Summer Friend

Two Flavors of Lucky is Now Called . . .

Two Flavors of Lucky is now called . . . A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY! Look for it September 2012!

Chasing Squirrels is Hard Work

Casey takes a quick break after freeing her territory--temporarily, anyway--of those cheeky squirrels who blatantly climb the oak and leap onto the bird feeder when she is trapped behind sliding glass doors.

Sinbad Explains Why Older Men Should Not Date Younger Women

Lizard Seeks Role in The Summer of Moonlight Secrets

So this lizard pops in through the screen, runs up the table scrambling right for me, and I'm all screaming and "AAAH THERE'S A LIZARD IN THE HOUSE!" but he waves his hands to shush me and says, "Are you the author of The Summer of Moonlight Secrets?"

I can't shut my mouth because, you know, this lizard has just spoken and he does not have an Australian accent. "Whatdja say?" I ask. I heard him; I'm just fudging for a few seconds to cover my disappointment.

His little hands looks like mine, if mine were green and lizardy. He folds them and shrugs his shoulders. "I hear there's a lizard in your book."

I nod. "Yeah, a few of them."

"I've come to audition for the part. I could play all of the lizards, actually--no one would know." Desperation glints from his bulbous eyes.

"It's not a movie." Yet, I secretly think. "It's a book. You can get get in hard cover, paperback, bookfairs, ebooks--"

He shakes his flourescent head. "I need a job."

"Have you tried insurance companies?"

He sneers. "Yeah, that guy. Do you know he's originally from Key West?"

"No!" I pound the table with my fist. "I knew that accent was fake! How'd he get to Hollywood?"

My new friend rolls his eyes. "He knew a guy who knew a guy--you know how it works."

He jumps off the table, squiggles across the floor, and just before he exits through the hole, he turns his head over his shoulder and says, "Well, keep me in mind, will you?"

"Wait!" I rise. "Can you do an English accent or maybe Irish?"

He smiles--at least that's what I think his mouth does--and he mimes tipping a hat. "Top o'the mornin' to ya, luv."

I clap with glee. "Bring me a headshot," I say. "I'll see what I can do."

A Plea to My Husband from our Garage (with apologies to those who read this last year, but the garage suffers untouched)

O Master of the house,

I am blighted and ashamed. Lift your hand to me, and I will be restored. Once, I stood, open and ready before you. Now my contents spill over like vomit from a drunk. Your neighbors to the south snicker as they pass; your own children hold their noses against my stench. In shame, they lift their scooters and roll out through the house. In shame, they enter only through the front door. In shame, my mouth remains shut.

But you, my master, have the power to lift this ruin from me. Remember when I was new, when you saw that I was good and housed your car and not trash in my belly. Do this for me this weekend, master, that I may lift my door and show my glory to your neighbors. He is good, they will say. We were mistaken. Your children will access my innermost parts and the feet of your bride will alight upon my floor once more.

And for you, I will house you in comfort and organization forevermore.

Horn Book and Linworth Publishing review Me & Jack

Linworth Publishing Company Reviews
Library Media Connection Reviews 2011 August/September
Josh Reed is from a single-parent home where moving is a way of life since his widowed dad is in the [air force]. The Vietnam War is being fought as he and his dad adjust to life in their latest home. They adopt a stray dog, Jack, [who] proves to be both a trial and a blessing. . . . This is a refreshing read that accurately portrays "life back home" during a tough time in our country's cultural history. Douglas K. Dillon, Ph.D., Library/Media Specialist, Lakota Plains and Lakota Ridge Junior Schools, West Chester, Ohio. RECOMMENDED ¬ 2011 Linworth Publishing, Inc.

Horn Book Guide Reviews 2011 Fall
Father and son, and their dog, Jack, are greeted with suspicion in their new town, especially after one soldier comes home and another is killed. The story touches on bullying, violence, war, friendship, and trust. Though there are some plot contrivances, the complex characters are well defined. Copyright 2011 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Spot the Error(s) #7

The Author Writes Outside

After dropping children off to school, the author drove over back roads to get home. No clouds in the powder blue sky, the sun streamed fully, enough to warm the misnomer of Florida winter. It's so pretty outside, the author thought. She'd rolled the windows down, and her little dog stretched her neck to smell everything they passed. Other people walked by with their dogs, and others jogged in bright exercise clothing, wires coming out of their ears. The dog's tail wagged against the owner's arm at all the activity.

She would work outside today. The sun, the people, the morning's energy--all of it heightened the promise of the day, that she could accomplish everything she wanted to.

She left the dog at home and returned to the park with her laptop. Aah, the author's heart murmured. This was what she needed. She couldn't stand to be trapped indoors, her thoughts and imagination limited by the four walls she was boxed in. So much better to be outside.

She tilted the monitor several times to find an angle in which the sun didn't glare. But it was a bright day; a minor glare wasn't so bad. The author put her sunglasses on, but now she couldn't read her own words on the screen. Fishing in her purse, she pulled out her reading glasses and put them on under the sunglasses. (She did not want to look like an old lady.) Even so, the two pairs of glasses proved cumbersome. They didn't line up properly because the stems were too bulky to sit together on her ears. She found herself looking up whenever a car passed. Many of her neighbors took this route, and she couldn't prevent the reflexive action of checking the vehicles to see if she should wave or not. The bench had an odd slant that caused the laptop to slide down her legs.

This was impossible.

She closed up her laptop, removed the reading glasses, and walked to a nearby coffee shop with outdoor tables. This is where she should have come in the first place. Look there--two girls, college-age probably, huddled around a bistro table, one searching through a book, the other clacking on her keyboard. The author smiled. Now she was in her element.

She began to write. A bizarre tune struck the air, and a man at the table next to hers answered his cell phone. He spoke loudly, and the intrusion of his voice scrambled the author's brain. She accidentally typed the words he spoke. She shot him a look. She sighed loudly. She moved about in her chair as though she couldn't possibly get comfortable. The man kept talking. Sandhill cranes gobbled overhead, then landed on the sidewalk, strolling in that slow moving way they had. They weren't afraid of anything. They would hold up whole lines of traffic crossing the street, the same way sheep did in Ireland. Now the college girls burst into laughter.

Too many distractions, the author thought. Plus, she needed her desk at home where she could spread out her ideas like peanut butter on bread. She would fire up a cappuccino and start afresh.

When she got home, she set herself up in her office, skipped the cappuccino, and dropped into her chair. The sun teased her, dappling the window and reaching right through the glass to touch her face.

Bono Wants You to Come Home for Christmas

Rebecca Black, Demetri Martin, and The King of Empty Promises from Kids in the Hall

I cannot say, "It's Friday," without hearing Rebecca Black; I cannot look at Demetri Martin's book, "This is a Book," without hearing his monotone little tune; and I can NEVER say "Will do" without thinking of "The King of Empty Promises" from Kids in the Hall:

It's Not Too Early for Bruce, Is It?

Never too early for Bruce!

Yes, Virginia, It Does Snow in Florida

Contrary to what mainlanders might believe, snow does fall in the Sunshine State. We saw "legitimate flurries" in January 2010, a "dusting" in November 2006, and a "light covering" in 1982.

And soon, we will see snow in this park, just past those palm trees.

Strange Words and Quirky Titles

Facsicle, today's word--courtesy of Dictionary dot com--is a strange word. It sound like facsimile. What kind of -sicle is a fac? I know what fudgesicles are and popsicles, so facsicle must be a fac on a stick and something enjoyed on a hot day.

Ah, but it is not, no matter how reasonable my definition above sounds.

Here's a clue: Harry Potter is a facsicle. So is Junie B Jones.

The definition as provided by Dcom: "A section of a book or set of books published in installments as separate pamphlets or volumes."

Work this in to your conversations to sound intelligent or pompous (the effect depends on whom you're talking to). A better use: lay it down in Scrabble. Your opponents will challenge you and lose their turn, HAhahahahaha!

Strange new words lead us now to quirky titles, of which I am a big fan. My first book's title is Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. I love this title because it lets the browser know, Hey, something exciting happens in this book! This is no sit-around-girl--she almost gets struck by lightning!

Also, maybe Violet is exaggerating. Maybe she stretches the truth--is that what the title is telling us? And maybe there's a little humor, because that's not something you hear in everyday conversation.

I am thinking about titles because we're still working on a new title for my upcoming book, TWO FLAVORS OF LUCKY. My editor and I and others at Bloomsbury/Walker have been brainstorming, but have yet to strike upon the right replacement. Myself, I'm a fan of longer titles--they tend to be quirky and humorous. So it's fortuitous that the latest edition of the SCBWI mag contains an article by Hazel Edwards entitled "Speed Dating: How to Make Up Titles for Stories." I plan to use her advice today after I finish my copy edits.

But first, I need another cappuccino and perhaps a blueberry muffin (seeing that I am out of donuts).

Have a great day!

NaNoWriMo--Tips for the Young Writers (and anyone else)

A HUGE number of young writers are participating in NaNoWriMo. How do I know this? One of them lives in my house. Not to brag, but she is a really good writer. Her name is going to look so good on book covers.

So, I want to tell you other young writers the same things I told my own daughter in case your mom or dad isn't a writer:

First off, I'm proud of you for undertaking this goal. You must be serious about writing, or you wouldn't have signed up, you wouldn't have told people, and you certainly wouldn't have broadcasted it on Facebook.

Okay, I know you just want to write. You're eager to get started--the idea's already in your mind--so why bother with the preliminaries, right? Wrong. (You knew I would say this.) Even though today is November 7th, please consider this advice: Your writing needs structure. You need to build the skeleton first. Writing without an outline is like driving without a GPS (or map for you old folks, heh heh). Knowing your destination is not enough--you need to know how to get there. An outline ensures that you CAN get there, and it prevents you from taking scenic detours. An outline proves that your story can be executed.

What do you need first? Well, for some people, plot comes first ("I want to write about a monkey winning the next presidential election.") Sometimes, voice comes first. This was the case for me when I wrote Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. I was sitting at my computer thinking--and don't be afraid to "waste" time thinking. You must allow the writer inside to explore the literary playground--I probably thought for about two weeks. (I did eat, sleep, and do those other human things necessary for living.) Anyway, one morning, I turned in my chair and I swear I could see her, a wiry tan girl, with dark hair blunt cut at her shoulders. The cypress trees and the river were behind her, and so were her friends. "When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge where we'd seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn't scared--I just didn't feel like doing it right then." That's what she said. She said a few more things and I typed them up real fast and those exact words became the first paragraph of my first book.

So, if you have plot, you need to come up with voice. If you've got voice, you must come up with a plot. For the rest of this discussion, let's call our main character Jimmy.

What is a plot? Beginning, middle, and end. Not that simple. Jimmy has to have a goal, something he can't live without--this can be simplified into changing the situation or struggling to keep it the same. He must encounter obstacles, obstacles that increase in difficulty. The obstacles must be part of the story; don't throw things in and never mention them again. There's a saying for writers: If you mention a gun in the first act, you'd better fire it by the third.

The best obstacles are other people. Their motivations can either be because they love the main character. ("Jimmy, I can't let you skateboard off Dead Boy Cliff.") or because they hate the main character ("I'm going to jump Dead Boy Cliff and show everyone I'm better than Jimmy.") Or maybe they have the same goal, they're equally as good (or bad), and their efforts, working in tandem with your main character's, make things harder. ("Sorry, Jimmy--Connor Brown just bought the last Lightning Strike Skateboard, the best skateboard in the world.") Start off with small obstacles and increase them until you reach the climax, which shouldn't happen until 3/4 of the book has passed, or 4/5 or 5/6 or you get what I mean--very close to the end.

In Jimmy's case, his goal and obstacles could look like this: His goal could be to win the Dead Boy Cliff Jump, because winning would give him the money he needs to hire a lawyer for his dad who was framed for a crime he didn't commit (wow, did you see that--we just slipped a sublayer into our story!) Obstacles: his skateboard can't handle the cliff. When his best friend offers his skateboard, they find it mysteriously broken. Jimmy's too young for a real job, and plus he needs a lot of money, fast. He starts mowing lawns, babysitting, dog-walking, but the money is too slow.

Dad's former partner, Nick, a young college dropout, sees Jimmy's determination and becomes a friend, asking Jimmy how things are going and really listening. Both Jimmy and Nick get really sick after eating at a local diner. Jimmy ends up in the emergency room, Nick by his side. After a few days in the hospital, the doctor says Jimmy is good as new and can perform the jump as planned. Mom forbids Jimmy to jump. They have a heated argument. Frustrated, Jimmy turns to Nick, who offers to lie to Mom about Jimmy's whereabouts so Jimmy can train. One day, Nick is carrying the gear, but says he forgot his cell and goes back to the car. When he returns, Jimmy gets the skateboard from him. It's his first run down Three Mile Hill and he's doing it, he's sailing! But a wheel falls off and Jimmy catapults over the board. His ankle's sprained . . . so like that, you keep increasing the obstacles.

Just so you know the end of this story, Jimmy doesn't make it to the jump--instead he wrestles against ropes and a locked door, having been kidnapped by Nick after discovering that Nick framed his father. The climax is Jimmy's dramatic struggle to get free and the denouement is having his father at home, the scene is after supper and Dad walks him out to the garage, where a brand new Lightning Strike skateboard awaits him.

Back to other nitty gritty details about NaNoWriMo and young writers. You must set a reasonable goal. Think about your school schedule, your homework load, your scheduled activities, and your responsibilities at home. Can you realistically write 1666 words a day, seven days a week? Think about it. Do not set yourself up for failure. I heard Linda Sue Park speak at a conference and she said her daily quota was two typed pages. This is a professional, well-respected author.

What daily quota will work for you? Will you work on weekends? Are there days that you can't work? Think about it and make a schedule. Oh, that sounds horrible, doesn't it? A schedule, blech. Well, writing is a job that you need to show up for. If you set up a schedule, you will be primed to write at that time because all day long, you know that writing session is in front of you. Ideas will tickle your brain, dialogue will move your lips, your fingers will itch for that keyboard. Set up a schedule and commit to it.

If you can do 50,000 words in one month, more power to you. But for the rest of us, viewing NaNoWriMo as a starting point is great idea. When I write, I want to succeed. Some days I feel I am reaching into a fog pulling words from a murky lake; other days I'm on fire and can hardly type fast enough to keep up with my brain. I can't tell you my daily goal because I feel I'll somehow jinx myself, but I will tell you my goal is both realistic and challenging and I don't leave my keyboard until I've met it.

Good luck, young writers. I believe in you.

A Note to Peyton M.

Hi Peyton,

I hope you don't mind me posting this response, but your email address keeps bouncing. I sure hope you get this.

Anyway, thanks for emailing me and telling me how much you enjoyed Violet Raines. Your email made me feel good about writing.

I enjoyed Violet Raines, too, and that is my biggest tip to you--write something you enjoy. Create a character you want to spend time with and let her have real feelings. You know the secret feelings you have--embarrassment, feeling left out, liking someone--your character has those feelings, too, and so do most people. Make her as real as you are and your book will come alive.

Good luck on your writing, and have a great day!
Danette

Skype Visit with Yavneh Academy

I just finished a wonderful visit with the students of Nomi Schneck at Yavneh Academy in New Jersey. You guys were great! So attentive! I loved your questions and yes, let it be known--I HATE TOMATOES.

Have a great day!

Even Villains Have a Sensitive Side

TWO FLAVORS OF LUCKY delivered and accepted!

TWO FLAVORS OF LUCKY has been delivered and accepted! Woo-hoo! YEAH!

Coming in at 61,000 words and due September 2012, this middle-grade novel is about a girl whose family wins the lottery and her life changes--but not in the ways she'd hoped for. The title is going to change. Brains are storming even as we speak! If you have suggestions, post 'em!

In the meantime, I am SIGNED SEALED,DELIVERED!

Bono and My Dream Last Night

Well, I wish the title of this post was "Bono in my dream last night," because then I would have spent time with my favorite Irishman; however, I have unrelated things to say about each of these topics.

Bono: Yahoo! today links to an article in which Bono explains his sunglasses, which he's rarely seen without. "Sensitive eyes," he says, citing light, flash photography, and wine as irritants. As much as I LOVE BONO, I must again assert my theory for his sunglasses--they're bifocals. C'mon, it wouldn't be cool for a rock star to have reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

And now for my dream--a nightmare, almost. Despite the fact I'd adjusted all the settings properly, I could not get two hyphens to turn into an em dash in my document. I worked up a proper sweat, typing and backspacing and typing again. It seemed to go on forever. When finally the em dash appeared, I woke up from the dream.

If you're a writer, this is the kind of thing that works its way into your dreams. I've edited real-life documents in dreams. Once, I told my boss she needed to pay me extra for the work I performed while communing with my pillow.

That is all! Have a great day, writers!

Do Animals Have Emotions?

Yahoo! today features an article asking if animals smile and feel other emotions. Further into the discussion a 2011 study on chimpanzees and mood disorders is mentioned, which concluded that “Chimpanzees display behavioral clusters similar to PTSD and depression [to humans] in their key diagnostic criteria."

I've always believed that animals have some degree of emotion, and I can attest to the statement above in which animals display depression. In my college years, my brother and I had a dog he got from the pound. (This was during our single years, when my brothers, my sister and I rented a house together.) Shauna had a warm, sweet, generous disposition, and at the same time, she loved to scamper through the woods and explore the fields behind the house. A couple years later, I got a tiny little orange kitten and named him Samson. Shauna didn't know what to make of him. Samson, however, made it known that he wouldn't be pushed around--he wasn't a patsy.

For those first few days, Shauna gave Samson a wide berth, while he hissed at all her comings and goings. One day, Samson sat in the middle of the kitchen. Shauna slowly and carefully approached him; nothing in her demeanor was threatening. Samson sat still until Shauna came close enough to sniff him. He clawed her, sliced her black nose and opened a streak of red blood.
I felt so bad for my beautiful dog.

As time went along, Shauna and Samson became best friends. If Shauna lay by the sliding glass doors to watch the outside, Samson lay beside her in a parallel position. If Samson chattered at the squirrels on the trees outside my window, Shauna leapt on my bed and joined him by putting her front paws on the windowsill.

We all know this joke or some form of it:

Lassie: Bark! Bark!
Mother: What's that Lassie?
Lassie: Bark! Bark!
Mother: Timmy fell down the well by the old Smith place and broke his arm? Let's go, girl!

But that stuff really happens. Once, I was getting ready in my room when Shauna bounded in. She huffed and snapped her head about. It was unlike her to be so agitated. She darted out of my room, came back and did the same thing, then stood tensed in my doorway. When I took a step toward her, she shot down the hallway with me running behind her. She took me to another wing of the house and stopped in front of Samson, who was choking on something. I didn't know how to help him. I shouted, "Jesus!" the only prayer my mind could come up with in my panic.

Samson's airway cleared and he was okay, but there's never been a doubt in my mind that Shauna came to get me to help Samson.

I know animals feel happy and sad. Why do dogs wag their tails? It can't be a learned response, because puppies do it. It really must be that something has triggered their happiness--you, their important other, has come home! A piece of bacon is being offered! A ball is being pitched!

Lymphoma got a hold of Shauna and she died two months after diagnosis. My brothers, sister, and I picked a nice spot in the woods and buried her there. I planted wild flowers over her grave. Samson became lethargic after Shauna was gone. He slept all the time; he didn't want to play. He stopped greeting me at the door, something he'd always done with Shauna.

He missed her.

Do animals have emotions? Yes, I believe they do.

Maddie made a video for Violet Raines!

I discovered this wonderful video made by Maddie for Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. Thank you, Maddie--I love it!

Click here to see the video.

Coffee with a Canine, In Which I tell you of my diablolical caffeine habit and my dog

Marshal Zeringue interviewed my little cockapoo, Casey, and me for his blog, Coffee with a canine. What's your morning caffeine ritual? I tell all in this expose! Plus, never before seen photos of Casey!

Come visit Coffee with a Canine!

Free Skype Visits with FREE BOOK SETS!

I've just signed with the Author Skype Tour to provide free Skype visits to schools to discuss my new book, Me & Jack. The first seven requesters will each receive a five piece set of beautiful, new, full-color ARCs to be used with their reading circles.

Me & Jack

Joshua knows how to play new kid: hang back, don’t talk too much, become invisible, especially if your dad’s an Air Force recruiter during the Vietnam War. When Joshua rescues Jack from the pound, they bond instantly, but after a few unsettling events occur, Joshua must fight for his home, his dad, and his beloved dog.

If you have questions, please email me at dhaworthbooks at yahoo dot com. If you'd like to check out all the nitty-gritty details or the other wonderful authors available for tour, check out the Author Skype Tour page.

Middle School Boy Talks About the Dance Last Night

Me: Hey, how was the dance last night?

Boy: Pretty good. Except for the music.

Me: What was wrong with it?
*aims rearview mirror to see boy*

Boy: *horrified expression* It was OLD!

Me: You mean like--

Boy: Dude, some of those songs were from 2004!

Eleven-Year-Old Reviews The Summer of Moonlight Secrets

Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers sent me this wonderful review by eleven-year-old Zoe on The Summer of Moonlight Secrets. Zoe, thank you for the excellent write-up! You expressed your enthusiasm and mentioned the highlights of the story without giving away the secret--GREAT JOB!

Without further ado, Zoe's review:

Young Writers: Be Smart on Facebook

I get emails from readers and aspiring young writers who ask for tips and advice, and I am always happy to respond. Sometimes these same young writers friend me on Facebook. I now have a new tip for my younger friends:

BE SMART ON FACEBOOK.

Some of you have made impressive headway in your writing endeavors. I do not think it unrealistic to believe that you could be published before you hit twenty. What you might not realize at your age is that while you are already pursuing a professional goal, your online life is something everyone can see, including professional editors and agents.

What's the first thing an editor or agent will do if they're seriously considering your work? They're going to Google you. What will they find? What photos will they see? What kind of online person are you?

No matter what profession you're pursing, I advise you to have two accounts: one personal (under a nickname), where you can vent, brag, complain, and post photos; one under your real name (because that's how editors/agents will find you), where you can talk about your artistic achievements, academic stuff you like, books/movies you're interested in, and the like.

The things you do now play into your future! Be wise, my friends, okay? Okay.

Scholastic Picked Up Me & Jack!

Last night, I received an email from my editor that Scholastic is picking up Me & Jack for next year's book clubs and fairs. It feels like winning an award. Scholastic. Scholastic! Yay, Scholastic! Thank you for including my books in your fairs. It is an honor.