Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

Hey girls! What a treat I have for you this week!

This week I sat down with author Daniel Kirk who wrote Elf Realm.
When Matt and his family move to a new housing development in Pennsylvania, they don’t realize that they’ve stumbled into the middle of massive upheaval in the Elf Realm. The living, tunnel-like Cord, or “low road,” through which the elves travel is dying. The invisible barriers between the elfin world and the human world have begun to disintegrate.
The far-flung elfin kingdoms differ greatly from one another. Some are gentle and peace-loving; others are eager for war. As dark factions look to seize control of the entire Elf Realm, apprentice mage Tuava-Li must defend her kingdom’s territory – even when that means cooperating with Matt, a human and the elves’ natural enemy. With the help of a troll named Tomtar, Matt and Tuava-Li struggle to keep the Elf Realms, and the human world alongside it, from certain destruction.
The Low Road is the first book in the Elf Realm trilogy.
Here is what author Daniel Kirk had to say to me:

Ivy: Where did the idea come from to write Elf Realm?
Daniel: Ivy, first of all I want to say thanks for this interview and your interest in my work. In answer to your question, I’ve written and illustrated over 30 picture books, and always wanted to try writing something longer. I like to challenge myself; it’s what I do for fun! My three kids always liked fantasy books, so for years I’d been thinking that someday I’d try writing something in that genre. I just had to wait for the right time and the right idea to come to me.
About five years ago, on our way out to my parents’ house in Ohio for Thanksgiving, we were listening to Philip Pullman’s “Golden Compass” as an audio book. At a certain point we took a break from the recording and started talking about all the deer we were seeing in the woods along the Pennsylvania roadside. We were in kind of a fantasy mood after listening to the audio book so we played a little game, imagining where the deer might be going. My daughter suggested that all of the deer might be on their way to a fairy wedding! “Aha,” I said to myself, and made a mental note of the idea.
I used the fairy wedding idea as a starting point for my book, and let the whole notion of an alternate fairy world sort of stew in my mind for a number of months. I began researching everything I could find about different fairy cultures and mythology. Then I started to write. The book began as a lighter, more comic novel, but I quickly discovered that it was turning into a darker, more complicated book. The fairy wedding turned from a cheerful, fanciful event into a disaster, and set a whole series of terrible consequences in motion.
Ivy: How long did it take you to write this?
Daniel: I worked on the first novel for about a year. When I was ready to submit it to a publisher, I had over a thousand pages! I ended up having to cut that down in size by about half.
Ivy: Who was your favorite character to write about?
Daniel: In Elf Realm I wanted to tell the story of what happens when a human family has a chance encounter with a world of elves, trolls and other fairy folk in the forest behind their home. There’s a boy and his sister, aged 14 and 9, and they’re the main human characters. The most important of the good elves are Tuava-Li, a young monk in training, and her older mentor and guide, the Mage. There’s also a princess named Asra, who keeps getting forced into marriages against her will.
Then there are a bunch of bad elves, including Prince Macta, who goes through the book series trying to marry Asra and cause problems for everyone else. Maybe it’s just me, but when I’m writing, I tend to like the bad characters. They give me a change to imagine I’m doing horrible things I’d never consider doing in real life.

Ivy: How did you come up with the characters in the book?
Daniel: I knew I needed gooof changes in their environment, there are both good and bad characters.
In Norse mythology there are light Elves and dark Elves, and traditionally the dark ones are causing trouble for the light ones as well as the humans they encounter. In my story, the boy and girl must face up to their own personal weaknesses and find their strength by dealing with what’s going on in the fairy realm. My research into fairy mythology around the world gave me plenty of good ideas for types of characters.
Ivy: How much of your real life do you put in your books?
Daniel: In writing “Elf Realm”, I tried to base my characters, their personalities and motivations, on people that I know or have read about. I tried to remember what it was like being fourteen, and how when you’re young you have secrets you want to keep from your parents, because you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you’re going to be. It’s because of keeping secrets that my hero, Matt, gets into so much trouble. His sister Becky is very timid about moving to the country because she’s grown up in the city and doesn’t like grass and trees and bugs and dirt. She soon finds out there are more important things to worry about than nature. I was a bit like both Becky and Matt when I was young!
Because I worry about our environment, and what damage we’re doing to our planet, I tried to address these concerns in my plot. As I wrote I was seeing a lot of news on TV and reading in the newspaper about global warming, and that influenced the direction of my story. Another subject that had an effect on my writing was terrorism. Many Americans are feeling threatened by people from other countries whose beliefs and ways of life are different than our own. People aren’t just worried about suicide bombers; they’re threatened by anybody who represents a different belief system.
My use of fairies and otherworldly beings is a way of talking about real-life fears. I also want to make points about politics and the way people should be very careful about mixing politics and business, and politics and religion. So my book isn’t just entertainment, but should make readers think about important things going on in the real world.
Ivy: Why did you decide to make this a trilogy?
Daniel: Book series are popular, and at the time I began writing “Elf Realm” many of the books I’d been reading to my kids were series. I thought it would be fun to tell a really epic story, like “Lord of the Rings” or “His Dark Materials”, where I could go into lots of detail in creating a new world, telling the stories of many characters over a longer period of time. I thought writing three books about the same characters would give me a chance to really explore that imaginary world and make it as rich and believable as possible. Each of the books has its own flavor and direction, but they all contribute to the big picture.
Ivy: Was it hard to make the crossover from picture book writing?
Daniel: Not at all, I’d wanted to do it for years! I thought it might be easier to write a novel, in a way, because writing a picture book is deceptively difficult. People think writing a picture book is easy. There are so few words in a picture book, and yet an author spends an incredible amount of time trying to get those few words just right. I thought there’d be less of that pickiness in writing a novel, but now I have discovered that it’s about the same. As an author you still have to really labor and agonize over every word and every sentence, correcting and changing things over and over. But your ideas and characters can be so much richer and complex; it’s worth the work.

Ivy: Why was this story such a passion for you to write?
Daniel: I see how my own children are going to have particular challenges growing up that I never had to face. Big changes are coming. Climate change is a reality. We live in a shrinking world where we are going to have to live side by side with people who are really different from us, and learn to get along. There are a lot of bad people controlling things in our world that don’t care about anything but money and their own greedy needs. We’re becoming less of a democracy and more of a corporate-controlled country, where money buys elections and our leaders are always lying about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.
Today’s kids are going to have to be really strong, really moral, really committed to do what’s right, as they grow up and begin to take the reins of power. There’s a lot riding on how our kids turn out, and the choices they make; maybe the survival of humanity itself. I think that in some way, fantasy novels can give readers a chance to work out real life problems and issues from a deeper, more spiritual place. That’s what I wanted to get across in my books. The real work we must do begins deep inside, and fantasy books can help you get to the depths and plant some seeds there.

Ivy: How did you come up with the troll Agar?
Daniel: In the first book of the Elf Realm series there’s a cranky old Troll called Agar, who helps Matt with some medicine to heal the dangerous injury he gets to his foot while playing barefoot in a construction site. Agar is a bit of a wizard, but he’s also a thief and a hoarder, somebody who can’t throw anything away. The den where he lives and works is kind of an amazing mess. There are a few hoarders in my own family, so I understand the problem. After a while you have such clutter in your place that you have nowhere to live, and nobody can come visit you without the risk of getting crushed by falling junk.

Ivy: How did you go about bringing Agar to life?
Daniel: I spent a lot of time thinking about the kinds of junk this Troll might want to keep. I had to imagine what would fascinate him—shiny things, things he thought were valuable—dolls, jewels, bird wings, old envelopes and catalogs, bottle caps, string, marbles, pretty stones, things from the natural world as well as man-made things he would find interesting because they were different from what he was used to, living in the woods. I tried to imagine how the world would seem through his lonely old eyes, and how his own personal limitations make him do things that to us would seem very, very bad! Trolls and Elves don’t care much for humans, or respect the rights and privileges we take for granted.

Ivy: What process did you use to build the world of elves?
Daniel: There’s an old fairy myth that says that in ancient times, fairies and humans lived together. Then, because of warfare between us and fairy folk, “the Gods” had to separate us so that the fairies didn’t all get killed. It’s an ancient story, but it perfectly describes parallel universes. I decided that is how I wanted the world in my books to be broken up—the fairy realm and the human realm, separated by in invisible and delicate divide.
Other myths describe the ways in which fairies organize their society—there are special places for the arts, for politics, for religion and so on. So if you want to be a monk, you’d go to a special town, or village, to study what you needed to know. I put this in my books, too. There’s an invention of mine in the series called “the Cord”, which is an underground passage where fairy folk basically fly from place to place. I spent many hours thinking about how our world is much different than it was a hundred years ago because of roads, highways, cars and trucks and trains and airplanes. I thought that an easy, natural method of quick transportation would make far-flung places in the fairy realm easily accessible by anyone, and that would change the nature of their society.
So “world building” is a big part of a book series like this. I had to think of many things, many structures that I don’t ever get around to describing in the books, just so I have a believable base where the action can take place. The fairy folk I wrote about are very keyed into nature, and their technology is limited by their allergy to metal. They do their best to work around this problem, but in a way their limitation forces many of them to develop in other, more spiritual ways.

Ivy: Is it your intent to have the readers of this be cautious as they walk around the woods?
Daniel: Not cautious, but appreciative. There are hidden worlds all around us, if we have the eyes to see and appreciate what we find. Nature is resilient but also delicate, and we have to be careful not to hurt the worlds we visit, as well as the one we live in.

Ivy: What is about elves that made you want to write a book about them?
Daniel: Elves are really just a stand-in for people who are a little different than we are. They look and talk a little strangely, they believe in different gods, and have different habits, diets and behaviors, but for the most part, they’re just like we are. They have the same fears, passions and longings, but they act them out in different ways. One difference, though, is that my Elves are small—pretty much knee-high to a human. I did this because it’s said that when people stop believing in the mythic beings of their culture, their artistic depictions of those beings become, literally, smaller.

Ivy: What age were you hoping would read this book?
Daniel: A good fantasy should be good for all ages. I would hope that my “Elf Realm” series would be interesting to teens, but also to adults. That’s the way I wrote it! There are mature themes and important spiritual, social and cultural issues in there, for those who want to find them. These things are woven in and around a rousing story about a hero’s quest. There’s a little romance, a lot of self-discovery. Every reader who appreciates complex, interwoven plots, rich characters and a dark, menacing mood should love this book, in my opinion!

Ivy: Where did you get your character names?
Daniel: Most of the fairy character’s names come straight from Scandinavian and northern European languages and mythology. I spent a lot of time researching the meaning of names and words in Scandinavian culture. To us, the names might seem odd or difficult, but to be honest, I wouldn’t feel comfortable naming my Elves Michael, or Julia or Fred! On the other hand I could have just made up the names from my imagination, but I don’t like reading fantasy books where the character’s names seem totally fabricated just to sound weird or alien to our ears.

Ivy: How much research did you have to do for this book?
Daniel: I had to do more research than I expected; a fantasy is only believable if it’s grounded in reality. As I said, the names of my characters come from other cultures and mythology. Some of the fairy behavior, and the ways their world works, also come from traditional fairy tales. So there’s research into literature and history.
I had to call a wildlife preserve to talk to an expert about healing injured birds. For the second book, I had to spend a week exploring Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, because I wanted to make the story take place there, and I wanted my locations to be accurate.
For the third book, which I’m working on now, I’m doing a lot of reading about the inside of the earth, both in reality and in mythology. I am also researching the North Pole, both for its wildlife and habitat. Doing research isn’t always easy or fun, but it helps you build settings and characters that are more real and believable than your imagination alone could create.

Ivy: What did your kids think of this book?
Daniel: I read the chapters of the first book as I was writing them to my son, Russell, when he was about twelve. He was a very good critic and it was helpful to try out language and different scenarios with him, as the template for an average young reader. I also used my own kids and their friends as models for the illustrations in the books, and I think they were kind of amused by the ways they turn into fairy folk in the pictures.

Ivy: What is your writing process?
Daniel: When you’re a writer, it’s kind of a 24/7 job. If you’re not actually writing, you’re thinking about your book and what you have to do to make it better, as well as what’s going to happen with the plot. Either that, or you’re reading other author’s books that you think might inspire you or teach you something, or doing research. I brainstorm about the book I’m working on while I am exercising in the morning, and when I’m lying in bed at night trying to go to sleep. I think about my writing when I’m driving my son to his guitar lessons, and when I’m waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store.
As to the structure of my day, I tend to write in the morning and paint in the afternoon. I like to write at the kitchen table on my laptop, and after my wife goes to work and son goes off to school it’s very quiet, I get to work. After lunch I go out to my studio to paint. I like to have a couple of different projects going at the same time, because it keeps life more interesting that way. In the evening I’ll go back and edit what I wrote that morning. That’s a typical day!
In terms of the actual writing process, I believe it is important to outline your plot before you ever begin writing, otherwise you go off on tangents that aren’t productive. I tend to write simply, at first, and then add descriptions and details and more colorful language as I go back and revise my work. Later I go back and simplify it all again! Dialog is sometimes very difficult, finding an authentic voice for your characters, so I’ll end up rewriting dialog scenes many times until I feel that they ring true.

Ivy: What is next for you as an author?
Daniel: I’ve got a few ideas for fantasy novels, and a few ideas for more realistic novels. You never know if your editors are going to like your work until they actually read it, so when I am finished with the third Elf Realm book I am going to have to spend some time working up outlines and writing chapters to see what happens. It could well be that I will be excited about a project and my editor won’t!
Just because I write something I like, does not mean it will ever get published. It’s an odd combination of market forces and editorial choices that determine what will eventually come out as a book. Right now, there’s still a market for fantasy, but I think it’s kind of on the wane in the reading public, and people can’t get enough of realistic school stories and romantic vampire tales. I don’t know what that will mean for my book ideas about dragons and fairies!

Ivy: How old were you when you started writing?
Daniel: I’ve always been fascinated by telling stories—my parents were puppeteers and as a kid I was always immersed in fairy tales, myths and legends, classic tales of all kinds. My first talent was for drawing. I loved monsters, and I spent my childhood years just drawing things from my imagination. Later I began writing and illustrating my own comic books, and by high school I discovered I had a real talent for writing. English was my favorite subject, and whenever I had an essay question to answer on a test, or a paper to write, or a book report, I was completely in my element.

Ivy: What do you want readers to leave Elf Realm with?
Daniel: For years I have been interested in mythology, and the way that individuals play out the roles from classic mythic and religious stories, without ever knowing that’s what they’re doing. I want kids and adults who read my work to realize that they’re on their own heroic journey, a quest without a set goal or destination, positioned between two great mysteries, birth and death. There are many important things to work for, to accomplish, to realize about life, and there’s so little time to spend on that journey of understanding and discovery.
I’d like my readers to look at their own lives, think about the power they have to change the way their society works, to understand that it’s up to them to bring more joy, more love, more compassion, more hard work and commitment to the world and all of the people here in need. In “Elf Realm” my characters are kind of swept into something bigger than themselves, and they have to learn how to be big enough to fulfill their potential as people. That’s what I hope we all can do!

Ivy: What is your website address?
Daniel: www.danielkirk.com

Ivy: Anything else that you want to comment on?
Daniel: Just to thank you for your interest in my work, Ivy, and I hope that your readers will check out “Elf Realm”. Reading has always been a very important part of my life, and I am always finding new books and new authors whose work deserves to be read, savored, and loved. Good luck, everyone, with your own search!

Ivy: Daniel, thank you so much for sitting down with me to chat about your trilogy.

Talk to you next week girls!
You can always contact me via email at: ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

This week I sat down with Pamela Wells who wrote THE HEARTBREAKERS.

I got advice from Pamela about her breakup code in THE HEARTBREAKERS.

I was challenged by Pamela Wells to follow her breakup code to nurse my broken heart.
This is the advice that she offered me:

Ivy: Why are you so adamant that your break up code works?
Pamela: I know that my breakup works because I have used it on myself.

Ivy: How many bad break ups have you had in life?
Pamela: One really bad one.

Ivy: Was this break up the inspiration for you to write your book?
Pamela: Yes. I wanted to create a break up code for teens about how to handle a breakup.

Ivy: Did you break your own rules in the break up code?
Pamela: Yes, I broke every last one of them.

Ivy: If you broke all your own rules, how did you get over your breakup?
Pamela: I did not keep breaking my own rules. I started to follow them religiously.

Ivy: What do you suggest I do to get over my broken heart?
Pamela: You should follow my break up code. It really does work.

Ivy: I am going to follow your break up code starting today.
Pamela: You do that. Once you see that it works then talk to me about it again.

Ivy: What rule is the hardest for you to follow?
Pamela: All of my rules were hard for me to follow because I wanted my ex back.

Ivy: Can a set of rules really get you over an Ex?
Pamela: Yes they can. I know that it sounds like a gimmick but it is not.

Ivy: What advice do you give people about going through a bad break up?
Pamela: You will get over this. Read my book about how to get over a break up.

Ivy is also blogging about the adventures of Anna Sokolov in Confessions of a Hopeless Teen Vampire. To find out the latest, go to: confessionsofateenvampire.blogspot.com.

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

Hey, girls, with the hype of American Idol getting 27 million viewers last week I decided to talk about a singing movie this week. Albert Hartfeld is the director of the DVD movie “Pastor Jones: Heavenly Voices” presented by www.BlackChristianMovies.com.

Ivy: What attracted you to direct this project?

Hartfeld: This movie is funny and heart warming. It leaves you feeling inspired and who doesn’t need a little inspiration?

Ivy: What can my teen readers get from this movie?

Hartfeld: The main character in this movie is a young teenage girl who has lost her mother and has to live with her alcoholic abusive father. Her only escape and joy is her love of singing. And with the help of her church’s choir she gains the confidence to be herself and the strength to stand up to her father. This movie shows us that despite all the pain and obstacles we face we can rise above our circumstances and be an inspiration to others.

Ivy: Is this movie part of a series?

Hartfeld: Pastor Jones has other movies on DVD about other family oriented issues but this is the only one about singing and teens.

Ivy: What do you say to viewers who don’t watch religious movies?

Hartfeld: You can get something from all types of movies. The Pastor Jones movies are actually more about the characters and the obstacles/issues they face in their lives.

Ivy: I take it there are a lot of songs in the movie.

Hartfeld: There are very moving songs that are sung beautifully. These songs will inspire and empower the viewer to face their fears and reach for their dreams. We can accomplish anything if we have the faith and belief in ourselves.

Ivy: Where can my readers rent or get a copy?

Hartfeld: Blockbuster and Amazon all have copies. You may also check out www.BlackChristianMovies.com.

Ivy: Thanks, Albert. It was nice chatting with you.

Hartfeld: Likewise Ivy.

Ivy is also blogging about the adventures of Anna Sokolov in Confessions of A Hopeless Teen Vampire.  To find out the latest go to: confessionsofateenvampire.blogspot.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

Hey Girls! You are not going to believe what happened to me this week.

I met a strange girl name Anna Sokolov from Russia.

I know what you are thinking: What is strange about meeting a teen girl from Russia.

Well for one? She is a REAL life vampire. Two: She wants to talk about this to us.

We are all crazed over the Stephenie Meyer’s vampire saga TWILIGHT.

We all know the stories of Bella and Edward that Stephenie created in her vampire book series.

I was skeptical at first;

How could such a myth be real?

Like you, I did not believe Anna or that there was such a thing as vampires.

Anna wants to share her story about a secret hidden city in Russia that is home to vampires. It is there in this hidden city that vampires learn, then go off to other parts of the world to conquer and reign.

I’m going to let Anna tell her story:

Dear Reader,

Where I come from my kind does not tell their secrets:

To tell such secrets is to betray a holy secret order.

I know that you humans do not have much patience for my kind.

You despise me. You see me as a lost cause that can’t be saved.

I am betraying a holy trust:; I think it is more important to tell our story.

I have seen many books about us but none of them are from OUR point of view.

You humans love to write about us.

You humans love to write about what you think we are like.

For centuries we have stood by hurting as we read the lies and tales about us.

My kind has told me to look the other way.

Do not worry about it my mother tells me.

I can’t! I won’t anymore. I want you to know our story told from our point of view.

Once you know our story and you see our life through our eyes then I will be content.

ivy.hopper@gmail.com

I am tired of living a lie.

My friends and I are like any other teen girl except we happen to be vampires.

Tune in again next week where I will  begin to share my life with you.

Anna Sokolov

Confessions of A Hopeless Teen Vampire wanting you to understand her.

ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Hey Girls! I just finished reading The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin.

The  information below was taken from author Nancy Werlin’s website.

“The Rules of Survival, was one of five finalists for the 2006 National Book Award, is the story of Matthew Walsh of South Boston, and his sisters, Callie and Emmy. It’s written in the form of a long letter to Matt’s youngest sister.

He says: “Emmy, the events we lived through taught me to be sure of nothing about other people. They taught me to expect danger around every corner. They taught me to understand that there are people in this world who mean you harm. And sometimes, they’re people who say they love you, and mean it.”

Matt has long since put himself in charge of protecting his sisters from their enemy.

And who is their enemy?

It’s Nikki O’Grady Walsh. Their mother. Who loves them.

Matt’s managed to keep himself and his sisters safe, more or less. He’s done okay. But secretly, inside, he’s growing tired and hopeless.

Then, suddenly, there’s a possible ally on the horizon. Someone who can maybe help him get rid of his mother for good.

Murdoch. His mother’s ex-boyfriend.”

Here is what Carla Lewis had to say to me via phone about The Rules of Survival.

Ivy: Why did you like this book?
Carla: I liked this book because it was so real. It reminded me of my childhood.

Ivy: What in this book reminded you of your childhood?
Carla: I was mentally and verbally abused as a child. I could relate to all of this.

Ivy: Have you ever told anyone you were abused?
Carla: I used to be ashamed of my childhood and the abuse that was inflicted upon me as a child. I am learning to talk about it more. It helps to get it out and not hold in the pain.

Ivy: Were you familiar with Nancy Werlin books before reading this book?
Carla: No. I had never read any of her work.

Ivy: What moved you about this book?
Carla: The way the author wrote about abuse. She just puts it out there for you to see.

Ivy: I found myself feeling sorry for their mother. Did you feel that way?
Carla: No. I was angry with their mother for her lack of love for her kids.

Ivy: Was there a point in the story where you thought the characters were you?
Carla: I did actually. I found the book to be a tough read because I have lived this.

Ivy: Why do you think books like these are needed?
Carla: They are needed so that other abused kids can see that they are not alone.

Ivy: Did you read books about abused kids when you were a child?
Carla: I did not. I wish that I had read a book like this when I was a kid being abused.

Ivy: Do you think books like these help society?
Carla: I think that any type of exposure to abuse is good.

* * *

Here is an excerpt from The Rules of Survival to show you a sneak peak:

“Then I saw him. Murdoch. Okay, I saw him but I didn’t really see him. That came a few minutes later. I just glanced around the store. There was a teenager at the cash register behind the front candy counter. A huge, barrel-shaped man stood in front of the counter with a little boy, smaller even than you were then. And Murdoch (of course I didn’t know his name then) and his date (a woman I never saw again) were in line behind the man with the boy.

Callie and I headed straight for the ice cream freezer, and we’d just reached it when the yelling began. We whipped around.

It was the barrel-shaped man and the little kid. The man had grabbed the boy by the upper arms and yanked him into the air. He was screaming in his face while the kid’s legs dangled: “What did you just do?

The little kid was clutching a package of Reese’s Pieces and he started keening, his voice a long terrified wail, his small body rigid.

The big man—his father?—shook him hard, and kept doing it. “I’ll teach you to take things without permission! Spend my money without asking!”

And then the other man, the one I later knew was called Murdoch, was between the father and son. Murdoch snatched the little kid away from his father and put the kid down behind him. Then Murdoch swiveled back.

Emmy, I like to freeze the memory in my mind and just look at Murdoch. He was a medium kind of man. Medium height, hair shaved close to the skull, medium build. You wouldn’t look twice—until you have looked twice.

He wasn’t afraid. I noticed that right away about him. Here was this huge enraged man, facing him. But this man, Murdoch, was calm. At the same time, there was this sort of feeling coming from him. Some kind of coiled tension.

Callie and I were behind Murdoch, and to the left, so we had only a partial view of Murdoch’s face and expression. But we had a full-on view of the barrel-shaped man. And we had a good view of the little kid, who was so shocked that he stopped crying and just stared up at Murdoch’s back with his mouth open.

Meanwhile, Murdoch said, quietly but audibly, “If you want to hurt somebody, you can hurt me. Go on. Hit me. I won’t hit back. You can do it until you’re not angry anymore. I’ll let you.”

There was an endless, oh, five seconds. The father’s eyes bulged. His fists were clenched. He drew one arm back. But Murdoch was still looking straight at him, and I knew—you could feel it coiled in the air—that even though Murdoch had said he wouldn’t hit him, he wanted to. He wanted to hurt him.
I liked him for that. No, Emmy, I loved him for that. Immediately.

“Hit me,” Murdoch said. “Come on. Better me than the kid. Why not? You want to.”

And then it was all over. The man blinked and took a step back. He said something, loudly, about having had a hard day and it doesn’t hurt a kid to learn to keep his hands to himself. And Murdoch was nodding even though I guessed that he was thinking what I was about that man. But Murdoch turned away from the father as if he was no threat anymore. He knelt on the floor in front of the little kid.

You could smell the kid’s fear floating on the stale, air-conditioned store air. He stole one little look behind Murdoch at the big man, and you could see him thinking, I’ll have to pay for this later.

But Murdoch talked directly to the kid. “It’s wrong for anybody ever to hurt you. No matter who does it, it’s wrong. Can you remember that?”

The kid’s eyes were now huge. He looked at the big man again. Then back at Murdoch. Then he nodded.

“You’ll remember that?” Murdoch insisted. “You don’t have to do anything else. You just have to remember.”

He waited.

The kid nodded. Solemnly.

“Good,” said Murdoch.

The kid reached out one hand toward him. In it was the package of Reese’s Pieces. Murdoch took it and said, “Thank you.” He stood up in one smooth motion. He put the package on the counter. But his eyes didn’t leave the little boy. The little boy kept looking back, too, while the big man finished paying for his stuff and then hustled the kid outside.

As the door slammed behind them, there was complete silence in the store.

It was then I realized that Callie had grabbed my hand and was holding it.

“Oh, hello?” said the woman who was with Murdoch. “Hello, Murdoch? You should have thought about me. What if there was a big fight and I got hurt? What kind of a date do you think that would be? Huh? Murdoch? Are you listening to me? Murdoch!”

Murdoch, I thought. It was a name I had never heard before. A strange name.

It suited him.

Murdoch didn’t reply. His eyes had narrowed into slits. He held up the pack of Reese’s Pieces and said to the teenage clerk, “I’ll take these. And the ice coffee.” The woman sighed and shrugged. She moved a step closer to Murdoch, but without even looking at her, he took a step away.

One more moment from my memory of that night: on his way out the door, Murdoch turned. He tossed the Reese’s Pieces underhand to me and Callie. He smiled at us as he did it, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. And he wasn’t thinking about us at all, or really seeing us. I could tell. Not the way he’d seen that little boy.

He was still giving off that invisible coiled pulse of—whatever it was.

He was still angry.

Then he was gone.

* * *

I stood in that convenience store on that hot summer night and stared after him, and I thought: I have to know that man.

There is a word for this feeling, Emmy. It’s called obsession.

I was obsessed with Murdoch for months before our mother ever met him. In fact, if not for me, she never would have met him.

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

Hey, Girls! I just finished reading Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon.

UPSTATE, set in 1990s New York, opens with the chilling question from seventeen-year-old Antonio to his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Natasha: “Do you believe I killed my father?” Antonio and Natasha’s world is turned upside down, and their young love is put to the test when Antonio finds himself in jail, accused of a shocking crime. Antonio fights to stay alive on the inside, while on the outside, Natasha faces choices that will change her life. Over the course of a decade, they share a desperate correspondence.

Often, they have only each other to turn to as life takes them down separate paths and leaves them wondering if they will ever find their way back together. Startling, real and filled with raw emotion, Upstate is an unforgettable coming-of-age story with a message of undeniable hope. Brilliant and profoundly felt, it is destined to speak to generations of readers.

“It starts out strong and never lets go…It moved me to tears.”

Chicago Tribune

Girls, when I tell you that this book was amazing, I mean the book was utterly amazing.

I could not put the book down. I read this book in one sitting and cried reading it.

I was not the only person who could not put the book down. This week a couple of my teen friends and I cried our eyes out as we read this book.

Here is what three of my teen friends had to say to me about Upstate.

Ivy: Why did you like this book?

Courtney: I felt like I knew Natasha and Antonio. They felt like friends of mine. I was impressed with the series of love letters that the book is written in. I love reading books that do not follow a traditional format.

Ivy: What was your favorite scene in the book?

Heather: My favorite scene was near the end when Antonio goes to talk to Natasha one last time. He tells her that he loves her and he is letting her go. I love the part when she tells him that she loves him as well but he must leave. I cried so hard when Antonio tears up all her love letters at the end so he can let her go. The book is breathtaking.

Ivy: What was your least favorite part?

Chris: There was not one part that I did not like.

Ivy: Did your feelings stay the same for the characters from beginning to end?

Courtney: My feelings changed. I started off hating Antonio [but] by the end of the book I found myself hating Natasha.

Ivy: Were you skeptical at first when I recommended that we read this book as a group?

Heather: Yes. I usually do not like to read books that are not told in a traditional narrative style. I also did not want to read a book that was set in a jail environment but it was not at all what I expected. I was pulled in from the beginning to the end. I found myself wanting more and more. I have become an instant fan of this writer and her books.

Ivy: What did you gain from reading this book?

Chris: I learned that it does not matter where you come from. Nothing can stop you from achieving dreams if you put your mind to it. I was moved by Natasha’s story and how her life changes. I was inspired how one thing kept leading to another in her life.

Ivy: Did you cry because the book was happy or because it made you sad?

Courtney: Both. I found the book to be inspiring but also really sad.

Ivy: What was it about Antonio’s character that made you like him?

Heather: The person that you find out Antonio is at the end of the book.

I was shocked by the revelation that comes later in the book about Antonio.

Ivy: Do you recommend this book to other teen girls?

Find out Chris’s answer by visiting www.cvweekly.com and clicking on the Meet Ivy Hopper tab.

Chris: Yes! You will be surprised at the twists and turns that are in this book.

Ivy: Who did you identify with more as a character?

Courtney: I loved the grandmother in the book. It was so real to life.

Ivy: Do you think the author ended the book in way that was satisfying to readers?

Heather: The book rung so true to life that it was scary.

Ivy: Why do you think other teen girls and boys should read this book?

Chris: I think this book should be read by everyone. It starts out with Antonio and Natasha in their teens but they become adults in the book. The journey that Antonio and Natasha go on in this book should be read by everyone.

ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

This week I sat down with author Pamela Wells.

Pamela Wells wrote The Heartbreakers and The Crushes.

The Heartbreakers is soon to be a movie called “Rules of Dating for Teenage Girls.” The sequel, The Crushes, just came out in paperback this month.

Four Friends.

Alexia, Raven, Kelly and Sydney have always been there for each other, through breakups and heartaches, good times and bad. But during one summer, their friendship will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Three Boyfriends.

Sydney and Drew are back together, but there’s some trouble in paradise. Raven loves Horace but isn’t sure she’ll be able to remember that. Alexia and Ben are stronger than ever except for that one decision she can’t make.

Forty One Rules.

As Kelly is the only single one in the group, the girls create a list of rules for her, all about how to turn a crush into something more. But soon, all the girls are using the rules and creating problems in their relationships as they develop crushes on guys that are off-limits.

And Kelly starts crushing on the one person she can’t have.

Here is what author Pamela Wells had to say to me:

Ivy: What first got you interested in writing?

Pamela: I became interested in writing when I was in the ninth grade. I had to keep a journal that we had to turn in at the end of the school year. It was there that I discovered that I had a voice and a love for creating characters for people to read about.

Ivy: What kind of impact do you hope your books will have on readers?

Pamela: I hope that my books will empower girls in their lives.

Ivy: Why did you write a sequel to The Heartbreakers?

Pamela: I wanted to write a rules book on how to turn a crush into a boyfriend.

Ivy: How did you come up with the idea for The Heartbreakers?

Pamela: I went through a bad breakup when I was in college. Breakups have always been hard for me. I feel very deeply and as a result of that I tend to get really sad when I’m about to separate from someone. The end just seems so final to me. Since I was studying psychology, I knew that crying and begging a guy back that didn’t want you anymore was emotional suicide. My friends were sick of hearing about my breakup so I decided to write a story about what I was feeling and going through.

I created the breakup code. I followed my own breakup code to help me get over my Ex.

I figured there must be other girls going through what I was going through so I decided to write a book about surviving a breakup while empowering yourself as you get over it.

Ivy: Do you research your settings and characters?

Pamela: Yes. I came up with Birch Falls, Connecticut because I love the east coast.

Ivy: Are your characters based on people you know or have known in real life?

Pamela: Yes. All the characters are fictional. I use a few traits of someone from real life.

I had a friend in high school that loved this guy and the ground that he walked upon.

He liked her, but she loved him.

I was a good friend of this guy and a good friend of this girl. She would have me get on the phone with the two of them so that they could just talk so I got to see how much she liked him but his feelings were not as strong for her.

I created Kelly as a girl that was into a guy that wasn’t really that into her.

I based Sydney and Kelly off of me with my friend.

Off page, prior to the book opening, Sydney uses Kelly to get Drew to notice her. My friend did this with a good friend of mine in high school. She used me to get close to my friend because she had a crush on him.

I take situations from my life and exaggerate them to fit into a fictional novel that I hope my readers will enjoy.

Ivy: Why did you decide to use many narrators to tell your story?

Pamela: I wanted to create a book about four different girls but I also wanted these four girls to be going through the same thing. I wanted to show that even though the girls are different the pain is the same when you break up with someone.

I created four different girls so that the reader could find themselves in at least one of them. Sydney, Kelly, Raven and Alexia are all extensions of me. I have been each of those girls at different times in my life and with different boys. It was important to me that my reader be able to identify with at least one of these girls and one of their story lines, so I figured out of four girls, the reader would root for at least one of them.

Ivy: What is next for you?

Pamela: I am writing the third book in the series called THE FRIENDS.

Ivy: Is The Heartbreakers of The Crushes your favorite book?

Pamela: The Crushes is my favorite because the girls are getting the crushes they want.

ivyhopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.
Hey, girls! I want you to go see a play called “Baby It’s You!” It is playing at Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. It ends Dec. 13 and tickets are $67-$74. (626) 356-7529. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.
It is the new musical about the ground breaking girl group, The Shirelles and Florence Greenberg, the New Jersey housewife who discovered them. With the help of African-American songwriter, producer Luther Dixon, Florence took on a male dominated industry and revolutionized pop music. Her company, Scepter Records, created the most important songs in the golden era of rock ‘n roll, from artists including
The Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, Chuck Jackson and Dionne Warwick. I sat down with actor Allan Louis who plays Luther Dixon in the play.

Here is what Allan Louis had to say to me:
Ivy: How familiar were you with songwriter Luther Dixon’s work before this play?
Allan: I knew nothing about Luther Dixon.

Ivy: What are the plans for “Baby It’s You?
Allan: We will probably move one more time and then head off to New York
in 2010.

Ivy: What was the best advice you got on playing Luther Dixon?
Allan: He smiled when he was angry.

Ivy: What is your favorite musical?
Allan: “Ragtime.” I had the opportunity to be in the American premiere.

Ivy: Why did you start acting?
Allan: Because from the word “Go,” there was nothing else I wanted to do with
my life.

Ivy: Where did you grow up?
Allan: I was born in Haiti. I moved to Miami where I grew up.

Ivy: Do you have a dream role?
Allan: I have two dream roles: One is the demon barber in Sweeney Todd. I would also like to star in a contemporary version of “Guess Who’s Coming To
Dinner.”

Ivy: Who is your favorite actor?
Allan: Sidney Poitier.

Ivy: What is your favorite song in this play?
Allan: My favorite song is Dark End of The Street.

Ivy: What do you hope people will leave “Baby It’s You!” with?
Allan: A sense of hope that we can get through adversity if we work together.

ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth.

This week I sat down with author Ashley Rhodes Courter who wrote Three Little Words.

Here is what Ashley Rhodes-Courter had to say to me:

Ivy: Where did the idea come from to write Three Little Words?

Ashley: When I was in high school, I was an essay contest junkie! I was applying for every college scholarship, sweepstakes, or writing opportunity I could get my hands on. I wrote an essay called Three Little Words (which was about my adoption day) and submitted it for the New York Times Magazine Essay Contest for high school students. And I happened to win first place! After that, publishers actually contacted me, interested in hearing my full story. This was the first time that I had the idea to write a book and I saw that I could really help a lot of people through my experiences.

Ivy: How long did it take you to write this?

Ashley: I started the book when I was about 17, though I had been researching my life years before that. The book came out in 2008 right after I graduated from Eckerd College. So the book took me five-plus years to finish.

Ivy: How much of this is your real life?

Ashley: Everything I wrote in my book is totally true and I have documentation to back up every story, be it a police record, personal interview with the character in a scene, or information found from my foster care case file. This was something that was especially important to me because my entire life people called me a liar. No one believed my abuse allegations as a kid, and I didn’t want to relive that kind of rejection. Also, there have been a lot of other shocking memoirs that have been ripped to shreds for being untrue. I wasn’t about to have one of those! I did not need to lie about any aspect of my life. Sometimes reality is more surreal than fiction anyway.

Ivy: What did it feel like the day you got the call from your agent saying a publisher wanted to publish your book?

Ashley: I thought it was a joke or something! Ha-ha. I was so excited, but I was also nervous about letting my publisher or readers down. Luckily, I had a lot of help and encouragement along the way and so many people really helped keep me focused, sane, and productive.

Ivy: How is it working with your editor?

Ashley: My experience with Simon and Schuster was INCREDIBLE! My editor was a brilliant young woman named Kiley and we are still friendly to this day. What really amazed me about S&S is that both my editor and publicist at the time were only a few years older than me, but they were so accomplished! The whole team I worked with at S&S was so helpful and inspirational at the same time. I know that I am so blessed to have had such a flawless, warm, and welcoming experience with them.

Ivy: Is this your first book?

Ashley: I am only 23 so, yes, this is my first book. I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not some kind of gifted child prodigy or something. This book took a lot of tears and sweat. But at the same time, that should be encouraging to your readers because if I can do it, they can too!

Ivy: Is there a sequel?

Ashley: At the moment I am keeping busy traveling around the country as a speaker and national child welfare advocate so I have yet to buckle down and start another book. However, I think I’ve still got some creative juices in me, so keep a look out!

Ivy: How did you feel when you saw your book in stores for the first time?

Ashley: When the book came out, my best friend Jessica and I shamelessly went to our local Barnes and Noble store and hunted my book down. It was on display right in the front of the store and I totally took a picture! I felt like a total dweeb snapping photos in the bookstore, but it was so cool! Then Jessie tried to embarrass me by shouting, “Oh my goodness, are you Ashley Rhodes-Courter, the Author of this book?” Of course everyone looked and I was completely embarrassed as I rushed out of the store as quickly as possible.

Ivy: Does your family treat you differently now that you are an author?

Ashley: You know the saying, You’re never appreciated in your own back yard.. Yeah ha-ha. I think my friends and family are proud of me, but they certainly don’t treat me any differently. Actually, my work doesn’t even faze most of them. Initially I was a little frustrated because I was working so hard and doing all these cool things and the people closest to me didn’t seem to notice or care. Then, one friend sat me down and said, Ash, we’ve just come to expect great things from you so when you do something incredible we just kinda say, Oh, there’s Ashley being awesome again It was really nice to hear that perspective. That’s kind of a good lesson for all people. You’re always being noticed, even if no one vocalizes it.

Ivy: What age were you hoping would read this book?

Ashley: I was hoping my book could be one of those renegade crossover books like the Harry Potter series. I wanted both young and seasoned adults to be inspired by my story and work.

Ivy: What is your writing process?

Ashley: Think, have a snack, think, doodle, have a snack, take notes that don’t make sense, have a snack, take more notes And eventually those notes become situations or scenes, then those scenes become paragraphs, then those paragraphs become short stories, then those short stories become chapters, and BOOMA book! Well, that’s sort of how it happens. Every writer is different. I asked for a lot of help in turning my little stories into something that flowed together as a cohesive project. No matter how humbling it may seem, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.

Ivy: What is next for you as an author?

Ashley: Well. Three Little Words is being made into a major motion picture! Yippee! So hopefully I will have a chance to work on that a little

Ivy: How old were you when you started writing?

Ashley: I started writing when I was really little. I can remember writing songs and poems, and it was just a really therapeutic way for me to express myself. Because I moved so much, I did not get to keep a lot of my old diary’s or journals. But it is an incredible outlet that I encourage all people to take advantage of. I have a ton of old letters that my friends and I used to write each other in middle school and high school and it is absolutely hilarious to go back and read them now.

Ivy: What is your website address?

Ashley: I can be reached at www.rhodes-courter.com

Ivy: Anything else that you want to comment on?

Ashley: I hope that people realize that it doesn’t matter what background you have, or what hand you were dealt in life. My story shows that you can succeed if you really work for it! In fact, I learned that once I was able to start talking about my abuse and some of the things that were embarrassing to me, so many more doors opened. You are so much more capable and equipped for life because of the experiences you’ve had. So use your experiences to better yourself, and the world around you!

ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper is a teen columnist who talks with authors and fans of books that are currently being read by today’s youth. This week she talks with vibes writer Amy Kathleen Ryan.

Here’s an excerpt from vibes:

“It isn’t easy being able to read minds – guys’ minds, especially. Gusty Peterson, the hottest boy in school, is always thinking I’m sick, as in totally gross to look at. Not that it matters, since I don’t have a crush on him or anything. And Mallory, my first real friend since forever, has disturbing, romantic ideas about me bouncing in his brain.

“Even worse, scrawny Jacob has bizarre fantasies about decorating my ginormous gazungas with mascarpone cheese. Ask me if I’d rather not know these things.

I’d probably be a lot better off if I weren’t psychic after all…”

Ivy: Where did the idea come from to write vibes?

Amy: Hmm. I was reading the Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and he uses telepathy in such an interesting way in that book. Being psychic hardly helps the Martians out. In fact, it makes their lives and relationships much more complicated. Then I read Jane Austen’s Emma, which is about a teenage girl who thinks she knows everything. I thought, “What about a psychic teenage girl who thinks she knows everything.” vibes came out of that.

Ivy: How long did it take you to write this?

Amy: I wrote vibes pretty quickly, actually, in about four months. It poured out of me. That was a great experience.

Ivy: Who was your favorite character to write about?

Amy: I love Kristi and how snarky she is. She says the things I would never say. When you don’t worry about being nice, you can be a lot wittier, I’ve found. It was kind of freeing to write about someone who lets herself be mean. But that also left plenty of room for Kristi to grow into a better person, which ultimately makes her a happier person.

Ivy: How did you come up with the characters in the book?

Amy: I’m not sure there’s a writer on earth who can answer this question. Characters seem to materialize out of thin air as I’m writing them. Only after I’ve finished the book can I look back on it and see snippets of people I know in my characters. It takes a lot of distance for me to have that kind of perspective on them.

Ivy: How much of this is your real life?

Amy: I don’t have much in common with Kristi, though I used to sew my own clothes like Kristi does. What I use in my writing really are my emotions, and my ability to imagine deeply what it would be like to be in someone else’s skin. I’m not so good at doing this with real people, ironically. But I can do it with the characters I create.

Ivy: What did it feel like the day you got the call from your agent saying a publisher wanted to publish your book?

Amy: It felt wonderful. I went to a designer boutique and bought two new pairs of shoes, then my husband and I went out for a very fancy dinner at a French restaurant.

Ivy: Did you sell on just chapters and outline?

Amy: No, I sent the whole manuscript. I prefer to have only one cook in the kitchen. Sending in partials gives editors too many opportunities to direct where the story should go, and this doesn’t help my creative process at all. I’m pretty sure my editor would prefer to see entire manuscripts too, so she doesn’t have to make any guesses about where the story is going.

Ivy: How is it working with your editor?

Amy: My editor is awesome, and I’m not just saying that because she’s kind of my boss. She’s really a great person and a great reader. She helps me make my books better.

Ivy: Is your editor nurturing?

Amy: Nurturing? That word is too motherly. She’s just wise, and knows when to push me and when to leave me be.

Ivy: Is this your first book?
Amy: Vibes is my second novel. My first was called Shadow Falls, which came out in 2005 from Delacort Press.

Ivy: Is there a sequel?
Amy: Not right now. But you never know.

Ivy: How did you feel when you saw your book in stores for the first time?
Amy: I felt wonderful. It’s kind of a surreal experience to see my name on a real live book. It’s funny, though, how much about life doesn’t change. I’m not famous, no one recognizes me on the street, and I’m certainly not rich. Mostly being published changed me on the inside, gave me more confidence, and more of a feeling that I am on the right path for me.

Ivy: Does your family treat you differently now that you are an author?
Amy: Nope, and I wouldn’t want them to. Though I think they are all proud of me.

Ivy: What age were you hoping would read this book?
Amy: My goal is always to write a book anyone of any age would want to read.

Ivy: What is your writing process?
Amy: I sit down every day and try to write out five pages. That takes me a few hours. I usually can finish a manuscript in six months, but revision takes much longer.

Ivy: What is next for you as an author?
Amy: My next book is Zen and Xander Undone, which will be released in May 2010. It’s about two sisters who are very different. One is a slutty scientific genius, and the other is a ‘good girl’ with a black belt in karate.  They go on a journey to solve a mystery about their deceased mother.

Ivy: How old were you when you started writing?
Amy:  I started writing stories for fun almost as soon as I could read well. I did this on and off all through childhood and adulthood until I finally got serious enough to be a real writer.

Ivy: What do you want readers to leave VIBES with?
Amy: I want them to understand that their perceptions of other people can sometimes be wildly inaccurate, and that they should try not to make assumptions about other people. Life is much more fun that way.

Ivy: What is your website address?
Amy: www.amykathleenryan.com

Ivy: Anything else that you want to comment on?
Amy: No, except to say thank you for the interview and to keep reading!