Valentine's Day, Shakespeare, and Salvation's Release

Me: Hi, Beth.

She looks up from her own manuscript. There are about fifty pages (and a pen) in her hand and stacks of papers all over the table, but none on the floor. A definite achievement for Beth.

Beth: Hello.

Me: Umm. I have news.

She adjusts the grip on her pages.

Beth: Must not be good, or you’d be talking to Salva first.

Me: Why would you say that?

Beth: Because he’s cares about being first. And he’s stubborn. And can go for days without talking if he’s in a foul mood.

Me: A bit of an exaggeration. Don’t you think?

She’s gives me a doubtful look.

Me: OK, maybe you’re right. So I have news. And maybe you could help me share it with him?

Her pen falls to the table.

Me: The release date for Salvation has been changed. Again.

Her jaw drops.

Me: It’s been moved to January 2013.

The papers fly everywhere.

Me: (lifting my arms to avoid the spray) It’s not my fault! I swear. I submitted on time.

She sputters.

Beth: Anne, we worked our tails off so that you could have that first submission done. A year-and-a-half ago.

Me: Yes, Beth.

Beth: And then we worked straight through last spring for the second submission. Even though that’s our busiest time of year.

Me: I know.

Beth: I missed Senior Prom.

Me: You missed the prom for other reasons.

Beth: This is so unfair.

Me: It isn’t bad news. Your book is going to be the only original story released by Penguin in January.

Beth: Uh huh.

Me: Which means it will get more attention than if it was competing with something else.

Beth: We have Salva. Mr. All-State Quarterback. He can totally handle competition.

Me: Also, this means Salvation will come out when readers still have Christmas gift cards.

Beth: Are you kidding me? If I had a Christmas gift card, I’d spend it the day after Christmas.

Me: That’s because you’d lose the card otherwise.

Beth: (grudgingly) I might.

Me: And the best part . . . (I bend down and start picking up her pages)

Beth: Yes?

Me: Your story will be coming out the month before Valentine’s Day!

Beth: Right.

Me: Which means Salva will be in a good mood.

Beth: (glaring) As opposed to how he’s going to react to this news.

I hand her back her pages.

Me: An exceptionally good mood.

Beth: How exceptional? Are we talking chocolate?

Me: I think chocolate is a little mundane for Salva.

Beth: Flowers?

Me: Flowers in February are kind of expensive.

Beth: Shakespeare?

Me: Shakespeare will definitely be in order.

Beth: (giving a long dreamy sigh) I’ll tell him.

YA Historical Fiction: An Opinion

There isn’t enough new YA historical fiction. I was told, at a recent writing conference, that in general, the only YA historical fiction novels being sold today are earlier classics.

Of course this is an exaggeration. But sadly, not much of one.

I’d like to make an argument for more YA HF.

Look at the books that are selling.

Dystopian fiction. On topics like war, plague, social class conflict.

Hello? All this exists in historical fiction.

I recently read the novel How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. It reminded very much of a paperback book I read in middle school about two teens knocking around London during the Blitz.

At the Whidbey Island Writers Conference this past week, one of the writers participating in my Create Your Own Character class invented a character who had lost his family during the Plague.

The rest of us weren’t certain whether it was set in the past or in the future.

I LOVE YA historical fiction.

I remember falling in love with Ann Rinaldi’s The Last Silk Dress. And Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s Mara, Daughter of the Nile. And Sally Watson’s Witch of the Glens. I read Johnny Tremain twice in a row in the seventh grade and yet again before the class test. I’ve read Margaret by Jane Claypool Miner at least seven times and Bargain Bride by Evelyn Sibley Lampman just as often. I read the entire Sunfire series back in high school (all thirty-two books). And quite a number of other teen paperback HF series as well.

YA historical fiction introduced me to the tragedies of the Johnstown Flood, the Great London Fire, and, of course, the chaos of Tudor-era England. Authors like Linda Crew introduced me to local history. And I set my travel itinerary of dreams based on my favorite novels. Places I would love to see: Egypt, Boston, The Great Glen.

History, I believe, is an even richer and more vibrant world than the greatest fantasy. Because there are always more layers. More relationships. And more ways to tell the story. More voices that have never been heard.

And teenagers! Teens were the adventurers of the past. The slaves, sailors, soldiers, and southern belles. Sacagawea was 16 during the Lewis & Clark Expedition! Lady Jane Gray was 17 when she was named queen. And executed. Clara Barton began teaching school at 17. And of course, hundreds of thousands of soldiers in many, many wars throughout history, have been teenagers.

So I’d just like to offer my thanks to the authors and publishers who are writing & printing new YA historical fiction.

People like . . .

Mary Hooper

Susanne Dunlap

And Ruth Tenzer Feldman

And to say that we, the YA audience, are definitely up to the challenge of reading more!

Happiness is . . .

An orange kitten curled under your chin
A gray mama cat sleeping on your feet
A winter’s morning cup of hot chocolate

Freedom

To plan the day, the week, your life however you see fit.
Then mess it up.
And mix it up.
And . . .

Sending you all over to read the rest on my friend Elizabeth's blog. She sponsored a whole month of "Happiness is . . ." posts by female voices.
http://www.elizabethfarrar.com/2012/01/happiness-is.html