Aloha to Julia Day, FADE TO US, and Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month!  It is my pleasure to introduce you to YA Author Julia Day ... she shares why she wanted to chat about FADE TO US this month ...

In December, I gave a talk at a local high school. I mentioned that my next book, FADE TO US, had an autistic heroine. One young lady in the audience became visibly excited.

Afterwards, she stopped me to say how happy she was to learn about a book with an autistic---"and she's a girl!" This young lady had an autism spectrum diagnosis; to know that she could read a book where one of the main characters, Natalie, had Aspergers was thrilling.

I am an autism mom. When my younger daughter was a teen, we could find few YA books with autistic heroes. Most autistic characters were secondary and nearly all were male. The stories generally focused on their difficulties.

I wrote FADE TO US for my daughter--with her help. She's often said that her autism is a superpower. While book doesn't shy away from the challenges of being autistic and the cruelties they often face, it also celebrates what's amazing about people on the spectrum. Natalie is a multi-faceted character. She's funny and aware, smart and insightful, moody and opinionated. In essence, she's a teen. And, yes, she has Aspergers. Readers will get to watch her grow and bond with her new stepsister, Brooke--who, as an only child, has her own struggles in learning how to be a big sister.

Authors are often encouraged to write the book of their heart. I've written a book about my heart--my spectacular daughter. And a few months ago, a young lady showed me how exciting it was to know that such a book existed--and reminded me why I love being an author.

FADE TO US is a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.

Brooke’s summer is going to be EPIC— having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s–and Brooke’s not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.

After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah–the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn’t Natalie’s mentor…

When summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants–and the love she’s only dreamed about?
“Warm and sensitive, Day’s deft depiction of difficult sibling and blended family relationships will make you laugh, cry, and sigh. A wonderful book!” – Sabrina Jeffries, NYT bestselling author (and Autism Mom)

Julia Day lives in North Carolina (USA), halfway between the beaches and the mountains. A proud autism mom and USAF veteran, Julia has two twenty-something daughters, one old husband, and too many computers to count. When she’s not writing stories or software, she’s traveling to faraway places, binging on TV shows about British royalty, or exercising with little enthusiasm. Julia also writes YA magical realism as Elizabeth Langston.

Learn more about Julia at juliaday.com.

I am giving away swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  What are your summer plans that will be epic?  Because we are just skipping Spring.  This summer, my family is headed to Colorado Springs to the beautiful outdoors before heading to Denver for the RWA Annual Conference.

2. Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Aloha to Elizabeth Langston and I WISH

Time to play 7 degrees of separation!   

1.  On this day in 1493, Columbus sighted the island now known as Puerto Rico.   

2.  Puerto Rico became a US Territory after the Spanish American War; Spain ceded the island Nation in the Treaty of Paris of 1898.   

3.  Paris hosted 35 treaties between 1229 and 1995.

4.  In 1995, the Atlantis Shuttle first docked with the Mir Space Station on the STS-71 mission.

5.  The STS-71 mission included Specialist (Doctor) Ellen Baker on her third space flight.

6.  Dr. Baker was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

7.  North Carolina is home for Air Force veteran turned YA author Elizabeth Langston:

Elizabeth Langston lives in North Carolina, halfway between the beaches and the mountains. She has two daughters in college and one husband at home. When she's not writing software or stories, Elizabeth loves to travel with her family, watch shows on dance or Sherlock Holmes, and dream about which restaurant ought to get her business that night.

Elizabeth is celebrating the release of I WISH:

Lacey Linden is hiding the truth of her life--a depressed mom, a crumbling house, and bills too big to pay. While her high school classmates see a girl with a ready smile and good grades, Lacey spends her evenings seeking ways to save her family. On a get-cash-quick trip to the flea market, Lacey stumbles over a music box that seemingly begs her to take it home. She does, only to find that it's inhabited by a gorgeous genie. He offers her a month of wishes, one per day, but there's a catch. Each wish must be humanly possible. 

Grant belongs to a league of supernatural beings, dedicated to serving humans in need. After two years of fulfilling the boring wishes of conventional teens, he is one assignment away from promotion to a challenging new role with more daring cases. Yet his month with Lacey is everything that he expects, and nothing like he imagines. Lacey and Grant soon discover that the most difficult task of all might be saying goodbye.

Oh, I can't wait to read this book!  Elizabeth was my roommate at the RWA National Conference ... so I am giving away conference swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What would you wish from the genie that was humanly possible?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 22, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 23.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elizabeth and her books at elizabethlangston.net.

Aloha to Elizabeth Langston and WHISPERS FROM THE PAST

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome Elizabeth Langston - YA author, AF veteran, and my roomie during the RWA Convention!   She joins us for a cozy chat about her Whisper Falls series ...

Kim:  From your website, you were born in TN, raised in MS, and now live in NC. What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of the Deep South?

Elizabeth:  For me, living in the Deep South is all about mealtimes—tables groaning with dishes like ham, potato salad, biscuits, and sweet tea in a glass with condensation rolling down the side. When I was a young girl, summers were all about eating outside in the lazy heat with people laughing and talking and fanning themselves. Dessert would usually be an ice-cold watermelon. We would get a slice and stand on the grass dripping juice as we gnawed it down to a green smile.

Kim:  What did you learn in the AF that you could apply to your writing career?

Elizabeth:  My boss must’ve recognized early that I could write, because he often assigned me to draft reports that would float up through the ranks. Higher-ups were more likely to pay attention if the information was both engaging and lean. That was my first lesson. Make every word count.

The second lesson was about patience. Things happen slowly in the government. I could propose an idea and be fairly confident that I wouldn’t hear back for months or years. That didn’t mean it was a bad idea; it just meant that progress moved at its own pace—not mine. I have used that lesson more times than you can imagine with writing and publishing.

Kim:  Who or wha helped you along the path to publishing? What attracted you to write YA?

Elizabeth:  I give my family the most credit for smoothing my journey to publication. They had to put up with a distracted mom/wife, rushed meals, and weekend trips to historical sites for research. They listened to me brainstorm. They heard me squeal over a “good rejection.” They saw me cry. Whenever I felt like giving up, I remembered that my two daughters were watching me. And I squared my shoulders and got back to work.

My daughters are also why I write YA, especially daughter #2. She has Asperger’s, which is on the Autism Spectrum. When she was a tween, her middle school offered her the typical reading list in Language Arts class—and some of the books were too obscure or abstract to make much sense to her. I told her that I would write her a book and discovered that I loved writing for young adults.

Kim:  That is a wonderful reason to write YA!  Tell us about the Whisper Falls series - what inspired it?

Elizabeth:  The concept burrowed into my subconscious during a Twilight Zone festival. I watched an episode called “A Message From Charity”, which had a time-travel feel with glimpses into the Salem witch trials. I loved everything about that episode except the ending, which made me crazy. The story haunted me with What-if’s.

In a separate (but intersecting) plane, I researched the colonial and federal periods of America with a plan to write a “pure” YA historical. Then I uncovered some material on indentured servants. My brain flooded with possibilities. My heroine Susanna took over for Charity. North Carolina in 1796 took over as the setting. I put my hands on the keyboard, and the first book just leapt from my fingers.

Kim:  What's next for Elizabeth Langston?

Elizabeth:  I have a new YA magical realism series starting this fall. I’m currently in revisions on the second book. (Book 1, I WISH, releases in November. It’s the story of a teen girl who is struggling to finish high school while she takes care of her mentally-ill mother. A “genie” appears at the perfect moment to offer help.)

I’ve also started plotting and drafting a YA historical/paranormal that is set in 1776. One of the main characters is Nathan Hale, the first American to be executed for spying during the War for Independence. I am co-writing this book with another author, and we’re enjoying the process! 

Kapena Falls near the Pali Highway on Oahu

Mahalo, Elizabeth, for your enthusiasm!  I thank you for donating your first two books to deployed personnel in Africa.   Elizabeth is celebrating the release of Book Three, WHISPERS FROM THE PAST:

..that's not freedom at all.

With the dangers of the past behind them, Mark and Susanna are reaching for what the future holds. As Mark's final year of high school draws to a close, his focus shifts to choosing a college and moving on. For Susanna, it's time to set down roots and realize dreams of her own.

Yet the whispers from the past continue. A glimmer in the waterfall reveals messages from a dear, old friend. As she fights to resist their call, Susanna must finally confront the consequences that her choices have made across two centuries.

I am giving away WHISPERS FROM THE PAST, winner's choice of format, to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your favorite mealtime.  Mine is breakfast, especially Sunday breakfast when we have time to bake cinnamon rolls.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 11, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 12.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elizabeth and her books at elizabethlangston.net.

Plus Elizabeth is hosting a special giveaway for her book release at this link.