Lisa Mangum
Back to Back Wins!
On Saturday, June 25, 2011, The Golden Spiral was named the 2010 YA Book of the Year by ForeWord Reviews. And for those of you keeping score, that’s two wins for two books. (The Hourglass Door won the 2009 YA Book of the Year.) The best part of the win–well, there were a lot of best parts–was that I was actually there at ALA for the announcement.
I’ll admit it; I was so nervous. But my husband, Tracy, was with me, as well as Chris from Shadow Mountain (my publisher), and we all held our breath as the winners were announced. Honorable Mention. Bronze. Silver. And in that moment just before they announced the Gold, that moment when I knew it was all or nothing, I held my breath . . . and then: The Golden Spiral came up gold. (Yay!)
Needless to say, there was much celebrating that night, including a round of beignets at Cafe Du Monde.
New York and BEA report
So much has happened the last few weeks (ahem, months) and I haven’t blogged about any of it. Not a single word about my awesome trip to New York for BEA. Not my feelings about attending the Benjamin Franklin Awards and just missing the gold. Not a peep about the kickin’ launch party for my book at the Purple Cow. Nada about the Utah Book Festival. Nothing. And, for that, I’m sorry. *hangs head in shame*
But I believe that one of the big purposes of life is to become better than you are, and so from here on out, I will do better about blogging and keeping track of my thoughts and sharing what’s going on. Starting now…
NEW YORK
This was my first trip to New York and if I have anything to say about it, it won’t be my last. Tracy was able to come with me to BEA so we tacked on a few extra days to enjoy some of the tourist-y stuff. Here is a list of the top ten things we did that I will never forget (in no particular order):
1. Visiting Trinity Church and Ground Zero. Just stepping foot on that hallowed ground had me in tears.
2. Visiting Ellis Island and seeing the Statue of Liberty. Part of my family came to America through Ellis Island so this had special meaning to me. I just wish Tracy and I could have spent more than 40 minutes there (stupid ferry schedule!)
3. Seeing Rock of Ages on Broadway. When I was a teenager, I vowed that one day I would see a musical on Broadway. I kinda didn’t think it would be one featuring the music of 80 hair-metal bands, but I loved every minute of it. Don’t stop believin!
4. Standing on top of the Empire State Building at midnight. Looking back, I probably should have been all romantic and kissed Tracy, but it was really windy and really cold. But beautiful. Oh, so beautiful.
5. Standing on top of Rockefeller Center at eleven o’clock at night. Not so windy, not so cold. And the best part? You have a killer view of the Empire State Building!
6. Seeing Danielle Barbe perform at the Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side. She is AMAZING! And I loved having a front-row seat in the small club and being able to sing along to all of her songs.
7. Ducking into St. John the Divine cathedral to escape a rainstorm, only to discover they were holding an organ recital. Oh, man. That building is beautiful!
8. Walking through Historic Little Italy and stopping to have dinner at the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to and watching the sun set and the lights on the Empire State Building come up.
9. Devouring a slice of Junior’s famous cheesecake. And yes. It is that good.
10. And, of course, going to BEA for the very first time and seeing the big poster of my book hanging up, and meeting such wonderful people, and signing copies of my books, and seeing all the booths on the floor, and hearing Sarah Dessen speak at the breakfast (I love her books!)–it was all so perfect! I’ll be honest, it was a little overwhelming at first, but it was something I’ll never forget.
Hourglass Door Wins National Book of the Year Award
NEW YORK CITY, May 26, 2010 – Today ForeWord Reviews crowned Lisa Mangum’s debut novel the 2009 Book of the Year for Young Adult Fiction.
Honored at a ceremony today at BookExpo American in New York City,The Hourglass Door represents the best independently published works from 2009. The winners were chosen by a panel of librarian and bookseller judges. The author, Lisa Mangum, lives in Taylorsville, Utah.
Last year Mangum burst onto the exploding teen supernatural book scene in her debut novel, The Hourglass Door. In this first book a trilogy, the life of a typical teenage girl (Abby) with a picture perfect life is turned upside down when a mysterious foreign exchange student from Italy moves to town. Dante Alexander is, provocative, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before.
The Deseret News said, “In a time when copycats abound, Mangum has created a unique story with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. And because “Hourglass” centers on relationships, fantastical elements feel believable rather than, well, fantastical.”
The second book in the trilogy, The Golden Spiral, just released in May.
Mangum knew she was destined to work with books when she opted to skip recess in elementary school to help out at the school library instead. A voracious reader her entire life, her first paying job was at the Sandy Library as a page, where she shelved books all day. She worked at Waldenbooks for the four years while she attended the University of Utah, earning a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, Lisa has worked in numerous editorial roles in the publishing industry. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy.
There and Back Again: An Author’s Tale
So this weekend, Tracy and I took a trip to St. George. I’d been invited by the Utah Library Association to be an a Teen Author Panel, and since I have a long history with libraries—my first job was shelving books at the Sandy library—I was happy to say yes. And since I hadn’t yet been that far south in my book signing travels, I figured it was a good chance to stay all weekend and sign at the Barnes and Noble and the Deseret Book in St. George and the Deseret Book in Cedar City.
The ULA conference was a lot of fun; I got to meet some great people and talk to librarians from all over the state. I also got to sit in the audience for the morning session of the Teen Author Panel and visit just a bit with Bree Despain and Emily Wing Smith. They are both such nice people. My panel was later in the day and I enjoyed sitting with L. E. Modesett, Jr. and Philip Jones. (James Dashner was also supposed to be on the panel, but I think something must have come up at the last minute because he wasn’t able to attend.) One thing I really enjoy about being on panels with other authors is to hear their views and opinions about writing, reading, and books. I always seem to learn something new.
My three book signings were a lot of fun, too. I had a steady stream of people coming up to see me or ask about my books. One lady had even come all the way from Beaver to Cedar City (about 100 miles) just to have me sign her books. That is both flattering and humbling at the same time. In St. George, I got to meet one of my fans, Rachel, who had come to see me between her performances of Grease, Jr.
It’s a long drive from Taylorsville all the way to St. George and back again. But I did my best to make the time in the car count. I worked a bit on some editing projects, and I thought a lot about Abby and Dante. And somewhere on the outskirts of Kanosh, I figured out something important about Forgotten Locket. And, oh, yeah, it’s gonna be good.
Launch Party Success!
Balloons. Chocolate. Prizes. Yep, it was a party through and through.
When The Hourglass Door came out last May, I invited some friends and family to a party at the park to celebrate and followed it up with a book signing. This year, for the release of The Golden Spiral, I had two book signings scheduled, so I had to skip the party in the park. It worked out okay, though, since my family and lots of my friends came to see me anyway. (Plus, last year the weather was windy and cold; this year, the weather inside the stores was warm and dry.)
As far as I’m concerned, the launch party day was a complete success. I sold lots of books, signed some that people had brought from home, and handed out probably more than 100 bookmarks. I was tickled to sit down at the table that held three stacks of my books: Hourglass in hardback AND paperback and Spiral in hardback. They looked so good sitting next to each other. I can’t wait until I can add The Forgotten Locket to the row and have the whole story out for people to enjoy.
One of the things I have learned after a year of marketing outreach is that I actually really like book signings. Maybe it’s because I cut my employment teeth working in a bookstore that I feel at home there. Maybe it’s because I love any chance I get to be surrounded by books. But I think a big part of it is that I really like meeting people and talking about books and writing. And if we want to talk about my books, so much the better.
I’ve meet a lot of wonderful people from my signings. Many come to see me at multiple locations. Many are my friends on Facebook. Many are writing books of their own and ask my advice about writing and publishing. Many are simply browsing and take a bookmark and move on. And that’s okay too.
Beyond the number of books sold or bookmarks handed out, what made the day a success for me was seeing the smiles on the faces of so many people who had come out to meet me and tell me that they love Abby and Dante as much as I do.
So thank you to all the people—my family, my friends, my fans—who came to see me on Saturday, May 8th, to celebrate the release of The Golden Spiral. None of this would be happening without you.
The Last Word
If you know anything about me, you know that I love to make lists. Christmas lists. Shopping lists. Lists of things to do. Lists of things I’ve done. Aside from the obvious joy I get from organizing my life, I love the rush of satisfacation I get when I can check something off my list.
And for the last three months or so, I had plunked down on my calendar: 12/1 Golden Spiral manuscript due to editor.
It was an ambitious deadline and, I’ll be honest, there were more than a few days where I looked at that “To-Do” item on my list and despaired of ever being able to draw a line through it.
So, yesterday was 12/1. The Big Day. The Can’t-Miss-It Deadline.
And today, I have had the extreme joy of checking it off my list.
It’s amazing to me to think–and to be able to say–I’m done with my second book. I’m not sure the reality has set in quite yet. (Of course, that may be because I wrote nonstop for 12 hours yesterday and went to bed at 2:30, didn’t fall asleep until 3:30, and got up at 7:00 to come to work. Ah, the glamorous life of an author!) But every time I’ve be able to tell someone those magical words “I’m done,” I feel a little thrill of impossible joy. An unspeakable relief of having set a goal and, more importantly, of having met it.
And every day I doubted and fretted and struggled, my husband was always quick to remind me: Just get it down on paper. You can’t change what you don’t have.
So now I have 93,882 words down on paper. And however many of those words end up changing during the reading, revision, and editing stages of the process, I know one thing: this experience has changed me as well.
Now, let’s see, what’s my deadline for book three?
Dragons and Adventure at Dixon Middle School
(I know, I know, I haven’t been blogging as regularly as I should, but if it helps ease the sting, please know that I have been working on Golden Spiral more. A lot more. And I really, really like where it’s going.)
I did take day off from writing, however, to spend the day at Dixon Middle School to celebrate reading, writing, and all things creative with the 7th and 8th grade classes. Fellow authors James Dashner, J. Scott Savage, and Jessica Day George rounded out the party and I hope that between the four of us, we offered the kids a day they’ll never forget. We spent the morning in assemblies, talking to the different grades about how we became writers, why we like to write, and answered some of their questions in an informal Q&A format.
I was honored to have been asked to join such an august panel of authors since I’m the newest one to the profession of “published author,” and it was a treat to spend the day with such good writers and friends.
After lunch (Café Rio, my favorite), we were able to teach three smaller workshop sessions to the kids who had signed up for lunch and lessons. I’ve only done a handful of school visits so far, but every time I go, I’m amazed at how many kids are already writing and how many kids ask me about how to get their book published. I remember being in 8th grade, and there was no way I as brave as these kids are who are already thinking about publication! I love to hear their enthusiasm for the books the read and the stories they are telling. It sparks my own desire to go home and write and tell the stories that are inside of me.
My workshop focuses on some of the nuts and bolts of writing (characters, conflict, motivation, and how to start plotting out your story), and one of the things I love to do is ask for a volunteer to tell me what they did in a two-hour span after school. It’s usually pretty uneventful (went home, spent time with friends, watched a movie, etc.), but then we always ask “What if” and turn the day on its head. The kids at Dixon had great ideas for stories (a microchip hidden in an ice cream cone; playing cards that turned into fortune-telling cards that could change someone’s fate; a school bus that was really a Twinkie; a video game that you could plug directly into your brain and play for real; a sister trained in the ancient art of assassination).
It was a good day, filled with books and stories and imagination. And dragons! We were all given statues of dragons as a thank-you gift. Mrs. Moody said they were magical dragons with the gift of language. So I’m going to put mine on my laptop and see if he’ll write for me while I’m asleep….
(And a special shout-out THANK YOU to Leann Moody and her crack IT guy at the school library who saved me a 45-minute drive back home after I realized I’d left my computer plug at home. You guys are the best!)
First Look: The Golden Spiral
His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he’s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back…
The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.
With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby’s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family, are threatened to the breaking point – and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, and as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected – and unlikely – ally.
As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante – or doom him.
The river of time is running wild, churning up secrets and betrayals, revelations and promises. With each new turn of the river, Abby faces a new challenge. Who can she trust? And how many more changes can she survive?
The bank is eroding, the barriers are thinning. And time is running out.
Watch for The Golden Spiral to be in bookstores in May 2010!
Ladies Night at Deseret Book
Saturday night was Ladies Night at Deseret Book and I was invited to the Layton store for a book signing with some other authors. It had been a long time since I’d been to a Ladies Night event and I was happily surprised at how many people came to the store. I was lucky enough to share a table with one of my favorite authors Josi S. Kilpack. We had a steady stream of people coming by to visit with us and talk about all things books with us.
There was definitely a party atmosphere at the store with balloons tied to chairs, door prizes, live music by Cherie Call, and bite-sized brownies available at every turn. I enjoyed talking to the customers, telling them about my book, and signing copies.
As the event wound down, and fewer people came by to look at our books, Josi and I were able to visit with each other about writing and publishing, work and family. I admire Josi; not only is she a talented author but she is also an amazing person, outgoing and friendly.
I had a great time and look forward to enjoying another Ladies Night party in April.
What’s Big and Pink and Plays a Wicked Guitar?
Why, the Australian Pink Floyd show of course!
My brother is a huge fan of Pink Floyd and with tickets on sale for $10, all four of us were able to go (me and Tracy, my brother and his wife). I’d seen the APF show once before when, in addition to some of the greatest hits, they played all of Dark Side of the Moon. Very cool.
The show was at the Usana, which is one of the best places to see a show. There’s something about being outside under the stars watching a great band perform amazing music that just feels right. Plus, the sound mix was one of the cleanest and sharpest I’d heard in a long time. You could actually hear the individual instruments without losing the high notes in some horrible screeching feedback.
This was a “greatest hits” kind of concert, which was perfect for me, since I’m a “greatest hits” kind of fan. My first real experience with Pink Floyd was when I was a teenager and I listened to all of The Wall in the dark in my room. Maybe not the best introduction to the band, but a memorable experience nonetheless. (Side note: It turns out many of my favorite songs come from that album.) (Second side note: another early Pink Floyd memory I have is being in junior high and seeing a guy wearing a T-shirt with the words “We don’t need no education” written on the back and me thinking, “Uh, yes, you do—that’s a double negative.” Yes, I was that much of a nerd.)
The thing about Pink Floyd’s music is that it reminds me more of a symphony or a good jazz improv than hardcore rock and roll. The songs are unapologetically long, which leaves lots of time and room to wander around musically and creatively. They are not the three-minute, radio-friendly, verse-verse-chorus-bridge-verse kinds of song. They are lush without being overdone; they are fat without being heavy. They seem to be more interested in the experience of music than anything. While the songs aren’t particularly hum-able (at least, not for me), I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a more transcendent song than “Great Gig in the Sky.” (I’d like to see someone try that on American Idol!)
The next time the Aussie Pink Floyd show is in town, whether you’re a fan or not, do yourself a favor and go. Shine on, you crazy diamond!