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

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!

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 Claire Dean, author of Girlwood.

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

Claire: I had been writing adult fiction for years and was getting kind of burned out. Then my daughter, who was 11 at the time, came to me and asked why I’d never written a book for her. And all of a sudden I had a whole new energy and purpose. I wanted to write something totally different for my daughter and other girls, a novel of hope and magic, and the power of girls.

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

Claire: This book was actually one of my quickest. I wrote the rough draft in a little over a month, and was done with all the rewrites in less than six months. Usually that’s not the case at all! Normally, a book takes me anywhere from one to two years, and requires about 30 revisions. I think Girlwood was different because it was such a joy to write.

Ivy: Who was your favorite character to write about?

Claire: I love Polly, the main character, but I feel closest to Baba, her grandmother. I love her! Every time she stepped onto the page, I lit up. She was such an inspiration to me, a woman who didn’t care one whit what anyone thought of her and lived her life exactly the way she wanted to. I love her natural wisdom, knowledge of herbs, crazy, long hair, and serenity with the world.

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

Claire: I began with a plot outline, and worked backwards to come up with interesting characters who would fit the book. With every book, I write out a comprehensive character chart, defining every character’s physical and emotional characteristics. But it’s only after I start writing that I really learn about my characters and start to see them in my mind. Often times, they’ll change as they go along, and I’ll have to go back and “fix” them in earlier chapters. They really do have minds of their own.

Ivy: How much of this is your real life?
Claire: The book began as pure fiction, but as always happens to me, I started acting like some of my characters halfway through.  It’s through GIRLWOOD that I learned about foraging for edible and medicinal plants, and now that’s a huge part of my life.  I’ve always been enamored with nature and the woods, but since writing this book, those feelings have gotten even stronger.  I’m always out in wilderness, hiking or foraging.  I’m also lucky enough to have a rustic cabin in the forest, much like the cabin Polly’s father owns, and that’s my “Girlwood,” my refuge from the real world.

Ivy: What did it feel like the day you got the call from your agent saying a publisher wanted to publish your book?
Claire: It was a really, really great day.  I was actually on vacation, and my agent had to hunt me down.  I was happy for myself, and I was really happy for my daughter.  We all went out to celebrate that evening.  As a writer for the past 20 years, I can tell you that those celebratory days are so rare, it’s important to cherish every second.

Ivy: Did you sell on just chapters and outline?
Claire: When I wrote adult novels, I would sell on just chapters and an outline, but because this was my first young adult novel, I wanted to write the whole book and make sure I got it right.

Ivy: How is it working with your editor?
Claire: My editor is fantastic.  She understood exactly what I was trying to do with this novel, and helped make the story much better.  She pushed me, but that’s what I wanted.  It’s very hard to see your own work clearly, and my editor was very adept at knowing exactly what was wrong, and giving suggestions on how to fix it.

Ivy: Is your editor nurturing?
Claire: Very nurturing.

Ivy: Is this your first book?
Claire: My first young adult novel.  Prior to GIRLWOOD, I published eight adult novels under the name Christy Yorke.  Claire Dean is a pseudonym taken from my children’s names, Claire and Dean.

Ivy: Is there a sequel?
Claire: Not at the moment!

Ivy: How did you feel when you saw your book in stores for the first time?
Claire: Scared, but excited.  It’s always been weird to me to see something I wrote on the shelf.  The great thing about GIRLWOOD is that it has such a beautiful cover.  Aya Kato did the artwork, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.  She captured the magic of the novel beautifully.

Ivy: Does your family treat you differently now that you are an author?
Claire: Heck, no.  They know I’m still the same pajama-wearing, nature-loving semi-hermit I’ve always been.

Ivy: What age were you hoping would read this book?
Claire: I honestly see this as a book for girls of all ages, though it might be most appropriate for girls ages 11 to 18.  I’ve had mothers and daughters read GIRLWOOD together, which is nice since the story covers three generations of strong, wonderful women.

Ivy: What is your writing process?
Claire: I start with a detailed scene outline and character sketches, then sit down every day to write the scenes I’ve drawn out.  I write every morning, and sometimes in the afternoons, if I’m on a roll.  It’s important to keep a routine.  Writing is less about inspiration than it is about perspiration.  I never worry about what I’m writing on a first, second, or even third draft.  I know that most of my books take 30 revisions to get write, so I know I’m going to change it anyway.  It’s important just to get something down.

Ivy: How old were you when you started writing?
Claire: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, starting with poetry in elementary school.  I began my professional writing career as soon as I graduated from college, which unbelievably was 23 years ago!

Ivy: What do you want readers to leave GIRLWOOD with?
Claire: I hope that readers of GIRLWOOD will come away with an appreciation for nature, and perhaps even an increased faith in things they can’t see.  It’s also my hope that girls will read about Polly and her friends, and realize that they each have their own strength and magic and, like the girls of  GIRLWOOD, there is nothing they can’t do.

Ivy: What is your website address?
Claire: www.clairedean.net

Ivy: Anything else that you want to comment on?
Claire: I live in Boise, Idaho with my husband, Robert, and two children.  Robert and I are childhood sweethearts.  We met on a blind date when I was 15 and he was 18, and we’ve been married for 23 years.  We grew up in the Los Angeles area and moved to Boise in 1990.  We built a house in the mountains and lived there for 8 years, only reluctantly coming back to civilization when our kids reached school age.  My daughter (the Claire of Claire Dean) is 14, and my son (the Dean of Claire Dean) is 12.  We love our bright green house and the jungle garden we’ve planted around it, but our favorite place is our VERY rustic cabin–a 1940ss electricity-less log house tucked beneath the pines and between two rivers.

Hey girls! Do you feel like no one understands you?
Do you feel like you have no one to talk to? So do I!
Each week I will be speaking to you in my very own teen column.
I’m looking for teen girls to join Ivy Hopper Book Sorority.
You get a free copy of a Young Adult novel that I feature in the paper.
Email me at ivy.hopper@gmail.com to get more information.

To debut my teen column – I sat down with young adult author Shana Norris who wrote Something To Blog About.

Here is what Shana Norris had to say to me;

Libby Fawcett decides to start a secret blog so that she can have an outlet to vent her feelings and frustrations. When Seth Jacobs (her crush since eighth grade) witnesses her tragic (and comic) run-in with a Bunsen burner in chemistry class, or when she finds out that her mother is dating the father of her arch-nemesis, Angel Rodriguez, she’s able to keep a level head and make it through school each day with each blog posting. But when her entries get posted all over for the whole world to see, will Libby be able to walk the halls—or face Seth—ever again?

Where did the idea come from to write Something to Blog About?

The idea for Something to Blog About was inspired by my own experiences with online journaling. I first created an online journal when I was sixteen, back before it became known as blogging. When I was in college, some classmates of mine discovered my secret online journal. Thankfully, all of the traumatic things that happen to Libby didn’t happen to me so it wasn’t a huge deal that it was found, but just a little embarrassing! But it was that incident and the idea of what if things had turned out differently from being found out that made me write the book.

How long did it take you to write this?

I wrote the very first draft in exactly three weeks. I don’t usually write that fast though! And revisions took A LOT longer than three weeks.

Who was your favorite character to write about?

Libby and Angel together are my favorite characters. They build off of each other and I couldn’t have one without the other. Libby is fun because she is so dramatic about everything, but Angel is also fun because she’s so snarky.

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

I first created most of the characters when I was about fifteen. I was always writing stories as I grew up and when I was in high school…I decided to write a story about a girl who had this close relationship with her young mom and show how the mom and daughter are really growing and learning together. So I created Libby and her single mom. Libby is a very exaggerated version of myself. I’m not nearly as overdramatic as she is – I don’t think. Angel is just a compilation of the girls like her that I’ve encountered throughout my life. The other characters fell into place in the supporting roles built up around Libby and Angel.

How much of this is your real life?

There are pieces that are inspired by my real life, but nothing in the book is actually my real life. I did have an online journal as a teen that was later discovered by classmates, but it wasn’t quite so traumatic. I grew up with young parents, but mine have been married about thirty years so I didn’t grow up with a single mom, although I have always had a close relationship with my mom like Libby does.

Libby’s close friendship with her cousin Roger is also inspired by my own close relationship with one of my cousins. He’s two months older that I am, so we grew up together and graduated high school together. I also had an incident in kindergarten much like Libby describes at the beginning of the book when telling how Angel’s tormenting of her began but thankfully my bully moved away a couple years later so she couldn’t continue to torment like Angel does!

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

It was one of the best days of my life. We had been sending the manuscript out to editors for seven months and I had done a lot of revisions. I was just about to give up hope. I almost couldn’t believe it when my agent called to say we had an offer. I had to get him to repeat it because I wasn’t sure that he had really said what it sounded like he’d said!

Did you sell on just chapters and outline?

We sold on the full manuscript.

How is it working with your editor?

I love working with my editor! She has great ideas and really knows what she’s doing. She’s very enthusiastic about my writing and very supportive. I would love to keep working with her for a long time! We’re currently working on my second book together.

Is your editor nurturing?

She is a little nurturing in that she helps me with ideas, but I also have to know a lot on my own. Which seems to be working great. I love working with her and she has great ideas that blend into my style of writing without changing my tone.

Is this your first book?

It’s my first published, but not the first book I’ve written. I wrote a lot of books before I got published. Most of them will remain hidden away in my closet though because they’re really, really bad!

Is there a sequel?

Right now, there is not a sequel. I would love to write another book about Libby, but at the moment there are no plans for it.

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

I had this huge grin on my face when I saw the book sitting on the shelf for the first time. I couldn’t help reaching out to run my fingers over the cover. It’s just this feeling of Wow! I still get excited whenever I see it in a bookstore.

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

No way! They’re all proud, of course, but I still go to my day job each day, come home and cook dinner, wash the dishes, clean up after my pets, etc. Everything is still pretty much the same old thing as usual, except every now and then someone brings me a copy of my book that a friend of theirs has just bought and wants me to autograph.

What age were you hoping would read this book?

I’m hoping that middle school and high school students will read the book. Especially ages 12 to 16. But I also  hope readers of any age will enjoy it.

What is your writing process?

I don’t use an outline because I like to discover the story as I write it. The story starts with a very vague idea of the general plot and I usually know how I want the book to end. Sometimes I may know who the main character is, but a lot of times I don’t until I start writing the book. I create the characters and subplots and conflicts as I write, which is a lot of fun for me. I like not knowing what’s going to happen next until I type in into my computer. The only problem is, this means my first drafts are very messy because a lot of times I change my mind about events or characters halfway through the story. So I spend a lot of time revising to make sense of things and cleaning up the story.

What is the next for you as an author?

My second book is called Troy High! It just came out in August.
It’s a fun book and I’m really excited about it. The main character is a girl named Cassie, who is a bit sarcastic and has a lot of problems that pull her in different directions and question her loyalties.

How old were you when you started writing?

I wrote my first book when I was eight. It was a picture book The Lonely Rectangle. It wasn’t very good, but did start my love for writing stories.

What do you want readers to leave Something To Blog About With?

I hope readers leave with a good feeling. Things don’t always work out perfectly and you make mistakes and you may never be friends with your bully, but there are good things and relationships in life that matter a lot more than the bad.

Anything else that you want to comment on?

Writing about Libby and her friends was so much fun and I’ve enjoyed hearing from readers about how much they loved the story. It’s very rewarding for a writer to hear from readers that they related to the characters and the situations they go through.

You can find out more about Shana Norris at: www.shananorris.com

Hey Girls! Make sure to check out my blog that will be up really soon.
I also will have my own website that will be coming your way really soon.

Talk to you next week!
I can be reached at ivy.hopper@gmail.com

Ivy Hopper