New Content LIVE at Hunger Mountain

This week The Varying Shades of Shadows welcomes an exploration of self and sisterhood by Janet Gurtler in Embracing Shadows. Janet’s new novel I’m Not Her was just named to the LA Times Summer Reading List. Also new is In the Half-Light, an essay detailing the shadowy subconscious that aided Hunger Mountain Sneak Peek author Joe Lunievicz in creating his debut novel, Open Wounds (WestSide Books, 2011) which has earned a PW starred review. We are honored to showcase new fiction by Jennifer Hubbard, author of The Secret Year. Monsters is a surprising and raw read. Lastly, in our Industry Insider column we have an interview with Elena Mechlin and Joan Slattery in New Faces at Pippin Properties. Elena and Joan were both kind enough to offer critiques in the HM/VCFA e-bay auction and both agents saw their bids go sky high! We thank them and all the other auction participants and bidders.

E. Kirstin Anderson, HM new Assistant Editor

Along with new content, we have some editorial announcements. Caroline Carlson began as an Assistant Editor working most directly with Miciah Bay Gault, Managing Editor, earlier this year. Caroline has been a tremendous resource, both editorially and in the creating of the web pages for the Hunger Mountain Young Adult and Children’s pieces. Thank you, Caroline. We also welcome E. Kristin Anderson to our staff as Assistant Editor. Emily is a poet (her work has been published here at HM and at the Cimarron Review and others), an up-and-coming novelist (we will be featuring a chapter from her WIP Myself Behind Myself this fall), a book blogger (The Hate Mongering Tart) and is one of the brains behind the popular Dear Teen Me website. Emily will begin by helping to shape content for our fall—The Art (& Insanity) of Creativity— issue. Welcome, Emily.

Inside the Writer's Studio with Janet Gurtler

Today at Inside the Writer’s Studio we welcome Janet Gurtler author of I’m Not Her. Janet and I have been online friends for a good long time. We’ve buoyed each other, vented when we needed to, and crack each other up often. Janet is a superb writer. She is dry, witty, and under the surface her characters boil with tension. She is so adept at creating a full round teen life. Her latest releases, I’m Not Her and If I Tell cement her as a realistic YA voice we will long be listening to. So, let’s welcome her, all the way from Canada to be our guest here today.

About the book (from Sourcebooks Fire)

"For the first time in my life, I didn't feel envy..."

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that's okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. But, the smiles of her picture perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn't hold it together, who will?

Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.

Welcome, Janet! (And see Janet’s feature essay in The Varying Shade of Shadows issues of the lit journal Hunger Mountain.)

Is there a story behind the story that you wish to share? (Ie: the ah-ha or lightning moment where the story inspiration struck)

I’M NOT HER came to me with the image of two sisters at a party, (which is how I’m Not Her opens). I saw one sister, looking pretty and confident and popular, dancing to music while the other sister sat all alone watching and envying her while a boy gushes about her sister. I was thinking about how things aren’t always as they seem, and what if the perfect sister had her perfection ripped out from her. How would it change both sisters’ lives? The big C changes everything for both sisters.

How important is community in keeping you inspired? What authors are a part of your virtual and/or hometown community? How do they keep you inspired? How do you inspire them?

I was SO fortunate to find an online community of writers who helped (and continue to help) with inevitable ups and downs in the publishing business. This group really does keep me going.  When my first book came out, I joined the DEBS, a group of YA writers who launched books in 2009. The DEBS have been a big part of keeping my head above the water and inspiring me to keep writing when things get tough. I’m inspired by the amount of sharing and caring we have built in this diverse group of writers, from NY Bestselling Authors to well, me.  I have a great trust in the group and love having people to go to, people who “get” things I might be going through. I like to think that I return the favor by guarding the trust gifted to me. 

When I published my first book I also connected with this amazing author online, an author who is kind of my soul mate and a total inspiration to me. Her name is Bethany Hegedus. J She amazes me with her brilliance and her support of my work. (Awwww, thanks Janet and ditto!)

I was also lucky enough to find a local group of YA writers to help keep me going. We meet monthly and swap books and talk about the business and cheer each other on and compare notes, no matter where we are in the publishing process. 

Is there a favorite quote you turn to when the rejection blues get to you?

Quotes are delicious.  I love them. That said, my favorite quote for dealing with rejection (or a bad review which feels like a rejection) is more like a mantra. “Problems bother you only to the degree you permit them to.”

Meaning that I am the one allowing the rejection to get me down, and I can choose not to let it. Of course, I am quite human and do sometimes wallow, but in the end, picking myself up and keeping on is part of the business of being an author. Rejection comes in many forms and at all stages for an author. I should turn to quotes more often that food when I’m having the rejection blues. But no matter how delicious the quote, food usually tastes better.

Theme can be seen as a dirty word but as writers I believe we all have something to say, something we want to share with the world. What is that something for you?

Funny I was thinking about this the other night as I lay in bed drifting off to sleep. Yes. Most of my thoughts before sleep are about books!  I was contemplating what it is that my books have in common. My reoccurring themes at their most basic are Man vs. Society and Man vs. Himself. 

Something almost every one of my main character shares is a journey of some sort, a journey of finding out who they really are, versus whom everyone else wants them to be.  My something is in the lines of “BE WHO YOU ARE.” Be true to yourself and try to strip away all the crap that weighs us down and usually ends up in bad decisions.

Is there anything that you are afraid/worried/concerned of tackling in your work? Genre-wise? Audience-wise? Topic-wise?

I think my anxiety with I’M NOT HER is my fear of appearing to portray cancer in the wrong way because I’m showing it from the other side, the point of view of the sister who does not have cancer. I’m cognizant of not trying to take away from the people who are the ones suffering, the ones who are sick, but also trying to show the overwhelming affect it has on the other family members. I wanted to show honesty and truth in human emotion. That despite the love and concern there can be resentment and moments of self-pity that often cause even more guilt for the “healthy ones.” Sometimes the thoughts and even actions of Tess, the sister who doesn’t have cancer, are selfish and unpleasant, but she is human (and flawed like most of us). 

I was also a little nervous writing in first person present, as some people really don’t like this POV, but for this story, that is how it flowed.  It’s the only book I’ve written in this POV. 

What do you feel is your strength as a craftsperson? How do you turn your weaknesses into strengths?

I think my strength is in developing multidimensional characters. At least I hope that’s a strength, it’s certainly something I aspire to do. I’d like to think that teens or adults who read I’M NOT HER might recognize pieces of themselves in my characters and the way they react to the foils thrown at them by life.

I use craft books and critiques to try to strengthen my weaknesses, which I don’t want to point out because then they’ll glare even more. ;) 

How important is voice in your work? How does “voice” come to you?

I think voice is the most important quality in my books because I write character driven stories. 

Voice is a lot of listening to the character in my head, but also trying to notice things in the same way that the character would notice them. It’s both a conscious and unconscious process for me.  For example in I’M NOT HER, Tess is an artist, so I tried to see things the way she would from an artist’s point of view.  I try to imagine how she would phrase things.  Parts of the author’s experiences flow into character and story, but learning to filter them or rework them is the part of the conscious process of voice.  

Character. Tell us about the relationship between your protagonist and antagonist. How does this relationship grow and change throughout the work? What does your main character want? And how long did it take you to clarify those wants?

The protagonist in my story is Tess, a young girl who wants nothing of her athletic and popular sister’s life. She doesn’t aspire to the friends or social trappings of her sister but wants to be recognized as a talented Artist, an honor student and for her own brand of accomplishments that aren’t as valued as her sister’s.  

The antagonist is the cancer that is threatening the limb and life of her sister. The cancer is threatening her sister’s life and also taking away Tess’s chances at things she thinks she wants, her aspiration to be in the Honor Society, flying under that radar at school and even winning an art contest.  Tess has to change, to learn to be stronger and find her own voice to help her sister in her fight. 

Tess’s basic wants are established in the first chapter and the evolution of her character and her changing desires based on the hardships thrown at her sister is part of her growth. 

Quickly name 5 favorite stories—could be books or movies even. Do these stories have anything in common with one another? Do they have anything in common with your own work? What comparisons can you make in terms of what matters to you in your own work and what you like to read/experience? 

A Wrinkle in Time, Juno, If I Stay, My Sister’s Keeper (book), Before I Die

I love strong character driven books. I am a huge fan of contemporary, though I have been known to enjoy a good paranormal story as well.  My first love was A Wrinkle in Time and it was because I related so strongly to Meg in that story. In my grade six head, I was her. So misunderstood and struggling to find strength. Internal struggle is something that resonates with me and comes out in what I write. Personal growth is important to me as a reader.

Juno I loved because she was the wittiest, funniest most real character I’d seen in ages. I like to think that my books are also filled with some quirky humor and I have always been told I’m very down to earth or “real” in my life. I do not really know how to pretend to be someone I’m not. Well. I do but I prefer the real deal. The characters in My Sister’s Keeper were real, going through pain and heart ache, but multidimensional and so empathetic. I admit that I am drawn to books and movies that make me cry. (Juno, Before I Die, If I Stay)

I love going deep, finding out what makes people tick, looking beyond what appears to be on the surface and I think this comes out in what I read and what I write.

Which literary character, yours or another author’s, do you most relate to? And why?

There are many parts of Tess, in I’m Not Her that I relate to. She feels very self-conscious and socially awkward at times, and I definitely felt like that as a teen. Yet inside of her is someone who wants to believe she has value and wants to be heard and accepted on her own terms.  

I also love and weep for tragic characters. I remember going out with some high school friends in my late twenties, and we were talking about our lives as teens and what we’d later learned about some of our friends. There were so many things we didn’t talk about as teens, or didn’t know about each other back then.  Things that made a lot of sense to me or perhaps explained some of behavior. Alcoholic parents, abusive parents, mental illnesses the list goes on and on.  I guess what I’m saying is I that relate to conflicted characters and strive to show some of the underlying motivations of the troubling behavior. 

Inspired by the Actor’s Studio, what sound do you love? What sound do you hate?

One of my favorite sounds is thin ice (on the street in winter) crunching under my feet. I still actively seek out thin ice to crackle and crunch. And I *may* have passed this love to my son. 

I hate the sound of people using speaker phones. Really, really hate it. I can’t explain why, but when someone puts another person on speaker phone and I’m in the room, I get wild inside.

Be brave. Share a paragraph from a WIP. 

I looked around the almost empty hallway for an excuse to get away.  A few feet from us a janitor pushed a mop on the dirty floor. He glanced over and Miles lifted his hand in a wave.  The janitor nodded and then turned his attention back to the floor, as if the dirt embedded in the tile was much more interesting than my run-in with the new kid. He pushed his mop and disappeared around a corner.

Miles leaned his head closer to mine. “I heard you’ve changed,” he said.

“Hair challenged. That’s about it.” A single bell filled the air in the now empty halls. I spun around and hurried towards my homeroom class. An aroma of musk cologne followed me.

“Hey, wait,” Miles called.

I kept going but felt something grab at my fingers.

At once the air squeezed out of my lungs. I struggled to breathe as images invaded my mind. The world around me disappeared and I watched his memory play like a live video stream inside my head.

He had his arm wrapped protectively around a girl. A hoody covered her face but I saw fear etched into his features.  He bent his head and mouthed something in the girl’s ear and the two of them began to run. Then he looked back over his shoulder and his expression turned to panic.

“Leave her alone,” Miles yelled. “You don’t want to hurt her.”

I looked past him, trying to see what he was looking at.

He let go. I sucked in precious air, and looked down at my exposed skin. In school five minutes and already two visions. Worse than I’d imagined. The sharp pain returned at the back of my head. 

In ode to Maebelle, the main character in my new book Truth with a Capital T, who keeps a book of little known facts about just about everything, please share a wacky piece of trivia that has stuck with you or please share a little known fact about YOU.

I am afraid of horses. I like them at a distance, but I’m afraid of riding them.

Janet, thanks for being here today and sharing about your process, about Tess and Kristina and how they came to be, and for making us laugh! Fans of Janet Gurtler will not have to wait long for her next book—If I Tell—also from Sourcebooks Fire (but not a sequel to I’m Not Her) releases this fall.

What's Up and Coming in Hunger Mountain

Beginning mid-May, the Hunger Mountain YA & Children's section will launch new content every other week. Why? Because there was just too darn much packed into one issue and we want to be sure each piece gets its due--from our features, to our regular columns--The Toolbox, What My Last Book Taught Me, This Writer's Life, to our fine, fine fiction, poetry and non-fiction offerings.

Our summer 2011 theme is The Varying Shade of Shadows and we will be spotlighting pieces that focus on light and darkness--internally and externally--and literally and figuratively. Contributors this issue are:

Jennifer Zeigler and Clare Dunkle who tackle The Flipside—two great YA writers influenced by Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. Be sure to check out their piece—The Light and Dark Of It.

Our features this go round are being tackled by Ellen Levine, debut author Joe Lunievicz (HM will also offer a sneak peak into Open Wounds, Joe's first novel which I have read in full and it is a captivating swashbuckling character driven read), Janet Gurtler, Janet Fox. We have upcoming Toolbox pieces by Deborah Halverson over at Deareditor.com and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 

Here is a sneak-peak into Janet Gutler's feature--Embracing Shadows.

Sometimes shadows reveal more than we’d like them to. I recall being a weight conscious teen and walking side by side with my older sister. My taller sister whose thinness I envied. The dark outlines of our bodies strolled in front of us. I vividly remember being ashamed of my bulkier shadow. I hated it, wanted to squish it under my feet, wanted to run from it. I’d wished my shadow would disappear behind me. It was too large, too stubby and yet there was nothing I could do to get rid of it.  It seemed to mock me.

And yet, at other times in my life the shadows have brought me relief. I’ve taken cover in them, used them to keep myself from being seen by the world. Hiding in shadows can be comfortable for introverts like me. Truthfully I've always harboured a secret envy of my bolder counterparts.  I've always thought the world was an easier place for those who truly thrive in the spotlight. Extroverts generally have an advantage over their quieter counterparts, because by definition, extroverts aren’t afraid to be heard and seen. To shine.

Is it any coincidence that Janet's new novel, I'm Not Her, delves into the sibling relationship and what happens when one sister is cast out of the spotlight due to disease and the quieter sister Tess has to take center stage--like it or not. 

It's been a goal of mine to offer more for illustrators and for those interested in why and how illustrators in the children's book field can possibly create the eye-catching beauty that they do.INKlings this go round offers a sneak-peak into The Little Bitty Bakery written by Leslie Muir and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. The bestselling Cynthia Leitich Smith will share with us some thoughts on writing her first graphic novel, illustrated by the talented Ming Doyle. And Don Tate welcomes us into his Austin studio to get a look at his work on Duke Ellington: Nutcraker Suite. 

Don told me this humorous story and I had to share it here!

My studio is fairly organized considering it looks a mess. I have two drawing stations, three painting stations, and I utilize every flat space, including my floors. Maybe I shouldn't share this story, but after I began my sketches last year, we got a puppy. Her name is Bella, but I call her The Animal. My studio was off limits to her, but she didn't care. After I completed my sketches, and before I could show them to my editor, The Animal wandered in to my studio while I was painting. The few seconds that followed happened in slow motion: She wandered in, looked around, and then squatted on my sketches! I screamed loud enough to wake the dead. But that only scared her and she cut loose, soaking my sketches. Needless to say, after that I had to train myself to keep my studio door closed at all times when The Animal was loose in the house.

Industry Insider interviews feature Elena Mechlin and Joan Slattery of Pippin Properties and Anita Silvey of the Children's Book-a-Day Almanac. We have fabulous new fiction from the likes of Jennifer Hubbard, Christy Lenzi, Penny Blublaugh and more! Much, much more. Hop on over to Hunger Mountain beginning May 16^th for the first off this issue’s offerings. New content will be added until mid-August when all content will then be LIVE until mid-September.

And, don’t forget the Hunger Mountain e-bay auction is going on NOW!  Go ahead and visit http://stores.ebay.com/thehungermountainstore to browse and decide which writer, illustrator, or literary agent inspires you the most!

And, don't miss the Diversity in YA Tour coming to Austin 5/9 at Book People. Help us welcome headliners Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon to town!