The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Adiemus by Karl Jenkins.


Day two of Maria V. Snyder week! Today we get to find out about which characters are named after her parents, who Yelena was originally supposed to fall in love with, and how Valek felt when Yelena drank the My Love poison.

Don't forget to answer the question at the bottom for a chance to win a signed copy of Sea Glass!
[EDIT: Storm Glass, Storm Glass! A thousand humble apologies about the mix-up. My fault, not hers].

Spoilers are in red.


[Me]: 9. You have received many awards and nominations for your books (including the Beehive award which is where I first saw your book!), but you say there is one "award" in particular that has affected you stronger than any other. Would you mind sharing a little bit of that story with us and the incredible young woman you met along the way?

[MS]: I don't think I won the Beehive ;> but Poison Study did win the Utah/Salt Lake County Library System's Reader's Choice award. As for the other “award,” a few months after Poison Study was published, I received a wonderful email from a reader who asked me to be her “Tuesdays with Morrie” mentor for her high school English class. She went on to explain that the main character in my book, Yelena saved her life. She had been considering suicide, but when she read about all the things Yelena endured she felt she, too could endure her own problems. We exchanged emails weekly for three months for her report, but we still keep in contact. I even met her and her parents and we spent a wonderful day together. Every time I look at her smiling picture on my desk, it's like winning an award – the best award ever!


10. Your office sounds completely nifty. Your husband made it for you, right? Could we possibly see a picture of your home office, complete with the weapons you use to practice your fight scenes? :)

My husband enjoys doing woodworking and I designed this huge U shaped desk for my office and he built it from cherry wood that had been cut down from his father's farm. He also made me built in bookcases. I helped with staining the wood, but he did everything else :)


11. Your "secondary characters" impressed me, people like Ari and Janco, Lief and Opal. You made them so real. With so little "screen time", how did you manage to make them so lovable and complex? (I'm especially curious since you are a pantser writer and I most certainly am not).

As a “pantser” the characters develop as I worked with them. I really don't plan them out or have any advice or techniques other than to give them each an unique trait. Since I never know if or when a secondary character becomes more important in the story, I try to give them all a little tweak. Here's an example to explain better. Opal's parents – they briefly show up in Magic Study and have a little more screen time in Fire Study. I named them after my parents, thinking they would be side characters. Then my editor convinces me to write the Glass books and suddenly these two characters are way more important.


12. The idea of "My love" is so fascinating. Where did that idea pop up from pantser? ;) And another question I must know - how did Valek feel when she said those words at the Commander's table?

Again I'll have to credit my subconscious for brewing up that poison. I knew I had to invent poisons because I couldn't find real poisons that fit with my plot (the nerve! :). In doing research on poisons there were a lot of spousal poisons throughout the ages so it just bubbled when I needed a name.

Interesting that you picked up on that scene with Valek and Yelena. When I had originally thought of the idea of using a food taster, I thought I would use a monarch for my fantasy book. And I imagined a scene where the king had fallen in love with his food taster and he has to watch her swallow food that he suspects is poisoned. I thought the fear and sense of doom would make a powerful scene. Well when the Commander came along and assassinated my King, the scene changed and that one with Valek and Yelena is the closest to my original vision.

To answer the question (finally!), Valek is terrified of losing her, but he can't show any emotion besides concern that some one tried to poison the Commander.


13. Your first idea for this series came from a king who had fallen in love with his poison taster (brilliant premise!). But at what point did it become Valek, the Commander's chief security officer (and all-around assassin) who took his place? How did our hero come onto the scene?

LOL – I guess I should have read through these questions first :) I always knew I'd needed a security chief so Valek was a part of the story from early on, but he wasn't going to be romantically involved with Yelena. I had thought the Commander would, but then we all know how that wouldn't work ;) As I wrote the story, Yelena and Valek's relationship developed and deepened until they decided to be together. When I read back through the manuscript, I shouldn't have been surprised as the clues were all there!


14. A little more on the genesis of your series. It first came from a quote by Orson Scott Card. Could you share that with us? He mentioned a monarchy specifically, then someone came and murdered your entire royal family. That ended up being the Commander. What was that experience like for you? :)

The Commander came along as a conscious decision. I had written the first couple of chapters with a King and while the idea of having a food taster be a main character was unique, I thought having a monarchy was not unique enough so I changed it to a military dictatorship. Once I had the Commander in place, the rest of the story flowed better.


15. Also, why call chocolate criollo? (And what you decide to use chocolate as a controlling food?) :)

According to my husband, chocolate is a magical substance :) I decided to call it by a little known sub-species of chocolate because, despite my husband's claims, it does a lot more in my story than in real life. The genus of cocoa is Theobroma, which is Latin for Food of the gods.


16. Do you have a favorite type of chocolate? :)

I enjoy dark chocolate – the best is Dove dark and my favorite candy bar is the Milky Way Midnight, which has the Dove dark chocolate.

Second day, second chance! (remember, followers only. But you can be an old or new follower. Just follow by the end of Friday for it to count). Make sure you tell everyone else too! Because signed books are cool and Maria is telling us all these amazing secrets. :D Second question:

What is your favorite kind of chocolate? (if you hate chocolate, say so and that counts.)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Annie by Safetysuit.


Author of the amazing Study series, the incredibly sweet and fabulous Maria V. Snyder has agreed to do a week long interview with us! Here you will discover secrets and little-known facts about Poison Study and the Study world (including how Valek felt when she drank the My Love poison as well as the original ending for Poison Study!). There are delicious spoilers galore. I have tried to highlight them in red for the people who have not read it (you should look to that, really. You're missing out).

But there's more! To show how nice she is, she is offering a free, signed copy of her new Study series, Sea Glass! [EDIT: the book is Storm Glass, the first in her new series that takes place in the same world. Sorry]. The rules are at the bottom of interview (sorry, no international this time). Look for the happy ##### to show the end of spoilers. :)

Let's begin! (because she is a seriously awesome person).


[Me]: 1. 10 years from writing Poison Study to when it hit shelves. That is quite a while. What was the evolution of the story? How did it grow during that time? Did things come in or fall away? What were they?

[MS]: I started writing Poison Study after I had gone to a writer's conference. I was pregnant with my second child and taking care of a very active 2 year old. At the conference I met Kate Elliott. I really enjoyed her books and when she said she met her deadline despite having twins two weeks before it, I thought if she can do it with twins, I can, too. She also mentioned setting short term goals, to not think of writing an entire novel, but to set smaller milestones. So I decided I would start my novel and set a goal of writing one chapter a month. And I did, even through the birth of my daughter, I wrote one chapter of Poison Study a month and handed it in to my writer's group. I remember Jenna napping in her car seat next to me as I attended meetings.

It took me three years to write Poison Study and, the advice that the best way to improve your writing is by writing, is spot on! The second half of the novel was so much better than the first half. I spent two and a half years revising the manuscript until I was happy with it. Then it took me two and a half more years to find a publisher. Then two years of waiting until the manuscript became a book! Ten years total!

Since I spent a long time with the manuscript, I didn't have any deleted scenes. I spent a lot more time doing “head work” where I would think about the story while changing diapers or doing the laundry so that when I had that hour to write, I was ready to go. Now, I don't have that luxury as I need to meet deadlines and my readers don't like to wait :)


2. In another interview you called waiting for your book to come out "the longest pregnancy in history." That made me grin because I think I know exactly what you mean. What did you do during that time while waiting for it to come out? How did you promote the book in preparation for it to come out?

I wrote Magic Study during that time, which was a good thing as there wasn't any reviews for Poison Study yet, so I didn't feel any pressure :) I also worked with author, C. E. Murphy at that time she was still designing websites and I pull content together for the site. I planned a big bash to celebrate the book's release. I invited my entire family and all my friends. It was a great party – everyone came even my cousins from Florida. I printed bookmarks and postcards and arranged local book signings and readings.


3. Your research process is fascinating. You really get into it (fencing lessons, glass blowing, karate, horseback riding, is there anything you can't do?). Do you have any fun stories to share with us? What was fencing like?

I won't swim with sharks, bungee jump, or jump from an airplane (unless it was crashing) :) I do enjoy hands-on research. Fencing was different than I expected – the blades move so fast, and the blocks are all in the wrist – my vision of swinging a sword was quickly dashed. The funniest moment came when my fencing instructor, pulled me and the only other female student aside. The poor guy's face was bright red as he explained that we needed to protect our chests. He gave us each a set of metal circles to tuck into our bras – lol! Talk about stuffing a bra - I felt like Xena the Warrior Princess!


4. Your husband's job. So cool! I had no idea you were married to a chocolate taster. What is that like? What were his lessons like? And what exactly is the most important part about food tasting?

When we were dating, my husband brought a candy bar for me every time :) We didn't have lessons exactly, but I did go into his office and do taste panels with him. The most important part is to take your time and don't wolf the food down. You need to let the chocolate melt in your mouth and move it around to all your taste buds before swallowing.


5. Do you have a favorite song?

I love Natasha Bettingfield's Unwritten – it a great song for a writer :)


6. Your characters come to you as you write you pantser (see: a writer who writes "by the seat of their pants" = no outline). The Commander's character greatly intrigued me. What was that revelation process like?

I discovered the Commander's secret as I wrote and I was very surprised – and I love it when my characters surprise me. I think my subconscious works on my characters when I'm doing other things and then while I'm writing, these surprises bubble to the surface of my mind. I really didn't have to go back to change anything, the clues were all there.


7. I have to ask because I must know. What was the original ending for Poison Study since it was changed to be more dramatic for the sequels?

At first, I had Yelena fight Valek and win, therefore becoming his second-in-command. But my husband quickly pointed out that since she's injured and new to fighting there would be no way she'd win. He's my logic police :) I changed it to her being exiled to the south, but when my publisher decided they wanted more Study books, we upped the stakes and added the execution warrant, which does make sense when you think about the Commander's personality and his intolerance about magic.


8. For such an amazing book I am shocked to see how many rejections it received. No agents out of 40 interested and 17 rejections from publishers? How did you not give up? Once you were picked up, did you do anything to make sure your book was a success?

I had made a list of 20 publishers that was open to fantasy, and I was determined to try them all before giving up. I did stop writing fiction and concentrated more on writing articles for magazines and I applied to graduate school, thinking I would teach. I also put in to write a history of a local company for their 30th anniversary. The funny thing is I sent Poison Study to #17 in June, sent in the proposal for the history project, sent article ideas and queries to local magazines, and applied to graduate school all in the beginning of the summer of 2003. I heard nothing back all summer! Early October, I received THE CALL about Poison Study, the editor from the local magazine emails, assigning me 4 articles, I get accepted into graduate school and get approval to write the history – all within one week in October – LOL! It was like the cliché, my ships were coming in – so many I didn't have enough room at my port. I delayed grad school a year so I could get everything done.

As far as promotion goes, it's hard to get the word out about a new book. The publisher has a limited budget and they did a bunch of things for me. They sent me on a mini book tour and had special displays in all the Barnes & Noble stores, but if people haven't heard about a new author it can be difficult. I ran contests on my website and have a referral program (win a free book if you get 5 friends/family to email me that you recommended my books to them), which helped spread the word. In fact, I still have those contests on my site. Word of mouth is the best marketing for a book.

Okay! So now, all you have to do to win a signed copy of Sea Glass by Maria Snyder is to comment below. Three days, three chances to win. However, this is a "for followers only" contest. So if you aren't already, clicky clicky! :)

So for the first question:

Who is your favorite literary couple? (you can have more than one. Trust me, I do).

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol.


This was originally an idea from Au Courant started in March, an idea she has graciously let me run with.

The idea is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What I do is go to amazon, narrow it down to a YA field and type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of (and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan.

This is this year's most exciting crossover title. A Friend. A Father. A Kingdom. Which one would you sacrifice? This compelling trilogy of court intrigue, adventure and romance is a winning combination of imagination, powerful storytelling and magnificent characters. Fifteen-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns home after a five-year sojourn in the bleak Northlands. All has changed in her absence. Wynter is forced to make a terrible choice: stay and bow to the King's will, or abandon her ailing father and join her friend Razi and the mysterious Christopher Garron in their efforts to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability. But this changed kingdom is a dangerous place, where all resistance is brutally suppressed and the trio constantly risk assassination, torture or imprisonment. Atmospheric and intriguing, it evokes an enchanting and convincing other world - love, treachery, jealousy, tenderness, war, wisdom and court life are all vividly depicted. Set in a fantastical medieval Europe, "The Poison Throne" is a gothic tale of intrigue, adventure and romance which draws the reader in from the very first sentence and doesn't loosen its grip until the last.


Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss.

Ivy has been a victim of relentless bullying for years. Nicknamed Poison Ivy by Ann, Benita, and Sophie in fourth grade, she can hardly remember what it was like to be just plain Ivy. When earnest Ms. Gold, the middle school American government teacher, finds a depressing poem written by Ivy, she decides to put The Evil Three on trial for bullying. She is hoping to create a perfect learning experience to illustrate the American judicial system to the class–and possibly to teach the three girls a lesson. What Ms. Gold does not count on, however, is the power of popular kids and the resulting political leverage. Students are assigned roles: counsel for the plaintiff, process server, judge, jury, etc. The action is related through the multiple voices of the major figures in the mock trial proceedings, and readers see many personalities emerge in the alternate chapters. Of particular interest is the relationship among The Evil Three. Ann, the leader, clearly enjoys the status that Benita and Sophie give her in their roles as bystanders in the bullying process. Realistic dialogue and fast-paced action will hold interest, and the final verdict is unsettling, but not unexpected. –Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library

Poison by Chris Wooding.

In this exciting fantasy by the author of The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray (2004), the kidnapping of her sister propels a teenaged girl out of her rural village determined to bring the baby back. On the day she selected an adult name, teenaged Foxglove chose Poison to spite her stepmother-an indication of the cranky, impatient and often rude hero she is. Given the dangers she faces on her quest, her stubborn grit turns from the drawback it was at home into an asset. As she journeys, Poison attracts helpers: a middle-aged carter, a dithery housemaid and an intelligent cat. This fantasy, set in various realms-human (lowest in the pecking order), phaerie and arachnid-utilizes many fantasy and folkloric tropes in original and often amusing ways. The story moves forward at a quick pace; characterization and world-building add to the strength of the gripping plot, while an ambivalent but satisfying resolution tops off a compelling read. Sure to appeal to fans of Holly Black and Charles de Lint, as well as other writers of dark fantasy. --Kirkus Reviews.


Rat by Melody Tink.

Sarcastic Elanor may have found her match in Adymn, the brooding half-man and half-dragon. After murdering her family, Adymn kidnaps Elanor and takes her to Dargona Island. He calls her Rat, makes her cook, attend to the other dragons, and scrub feces off the cave walls. Elanor swears she hates him and vows to one day avenge her family's death. Her chance comes all too suddenly when Adymn demands she accompany him to Trana and pose as his wife so he can gain access to the royal court. She knows enough not to trust him, but while escape sounds all too tempting, Elanor can't help but feel Adymn is hiding a disturbing secret about his real agenda.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Born in the 80's by Juno Day.


Today is a special treat because the extremely talented and busy Kazu Kibuishi took time out of his schedule for a short interview with us. :)




[ME]1. How did the idea for Flight come about? Did you ever imagine it to be a series?


[KK]My original vision was to create a monthly magazine called FLIGHT that would feature comics exclusively. Like an all-ages Heavy Metal. So yes, I did imagine it to be a series, but not really a series of books as a regularly published periodical.



2. The concept of flight seems to be very important to this series, especially in the first book. Why flight in particular?


Flight was never a theme. It has always simply been a title. If an artist chose to pursue the flight theme, it was their choice, since the stories in the book are basically ideas that the creators have always wanted to explore but never had the chance to publish. Incidentally, artists love to write and draw about flying.




3. I also noticed a small running theme with dogs in the first one. Was that a joke, or a requirement to get in? :)


I never noticed that! I'll have to look back and check it out.




4. When designing a graphic short story, what are the most important things to keep in mind? How is it different than creating a graphic novel like say, Amulet?


Drawing a short comic story and drawing a graphic novel are not really all that different. In fact, I see each short comic story as being like a song, and creating a volume of Amulet is like producing an album, while creating Flight is like producing a compilation of similar-sounding songs, like a mix tape.


5. The first Flight was a compilation with some talented friends, is it still the same? How do you decide what pieces go in now?


Yep. Still the same. We're generally a group of friends with like-minded goals and dreams.



6. So what now? What does the future of Flight hold and hold for you in general?


We shall see. I have some plans, but the Flight project generally shapes itself while I simply act as its steward and guide. For now, it appears we'll be finished with the inaugural series on volume 8, while much of my editing focus will shift to Explorer. It's likely I will continue Flight, but I will need to change the format in order to make it work. I'm hoping, however, that my dream of making Flight into its own publishing imprint comes true. I would rather help guide a collection of graphic novels to the shelves than to print a collection of short stories. I think the artists are ready.


Thank you so much for this chance. I keep reading and hearing how busy you are. It's staggering all you are doing. But really, this series is a treasure and absolute favorite of mine.


No problem! Thanks for the interview!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Crossing Open Water by Preston Reed.



Sometimes something comes along that is so stunning that it takes your breath away. That, in a word, is Flight.



Flight, edited by Kazu Kibuishi
Published: April 10, 2007
Publisher: Villard
Pages: 208
Current Amazon Rank: #124,349


First Line:

This quiet stillness
broken by a thundering storm
the roar of the engine
drowns everything out.




My Take: If you took a collection of short stories and mashed them into a graphic novel format, you would have Flight. But it is so much more than that simple description. Visually, it is something to be reckoned with. These artists really show what the graphic novel form can be. They stretch the boundaries of their art form and truly show that it is indeed art.























Most of these stories in this first volume are based around the idea of flight, not just physical flight, but also of imagination and possibility. In fact one of my favorite stories in here is called "The Maiden and the River Spirit" and is a hilarious commentary on Aesop's fables. There are 24 stories, and all are a delight to read. The best news of all is that it is a semi-ongoing series, and each volume continues to get better and better. An absolute treasure for any personal collection, this is one book I would definitely recommend.


The Final Word: Beautiful, imaginative and stunning, this series is incredibly fun and a perfect dose if you want something wonderful to read, but don't always have the time. It is also a wonderful introduction to graphic novels for those who want to get into it, but don't know where to begin.