Megan Frazer

One of the cool things about being an author and a librarian is that when ALA has conventions, I get to see my library peeps and my author peeps. And my current peeps introduce me to new peeps. (All this talk of peeps and libraries reminds me of one of my favorite sites.)

On Friday, I did a workshop about standards for school library media programs that was awesome. It was led by Pam Berger, who was just fantastic. Then I went to the author panel with Eric Van Lustbader, Chuck Hogan, Tracy Chevalier, and Julie Powell. Ostensibly it was about books into movies, but they talked about all sorts of things. As a new author, I found it fascinating and reassuring when they talked about reviews. Except for Lustbader, who insisted he didn’t read his I should have taken notes and written down quotes because they were interesting. Chevalier talked about how the reviews balanced her, since most people who write to her or come to her events like the books. Both she and Hogan mentioned that they wished they could learn something from them, which is one of the fallacies of book reviewing, I think, that the author will read it, incorporate it, and somehow improve their work.

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I really, really wanted a Google wave invite. Then when I finally got one, I didn’t know what to do with it. Some of the folks at the school where I work and I are going to try to think of something. In the meantime, though, the awesome and talented Kurtis Scaletta used it to do a group interview of a bunch of authors (specifically, Josh Berk, Steve Brezenoff, Jon Skovron, Sarah MacLean, Saundra Mitchell, Deva Fagan, and Laurel Snyder). I think most of them were there in real time, but I came late. And Kurtis was very nice to not point out that I put my answers in all the wrong places and what not.

One question I couldn’t answer was what book made me want to become a writer. I loved the other author’s answers, and some of those definitely inspired me, too (esp. A Prayer for Owen Meaney). I can’t point to one book, though, that was like a switch of a light. It was more the cumulative effect of reading wonderful books, and going to those worlds, and living through the author’s worlds. I wanted to create world’s and people like that, too, first for myself, and eventually for other people.

But I’m curious, writers, is there a book or author that made you want to write?

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Oh, Glee, how I love you.

I love that there is a show in which characters break into song to express their emotions, much like I would like to do on a daily basis.

I love that your characters are all stereotypes pushed beyond the breaking point, each with nugget of something pure within them.

I love that I get to watch Jane Lynch every week.

I love that you brought on Kristin Chenoweth as a guest star.

I love that you handled Kurt’s coming out so sensitively that I cried when he told Mercedes that he was gay.

I am less enthralled with your depiction of women in their thirties as overbearing and/or desperate for marriage/babies.

But I do love that you seem to also love eighties music.

I love that even though everyone has satirized “Single Ladies”, yours was so funny I laughed so hard I couldn’t sit up straight.

Yes, Glee, you have my heart!

P.S. Saundra Mitchell is inviting people to trick or treat on her blog. You can win awesome books. Authors and others have been stopping in all month with their true ghost stories. Head over today to read mine.

In Secrets of Truth & Beauty, Dara is a former child pageant star. So, in order to introduce you to the wonderful authors and characters of the 2009 Debutantes, I am hosting a Debs Pageant on my blog.

In honor of Friday the 13th, we have a contestant from one of scarier Deb books: my awesome agent-mate Saundra Mitchell.

Name: Iris Rhame
Age: 14
Biography: I’ve lived my whole live in Ondine, Louisiana. I live with my daddy, Jack, and next door to a couple of yahoos who think throwing dry ice bombs in the creek is all kinds of hilarious. Me and my best friend Collette are pretty much the only people in Ondine what see magic for what it is.

What is your talent?
Calling the wind and rain.

Who is your escort?
I don’t know. NOT Ben Duvall.