Hello, everyone, and welcome to silviaacevedo.com! This is your best place to find my latest news, works, and musings.
Please take a look around the site, and feel free to reply to posts. I love hearing from fellow writers, journalists, and people from all walks of life.
I was shocked to find out that I’d passed — unnoticed — the one-year anniversary of my blog; August 20, 2008. A milestone that slipped by uncelebrated.
Until now. So I’m pleased to give myself a little pat on the back for a fun year of writing stories and blog entries and making strides in my writing career.
And I’d like to thank you readers for riding along. It’s been fun, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.
As many of you know know by now, Stephenie Meyer’s next manuscript in the Twilight Saga has been leaked and distributed over the internet. Midnight Sun was incomplete, but planned to tell Twilight through Edward’s perspective. Meyer has chosen to post a version of the partial manuscript on her own website so that fans don’t “have to make a sacrifice to stay honest,” ie, they won’t have to choose to engage in copyright infringement to read their beloved stories.
I won’t hide my disappointment in this whole affair. I wish the leak had never occurred, both so that Ms. Meyer’s creation could have followed its natural evolution and so that the rest of us could have enjoyed its fruition. I will encourage everyone, however, to just take a moment to think about what they’re doing before distributing items that they would have to pay for in a store. Not paying for items means the creators lose out on the joy of developing their artistic babies to the full and it means creators lose out on the money their creations would have drawn. Their works are their livelihood and their lifelong passions. True fans of creators would never want to deny them that. And before I sound like I’m on a high horse, I promise to examine my own behavior to ensure that I’m not inadvertently hurting creators, too.
I’ve read the partial manuscript Meyer poster on her website and enjoyed it thoroughly. If you’re reading this, Ms. Meyer, I sincerely hope you’ll go back and finish it someday. I’d actually love to read the whole series from Edward’s perspective, but I recognize that’s probably asking a lot. In the meantime, I hope you don’t ever have to experience this sort of thing again.
It will only hurt us fans again if she does.
I’m not sure if her husband really feels like a two-month road trip will be a punishment, but Lesley Kagen suspects he might feel that way by the end of it. Last night, Lesley began her book release tour with a launch party at the Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop in Mequon. Next, the pair will hit Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan.
I had so much fun at the launch. First, it was packed with people who’ve either really enjoyed her latest book, Land of a Hundred Wonders, or were just catching on with her first, Whistling in the Dark. A very funny and emotional friend and bookseller, who’s very proud of her, introduced her, and then Lesley charged into a bit of her life story and how writing has been such a surprising and enjoyable success for her.
”I just did it,” she said, about writing her first novel, without regard to publication. “I didn’t think about it that much.” She’s glad she didn’t; finding an agent and navigating the publishing world can be a nightmarish proposition.
And so she’s enjoying the reaction to her work immensely, especially talking with readers at book clubs and readings such as that.
She read from Chapter 1, which is a wonderfully rich description of character and world, and then took questions from the audience. There was several writers in the audience, myself included. Lesley was quick to tell everyone that she doesn’t write from an outline or plan of any sort; rather lets the characters react organically with each other. Of her characters, Lesley says, “When you get enough people together, somebody’s gonna start trouble.” So she sits back to let them do that until she’s got the necessary conflict for a story.
Where there’s less conflict for her now is in the business end of publishing. See, now that her books are selling, Lesley’s got a lot more say in the final product. Go figure.
She introduced the rest of her family members, whom she talks about often, and gave us readers something to look forward to: news that her next book is nearly half completed. Entitled Tomorrow River, it’s about two girls in Virginia. No other hints … boo hoo …
So a fun time had by all. Wonders is an enchanting read. I’d recommend you pick up a copy, and if you’re anywhere around her tour sites, stop by to meet her.
I adore Bella Swan. And I’m so sad to read the end of her story. Stephenie Meyer has said that Breaking Dawn will be the end of the Twilight Saga as told by Bella. Of course, fans are anxiously awaiting Midnight Sun, to hear Edward’s perspective, but still, there are real pangs, real angst with the final the end of Book Four.
I realize there are people who haven’t finished it yet, so I won’t give out any spoilers. I will however, mention a few sections of the books that I just love (so stop reading now, if you don’t want to know). These sections just drip with visual descriptions. No specific lines quoted here, both because I respect Ms. Meyer’s copyright and because lines won’t read the same out of context.
I love Twilight’s meadow scene, the description of sparking diamonds. Such an image.
Bella’s fear as she traversed New Moon’s tunnel; the inky blackness and the grate’s finality. If that doesn’t paint a mental picture, I don’t know what will.
In Eclipse, Bella and Edward’s reunion after her breakout is so tender; the sweetness of reunion.
And Jacob’s realizing, in Breaking Dawn, that the pull he felt was gone.
I sincerely wish I could go on and on in deep detail about the great scenes and superb lines in these books, but that would take another four books in and of itself. The books were meant to be enjoyed in their entirety, too, to be given justice.
Thank you, Ms. Meyer, for a great series.
Is it wrong to sneak in a line or two — maybe even a whole paragraph — of writing while your kids are in a long line for the roller coaster? I hope not, because that’s exactly what I did. In fact, I’m sure it’s awesome, so I’m blogging on it.
See, every year, my family spends the first day of the Wisconsin State Fair’s 11-day run at the Midway. Riding rides. All day long. Until we drop. Wellllll, let me be more specific so you don’t get the wrong idea. The kids go on the rides. I watch over them and occasionally feed them and regularly take pictures. Then the other days of the fair are devoted to all the other things that make the WSF the great event that it is.
But this year, at the Midway, I snuck in some writing as well. I know, you’re thinking, “How can you write when you’re at such a place and your kids expect to see you waving at them?” Well, there were a few spare moments, when they were in lines or were inside closed-off rides (think Haunted House) where I could sneak in a few minutes of writing. So out came my teeny tiny purse notebook and in went, well, whatever I could spit out in a moment’s notice.
We know some truly great writers suggest using every moment to one’s advantage. I spent 99 percent of my moments that day enjoying a great day with my family, but I also got a few precious moments with pen to paper, and a lot of character study done as well.
Love meeting authors? The Wisconsin Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators is hosting a book signing party with Wisconsin talents. More than a dozen Wisconsin authors are scheduled to read from their new books, including award-winning picture books, middle grade, and young adult works.
The event is being held June 21, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Martha Merrell’s Bookstore in downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin. You can find more information there.
Happy reading!
Jeff Miracola’s first picture book is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com! He’s my hubby, and a fabulously talented, successful illustrator. Welcome to Monster Isle is written by Oliver Chin and published by Immedium, Inc. All 36 pages of this fabulous, fantastical romp will be available in stores September 2008.
Story Description:
A family’s vacation goes bananas when a perfect storm tosses their skipper’s tiny boat off course. Now seven castaways are stranded on an uncharted desert island! Finnegan, his sister, parents, and dog Howl venture into the wild and encounter a menagerie of colorful monsters. Can these hardy survivors befriend seven beasts straight from their wildest imaginations?
Whimsical and lushly layered illustrations invigorate a zootopia of mythical creatures like the Yowie, Abominable Snowman, and Ogo Pogo. Adventurous readers will take a trip they’ll never forget, since being lost was never so fantastic!
We’ve just learned that my husband’s work, along with the work of dozens of other illustrators, has been stolen. The art, along with many interviews painstakingly conducted by art advocate Darren Di Lieto of The Little Chimp Society, have been printed in a book, apparently out of China.
PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. None of the creators was paid, nor did they give permissions, nor did they even know of the book’s existence before now.
We are in the process of learning more. Darren’s blog and ours will have updates.
Kagen and Goldin were both entertaining speakers. They offered interesting stories on how various books came to publication, how much (or little) a publisher might support a book, how authors handle requested changes, and how some characters get their unique traits. Kagen revealed that one of her character’s personality quirks are based on typical symptoms of menopause, an unexpected insight that delighted the audience. Goldin offered inspiring tales of a manuscript’s fight to the top of the slush pile and into the spotlight.
It was a great talk, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them both.
There is nothing like spending time with other writers and illustrators to renew your love of books. My husband and I got to do just that Saturday, when we had the pleasure of attending the spring luncheon of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators - Wisconsin.
Sarah Cloots, the featured guest and an editor with Greenwillow Books, spoke of key moments in the evolution of a book, from early manuscript to finished product. Her photos showing the inside workings at Greenwillow were a great visual accompaniment.
Authors Eileen Lucas and Anne Bingham made wonderful dining companions, as did new writer Juliette Crane. We appreciated their insight and fun natures. It was great to finally meet Regional Advisor Pam Beres, Authors Peggy Tromblay and Lisa Albert, Illustrator Bonnie Leick, “With Wings and a Halo” Executive Director Paul Gilbertson, and a great many other established and new authors and illustrators, all friendly and willing to freely share of their knowledge.
Congratulations to SCBWI Golden Kite Nonfiction Winner Ann Bausum and Illustration Contest Winner Deb Gross. Their awards were just two of the many happy announcements made by members.
We greatly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to seeing these great people again at other SCBWI events.
