Interview with Victoria Strauss on Passion Blue

Today, Idea City interviews Victoria Strauss, a seasoned author of novels for teens and adults about her new novel Passion Blue!

What are the two most important themes in Passion Blue?

Following your dreams, and facing up to your mistakes. Giulia, Passion Blue’s heroine, is separated from readers by centuries of history, and her actual situation, of being forced into a convent against her will, isn’t something that teens are likely to encounter today. But her struggle against huge odds to find her heart’s desire, and her realization that she must take responsibility for her actions and do her best to atone for her errors, are things that transcend historical differences. I think modern readers will find a lot in Giulia to recognize and identify with.

Which character would you want to spend a day with? Why?

I'm going to be predictable and say Giulia! My characters always become very real to me as I write them; having Giulia in my head for the past couple of years has been like making a new friend (yes, I know that sounds kind of schizophrenic!) and I would love to spend some real time with her. I could help her in the workshop, grinding minerals into pigment powder for paint. I could walk with her in the 15th century streets of Padua, with their shady arcades and bustling traffic. She could cast my horoscope, and tell me what’s in my stars.

Give us a hallmark line or two from Passion Blue.

"And all at once, by some strange turn of memory or perception, she was in the sorcerer's house again, the zodiac underfoot and the constellations overhead and the candles burning with flames that were not natural, and she heard the sorcerer say what he had told her when he placed the talisman in her hands: Be very sure you know what your heart's desire is, or you may find yourself surprised by what you receive."

Give is a line that reveals the antagonist’s intent, motivation or character.

“My father is a great man. But he’s not always a good one. He can tolerate no rivals, even among the men who work for him. I am a woman, and I would have been his rival.”

What inspired you to write this novel?

The seed of the idea came from an editor who'd read one of my other YA books, and told me she'd always wanted to read a historical novel about astrology. The idea grabbed me, and I started researching, choosing 15th century Italy because it's a time and place that has always fascinated me. At the same time as I was finding out all sorts of interesting and obscure facts about astrology, I found myself drawn to the wonderful paintings of that time and place, which I've always loved more than any others. In the end, from a book about astrology, Passion Blue became a novel about painters and painting, with astrology, and a magical astrological talisman, as its fantasy element.

What do you enjoy doing besides writing?

Reading, watching movies, knitting, running, biking and hiking with friends, hanging out at the beach on a sunny day. But my favorite thing in the world is gardening. I have a big perennial garden that I've built up over the years, with hundreds of different plants. I love working with plants--watching them mature, seeing them come back to life every spring. It's about the only artistic thing I can do (I can barely draw stick figures)--painting a picture with living things that are constantly growing and changing. It's a form of meditation for me, one of the few activities where I'm just in the moment, not thinking about the past or worrying about the future.

Please provide one piece of important advice to aspiring writers.

Educate yourself about publishing before trying to get published! Knowledge is your best ally, and your greatest defense. I'm co-founder of Writer Beware, a publishing industry watchdog group that tracks and warns about the many scams that target writers. We hear from so many writers who get caught up in scams because they don't know enough about how publishing works, and aren't able to recognize bad business practice when they encounter it. Whether you're looking for an agent to sell your manuscript to a big publisher, or submitting to small presses, or getting ready to self-publish, you'll be most successful--not to mention safest--if you take some time beforehand to educate yourself about your chosen field.

A hint of what you’re working on next?

I'm writing a sequel to Passion Blue, which will take Giulia out of the convent, and into intrigue and danger in the exotic (and sometimes sinister) city of Venice. After that, I'm thinking about putting my plant knowledge to work in a gothic fantasy about a girl who tends a garden of deadly plants for her father, a professional poisoner. Then, one day, a fugitive thief climbs in over the walls...

Where to find Passion Blue and Victoria on the Web:
Passion Blue in hardcover and kindle from Amazon
Passion Blue from Barnes & Noble
Victoria's website

Thankful for Great Books! And a review of a New Steampunk series

Alison Deluca is a fellow YA and tween author, who’s written an excellent steampunk series called The Crown Phoenix.

My review of Book One, The Night Watchman Express:
Miriam’s comfortable world is thrown into chaos when her father dies and his so-called business partners, Virgil and Theodosia Marchpane move in take over the mansion. They’ve brought along their spoiled son, Simon, and his friend of more modest means, Neil. Upon the horrid realization that Theodosia is intent on moving Miriam up to the attic and installing Simon in her room, Miriam is not going down without a fight. She throws things, she curses, and is relegated to her room for days with only bread and water.

Book Two

Book Three

Mysterious, steampunky elements appear: twelve silver circles set in the stones near the shore, a seemingly magical night train that inspires strange dreams, and Miriam’s secret possession: her old-fashioned Crown Phoenix manual typewriter, which takes on a larger aura. Miriam overhears Virgil and Theodosia’s whispered business dealings. She reads their private papers and learns of shocking details. The Marchpanes hate her snoopy ways and hire a governess to keep Miriam in line.

Enter Manalapata Postulate, a character every bit as trippy as her name suggests. As Miriam’s new governess, she has a hypnotic hold on everyone—for instance, the very racist Theodosia cannot recall saying yes to hiring Miss Postulate, who is the color of dark chocolate, yet Theodosia’s signature’s on the contract!

At first Miriam rails against her new governess, but soon Miss Postulate, or Mana, not only turns Miriam into a proper lady, she has also, to Theodosia’s horror, charmed young Simon and Neil. When Miriam asks Mana why she’s being so nice, we wonder too! Everyone has a nefarious motivation that is big fun trying to figure out. Danger lurks, and finally, the kids learn that Mana has been taken. Upon trying to rescue her, Simon and Miriam are whisked away on none other than the Night Train that inspires their fearful dreams.

Part two brings us to the island of Lampala where Miss Postulate grew up. She’s been kidnapped and Neil is determined to search for her. It's here that DeLuca crafts her most original setting and language, a testament to her vivid imagination and prowess as a storyteller. Neil is charged with watching a native girl, even more impossible than Miriam ever was, and the earlier plot is echoed in his own creative ways of bringing Riki around. The more serious task is to rescue Mana, who they find hanging in a cage off the edge of a cliff! I admire DeLuca’s quirky sense of adventure, and expertise at weaving together all of the mystifying threads without dropping any. Her prose is gorgeous. Tweens and middle-graders will love this series, as well as teens and even adults.

Where to find Alison and The Crown Phoenix series:
The series on Amazon
At B&N for Nook: Night Watchman Express, The Devil's Kitchen, Lamplighter's Special
Facebook author page, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+
Book Trailer

What book are you thankful for this November?

Celebrating the Launch of M Pax's The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear

Today, Idea City is helping M Pax, speculative author extraordinaire, celebrate the launch of her new adult urban fantasy, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear. It's the first book in a new series. And it’s out! The main character, Hetty, is a twenty-two-year-old, stumbling about in an effort to become a full-fledged adult. She struggles with self-esteem, weight, relationships, and making the transition between college and the real world.

Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way.
 To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation.
New Adult Urban Fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Mature content.

Available as an ebook at Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords / iTunes / Kobo
Visit www.mpaxauthor.com for more links.

M. Pax is celebrating her latest release with a jousting tournament and contest at www.mpaxauthor.com. Cheer for the knights to help them win the grand prize, and you’ll be put in a drawing to win an ebook copy of The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear. Five will be given away. Huzzah!

Frankenstorm, a Personal Report

Flares replace traffic lights downtown

We’re watching news as I’m posting snarky weather updates on Facebook: “If the power gos out you can always hold a séance with your meditation candles.” Then, actual concerns begin, as the wind picks up and rattles the windows hard. We hear of trees down, flooding on Seventh Ave (west side) and Ave C (east side). A gigantic explosion sounds (Generators blowing at the 14th Street Con Ed Station).

The TV and lights splutter off. We stumble around for candles.
Stare out into the black streets. Blink at each other. Hunker under heavy quilts.

The next morning, every store is shuttered. Banks are closed. Trees have crashed down and awnings are ripped. I ask a lone cab driver whether there’s any power in the city. “Above 42nd St.,” he replies. The garage guy painstakingly extricates cars from the cavernous pit with one mini flashlight. My Nissan Cube becomes our chariot of deliverance because no cabs, subways, or buses are running, and gas? “Fegeddaboutit!”

Uptown, one diner is open and mobbed. No waitresses. The cook, speaking only a smattering of English takes all orders. “You’re a hero,” I say, “and your boss should pay you a lot today.” He smiles big. We drive around, shell-shocked.

We buy a jar of instant coffee (Yechh), cringe through a meal of cold, precooked sausages. Amazed that 24/7, colonial people lived with no electricity. Pick up a camping stove, it's broken. Hunker under many blankets and coats. We get out 20 year-old phones that actually work!!! And a battery operated radio. Hear the news for the first time. Stunned that this ancient technology outshines all of the new. I feel like I’m in that show Revolution, and if this continues, maybe The Passage. Weird knowing that people are now shopping uptown at Bloomies and Macy’s as if there’s no blackout—further alienation from uptowners.

Walking at night, we find that the new coffee place has its own generator. Thankful for twenty-something owners who’ve anticipated the apocalypse! Tons of neighborhood types stream in to charge their electronic devices. The valiant coffee baristas work their espresso machine practically to death. Many cool conversations ensure. One man pulls out four live chinchillas from his shirt! There is more than one way to keep warm in the Frozen Apple.

NYU charging station

Doggie charge-up

 New York University opens its doors to the public! We take shelter in the “Quiet Room” and write for two whole days. So much work gets done! NYU is now my hero. People charge up everywhere, even in the ladies’ room. We are mad at Con Ed; how dare they have a stranglehold on the entire city! We need emergency backup systems, sea walls, and a breakup of the conglomerate. We feel terribly sorry for people in Staten Island and Breezy Point, who lost everything.

Still, driving is super-fun now. All parking rules have been suspended! Many have left town, so there are lots of parking places. And none of the traffic lights work. You can go from 14th Street to 125th Street in a matter of minutes. Everything is dark, dark, dark. It’s a giant game of chicken at every intersection. Yee-hah!

But we are filthy. We decide to drive to a friend’s in Queens for a shower. Driving’s no fun when there are massive traffic snarls and lines for gas that snake on for blocks. Is cleanliness really worth it? Maybe so, we feel reborn. Just as I’m sort of getting used to the candles and early bedtimes and games of Crazy 8, and meeting all of the folks at the coffee joint, I’m in the kitchen when I see it—a glow from our robotic vacuum cleaner. I scream, “It’s back on!”

Having been through the apocalypse, I won’t easily forget. Appreciate the little things: a candle and a match. Warm shoes. A teaspoonful of instant coffee. And community. Even the friggin’ crazy Chinchilla guy. Did you lose power? What was your story?

Offutt's Slipstream: Sci-fi, New Physics & Myth

I just read Michael Offutt's new sci-fi novel Slipstream and wanted to post a review here. This is the first in his series A Crisis of Two Worlds. As someone who's read many books on new physics, this subject is of interest to me, and Michael clearly understands the concepts. He also combines myth and fantasy. Rarely have I seen anyone take this all on, much less pull it off!

Jordan Pendragon is a multilayered guy. He’s handsome, an ace at ice hockey and math, but not as at ease with navigating the emotional realms of high school and at staying clean. When he learns that he’s being followed by a strange British man Kolin, and Jordan turns to chase him, Kolin leaves behind a watchband that Jordan soon learns is what’s called a Life Extractor. Jordan is in dire pain when he tries it on and the thing sucks green oil from his arm. Jordan learns later from Kolin that the band is called a Life Extractor, and Green Life is a hot commodity.

In a tense chase scene in a carnival, where Jordan is double-dating a friend of his sister’s and pretending to like her (and girls in general), he, his sister and Kolin get sucked in through a Slipstream, which he learns is a sort of black hole from which he can come and go.

This lands them in Avalon, a fascinating yet frightening place, an alternate earth of AIs and mega-cities and shiny skyscrapers that churn out Life Green and all manner of questionable digital playthings. Kolin reveals that it’s been prophesized that a boy from earth with the name of an old king (Jordan’s last name Pendragon is the name of an ancient king) would bring order to chaos. Jordan has just been tagged!

In an intriguing blend of myth and sci-fi, adventure the world of Avalon rolls out in breathless fashion! Offutt’s desire to square theoretical physics with spirituality is hugely ambitious and I applaud it. For one, an entity called The Shadow operates a supercomputer in an unknown location that has imprisoned The Light, and Kolin’s Master.

Without giving anything away, I can say that Jordan will find love in the mad action—in the form of Kolin. This serves to deepen his character, and let the reader in more. This world was so cinematic that I could easily see it made into an edge-of-the-seat sci-fi extravaganza!

Buy Slipstream at Amazon
Find Michael Offutt's blog and website here.

Advice on social media, trends in YA & New Website!

At long last, I have a newsletter subscription form. Yay! I'd love for you to subscribe to my free newsletter, which will have news of my sequel release, new fiction releases, classes, events, giveaways and swag. Click here to subscribe.

Take a look at my brand new website! Don't worry, I blog here (blogger love), and this blog will also feed into the site. On the page for teachers and book clubs, I've designed free, downloadable guides, and there's a special page for writers, which includes my guest posts on writing, other amazing posts, including two from our own Susan Kaye Quinn, and inspirational writing quotes. If you visit my bio page, let me know what you think of my weird great, great uncle Charles.

Left to right: Me, Nancy, Beth, Alison

Finally, I want to give you guys something too, so I'm posting my handout from the Push to Publish conference panel below. On the Writing for Kids and Teens panel with me was Alison DeLuca, an indie author who has a great blog called Fresh Pot of Tea. I will be featuring her new Crown Phoenix steampunk series very soon! Nancy Viau who writes picture books and middle grade fiction was another panelist. The moderator, Beth Kephart, is an award-winning author of books for teens. Visit Beth's blog here. And now, for my takeaway:


1. How important is social media to your promo plan? When should you implement it?

The best advice I got from an early mentor was to start a blog way before my next big book came out, not when it came out. I started Catherine Stine’s Idea City about two years before my latest novel was published, and by that time I had over 340 followers, who helped with my book blog tour, and other promo posts such as interviews, features and giveaways, as well as me guest posting on their blogs. I had no idea that the blogosphere would be so friendly and eager to help. Part of the fun is that it’s a mixed age-community, with everyone from savvy book reviewers, still in high school, to seasoned authors in their sixties. The key is to care about what others are posting! If you want good comments on your posts, you must return the favor. I’ve learned so much about publishing and writing from this vibrant community, and from indie authors as well as ones who are published with the Big Six. Other important social media to develop: a Goodreads author page, a Facebook author or book page, a Pinterest page and a twitter account. There are others, but this is a great place to start!
Topical online reads:
1. Publishers’ Weekly article on YA Marketing-Digital versus Physical here.
2. Basic Marketing Tips from YA author, Elana Johnson here.
3. What the heck is Pinterest, you ask? Check out a sampling of YA books for OCT on Pinterest!


2. What are the big differences between indie and traditionally published books/authors? Between ebooks and paper copies? How do you see these trending in the future?

I see a blending in the future of who's published traditionally to who's publishing on their own, or with small houses. It will be more about the quality of the fiction and the authors’ growing readership than how authors publish. I’ve published with big houses such as Random House and American Girl, and I’ve also published through my own Konjur Road Press. Many traditionally published authors are now publishing their own out-of-print-books and novels that their agents haven’t placed. As publishing houses become more gun-shy and picky (because of less physical bookstores to sell to!) and authors learn how much they can potentially earn on their own the quality of indie fiction will grow ever higher! There is also a trend toward POD printing—that means print on demand. For instance, if someone orders your POD book through Amazon, or B&N, their publishing arm will print as many paperback copies as are ordered and no more. This has an upside for a beleaguered industry: publishers will no longer have to deal with huge store returns, which lose money for the houses when they must refund that revenue. On the other hand, it means less variety on the physical bookshelves. As more and more readers get comfy with ereading devices, more ebooks will sell. In the Catskills, where I go on the weekends, I feel the burn of bookstore closings. There are no more within 40 or 50 miles! People won’t stop reading, they will always want stories; they'll simply buy more ebooks. A related online article:
1. A post by indie fantasy author, Lindsay Buroker here.

3. Trends in YA? Write to trends or to what I love?

It’s always a gamble to predict specific trends because they change from year to year. One should never write specifically to the trends. You should write that amazing novel only you can write! I tell my students to focus on a subject or theme that they are totally inspired by, because maintaining fuel for those entire 250 to 350 pages is something only fierce interest and passion can drive. That said, there do seem to be trends for 2013/14: realistic YA is making a comeback, after a paranormal and fantasy-saturated market. Vamps are trending out, but there will probably always be room for that unique, geeky or charismatic vamp! Historical fantasy is in with novels such as Revolution by J. Donnelly. Magical realism is growing, as is confidence in YA sci-fi like Black Hole Sun by Gill and space opera, such as A. Ryan’s Glow. Horror and unusual blends are growing in popularity as seen in novels like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by R. Riggs. There is also a trend toward sci-fi romance, as in novels like V. Rossi’s Under the Never Sky. And then, there are the trendbusters whose mind-bending novels start entirely new trends! Will you write one of these?

Writing Conference near Philly, Notes on Revolution & Fringe, & Web-building

Conference sponsored by
Philadelphia Stories Magazine

SATURDAY, OCT 13, Push to Publish WRITING CONFERENCE OPP! 
Anyone situated in eastern PA (Philly, Bryn Mawr, Westchester, Fort Washington, Ambler and the like) want to attend a very helpful one-day conference on writing? I will be presenting on the Writing for Children & Young Adults panel at PUSH to PUBLISH, Strategies and Techniques for Getting Your Work in Print and Online. The event is sponsored by Philadelphia Stories Magazine, and takes place at Rosemont College on Saturday, October 13th. That’s this coming Saturday!
Anyone want his or her manuscript edited and critiqued? I will also be on the speed-dating panel, as a freelance editor and manuscript doctor. There are agents, authors and editors galore. For schedule, full list of faculty and directions info, click here.

I’ve been busy designing a brand new website on Wordpress! My old website was run by someone I hired long ago. It was super-frustrating, because I couldn’t change even one line myself. No more! This one will be complete with downloadable study guides that I created for both of my YA novels, and other cool stuff. I'm still baffled by how to add certain widgets and other thorny issues that make me want to scream and tear at my hair. But I am determined to figure this all out.

On another note, I got a very thoughtful review from a blogger in the Philippines at her Books for YA. Check it out here.

Update on my dogged determination to keep watching Revolution. Report: The acting is actually getting better and the shocking switchback twists that JJ Abrahms is so very good at has just paid off with one character. Miles, but I can't say how. Report: The first new episode of Fringe (Last season-bwah!) was effortlessly awesome in comparison to Revolution's clunky, cutesy start. In Fringe, it's jumped to the year 2034, and the Watchers rule. Olivia, Peter and Walter have jumped too, and are still the same age since they were preserved in amber (hahahhahha). The new plot point here, is that the daughter they had is now twenty-something, and she's amazing on so many levels, including being able to kick as*s in the investigatory Fringe kind of way. So, she'll be a part of the team going forward. Sounds contrived but the writer/director/actors managed to pull it off.

Getting back to my work grind, my next quest is to create an online newsletter, and of course, finish that sequel. I’m thinking of doing Nano to help me. Anyone else doing Nano in November? What have you all been up to? Any word to the wise about Wordpress?