The Brown Bookshelf: Chat with the Indies

Be sure to check out the chat tonight (Wednesday, July 23) from 9 p.m. - 10 p.m. eastern on the Brown Bookshelf forum about how indie bookstores can work with authors and their local community to ensure their survival. Both Jenn Laughren from Books Inc. and Jaz Vincent, owner of RealEyes Bookstore, will be checking in.

I'm YA and I'm OK

YA Author Margo Rabb just had an essay published in the NY Times called "I'm YA and I'm OK". Check it out.

Don't Call it a Comeback

I just got back from my latest Vermont College Residency, as like always, I riddled with a mix of joy at being back at home, and at sadness for leaving such a magical place. As always, the residency was great--full of great lectures and workshops, laughter and tears. My class felt especially close to the graduating students, so while I was happy to see them go, part of me wanted them to stick around just a little bit longer.

I'm heading into Semester 3: The Critical Thesis Semester. I have a good idea about what my thesis will cover, and if that doesn't work out, I have a back-up idea. I'll be working with Margaret "Here's your thirty-page response letter" Bechard this semester. I also have a super secret novel that I'm hoping to work on with Margaret this semester.

And now, some pictures...

Here's a picture of my and my last advisor, Rita Williams-Garcia.















Here's a picture of one of my classmates, Rachel. And yes, that is a picture of Dean Cain in that poster behind her. Apparently, he's still making movies:















Here's another classmate, Larissa. I told her not to eat the chili in the cafeteria, but she had to learn the hard way:

I hope all you other VCers had as good of a time as I had! See you all in six months, if not sooner!

The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my friend April Lurie. Her new novel, The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine (Delacorte, 2008) was officially released yesterday. This is my favorite of April's books--she strikes just the right balance of humor and drama. And I'm not the only person that likes the book--it's already been nominated for the BBYA list!

Check out an excerpt from the book here.

The Newness

I hate starting a new project. Every time I start something new, the following thoughts pop into my head:

1) Why am I doing this? I don't get paid enough to be this miserable.
2) I'm such a hack. No wonder ____ said _____ about my last book.
3) I could write a novel about ___, but ___ has already done it.
4) I could write a novel about _____, but ____ could do it so much better than I could.
5) I should write something funny.
6) I should write something serious.
7) I should write a fantasy novel. Yeah, Hakim Potter at the Deathly Ghettos.
8) I should write a middle grade, so that I can win a Newbery.
9) I should write an adult novel. That way I could be on Oprah.
10) I should just quit while I'm ahead.

Eventually I'm able to push through these thoughts and get something down on paper. Sometimes it just takes a while. A long while.

In other news, I wish I had something more to add about the sale, but really, there isn't much more to say, at least not now. My editor feels pretty confident that we can get the revisions done in enough time to make the Fall 09 schedule. I'll be sure to let y'all know when something exciting happens.

Rhombus continues to do well--thanks to everyone who's purchased the book or requested it from the library or posted a positive comment about it. A few weeks ago, I uploaded the Discussion Guide for My Life as a Rhombus, created by the multi-talented Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.

The Path of the Righteous

A lot of you guys have been asking me to write a novel from a male point of view. Well, be careful what you wish for...

From Publisher's Marketplace:

MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS author Varian Johnson's THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS, about a preacher's son who has to make some big decisions about who he is and who he wants to be when his childhood crush returns to town, all grown up into a gorgeous and troubled teen, to Stephanie Lane at Delacorte, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (NA).

Details are still sketchy, but here's the important info:

1) It'll be a hardback.
2) We're shooting for a Fall 09 release.
3) The title may or may not change.

More news soon...I hope.

Checking In

Just checking in to post a few updates:

1) New reviews: We got good reviews from both KLIATT and The Edge of the Forest. I especially love this part of The Edge of the Forest review:

"Johnson's book strikes a good balance; it's gripping and sensitive at the same time. It doesn't oversimplify; it doesn't pull punches. And, perhaps most importantly, it does not pass judgment."

I love that readers and reviewers "get this" about Rhombus. It gives me faith that I did something right.

2) Updated website: I've added a couple of pages to the website -- a dedicated calendar page and a page on school visits. If you see any misspellings, please let me know.

3) On the Vermont College front, I wrote my first picture book last month. It started off at about 1500 words, and by the time I submitted it, I had cut it down to 1070. Now Rita wants me to trim off at least 200 more words.

4) Among the many books that I read last month, the one that stood out the most was E. L. Konigsburg's A View from Saturday. I'm not quite convinced that it has a plot, but I don't care. It's a great story. I see why it won the Newbery.

5) I hit the big 3-1 today. I celebrated by filling out paperwork that I had neglected for the past month.

6) Congratulations to both Paula Yoo and Sara Zarr for getting nominated for the 2009 ALA BBYA list. Of course, they're both great writers, so I'm not surprised in the least.

7) Thanks to everyone that saw me at all of my book signings and at the South Carolina Book Festival. And thanks for buying books!

8) Likewise, I had a great time talking to the students at Darlington High School and at Gardner Betts last month. Talking to those kids reminded me why I started writing in the first place.

Okay, back to work!