader to win this beautiful bookmark made by my amazing friends at Broken Top Digitizing & Stitching. Just leave a comment telling Nancy and me the hardest work you’ve ever done (physical, mental, boring, exciting – there are no wrong answers here) and include your email address. I’ll choose one random name from comments left BEFORE May 25.

About the author:

Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author.  Beware of the White may be purchased at:

MuseItUp

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Or look for it on iTunes

 

Children's Book Week: Celebrate with Guardian Angel Publishing Authors (May 7 - 13)

Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast! 

Visit Guardian Angel Publishing authors via their blogs as they celebrate Children's Book Week. Each stop includes special topics of discussion: teaching writing and grammar using children’s books, road to publication, professional critiques, educator guides, Skype and in-person author visits, what’s selling in children’s non-fiction, writing narrative non-fiction, interviews, book reviews, individual book information, and so much more.

Enter at a chance to win two prizes:

·         One FREE Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Margot Finke

·         One FREE tote bag of children's books from the participating authors

Visit May 7-13, 2012 and automatically enter at a chance to win by commenting, GFC Follower, and/or become a Facebook Fan or Friend at each of the author blogs.

Guardian Angel Publishing Author Blogs:

Mayra Calvani - www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com

Margo Dill - www.margodill.com/blog

Margot Finke – www.hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com

Donna McDine - www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com

Nancy Stewart - www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

Kai Strand - www.kaistrand.blogspot.com

Nicole Weaver - www.mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com

About the authors:

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her children’s picture books include Crash, The Magic Violin, Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster, Frederico, the Mouse Violinist, The Doll Violinist, The Water Cycle: Water Play Series Book I and the upcoming The Fox in the Night. She’s had over 300 reviews, articles, stories and interviews published online and in print. She’s represented by Mansion Street Literary Management.

Margo L. Dill is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher, living in St. Louis, Missouri. Her work has appeared in publications such as Grit, Pockets, Missouri Life, ByLine Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, True Love, On the Line, Fun for Kidz, and The News-Gazette. She is a columnist, instructor, and contributing editor for WOW! Women On Writing. She writes weekly book reviews for The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL). Her first book, Finding My Place, a middle-grade historical novel, will be published by White Mane Kids in 2012. She also has a picture book accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing and another by High Hill Press.

Margot Finke is an Aussie transplant who writes midgrade adventure fiction and rhyming picture books. For many years she has lived in Oregon with her husband and family. She has 11 books published so far. Gardening, travel, and reading fill in the cracks between writing. Her husband is very supportive, though not interested in children's books . Their three children are now grown and doing very well. Margot didn't begin serious writing until the day their youngest left for college. This late start drives her writing, and pushes her to work at it every day. Margot said, "I really envy those who began young, and managed to slip into writing mode between kid fights, diaper changes, household disasters, and outside jobs. You are my heroes! "

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, The Golden Pathway, an historical fiction story book about the Underground Railroad. Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Donna has three more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, and A Sandy Grave. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids, Publicist for the Working Writer’s Club, and owner of Author PR Services.

Nancy Stewart is the bestselling and award winning author of the four Bella and Britt Series books for children. Her newest book, Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage, is the biography of Katrina Simpkins with Winter, the dolphin. All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing. She is a frequent speaker and presenter at writing conferences throughout the United States. A blogger with a worldwide audience, she writes of all things pertaining to writing for children.

Kai Strand writes fiction for children and young adults. Her debut title, The Weaver, was a finalist in the EPIC eBook Awards. Her upcoming titles, Save The Lemmings! and The Wishing Well, Another Weaver Tale, will be released in 2012. Links to current and upcoming short stories can be found on her website. You can find book related downloads and more information about Kai and her writing at www.kaistrand.com.

Nicole Weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She came to the United States when she was ten years old. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish, and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish. Her second children’s trilingual book, My Sister is My Best Friend was published by Guardian Angel Publishing, November 2011. She is also the author of a children’s trilingual picture book, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle. The story is about a Haitian girl who resides by the beach in Haiti.

We look forward to your visit. Thank you and good luck!

Interview with Kai Strand, author of The Weaver

Today I am so pleased to have as my guest, Kai Strand, author of award nominated book, The Weaver.  Kai is a fellow Guardian Angel Publishing author and is a hard working mom as well.  Let's see how she deals with it all, including writing great books for kids!

NS  Your formative years were spent in Wisconsin and southern California, two places very culturally different from one another. How did living in those two areas impact you and your writing today?

KS  What an eye opener! Heck, in Wisconsin, when I got home in the afternoon, I was still changing out of my school clothes into more casual clothes, and California kids wore SHORTS to school. The first thing I learned was shock – major culture shock. The second was discomfort. I’d gone to school with the same kids my entire life. Suddenly I had to make friends. I’d never consciously had to do that before.
Then there was the first Christmas; 80 degrees and pool party with family friends. I don’t think the move changed me fundamentally, but it exposed me to so much that I wouldn’t have known if I’d stayed in the same town the rest of my school career and maybe even into adulthood. I draw upon those lessons, experiences and feelings when I’m creating characters or putting them into odd circumstances.

 NS  You came to writing for children a bit later than some (as I did). Yet you completed your first middle grade novel, The Weaver, quickly and were nominated for an EPIC eBook award (2012). Tell us how you came to write the book. How did your muse take you there?

KS  The Weaver, the poor thing, didn’t really come together quickly. I’d written another middle grade novel prior to The Weaver, plus I was writing short stories and trying my hand at picture books. I’d joined a couple online critique groups to help with all that.

One day I was ferreting around my empty mind for a new story idea. On my computer screen was the page for my critique group, Silver Web. Sometimes, being in a critique group can be intimidating; surrounded by people who write stories also - as well as or better than you. Staring at the graphic we have for our group I thought, “We weave stories like a spider weaves its web.” The two things converged to create a town of storytellers called Word Weavers. Then I asked myself the question, “What happens when one person doesn’t weave stories as well as every one in town?”

Okay, so the muse stuck with me through the first ¾ of the book and then deserted me. Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) came and I abandoned The Weaver for a shiny new idea. I wrote that new novel and even did the first pass edits before I came back to The Weaver. I was annoyed with myself that I had this perfectly charming story on my hard drive without an ending. But I had no clue how to end it. I forced myself to sit down and do the hard work. Funny thing, that was the resolution to the story, too. My heroine had to sit down and do the hard work to solve her problem.

I’m thrilled that The Weaver is a finalist in the EPIC eBook Awards. It is a real honor to know that the judges passed my story through after reading all the books they had to read. What I want is for kids to be able to discover The Weaver. Recognition, being a finalist for this award as well as the 2011 Global eBook Awards, is really valuable in getting the attention of librarians, teachers, parents and grandparents to say, “Hey, have you heard about this one?” The Weaver has a good message and I feel I’ve managed to tell it in a unique way.

NS  How do you keep a writing schedule in a busy household? Tell us about a typical workday.

KS  My four kids span the years of 12 – 19, so they are much more independent than when I first started writing eight years ago. They get themselves to and from school, so I’m able to get up and hop onto my laptop immediately. I do try to stop at some point during the day to exercise for an hour. This sedentary job takes a toll on a gal’s figure. I work until at least 3:00 when the middle schoolers get home. Sometimes they have things to do and places to be so I have to shut down the computer to attend their needs. Other times, they just do homework, so I keep working until 4:30 or 5:00 when my brain feels like it’s going to explode. Then I shut down and focus on family until about 8:00 or so when I hop back on to check email one last time. If I’m on the computer in the evening, the intent is for it to be personal. Somehow it always seems to hook back around to writing though!

NS  You have a new book to be published. Please tell us about it, how you came to write it and what your expectations are for it.

KS  Yes! Yippee!! It’s scheduled for release in MARCH! Oh my gosh, exciting times.

About SAVE THE LEMMINGS! : When Natalie’s Texty-Talky invention makes her an overnight sensation, the media digs until they find a way to smear her goody-goody image. When her best friends start believing what they read, Natalie’s sunny spirit is pushed to its limits. How will Natalie stop the lies and win her friends back? And who will SAVE THE LEMMINGS?

This is a very different book from The Weaver. It is contemporary fiction, for a slightly older middle grader. The idea hit me at the most inopportune time. My sisters and I were sharing a hotel room in Northern California during a visit to my dad’s. Luckily I was in the living room on a pull out couch with my sisters tucked away in a separate bedroom because about 4:00 in the morning I awoke with an idea for a book. The idea was so clear and well formed. About how a young inventor’s invention makes her an overnight success and the media loves her, but then turns on her. I had to fire up my laptop to capture the idea. The light from the screen of a laptop at 4:00 a.m. is obnoxiously bright. Thankfully I was alone in my portion of the suite.

What are my expectations for this book? Wow, I’ve never been asked that before. It would make a great Disney Channel movie. (Well, the more wholesome Disney Channel that I remember. I think they’re transitioning away from that.) But mostly, I’m excited to be able to offer new reading material to kids. Reading is such a crucial skill in life and developing a love for it as a kid makes it so much easier as an adult. I look at an author’s published materials as their portfolio. Like an artist offers a varied portfolio of landscapes, portraits and fantasy creatures in different mediums, an author should offer a varied choice in reading material.

I write short stories for young children, now I’ll have a published book for tweens and one for an older middle grader. I also write young adult and hope to be able to add a ya novel or three to my author portfolio soon. My hope is to be an author that parents, grandparents, librarians, bloggers can count on to provide good content for their varied readers. Remember those kids I mentioned earlier who range in age from 12 – 19? Yep, I’m constantly searching for reading materials for them. And I love when I can trust the content from an author and just hand one of their books to my kids.

 NS  How may people learn about you and where can your books be found?

KS  My website: www.kaistrand.com is a great one-stop shop. I have info about my books, where they are sold, any upcoming events, links to my social media, my email address. It is all there on my website.
That being said, please do like my author page on Facebook and feel free to send me emails. I love, love, love talking with readers, so don’t be shy!

NS  Kai, it was such a pleasure having you on the blog today!  I know the readers feel the same way.  I want to wish you the very best on your new book and on others to come.  Please visit here again.  We'd love it.

KS  Thank you, Nancy for inviting me to visit with you and your readers. It has been a pleasure.

What's Happening this Week on the Blog?

Hello, Dear Readers,

A quick preview of the week ahead:

Tomorrow, we have a guest appearing here:  Kai Strand, author of The Weaver. Kai is an award nominated author who I know you will enjoy getting to know.

We have another author later in the week, Gerald Duff, who is a prolific writer and has books too numerous to mention in entirety here.  His memoir, Home Truths:  A Deep East Texas Memory, was recently released to rave reviews everywhere.

I hope to find you here for these two outstanding authors, so different from each other, but so able.

Strands of Thought and Hott Books on Tour Today!

Take a look at the two virtual tour offerings today!  First, we are visiting a marvelous blog, Strands of Thought, written by Kai Strand. 

Read about one of my favorite childhood memories. I will also speak of Britt and Bella's character growth in One Pelican at a Time.

Surf on over to Hott Books and read more!  It's a lovely blog, full of fun children's ideas and books. 

Hott Books will review One Pelican at a Time.  Let's see what they think of it!