Questions for Aprilynne Pike!

Have a question for Aprilynne Pike that you've been dying to ask? She has been kind enough to answer any questions regarding writing, Wings or teen fiction! Just post your question in the comment section of this blog post by Saturday, August 22, 10am PDT.

While you're at it, don't forget to join in on the Wings discussion! The second set of questions will be posted soon!

The Start of Discussion: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Since we're seven days into the month I thought I would post a few discussion questions to think about while you're reading. Just a reminder since we took July off, these are just basic questions that we will be discussing for each book. We will get more specific with our discussion later in the month. Please remember, if you have finished Wings, do NOT post any spoilers for those who have yet to finish.

If you visit the comments, you'll notice that I've also posted each question there, as well as this post. If you want to join in on the discussion for any of the questions, please just hit the "post reply" option next to the question. That way, we can keep each discussion a separate thread and reply to individuals. Remember, please no spoilers in this discussion. We can talk about the end of the book in the last discussion post of the month.

Also, if you haven't already (I'm sure most of you have by now), please read the FAQ and Rules. They will always be posted in the sidebar if you need to find them at any time.

1. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set?
2. What motivated the story? Was the novel plot-driven or character-driven?
3. What are some of the book's themes? How important were they?
4. How are the book's images symbolically significant? Do the images help to develop the plot, or help to define characters?
5. What was your first impression of the characters?

Please don't be shy. Make sure to join in the discussion. If there is another question you'd like others to consider while reading the book, please feel free to post them in the comments section as a new comment.

If you haven't picked up your copy of Wings yet, don't worry. There is still plenty of time. We will be reading and discussing the book throughout the month!

Don't forget to vote for September's book club selection in the poll to the right.

August's Book Club Selection: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

About Wings, by Aprilynne Pike (taken from her website):

Aprilynne Pike's #1 bestselling debut, Wings, is the first of four books about a seemingly ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever. From HarperTeen.

For more information, visit Aprilynne Pike's website:

Aprilynne's website

Online links to buy Wings:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powell's Books

Link to find an Indie bookstore near you:

Indie Bound

Link to find the nearest public library in the US:

US Public Library Search

Interview with Carrie Ryan, Author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Thank you Carrie for taking the time to join us on YAedge Book club! Below Carrie answers all of your questions!

From Tina:

I really enjoyed the book. I was completely captivated. When it came to the end, I wanted more. I was sad to see it end. So many questions unanswered.

My question is, will there be a sequel?

Carrie Ryan:

Thanks Tina! There will be two more books in the series – the second book is called The Dead-Tossed Waves and will be out in March 2010 and the third will be out Spring 2011. They’re not direct sequels, though – each is from a different point of view and the second book starts quite a bit after the end of the first.

From Aimee C:

Hi Carrie,

How did you get the book written while holding a demanding full time job and what is your #1 tip for writers? Thanks so much!

Carrie Ryan:

Hey Aimee! It was hard to try to find a balance between my day job (being a lawyer) and writing (plus other things like family, home life, pets, etc). The first thing I did was put writing as a priority – I stopped watching as much television, I stopped worrying if the kitchen was clean or the flower beds were weeded. Once I got home from work I’d pop a dinner in the microwave (saved time cooking and cleaning up) and then just wrote. The weekends it was the same thing – writing both days.

There were definitely days that I cut myself some slack if I couldn’t write or if I had to put other things in front of writing, but mostly I just tried to really make the time to write where I could.

I think my number one tip for writers (and it changes all the time – lol) is to remember the love of writing. It’s easy to get caught up in all sorts of things peripheral to writing, but ultimately it’s about you and they keyboard/paper telling a story – that’s the love that you have to remember!

From Tracy:

Hi Carrie, wow. What a tale. I was especially moved by the Unconsecrated infant scene. Powerful. When you were writing that particular scene - did you know what Mary was going to do, or was it a surprise for you?

Carrie Ryan:

Hey Tracy! I have to be honest, I hadn’t planned that scene out before writing it so I really didn’t know what Mary was going to do. As I was writing it I didn’t think it would make it into the final manuscript much less the book – I was really sure that somewhere along the line someone was going to say “you just can’t do that, has to be cut.”

From Kitty:

I'm still reading... I haven't finished the book.

( I'm on chapter 7.) I do love Mary's voice. It's almost poetic. Was it hard to write in first person present tense? Or is that just how the story unfolded to you? One of my favorite lines so far is "there is always a choice." So by taking away Mary's options she was forced to make a choice and join the Sisterhood. Did you have that idea early on or was choice and freewill something that later developed? I can't wait to finish the book. It came highly recommended by my editor Kat O'Shea.

Carrie Ryan:

Hey Kitty! When I started writing The Forest of Hands and Teeth it was more of an experiment than anything else. I’d been writing a much different voice but wanted to start a new project for National Novel Writing Month. I really wanted to try a new voice just to get an old character out of my head and so I picked first person present because it was totally different from anything I’d written before. Pretty quickly I realized that it worked with the character and the tone of the book and that’s how the story unfolded.

Choice was definitely one of the themes I wanted to play with but even that one (and others) became even more developed as I wrote the story. I’m not an outliner so as the plot unfolded I realized a lot of themes I could play with and then would go back and weave them in from the beginning.

From Kurt:

I noticed there was a theme of isolation running throughout the whole book, from the village Mary grew up in, the zombies isolated in the forest, Mary holing up in the attic by herself when they reach the new village, to even the town at the end (don’t want to give too much away for people who haven’t gotten to the end). There are no relationships that fully blossom in the book. Was this fully intentional and if so, why?

Carrie Ryan:

Hey Kurt, that’s a really interesting point. There’s definitely isolation and I very much put a lot of obstacles in the way of the relationships. I do think that some relationships blossomed (or had already been established before the book) but I also wanted to highlight the reality of their world (fairly dire and survival focused).

&

In your mind, what time period/year does The Forest of Hands and Teeth take place? I want to make sure I’m prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

Carrie Ryan:

Haha, I go under the assumption that the zombie apocalypse could occur at any time J I purposefully never set the absolute time/year of the book in place for a variety of reasons, but when I was trying to think about what the characters would know (what stories would have been passed down, etc) I would think back to the Civil War and think about what I’d know of that time period if I hadn’t learned about it in school (so generally that would put the events in the book around 150 years after the apocalypse).

From Tami:

I read on your blog that The Forest of Hands and Teeth was optioned for a movie recently. Can you tell us any news regarding the option (if possible) and also where were you and how did you get the great news?

Carrie Ryan:

Hey Tami! Yes! Seven Star Pictures optioned The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I’m not sure what news about it I can share just yet so I’m erring on keeping my mouth shut J Actually, when I got the final news about the option I’d just stepped out of the shower and was still dripping wet. When my fiancé came home and I was jumping up and down on the phone in a towel, he was a little surprised and then whisked me out to a celebratory dinner!

&

I’m currently in search of an agent. Can you share your plight in searching for, signing with your agent and selling The Forest of Hands and Teeth?

Carrie Ryan:

Good luck in the agent search! While I had beta readers going over my most recent draft of the manuscript I’d spend the time I normally reserved for writing researching agents. I’d read agent blogs, read about their deals in Publishers Marketplace, look at books I thought were similar and find out who their agents were, etc. I created a list of agents and then made a note card for each one noting their submission information, any pertinent details (who they represented, anything I’d learned from interviews about how they liked to be queried), etc.

Once I had the research done, I spent a lot of time on the query letter (and definitely used my beta readers for that as well). And then… I was scared to send anything off. I’d revised FHT as much as I could, but was still afraid. And then one day a friend of mine told me I was just procrastinating out of fear and she sent my query letter to her agent. The agent requested a full and that was pretty much all the motivation I needed to send everything else out.

One of the reasons I signed with Jim is that I felt completely comfortable talking to him on the phone and knew that I’d be able to ask him anything and never feel dumb. Plus, he was phenomenal about following up and is crazy responsive (can you tell I absolutely adore my agent?!). After a round of light revisions with Jim, he submitted the book to a few editors for a sneak peek on a Friday afternoon and it sold that Monday morning in a pre-empt.

I’m really glad I spent a lot of time really researching agents. I do think the maxim “a bad agent is worse than no agent” is true (esp having seen many authors struggle through bad relationships with their agents).

&

The cover of Forest of Hands and Teeth is amazing. Is it what you picture Mary to look like and what you had in mind when picturing the cover as you wrote?

Carrie Ryan:

Thanks! I’ve really been lucky with covers so far (fingers crossed!!). I never had an absolute picture of Mary in my head but I totally love the cover and think it fits her well.

&

Tell us about your daily writing schedule. What are five things you always need near by when writing?

Carrie Ryan:

My writing schedule varies, but generally I’m out of bed and at the computer by 9am. I check email, blog, catch up on various things and then try to write out a to-do list. Recently I’ve been revising which means I spend most of the day working through the current draft, stopping to refresh diet coke or to pop lunch in the microwave. If I have an upcoming deadline (seems to always be the case) then I’m usually working until my fiancé comes home from work around 7-8pm. Sometimes I’ll keep working after that or I’ll take the night off and start again in the morning!

Five things I always need when writing? Diet coke, computer, blanket over my legs, pen & paper for notes, iPhone. The cat would like to think that he’s indispensable for writing but more often he’s just a paperweight for the current print out of the manuscript!

Thanks so much everyone for such great questions!!

YAedge Book Club on hold for July

We will continue to discuss The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan for the month of July due to 1k-a-day. Tomorrow I will have Carrie Ryan's interview up and the end of this week the final discussion questions posted.

August will continue our discussion of great YA books. Wings by Aprilynne Pike was selected and we will begin discussing August 1st! Run out and grab your copies. It's never too early to get a jump on reading.

Questions for Carrie Ryan

As we continue to discuss The Forest of Hands and Teeth, now is a good time to have everyone post questions for The Forest of Hands and Teeth author, Carrie Ryan! She has agreed to take questions. Thanks!

So, if you have something you'd like to ask her regarding The Forest of Hands and Teeth, writing, or anything having to do with teen fiction, please type them in the comments section of this post. I will be taking all questions and passing them along to her Wednesday June 17 @ 5pm PDT.

The Start of Discussion: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Since we're five days into the month and probably started reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I thought I would post a few discussion questions to think about while you're reading. These are just basic questions that we will be discussing for each book. We will get more specific with our discussion later in the month. Please remember, if you have finished The Forest of Hands and Teeth, do NOT post any spoilers for those who have yet to finish.

If you visit the comments, you'll notice that I've also posted each question there, as well as this post. If you want to join in on the discussion for any of the questions, please just hit the "post reply" option next to the question. That way, we can keep each discussion a separate thread and reply to individuals. Remember, please no spoilers in this discussion. We can talk about the end of the book in the last discussion post of the month.

Also, if you haven't already (I'm sure most of you have by now), please read the FAQ and Rules. They will always be posted in the sidebar if you need to find them at any time.

1. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set?
2. What motivated the story? Was the novel plot-driven or character-driven?
3. What are some of the book's themes? How important were they?
4. How are the book's images symbolically significant? Do the images help to develop the plot, or help to define characters?
5. What was your first impression of the characters?

Please don't be shy. Make sure to join in the discussion. If there is another question you'd like others to consider while reading the book, please feel free to post them in the comments section as a new comment.

If you haven't picked up your copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth yet, don't worry. There is still plenty of time. We will be reading and discussing the book throughout the month!

Don't forget to vote for July's book club selection in the poll to the right.

June's Book: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

About The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan:

In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

For more information, visit The Forest of Hands and Teeth website:

The The Forest of Hands and Teeth website

Online links to buy The Forest of Hands and Teeth:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powell's Books

Link to find an Indie bookstore near you:

Indie Bound

Link to find the nearest public library in the US:

US Public Library Search

The Final Discussion: Jellicoe Road

It's time to finish off the month with new discussion questions, since your perspective can change once finishing a book. This thread of comments may contain spoilers. If you haven't finished Jellicoe Road, please do not click the comments section, assuming you don't want parts of the story revealed to you.

Below are a few questions I thought would be interesting to throw out to the group. Please feel free to add any questions in the comments you would also like to discuss. Also, keep in mind, just reply to a question or someone's answer if you'd like to respond. Keeping the discussion clean and organized is the key to a fun talk!

If you are new to the group, before commenting please review the FAQ and rules.

Don't forget, the poll for June's selection ends May 28th. If you have yet to vote, please do so.

Since I was unable to contact Melina Marchetta for this month's interview, I will have a contest on the blog soon instead!

Final Questions (based on completing the book):

1. After finishing the book, do you think the lesson or meaning of Jellicoe Road changed from start to finish? How?
2. In the first discussion, we discussed Taylor's story and how it was very different from the 5 friends' tale. At the end of the book, both stories were woven together. Did you think that the end conclusion was satisfying for both ends of the story?
   
3. I've heard/read about many people's confusion with the beginning of the book. Did you feel confused, and if so, did it change your view of the book overall?
   
4. What will you take away with you from reading Jellicoe Road?
   
5. Do you think the book is portrayed properly (cover, back cover copy (or jacket flap), etc.) in stores/media?

REMEMBER, COMMENTS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

The Start of Discussion: Jellicoe Road

Note from Tami: First off, I wanted to warn the readers, Jellicoe Road can be a bit confusing at the beginning. Stick with it, you won't be sorry. When I first picked up the book, I almost put it down after the first few chapters (which is so unlike me). I couldn't keep track of all of the characters and I had trouble keeping the time frame of events straight. PLEASE keep reading. You will be rewarded. Everything becomes clear and hopefully you will be as moved by this book as I was.

Now on to our regularly schedule discussion questions! Since we're seven days into the month and probably started reading Jellicoe Road, I thought I would post a few discussion questions to think about while you're reading. These are just basic questions that we will be discussing for each book. We will get more specific with our discussion later in the month. Please remember, if you have finished Jellicoe Road, do NOT post any spoilers for those who have yet to finish.

If you visit the comments, you'll notice that I've also posted each question there, as well as this post. If you want to join in on the discussion for any of the questions, please just hit the "post reply" option next to the question. That way, we can keep each discussion a separate thread and reply to individuals. Remember, please no spoilers in this discussion. We can talk about the end of the book in the last discussion post of the month.

Also, if you haven't already, please read the FAQ and Rules. They will always be posted in the sidebar if you need to find them at any time.

1. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set?
2. What motivated the story? Was the novel plot-driven or character-driven?
3. What are some of the book's themes? How important were they?
4. How are the book's images symbolically significant? Do the images help to develop the plot, or help to define characters?
5. What was your first impression of the characters?

Please don't be shy. Make sure to join in the discussion. If there is another question you'd like others to consider while reading the book, please feel free to post them in the comments section as a new comment.

If you haven't picked up your copy of Jellicoe Road yet, don't worry. There is still plenty of time. We will be reading and discussing the book throughout the month!

May's Book: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

About Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta:

"What do you want from me?" he asks.

What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him.

More.

Taylor Markham is not a popular choice. She is erratic, has no people skills and never turns up to meetings. Not to mention the incident when she ran off in search of her mother and only got halfway there. But she's lived at Jellicoe School most of her life and as leader of the boarders that's her greatest asset. Especially now the cadets, led by the infamous Jonah Griggs, have arrived. The territory wars between the boarders, townies and cadets are about to recommence.

But Taylor has other things on her mind: a prayer tree, the hermit who whispered in her ear, and a vaguely familiar drawing in the local police station. Taylor wants to understand the mystery of her own past. But Hannah, the woman who found her, has suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but an unfinished manuscript about five kids whose lives entwined twenty years ago on the Jellicoe Road.

For more information, visit Jellicoe Road website:

The Jellicoe Road website

Online links to buy Jellicoe Road:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powell's Books

Link to find an Indie bookstore near you:

Indie Bound

Link to find the nearest public library in the US:

US Public Library Search

Vote for June's Book Club Selection

June's Book Club selection poll is now posted in the sidebar! Vote for the book that you'd like to read in June!

Choose from these three amazing books:

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The poll closes May 27th and you may only vote once per computer.

Happy voting!

I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to A.S. King for letting us discuss The Dust of 100 Dogs and her participation. You're awesome! Thank you!

The Final Discussion: The Dust of 100 Dogs

It's time to finish off the month with new discussion questions, since your perspective can change once finishing a book. This thread of comments may contain spoilers. If you haven't finished The Dust of 100 Dogs, please do not click the comments section, assuming you don't want parts of the story revealed to you.

Below are a few questions I thought would be interesting to throw out to the group, based on the discussions going on in the previous discussion thread. Please feel free to add any questions in the comments you would also like to discuss. Also, keep in mind, just reply to a question or someone's answer if you'd like to respond. Keeping the discussion clean and organized is the key to a fun talk!

If you are new to the group, before commenting please review the FAQ and rules.

Don't forget, the poll for May's selection ends April 27th. If you have yet to vote, please do so. It's a tight race!

Thanks again to A.S King for letting us discuss The Dust of 100 Dogs this month!

Final Questions (based on completing the book):

1. After finishing the book, do you think the lesson or meaning of The Dust of 100 Dogs changed from start to finish? How?
2. A few of you mentioned in the start of discussion that Emer grabbed your attention at the beginning of the story, more so than Saffron. After reading both stories, who do you relate to more in life, Emer or Saffron?
   
3. In the interview section with A.S. King, we had a great discussion regarding animal violence vs. human violence. Most of us mentioned that the animal violence affected us more than human violence. After having finished the book, is your view still the same?
   
4. What will you take away with you from reading The Dust of 100 Dogs?
   
5. Do you think the book is portrayed properly (cover, back cover copy (or jacket flap), etc.) in stores/media?

REMEMBER, COMMENTS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

Interview with A.S. King, Author of The Dust of 100 Dogs

First off, I wanted to thank everyone who posted questions and, of course I wanted to thank A.S. King for all of her help this month. You rock, Amy! Thank you for the amazing, thought provoking answers!

Without further adieu, please welcome A.S. King!

Tami Asked:

What is your writing schedule like and what is your favorite time to write?

A.S. King:

My schedule is insane at the moment. Nothing here is sane or regular or routine and it’s driving me a little bonkers. I have two small kids, so until they’re both in school, it’s a chaos-driven writing schedule. Mostly, I write in chunks of time. But, if I get to choose? My favorite time to write is ALL DAY. ☺

What are the top 3 things you have to have on your desk each time you sit down
to write?


A.S. King:

Really, all I need is my computer and me. I have a revision pencil (refillable) that I’ve had since 8th grade that I like to have around. A cup of coffee always helps.

Joanne Levy asked:

Hi A.S.!

I LOVED The Dust of 100 Dogs and especially that it made me think of SO MANY different things. I think a lot of the book is very open to interpretation, so I'm curious as to some of the feedback you may have gotten that you weren't expecting. Care to share any enlightening/weird/unexpected comments you've received about the book?

And here's a personal question: what is your favorite dog breed?


A.S. King:

Hey Joanne! Thanks for reading D100D. So happy you dug it!
Like any book, feedback has been varied and interesting. I suppose the most surprising thing so far for me is: the book covers some very serious human subjects like genocide, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual slavery and sexual assault, but far more readers voice concern about Rusty, the Doberman who is repeatedly maltreated by his owner. Don’t get me wrong. I love dogs—anyone who knows me knows how much I love dogs and abhor violence—and I’m really glad people are hating how Fred treats Rusty, because it’s wrong. I just find it interesting that people choose to comment so urgently about violence against dogs when in the same book, so many violent crimes are committed against humans.


This has really made me think. Are we so desensitized to violence against humans that we don’t see it? Or have we come to expect it? Imagine we saw, on the TV, 150,000 instances of dog violence before we turned 18, the way we see violence against humans. Would we be as desensitized to dog violence then? Would we stop seeing that, too? Deep thoughts, I know, but you asked!


My favorite dog breed -- Chocolate Labrador. Goofy, lovable and the way they smell in the rain is just so nice.

Robin Brande asked:

Okay, here's what I want to know: How much of you is in Emer, the girl pirate? Are you like her, or do you just wish you were like her?

Also, was it hard to write the scenes where Fred is being so abusive to Rusty? Because those were really hard to read! Poor Rusty!

Loved the book. Loved it so much I would marry it.


A.S. King:

Hi Robin! You rock for wanting to marry my book. (I am actually able to arrange that, if you’re interested.)


My life has been charmed compared to Emer’s. I do deal with adversity similarly. Head up—honor in battle. But I am a strict pacifist, so fighting is out of the question. Could I do it if faced with physical harm? Probably not. I’ve been robbed at gunpoint in real life and let me tell ya, I couldn’t do much more than shake in my boots and blink. I can’t say I wish I was like Emer either. I mean, she’s got some baggage—mostly power issues—that I’m quite happy to sidestep, thanks. ☺ If I could choose, I’d be Saffron, starting right where the book ends.


You bet it was hard to write those scenes about Fred being mean to Rusty. Really hard. But those were not the parts of the book that made me cry. The Cromwellian attack scene was super hard to write. The scene with Emer & the Frenchman in the cave was also super hard. But I agree thoroughly about how hard those Fred scenes are to read—Poor Rusty!

Terri Probst asked:

Amy, first I don't think I've told you how I loved the book. My 9yr old said "Wow, YOU know someone who's written a book??" I'm going to read it to the boys 5 + 9, with a bit of editing-hope you don't mind.

My question is how do I get you to central PA for a signing? We have D. Dashem in LH and Otto's in Williamsport. I have a very comfy futon...

A.S. King:

Thanks Terri! So glad you liked it.
You’ll need some serious editing for 5 & 9 year olds! I’d love to be a fly on that wall.


I am hoping to make it up to central PA this year sometime. I haven’t seen Lock Haven for at least fifteen years! Thanks to the info contained in your question, I’ve contacted Otto’s to see if they’d be interested. I’ll be in touch!

Heather M. Riley asked:

I'm still reading right now, but the first thing I noticed was the time frame. Aside from the flashback scenes where we see Emer's childhood. I also found it interesting that you chose to have her reborn as Saffron in the 70's and therefore the story doesn't take place in our current time but in the recent past. What made you decide on this time setting?

A.S. King:

Hi Heather!
First, when I started working on the book, as early as 1999, I had no concept of 2009 in my brain, same as we’re not thinking of 2019 right now. Second, I had a vision that Saffron’s dad was going to be a Vietnam War veteran, which made sense to set her birth in the early 1970s. Third, I was born in 1970, so I could relate to Saffron’s childhood better if I set her age close to my own. And fourth—probably the most important—usually my characters & plots & settings choose themselves. I have very little to do with it.

Tracy Belsher asked:

There are many historic details in this book - the settings, time periods, treatment of women, the reoccurring slavery theme – hell, you even work in Gettysburg. How did you approach researching for D100D – was it overwhelming?

A.S. King:

Hi Tracy!
For me, it was invigorating. I was scared of history class [memorization] in school, and so, I managed to graduate without much history knowledge, and avoid landing on the yellow squares in Trivial Pursuit for many years. But something hit me when I moved to Ireland. History presented itself to me—in the landscape, in town, it was everywhere. When we moved to Tipperary, I started to read a lot about it. My reading eventually led to an interest to write about it. The smaller historical mentions, like Gettysburg or Turner’s Rebels, came from a few small books I had sitting around about American history. So, really, D100D was the result of what I was reading and learning, rather than the other way around.


Deke Snow asked:

Was there one character, or even one trait of a character that you identified with most while writing the book? Is there some of you in any of your characters?


A.S. King:

Hey Deke!
I think there’s probably a little of me in all of the characters, even if, in characters like Fred, I write representations of everything I reject or fear. But not to be obtuse, I think I could certainly relate to Saffron while she was dying to get out of high school. Aren’t we all dying to leave school and search for treasure (life)?


Also, Emer and I share the experience of holding a deep love for someone we had to live without for a period of time. My husband and I were separated by the Atlantic Ocean for about five years, and 20 blissful years later, thinking about it still hurts.


Last but not least, I asked Amy to share a little something about what she's working on now.


A.S. King:

If you can talk about your new book, what is the plot in a few quick sentences?

Explaining the plot in a few sentences, I can’t do. But here’s something I came up with while I was trying. IGNORE VERA DIETZ (Random House/Knopf 2010) is about a teenage girl, her dead (ex) best friend, and her attempt to clear his name. It’s also about destiny. And a neighborhood full of secrets. And a sarcastic pagoda. And vocabulary words.


Thanks you SO MUCH for having me!

Questions for A.S. King

As we continue to discuss The Dust of 100 Dogs, now is a good time to have everyone post questions for The Dust of 100 Dogs author, A.S. King! She has agreed to take questions. Thanks!

So, if you have something you'd like to ask her regarding The Dust of 100 Dogs, writing, or anything having to do with teen fiction, please type them in the comments section of this post by Sunday, April 12 at 10 am PDT. I will be taking all questions and passing them along to her Sunday evening.

The Start of Discussion: The Dust of 100 Dogs

Since we're six days into the month and probably started reading The Dust of 100 Dogs, I thought I would post a few discussion questions to think about while you're reading. These are just basic questions that we will be discussing for each book. We will get more specific with our discussion later in the month. Please remember, if you have finished The Dust of 100 Dogs, do NOT post any spoilers for those who have yet to finish.

If you visit the comments, you'll notice that I've also posted each question there, as well as this post. If you want to join in on the discussion for any of the questions, please just hit the "post reply" option next to the question. That way, we can keep each discussion a separate thread and reply to individuals. Remember, please no spoilers in this discussion. We can talk about the end of the book in the last discussion post of the month.

Also, if you haven't already, please read the FAQ and Rules. They will always be posted in the sidebar if you need to find them at any time.

1. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set?
2. What motivated the story? Was the novel plot-driven or character-driven?
3. What are some of the book's themes? How important were they?
4. How are the book's images symbolically significant? Do the images help to develop the plot, or help to define characters?
5. What was your first impression of the characters?

Please don't be shy. Make sure to join in the discussion. If there is another question you'd like others to consider while reading the book, please feel free to post them in the comments section as a new comment.

If you haven't picked up your copy of The Dust of 100 Dogs yet, don't worry. There is still plenty of time. We will be reading and discussing the book throughout the month!

April's Book: The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

About The Dust of 100 Dogs, by A.S. King:

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body-with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

For more information, visit The Dust of 100 Dogs website:
The Dust of 100 Dogs website

Online links to buy The Dust of 100 Dogs:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Powell's Books

Link to find an Indie bookstore near you:

Indie Bound

Link to find the nearest public library in the US:

US Public Library Search