Lisa Mangum
Reading, Writing, and Roller Coasters
So this Labor Day weekend, my sister-in-law took her family to the amusement park for a day of riding rides and playing games. And my littlest niece was, for the first time, tall enough to ride the roller-coaster with, not one, but two upside-down loops. Guess which once was her favorite ride?
I think writing is a lot like that. Sometimes you have to let an idea grow a little before it becomes a story. Sometimes it’s really scary to look at what’s head of you—whether it’s two back-to-back loop-de-loops or two really tricky chapters—and all you can do is buckle up, hold on, and go for it. And somewhere between the screaming and the laughter, you realize that you love it and that all you what to do when you get off the ride is ride it again.
I also think that is why we love books so much—especially series. We find a good story with good characters and all we want to do is tag along on their adventures, see what they see, feel what they feel. Characters in fiction often have much more exciting roller-coaster lives that we do here in reality. (Don’t get me wrong, though, sometimes reality is a wild ride all by itself.) And my favorite characters face their fears with a strange blend of determination and anticipation. I know that if I ride along with them, I’ll learn something about them—and possibly even something about me.
I’m trying to keep all that in mind as I work on Golden Spiral. Writing Hourglass Door was a lot like strapping myself in for the story and riding it breathlessly all the way to the end. I’m discovering that Spiral is a different kind of ride—one that still offers plenty of excitement, stomach-dropping surprises, and thrilling twists, but one that inspires a few more anticipation butterflies than I expected. But that’s not always a bad thing, you know.
As I stand up straight, measuring myself against the task at hand, I know that I’m able to tame this beast of a ride. I’m going to make sure Abby and Dante are in the front seats, and then I’m going to send them on a roller-coaster with as many loop-de-loops as I can.
Let the Palooza Begin!
No big surprise here, but I love words. I love using them, learning about them, misspelling them on occasion, and even making them up. Perhaps that is why I love the clearly-made-up word “authorpalooza.” It makes me think of collective nouns. You know—“a school of fish,” “a sleuth of bears,” “a flock of seagulls” (pause to quietly hum the opening bars of “I Ran” to myself). Perhaps the collective noun is “a palooza of authors.”
There certainly were enough authors to qualify as a palooza on Tuesday night at the Orem Barnes and Noble. A whole crowd of us writer-folk stormed into the bookstore, set up camp, and had a grand ol’time talking to customers and to each other (and of course, talking up our respective books), until the exhausted store employees kicked us all out at closing time. I was lucky enough to be at a table with my good friend J. Scott Savage as well as Nathan Hale and Mette Ivie Harrison. I had never been to an official “authorpalooza” before so I didn’t know quite what to expect. I guess I expected it to be a little quiet—a few shoppers browsing the stacks, maybe some soft music playing in the background, while we all waited attentively for someone to wander by and say hello. But what happened was much more fun.
The store employees all had custom T-shirts on and were collecting signatures as passionately as the customers were. There were free samples from the café (and even some free cookies for the authors. They had me at chocolate-chocolate-chip.) I loved visiting with the other authors and the customers. I loved talking shop and recommending books. It took me right back to the days when I used to work in a bookstore. I always secretly liked to imagine that people were not just buying a book from the store, they were adopting the story, taking it home to love and treasure. A good book deserves to go to a good home, after all. So it did my heart good to see so many people walking around with stack of books cradled in their arms. (A few people even had my book in their hand, which, I’ll be honest, was all kinds of nice.)
I also met a nice young man who goes by Jacoby (even when we all know he looks much more like a “Spencer” J) and the two of us visited about books we’d read and loved. All in all, it was a joyous occasion and I’m excited and honored to be counted among the palooza of local authors who give writing and books such a good name.
Three, Two, One . . .
Aaaahhhhh, what could be better than a three-day weekend? Maybe a three-day weekend to close out a month that was unspeakable at its best and horrific at its worst. I’ll be honest—I can’t remember the last time I was this glad to see the end of July. Whew!
So, yes, I was thrilled when, on Thursday, I took a look at my work schedule and realized that if I wanted to, I could ditch work on Friday. Say no more. J I did have one bit of business to do Friday morning: I attended a committee meeting for the upcoming writer’s conference, The Book Academy, that will be held at UVU on September 25. But that hardly felt like work; it was more like planning a party.
After the meeting, I indulged myself with a trip to the salon and a shopping spree for some new clothes. I treated myself to lunch at Great Harvest Bread. (Delicious sandwiches!) I also made a stop at the post office to mail a very important envelope—the final payment on my credit card. But again, that hardly felt like work; it was the culmination of a year’s worth of intense budgeting and financial sacrifice. It feels so good to be on the other side of that debt.
I had two book signings scheduled for Saturday. (I’ve been trying to do at least one Hourglass Door event a week, so this was a bonus week for me.) My first stop was at the SLC Costco at 11:00. I’ve been on the Costco tour for the past several weeks and while I enjoy talking about my book to people who otherwise might have walked on by, after a couple of hours of smiling and handing out free bookmarks, I’m about ready to close up shop. I’ve had varying degrees of success at Costco. Some locations are happy to have me come by and my sales are strong and the people are nice. Other locations, it’s a hard-fought fight to hand out 100 free bookmarks and sell a dozen copies. (It’s a free bookmark, people, it’s not going to bite. J)
The SLC Costco was a hard-fought fight and by 1:00 I was happy to head to lunch with Tracy (Café Rio, my favorite) and then on to book signing number two: Barnes and Noble at the Jordan Landing location. This is my neighborhood B&N and Angie is the best customer service person I’ve ever met at a bookstore. She had my signing all set up with a table and chairs and even had a little bottle of water ready for me. She made me feel like I was famous. The signing was scheduled for 2:00 and included some time for me to have a Q&A with the guests as well as read a little from Hourglass Door. (I read the Prologue, which is one of my favorite bits.) There were about 15 people there, including the incomparable James Dashner, and I like to think the event was a success. I certainly felt good about it and loved visiting with everyone who came. (Of course, maybe it was the free Oreo cheesecake that put me in such a good mood. Thanks, Angie!)
One other very important thing happened this weekend: I received my first royalty check. So it’s official. I wrote a book, I got it published, and I have been paid for it. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to say I am a writer by profession. But what’s even better is the fact that I didn’t need a check to validate something I already knew in my heart. I’m a writer, plain and simple. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Purple Cow
On July 25, I had the great privilege and pleasure of visiting The Purple Cow bookstore in Tooele, Utah. I had heard great things about this bookstore that specializes in children’s and YA literature and I was not disappointed. Isa, the proprietress, was so gracious and friendly that I immediately felt like one of the family.
The Purple Cow may be a small store, but it has a big heart. Custom posters of cows dancing, fencing, racing, and, of course, reading, cover the walls. The bookcases are just the right height for young readers to browse titles with ease, and there is an extremely comfy couch if you feel inclined to read a little before you decide to buy.
The book club met in the open space at the back of the store. There were about seventeen people and we had a lively conversation about The Hourglass Door. A few people hadn’t finished it yet, so we were careful not to talk about too many details; no one wanted to spoil the story for anyone else. Instead we talked a lot about the process of writing, what it was like to get published, and even a bit about my job as an editor. I was happily surprised to see how many kids were writing their own stories. (One girl said she had even submitted her story to Shadow Mountain. Way to go!) The kids asked intelligent, thoughtful questions and afterwards we took lots of pictures, signed books, and visited with everyone in the group. It was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait to go back in September for another signing. J
Death by Deadlines
I like to think that I’m pretty good at keeping things in order. I love to use checklists and assigning events to the “Task” list in Outlook. I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I check something off as “completed” and can move on to the next item.
But what I hate is when I have more to-do items than I can humanly do in one day. Summer is a busy season in publishing—ah, who am I kidding, every season is a busy season in the publishing world—because if we don’t have our Christmas books finished in July, they won’t be ready for the stores in time for Christmas sales. So even though it is a sweltering 100 degrees outside, inside my office I’m humming “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and looking up facts about Santa to verify a detail mentioned in a new Christmas novel. It’s kind of strange.
This summer has seemed busier than usual and I find myself having to remind myself to breathe just to make it through the day. In an effort to juggle all that I have to do as an editor, an author, and a wife (not to mention trying to find a little me-time every day), I’ve been trying out some new ways of working. Including writing on the train.
Train-time used to be me-time. My commute to work is about thirty minutes and I used to take those thirty minutes and lose myself in a good book. I’d get an hour every day to read something I wanted to read. Not for work—just for me. But my deadline for The Golden Spiral is looming and I still have a lot of work to do on it. So I’ve been looking at that hour on the train not as reading time, but as writing time. My mom’s laptop is just the right size and has a decent battery lifespan. And so I’m embarking on a new adventure. I’m going to try to write on the train. I hope it works. Wish me luck.
Good Friends, Good Books, and a Plate of Cookies
Writers--at work?
First, I have to apologize for the long silence of my blog. I have tried to keep a fairly regular blogging schedule, but alas, as is often the case, life and time conspired to keep me away from the computer. But I hereby vow to do better from here on out. I promise. J
And so, to make good on that promise, I’d like to share the events from today, which involved a community party with some good friends, followed by a book signing at the local bookstore.
About a month or so ago, the West Jordan Deseret Book emailed me, wondering if I might like to participate in a summer party at the Jordan Landing Plaza. I said yes (of course—I hate to pass up an opportunity to blab about my book J) and asked if I could extend the invitation to my good friends and fellow authors Ally Condie and Becca Wilhite. We decided to have a Summer Beach theme, complete with leis, and for our presentation, we planned to write a book in twenty minutes. And of course—there would be treats—lemon bars and cookies.
I’ll be honest, I was a little worried that we might not have a very big crowd (the marketing was slim) but when we arrived at the store, there was already a crowd waiting for us outside under a canopy. The three of us dove in, encouraging the audience to participate with us in writing a book together. We ended up with the story of Ellie, who, in an effort to escape from her 13 older sisters, built a raft and sailed with her cat, Simon, from Washington to China, narrowing escaping certain death from a terrible storm, a shark attack (from 50 sharks!), and potential starvation when her food supply ran out. Happily, Ellie and Simon reached China safely and found the perfect hat—which was the goal all along. Not bad for twenty minutes, huh?
After our adventure with creativity, we had a drawing for some free books, and then the whole group headed over to Deseret Book for a book signing and some visiting. All in all, I think it was a total success. And the best part was that Becca (and her kids), Ally, and I all went to lunch afterwards. Honestly, it was WAY more fun that going to work today.
A Trip to Helper
Thursday, June 4th, I was invited to help kick off the Teen Summer Reading Program at the Helper City Library. A chance to hang out with some kids and talk about reading and books? Sign me up!
I’d never been to Helper before, and it turned out to be a quaint, quiet little town. I found the library without any trouble. But I guess when there is a giant statue of a man with a pick-axe it front of the library it makes it a pretty recognizable landmark.
Amanda the Librarian was a wonderful hostess and made me feel right at home. She had a table set up for me and refreshments. A group of kids were already working on making personalized hardback books when I arrived. It looked like a lot of fun and I asked for a copy of instructions so I could make one of my own later.
I made a short speech about the importance of creative writing and reading and then fielding questions from the sizable crowd (I’d say maybe 30 or 35 people were there). After the Q&A, I sold some copies of my book. It was a lot of fun to mingle with the crowd and learn more about Helper (pop. 1,800).
Amanda had planned to take me to dinner after the event, but something came up and so she asked some of her friends to take me instead. “The Sweeties” took me to the Balanced Rock Pub and Café where we enjoyed some delicious sandwiches and delightful conversation. We talked about my book and about writing and Mr. Sweetie told me all the ghost stories he knew about the ghosts haunting the Helper museum. Spooky!
And speaking of spooky—the sun was on its way down by the time I headed out of Helper and started the two-hour drive home. I had been listening to Just After Sunset by Stephen King on audio CD and, just my luck, the scariest story in the collection played as I drove home in the dark down a winding, twisting canyon road. As much as love stories by Stephen King, I learned the hard way that they are best read in the safety of your own living room.
The Tremonton Three
My first paying job was at the public library as a Page shelving books for a four-hour shift and as a result I have a soft spot in my heart for libraries of all kinds. So perhaps it wasn’t surprising how much I ended up loving the Tremonton City Library who hosted me for an evening for a book signing last week.
The building was small, and had beautiful vaulted ceilings, wide open windows, and hand-painted murals in the children’s corner. It was cozy and homey and felt welcoming the minute I stepped inside. The friendly librarians had set aside a conference room right up front for us (Tracy came with me not only to keep me company but also to be my official cashier since I had a stack of books to sell).
The book signing started out with a bang with a handful of people showing up right at 5:00 to buy books, including a trio of girls—Angela, Dahla, and Bethany. (Read Bethany’s review of “The Hourglass Door” here) The girls sat down and visited with me and Tracy for the better part of an hour, and honestly, it was so much fun. Two of the girls were writers and regaled us with plot summaries of the stories they were working on and asked questions about how to write and how to get published. (And would I included them as characters in book 2?) Tracy and I had such a good time visiting with the “Tremonton Three” that I was surprised when I looked up and saw that my time in Tremonton was almost up. I personalized the girls’ books and gave them all hugs and took some pictures.
Even though I was tired from working all day and the long drive north to Tremonton, visiting with those girls reenergized me and reminded me how easy is it to connect with someone through a book. I write a story; the girls in Tremonton read it; and then, when we meet, it’s like we already know each other. So to the Tremonton Three I say, “Rock on, girls! I’ll see if there is a spot for you in book two.”
The Door Opens, Tyra Banks, and Aspiring Writers
Where to begin? It’s been a while since I’ve been able to write up a blog post and a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.
Media Blitz: Okay, so I don’t know if it qualifies as an actual media blitz, but with the official release of my book this week, I have had the chance to be interviewed by the Deseret News and by Doug Wright for his KSL radio show, and my book had a full-page ad in the Deseret Book summer catalog. Plus I’ve had some nice reviews at Amazon.com, DeseretBook.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and GoodReads.com. Not to mention that I had a launch party for my book, had my first official book signing, and my first school visit (more on those later), and yeah, maybe it does qualify as a blitz. I know I certainly feel a little overwhelmed at the moment.
Photo Shoot: When the Deseret News called to interview me earlier this month, they also requested a photograph of me to run with the article and book review. And so I had the chance to play dress-up one day, get my hair and makeup done by a professional stylist, and channel my inner Tyra Banks (fierce, but smiling with my eyes) in an honest-to-goodness photo shoot. I was a little nervous, but Butch Adams (the photographer) was really nice and gave me some good direction. It helped that Tracy was able to meet me at the studio for the last half-hour or so and I’m always a lot more relaxed when he’s with me. I thought the shoot went pretty well and I hoped we had some decent shots—maybe at least one good shot we could use for the paper, anyway. So imagine my surprise when the pictures came back and well, see for yourself . ..
Pretty nice, huh? Sometimes it’s hard to believe that those are pictures of me. It’s like when you hear your recorded voice: you know it’s you, but at the same time, it doesn’t sound like you.
Launch Party: Tracy organized a launch party for me for the release of Hourglass Door. We reserved the park by our house and invited a bunch of people to come for sandwiches, treats, games, and fun. The day was absolutely beautiful—sunshine, warm and clear—and the very instant we snapped open the tablecloths to cover the picnic tables at the park . . . Whoosh! A cold wind sprang up, roaring through the pavilion like a tornado. The temperature dropped, the clouds moved in, and I started to think maybe we should have served hot chocolate instead of cold sodas. But despite the fickle weather, we still had a great time. My family came and so did a bunch of friends from work and the neighborhood. Here are some pictures from the party.
Book Signing: After the launch party, I had my first official book signing at the Deseret Book store in Jordan Landing. I was a little nervous—what if no one showed up?—but as it turned out, a whole bunch of people showed up! In fact, I had a line of people waiting for me when I arrived. And what’s more, those people wanted to buy my book and have me sign it! It was great to see all my friends and visit with everyone for a few minutes. I even had some friends that I hadn’t seen since high school come to the signing. Small world! I had a steady stream of people for more than an hour—including some people who were just shopping at the store and bought my book without knowing anything about it. And while I know that not every book signing will be like this one—I’m sure there will be some events where I’ll be lucky to have even a couple people stop by my table—I think that as far as book signings go, this one was a complete success.
School Visit: This week I kicked off my Author Tour by visiting Rocky Mountain Middle School in Idaho Falls, Idaho—Go Panthers!—for my first ever school presentation. I spent the day with Mrs. Olsen’s eighth-grade English classes, talking about writing, creativity, and my book. I had a fantastic time and was impressed with the kids, who asked interesting questions and either paid attention to my presentation or were at least polite enough not to disrupt it. I was a little surprised—but pleased—at how many kids said that they were writing stories or wanted to be writers someday. It’s fun to think that maybe I visited with an undiscovered bestselling author. And speaking of authors, in all the scenarios I imagined might happen during my school visit—equipment malfunction, for example (the projector died halfway through my first class)—I confess I didn’t expect what happened to me after lunch.
After grabbing a bite to eat at the cafeteria—complete with a carton of milk and an oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie—I was visiting with some girls in the library. The bell rang and all the students turned to leave. All but one, that is. She came up to me and said, “I heard that you also worked for a publishing company, is that right?” When I said yes, she gathered up some papers and said, “Well, I wrote a short story, can I give it to you?” And then she handed me her manuscript! I was so impressed with her bravery and confidence—there was no way I would have done the same thing when I was in the seventh grade. I had some time that afternoon to read her short story and write a few comments and make a few suggestions for her to think about. So take note, all you writers out there, you never know when an opportunity to network will present itself, and when it does, you better be ready!
The Magic Middle
One of my favorite episodes of the TV show Taxi is the one where Jim (Christopher Lloyd) burns down Louie’s (Danny DeVito) apartment. To make amends, Jim tells Louie that his father (who is quite wealthy) will pay for the damages, all Louie has to do is name a price. There follows one of the classic comedy bits where Louie tries to figure out what the perfect price should be. It can’t be too high or too low, but somewhere in the middle. Louie picks a price ($34,000, I think) and Jim calls his dad, tells him the figure, and then hangs up the phone. “What did he say?” Louie asks. “He said OK. He was afraid you were going to ask for $100,000,” says Jim. The look on Louie’s face is priceless.
I thought about that bit today when Chris and I got to talking about some of the early reviews of Hourglass Door. Most of the notes I’ve received have been from friends and family and have been along the lines of “I just started it and I love it!” “I’ve read the first two chapters and I’m hooked.” “I can’t wait to see how it turns out.” But Chris had one response that was apparently a laundry list of flaws in the story. He didn’t tell me who sent him the review or even let me read it, which I’m okay with. (Though part of me wants to read it just so I can get my first bad review over with. Crazy, I know.)
Here is a truth: Not everyone will like my book. I know that. I’m expecting that. It’s impossible that I could have written the first book that everyone who reads it loves it unconditionally. I’ve been reading books my whole life and I haven’t loved every book I’ve read. Some I have loved and cherished and recommended to everyone I meet. Some I have liked, read once, and moved on. Some of them I’ve downright hated. That’s the great thing about books—about any art really—there is enough variety that everyone can find something they like.
Of course I hope the reviews are good—maybe even better than good—but I also hope I can keep a healthy perspective about them. You know, not let the good ones go to my head; not take the bad ones personally. Maybe the best thing is to think of reviews like figure skating scores and toss out the top score and the bottom score. And, then, like Louie, I can find happiness somewhere in the middle.