Playing Catch-up

It’s been a busy month.

In addition to the usual (including, among other things, writing a new book) I’m also teaching a course on children’s literature at a small liberal arts university here in Austin. So far, the class has been great—I love my students, I love talking about books, I love it all, period (well, except for grading papers).

(I'm like Dumbledore. Except I'm black. And I'm not a wizard. And I'm not gay. And I'm not dead. But otherwise, we're just alike.)

I was also at ALA a few weeks ago, where I signed copied of My Life as a Rhombus and participated in the ALA Kid / YA Lit Tweetup (organized by the sensational Mitali Perkins and Deborah Sloan). I had the chance to see a lot of old friends on both the author and editorial side, plus I had lunch with my agent.

This is my favorite picture from ALA, taken by author Jeannine Atkins. I’m signing copies of Rhombus while author and friend Ellen Wittlinger looks on. Those that have read the blog enough times know how much Ellen’s work has affected my career, so it’s always great to see her.

ALA was the first of many Spring events that I have scheduled (see the full list here). Check back often, as I hope to fit in a few more events between March and July.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the unsung books of 2009 (started by Kelly at YAnnabe). I didn’t read a whole lot of books in 2009, but many of the ones I really, really, really, really loved and wanted to win awards (Once Was Lost, Liar, Going Bovine, How To Say Goodbye in Robot, Jumped, and Marcelo in the Real World) are books that I wouldn’t exactly call unsung. But there is one novel that I wish had received a little more attention: After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this novel since I finished it last summer. I also have a postcard for this book, which has the tagline “...about a boy who discovers what happens when love fails us--or we fail love,” which I think is a perfect way to describe the novel. Sometimes, as much as you want to do the right thing, you just...can’t. Sometimes, despite wanting to be a good, upstanding, honorable person, you fail the ones you love; the ones that need you most. And, it’s just so damn hard to save someone when you have no idea HOW to save one.

Perhaps one of the reasons I enjoy this novel so much is because of how similar some of the themes are to Saving Maddie...which I plan to talk about...eventually. But for now, you can check out this review by Melissa at Book Nut.

Why I love Texas Librarians

I'm happy to announce that My Life as a Rhombus made the 09-10 Texas Tayshas High School Reading List! A number of great books are on the list - my personal favorites are Liz Gallagher's The Opposite of Invisible, Sara Zarr's Sweethearts, John Green's Paper Towns and E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (which I'm really hoping comes home with the Printz in January.)

In addition, Delacore Dame Jennifer Ziegler's How Not To Be Popular made the Texas Lone Star Reading List!

Yay Jenny! Yay Texas Librarians! Yay writers!

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.

More Reviews

I'm knee-deep in finishing up my work for The Brown Bookshelf's 28 Days Later campaign (be sure to check us out starting Feb 1st), so I'll have to make this quick.

First of all, I just got back from my 10 day winter residency for the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Program for Writing for Children and Young Adults, and I'm happy to say, all of the workshops and discussions and reading were great. The best thing about this residency was that, except for the cold, I knew exactly what I was getting into this time. And, I'm really excited to be working with award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia this semester.

While I was up in Vermont, we got a few new reviews for My Life as a Rhombus. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books gave Rhombus a Recommended review--I'll post a blurb from the review next month, after the print edition of the journal is out. In addition, the good folks at TeensReadToo.com gave the book a Five Star, Gold Award for Excellence! Be sure to check out their review at their website, or on Amazon.com.

While those reviews are nice, my favorite review comes from a teen reader that emailed me to say, "...I really want to thank you for writing such a great book...You Rock!"

Good stuff, right?

And now's probably a good time to say how much I love librarians…

My Life as a Rhombus isn't officially supposed to be out until Jan, but we've already gotten love from a bunch of libraries and librarians, including The Cincinnati Public Library, Readerlady, and Teen Bookity. And, as Andrew noted on the Flux Blog, Booklist (the American Library Association’s journal) also included Rhombus on its Core Collection: Math in Fiction list (also including Andrew’s man crush, John Green, and my new MySpace friend, Paula Yoo).

Being that my hometown didn't get its first real bookstore until I was in high school, I spent an insane amount of time at the Florence Public Library. Librarians are not only directly responsible for me becoming an author, they’re also responsible for coming up with my name.

Yes, that's right. A librarian helped to come up with my name.

As some of you know, I'm a twin, but Momma Johnson didn't realize that she was having twins until THE DAY BEFORE WE WERE BORN. I mean, we were small little suckers, but come on, how could a doctor constantly see a pregnant woman for seven months and not figure out that there were two little people in there.

Anyway, so she found out that she was carrying two of us one day, and then before you know it, she was in labor. My brother did his whole "birth thing" first, and in the process of making his way to the outer world, he twisted me around, so I was facing feet first. And that’s how I was born.

Yes, that's right. Feet First. According to those in the delivery room, it sucked for me and for Momma Johnson.

Eventually I was born safe and sound, but now my parents had a new problem—they didn't have names. We were originally going to be named after my father, but unless they were going to name us Larry 1 and Larry 2, that wasn't going to work anymore. So we went unnamed for three days. And then a Librarian intervened.

My Aunt Annette worked as a librarian at one of the middle schools in the neighboring county, and decided to hold a baby naming contest to come up with Larry 1 and Larry 2's middle name.

Yes, that’s right. I was named by bunch of middle school kids.

But, it didn't work out so bad. They came up with Bradwick and Chadwick, which, I must admit, I really like (FYI--most of my family and friends call me Chad). For a long time, I considered using Chad Johnson as my “author” name, until I realized that Varian looks a hell of a lot better on a book cover.

Now, as for our first names, Momma Johnson came up with those after watching some TV show supposedly involving aliens.

Yes, that's right. I was named after an alien. But what can I say...it was the Seventies. Perhaps there where other "extra-sensory agents" at play while Momma Johnson was picking out names.

All this is just to say that I love librarians, and I love libraries, and I love Momma Johnson, and I thank everyone for their support.

Yes, I can do the math...

...and I know it's been a long time since I've posted. I've pretty much come to the realization that, until I finish up a Vermont College, my blogging volume is going to drastically decrease. But the semester is finally over (almost). I still have to get together a bunch of paperwork to turn in to the admin office, and the way I'm going, I'll have to Fed-ex it to get it there on time.

So, I've been spending a lot of time with VC stuff, but there's still a lot of other things going on. Like, My Life as a Rhombus, which was supposed to be available on January 1, is available NOW. Well, at least it's available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It should trickle into the actual brick-and-mortar stores later this month or sometime at the beginning of next month. (Thanks for the nudge, Lisa).

Rhombus was also featured in a recent Booklist article about math in fiction. Check out their entire Core Collection of Math in Fiction.

We're also still going strong at The Brown Bookshelf. Again, be sure to check out the blog posts, as we're always adding content.

Okay, that's it for now. Maybe I'll have a chance to post another blog this week.

But then again, don't hold your breath.

Catching up and Rhombus news

I know I've been gone for a while, but with school / the Brown Bookshelf / work / Thanksgiving / life in general, I just haven't had the time to blog.

I've got a few things to announce, but first, some Public Service Announcements:

1) Thanks for all of your support for both The Brown Bookshelf and the 28 Days Later initiative. The last day to suggest a book is this Saturday, so be sure to head over to the site and nominate a book.

2) There's a great discussion going on at Finding Wonderland concerning just what it means to be a "brown" author. There are good points on both sides of the issue there--I highly suggest reading through the comments (up to 30 as of this evening), and perhaps even posting one of your own.

And concerning Rhombus:

It's hard to believe, but in five short weeks, My Life as a Rhombus should be on the shelves (I say should because release dates are notoriously wrong). I've updated the website to list upcoming author appearances, a new blurb from Booklist, and...the first full chapter of the novel!

Take a look, and let me know what you think.

Keeping it real?

I woke up this morning and found this in my blogger comments:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Blurb from Ellen Wittlinger":

"Without a bit of preaching..." - Why is it whenever anyone dares to take an unpopular position on a controversial moral topic in our society, their ideas are described as didactic, dogmatic, preachy, or any other apparently negative label? With all the destructive sexual activities and misinformation plaguing young adults in America, it would be immensely helpful if those with the power of the pen would use their gift to steer some attitudes in the right direction rather than be content with "keeping it real".

Dear Anonymous (if you're reading this),

I tend to ignore anonymous comments, but this one is actually interesting, so I plan to reply...but not today. I'm sorry, but I'm just too swamped with other things right now to reply, especially when I don't even know who's making the comment. However, you may want to drop a line to my editor; I'm sure he'd love to hear your thoughts on this matter. In addition, I would suggest emailing my friends as the AS IF blog; they commonly deal with issues such as yours. And of course, I have a lot of writer-friends, and they are welcome to post a reply of their own, if they wish.

And Anonymous, just for the purposes of discussion, could you please post a few books by authors that you consider to "use their gift to steer some attitudes in the right direction rather than be content with 'keeping it real'"? Thanks.

More Good Stuff

We received another blurb this week, this time from author-extraordinaire Cynthia Leitich Smith.

"My Life as a Rhombus is a sensitive and powerful friendship story about two very different girls who connect over the toughest decision either of them will ever make. In his YA debut, author Varian Johnson offers a realistic, heartfelt, and thoughtful take on unplanned teen pregnancy from the perspective of a young math whiz trying to reconcile her future and past."

I've never told Cynthia this, but I the first time I saw her in person (at the 2004 Austin SCBWI Conference), I didn't have the courage to speak to her. I mean, she's Cynthia Leitich Smith--and I was just a lowly, unpublished author. Anyway, about a year later, after meeting her husband, Greg, at another SCBWI event, she sent me the following email:

Dear Varian,
How is it that I don't know you yet? ;-)

I'm happy to report that two years later, I'm privileged to call her both a friend and a mentor.

Blurb from Ellen Wittlinger

Ellen Wittlinger, the award-winning author of Hard Love, was gracious enough to blurb My Life as a Rhombus. She says:

"Without a bit of preaching, Varian Johnson gives us a story of two teenage girls who are faced with the consequences of unplanned pregnancies. Teens will love the emotional peaks and valleys of the tale and be gratified by the conclusion."

As you can imagine, I'm very, very, happy.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I respect Ellen Wittlinger's work; Hard Love is one of the main reasons I started writing YA in the first place. I also respect that Ellen doesn't shy away from tough topics, such as transgendered teens in Parrotfish or oral sex in Sandpiper.

FYI -- for all of you Hard Love fans out there, check out Ellen's faq page. It looks like we can expect more from Marisol and Gio.

So, what's it about?

As some of you know, I've been pretty tight-lipped about My Life as a Rhombus. Most of this has less to do with me being secretive, and is more because I sound like a rambling idiot when I try to describe a book.

And anyway, what does someone really mean when they ask, "What's it about?" Are they asking about the plot, the theme, or what? But I digress...

The good people at Flux recently released their Winter Catalog, so now you can find out for yourself what the book is about (in addition, you can also scope out soon-to-be released books by Carrie Jones and Stacy DeKeyser, among others).

For those of you too lazy to click to the website, I've posted the catalog copy below:

Homework plus strawberry ice cream equals a typical night for high school senior and math whiz Rhonda Lee. Angling for a full scholarship to Georgia Tech, the pressure is on. And dating isn't part of the equation. Teenage boys are only after one thing, right? She should know considering her last boyfriend left her heartbroken . . . and pregnant.

At the time, an abortion seemed like Rhonda's only option. If it was the right decision, why is she filled with anger and regret? Will she ever trust another guy? Or forgive her overprotective father? And herself?

The last person Rhonda would ever expect to understand is Sarah Gamble, the richest and most popular girl at their South Carolina prep school. While tutoring Sarah in trigonometry, Rhonda discovers a secret about her that instantly draws them together. As Sarah's belly swells, a decision must be made. And Rhonda finds herself supporting a friend facing an all-too-familiar dilemma, even as Sarah makes an unexpected choice.

Introducing Rhonda Lee

My Life as a Rhombus - Flux/Llewellyn, Jan 08

Things I was supposed to do before Vermont College...

1) Finish revising the first three chapters of Righteous: Well, I'm close (if you consider close being stuck somewhere in Chapter 2). But I'm still hopeful that I can at least stay on my schedule of getting the first half revised by the end of next month.

2) Finish updating my website: For anyone paying attention, I think I originally said that I'd have the revised site up and running by March. Well, March has come and gone, and the website still looks the same. I promise, I plan to get revised content up by September (or sooner, depending on when I get the final cover art for My Life as a Rhombus - hint, hint).

3) See Transformers: Yeah, I know--WTF is Michael Bay thinking, putting red flames on Optimus Prime. But it could be worse--he could have made a movie like Superman Returns.

4) Spend quality time with Mrs. V: Well, it seems that Mrs. V is actually looking forward to me being out of the house for a while...which means that I'll either be greeted with new furniture, new paint, or a new dog by the time I return.

Okay, so this is probably my last post until I get back from VC. See you guys when I get back. I think I'll have some amazing things to report on when I return.

A Good Time to be a Flux Author (and some other stuff)

Over at the Flux blog, Andrew has been announcing some pretty great news about the Flux authors. Carrie Jones and Brian Yansky received some very nice reviews for their novels, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend (Carrie) and Wonders of the World (Brian). Christine Kole Maclean and Simone Elkeles won an Independent Publishers Book Award (Gold for Christine and Silver for Simone). And Flux has rolled out the new covers for the fall books. (Scroll to the bottom of the Flux blog for the slideshow showing the covers. Or, take a look at all of the upcoming books at "the Mothership".)

Getting back to Carrie--I just finished her book last week, and I absolutely loved it. Tips is the type of book that will make you laugh and cringe (but cringe in a good way) at the same time. Belle is a sweetheart; a sweetheart you have to root for. And while I wanted to hate Dylan (like I think Belle did at first), Carrie really did a good job of showing him as a conflicted and compassionate three-dimensional character, not just a stereotypical gay guy that dumps his girlfriend. And--saying this in the most heterosexual way possible--if I was a girl, I would be all over Tom Tanner.

I'm really looking forward to the sequel, Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape), and I'm hoping there's a lot more of Emily in it.

And just to throw some good news in about me, my book is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. January 2008 doesn't seem quite so far away anymore.

Mr. V Gets Schooled

So not only did I turn 30 yesterday, and not only did I submit my "almost" final manuscript of My Life As A Rhombus (only three comments from AK in this round), and not only did I get my brand new Brother HL-5250 printer (it duplexes), but I also got a call from Sharon Darrow, the Faculty Chair of the Vermont College MFA Program for Writing for Children and Young Adults.

It looks like Mr. V is going back to school.

I know what a lot of you are wondering—why in the world are you interested in getting an MFA? You’re already a published author.

Yes, I am a published author. But just because I’m published doesn't meant there isn't more I could learn about the writing craft. There are a number of things I want to do—things that I can do better with an MFA. I want to become a more critical writer and reader. I want to take my craft to the "next level." I want to learn more about PBs and MGs and non-fiction writing. I want to teach (someday).

I’m not saying that getting an MFA is the right thing for everyone to do, but I think it's the right thing for me. So for anyone else lucky enough to be enrolled or accepted in the program, I’ll see you in Vermont in July.

One more thing—I need to thank the following people for all of the advice and well-wishes: Cynthia Leitich Smith (who has her own good news to share), Carrie Jones, Brian Yansky, Brian Farrey, Sara Crowe and Andrew Karre.

Ta Da!

Pop the champagne! Drop the confetti! I am happy to report that I have finally finished the first draft of my latest novel.

Actually, first draft is a little misleading. It's more like the first complete draft of the novel. My process is really pretty complicated. First, I spend a few weeks outlining a novel. I mainly try to identify the big pieces of the novel, and I try to capture any dialog that might work well in certain parts. I also want to make sure I have enough content to actually justify a novel. I tend to go through a lot of drafts of my outlines, and I eventually end up picking two or three that I really like. I don't automatically know exactly what I want to write - I usually have a main theme I want to touch on, but everything else is up for grabs. I tend to over-populate my manuscript with problems at this phase as well.

After I finish my outlines, I spend a month or so really working on the first three chapters. A lot of my outlines bite the dust before I even finish one chapter. Eventually, a writable novel rises to the top. I really believe that the first three chapters should tell you everything you need to know about the novel - who the main characters are, what the main problem is, the tone and voice of a novel, etc.

Next, I begin writing the book. Now, this isn't planned, but what usually happens is that I write about half of the book, before I get a huge epiphany and start over again. If I'm lucky, like I was in this case, I'm able to use a lot of the material that I created before. If I'm unlucky (like with Rhombus) I have to almost start from scratch. I also redo my outline, and at this point, most of the over-the-top problems are eliminated.

Then, it's a mad dash to the finish line as I frantically write the novel. This is probably the most exciting time for me, because it's when everything is fresh and new and exciting. I tend to write a lot of dialog first, and then fill it in with narrative later.

I'm now at the point where I've combined all my individual chapters into one large Word file. This is where I begin the true editing process.

I wish I could tell you guys more about the manuscript (codename: Righteous), but it just isn't at that point yet. Mrs. V hasn't even read this manuscript yet, and my agent has only seen the first three chapters. But, to be fair, I will share this about the novel:

1) It's contemporary fiction.
2) It's the closest thing to a love story that I've ever written.
3) It has a lot to do with religion.
4) My main characters' names are Joshua and Madeline.
5) It has less cursing than Rhombus (at least, for now).

Speaking of Rhombus, I'm almost finished with the next round of edits on the manuscript. They were virtually painless this go around, and in the next round (if there even is a next round), I expect them to be very minor. Stay tuned to the website over the next couple of months. I hope to have more content about Rhombus there by March.

Who's Mr. V?

Super Cool Editor Guy has me working on a bio for My Life A As Rhombus. I won't reveal the bio just yet, but I will reveal what didn't make the cut:

1) Varian Johnson was not a ladies' man in high school, but he will lie and tell you that he was.

2) Varian Johnson uses his powers for good, while other authors use their powers for evil.

3) Varian Johnson loves gummi bears almost as much as Republicans love money.

4) Varian Johnson used to drive a car nicknamed "Jenny, the Mighty Topaz."

5) Varian Johnson likes to cruise the web for "artistic" photographs.

6) Varian Johnson is very jealous of John Green and Markus Zusak.

7) Varian Johnson lives in Austin, TX with his beautiful wife and two dogs that like to lick on stuff, like each other's...stuff.

8) Varian Johnson couldn't do a pull-up if his life depended on it.


Lastly, I've finally become a member of the cults known as Live Journal and MySpace. Feel free to check me out there, if you're more partial to one of those formats. I'll be cross-posting my ass off for the next few weeks, until I figure out how to best synidate posts.

Where's Mr. V?

Currently, I'm hanging out in the great metropolis of Waco, TX. Mrs. V and I were stuck in traffic (there was a horrible accident on IH-35). While making a bathroom break, the car decided to stop on us. Of course, no auto shops are open at 5:00 PM on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so Mrs. V, the two dogs, and I had to bed down here in Waco. I'm currently at the Ford Dealership. So far, I'm amassed at least $235 in auto costs...and they're still not done.

I haven't posted in quite a while, mainly because I've been slaving away at the edits on Rhombus. I'm done...almost. I had to do a total rewrite of one chapter; I'm curious what Super Cool Editor Guy will think of it. I've still got to tweak the ending (as I said in my last post) but that's easy compared to the trickle effect caused by the changes to Chapter 19.

I've also updated the blog to Blogger Beta. It looks like I still have all of my previous posts, but I've lost my old comments.

FYI - If anyone gets stuck at IH-35W exit 337, the only hotel in the area that accepts pets is the Knights Inn. It's not the most upscale motel in the world, but it's better than sleeping in a car.

Happily Ever After

Most YA authors will say that while a YA novel doesn't have to have a happy ending, it must give the reader a sense of hope. And I almost always agree with that...except in the case of Rhombus.

I got the edits on Rhombus last week, but I knew I had to change the ending before I received them. And I agree with my editor and everyone else that's read the novel - I tried to tie up too many loose strings at the end of the novel. It isn't realistic.

I think the reason I want things to end up happily is less about Rhonda (my MC) and more about the person that I want her to forgive. As much as I relate to Rhonda in the novel, there's someone else I relate to a lot more. And if I were that person, I would give anything to be forgiven in the way that Rhonda currently forgives him in the novel.

I really, really want things to end happily for Rhonda and for everyone else in the novel. And the characters will end up being happy...just not by the time the novel ends.

Mr. V meets Imaginary Oprah

Thanks everyone for all of the congrats and well-wishes about the book sale. I know I keep saying it, but it's true - I really, really like what Flux is doing, and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Folks have asked a lot of questions about me, the novel, my agent, Flux, and just about everything else over the last week. I figured now would be a good time to answer some of those questions.

Imaginary Oprah: Congratulations on the novel. Can you tell us what it's about?

Mr. V: Umm, didn't you read the blurb on my last post?

Imaginary Oprah: Of course I did. Your blurb didn't give much of a description about the book, though. What causes Rhonda's life to be turned "upside down"? Why is she avoiding the in-crowd?

Mr. V: None of your business. You'll get more answers as the publication date nears.

Imaginary Oprah: But -

Mr. V: I said to drop it. Don't make me call Dr. Phil.

Imaginary Oprah (as she mumbles something under her breath): A lot of people were unhappy with the way you ended your first novel. Will this novel end in similar fashion?

Mr. V: No one buys the farm in this novel.

IO: That's good to hear. Now, according to your blurb, this is your first YA novel. Is that correct?

Mr. V: Finally, a good question. My first novel, although written as a YA novel, was released as adult fiction. My publisher said that we would target both the YA and the adult markets for the novel. Unfortunately, I must not have gotten the memo where they decided to revise their marketing scheme.

IO: You sound bitter for someone whose novel made the Essense Bestseller list.

Mr. V: No, I'm not bitter. It's just that for the past few years, I've felt like a YA author trapped in the land of adult fiction. I had spent all of my time and resources preparing for the YA market. The book hit the stores (well, some stores) and I wasn't prepared for how to handle marketing and promoting an adult fiction book.

IO: Your new publisher, Flux, seems to focus primarily on teen fiction. How do you feel about that?

Mr. V: What kind of question is that? I'm happy about it, of course. I write teen fiction, remember?

IO (narrowing her eyes): You'd better be glad I'm a figment of your imagination, because if not, I'd reach through that computer screen and-

Mr. V: Save the threats for Stedman. Just keep asking questions.

IO: Sara Crowe with the Harvey Klinger Agency negotiated the deal. Do you have any comments on that?

Mr. V: Sara's a great agent. She knows the market, and she knows what I need as an author. I'm lucky to be represented by her.

IO: Flux's belief that YA is a point of view, not a reading level, is a great tagline. By any chance do you have a tagline?

Mr. V: Yeah. I make shit up.

IO (frowning): I thought you were a YA novelist. Shouldn't you keep your language PG, for the kids?

Mr. V: What planet are you living on? Have you heard a teenager talk lately? They stopped keeping it PG in elementary school. But that's a topic for another day.

IO (shaking her head): What do you Flux people call yourselves?

Mr. V: According to Christine Kole Maclean (who's book, How it's Done, is coming out next month with Flux), we're either Flux-ians or Flux-onites. Personally, I think we're a bunch of Bad Mother Fluxers.

IO (as she salutes me): Who's a bad mother fluxer now?

In Flux

Varian Johnson's debut young adult novel, MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS, the story of Rhonda Lee, an overweight, African-American math genius with a simple goal - to get a scholarship to Georgia Tech while avoiding the "in-crowd" as much as possible - whose life is turned upside-down when she finds herself forced to tutor Sarah Gamble, Senior Class Goddess, to Andrew Karre at Flux, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger, Inc.

This ran in Publishers Lunch last week, so I figured I'd go ahead and break the news (sorry for the long delay). I'm really excited about being a part of Flux's line. Andrew Karre, the Flux editor, is putting out the types of books that I like to read, so naturally I think I'll be right at home with all the Flux folks.

This has kinda been in the works for a while. Andrew called about a month ago to discuss the manuscript with me. He had a lot of good suggestions, and he picked up on a lot of the things I was trying to do in the novel. He also asked if I was open to revisions (umm...of course), and then he ended the conversation saying that he'd be in touch. Sara contacted me a little later to say that Flux planned to put in an offer for the novel. Sara and Andrew did their "thing" (God, I love agents) and voila, I have a new publisher.

Although Flux is a new line, I've actually known about the imprint for some time. I met Megan Atwood, the previous acquisitions editor for Flux (Llewellyn), at the national SCBWI conference last year. We talked some about Red Polka Dot, and she ended the conversation by handing me her card and suggesting that I send her some of my work.

Megan is no longer with Llewellyn, but I've heard nothing but good things about Andrew from some of his authors. And, he keeps a blog. Anyone who has a blog is cool, right?

I know that the Pub Lunch description isn't very telling about the novel, but I like it that way. I've give out more nuggets about the novel as we get closer to the publication date. I've really enjoyed getting to know Rhonda Lee, and I think y'all will enjoy reading about her as well.

SOLD!!!

Sara called a few days ago to give me the good news. Details will be coming...soon.