KL’s Anthology Contributions

No Such Thing as the Real World:
Stories about Growing Up and Getting a Life
HarperCollins, 2009
Edited by Jill Santopolo
Includes KL’s story Survival
NOOK Book
Kindle Edition

Reviews
"As editor Jill Santopolo notes, the six stories written for this title are about characters who “are thrown into the ‘real world,’ find out it’s not exactly what they imagined it would be, and struggle to find themselves.” Written by some of contemporary young adult literature’s most respected authors, the stories share, for the most part, an appropriately serious tone…Throughout, characters’ realizations are complex and sobering, providing plenty of fodder for reader reflection."—Children’s Literature

"Six contemporary YA authors showcase their creative talents and good writing…This unique collection will challenge students’ intellect and have them questioning their own decision-making skills. A fine balance is straddled between sophisticated prose and authentic teen voices, uninhibited and peppered with profanity."—School Library Journal

"Six top-notch young adult authors write original stories for this varied, multilayered collection in which all share a moment of truth, when a teen crosses over from childhood into adulthood…this remarkable collection will provide readers a compelling introduction to some of the most talented YA writers."—VOYA

Full House: 10 Stories About Poker
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007
Edited by Pete Hautman
Includes KL’s story Poker for the Complete Idiot
Behind the book 

The funny thing is, I don’t really know how to play poker. How does someone who doesn’t play poker manage to get a story included in a poker anthology? Good question.

Research is one of my favorite parts of being a writer. You get to learn new things all the time. I think for many adults, learning can get put on the back burner once you’re out of school, but for me, it’s part of my job so I’m constantly researching every topic under the sun. Sometimes it’s how to play drums. Other times it’s world cultures, or poetry, the effects of methamphetamine, or apple orchards. Once I remember asking someone very obscure questions about talking parrots, but darned if I can remember why.

Poker was a fun thing to research. This is how it happened: you see, Pete Hautman asked if I’d like to be included in his upcoming anthology and I really didn’t want to say no. I mean, it’s Pete Hautman! I love his writing. So I started to think that there must be some way to use my ignorance to my advantage. “What if…” I wondered, “I were to write a story about someone who gets caught in a poker game but doesn’t really know how to play?”

Armed with this one idea, I said yes to writing a story, confident that I could pull off the poker scenes because the character would NEED to mess up. All mistakes would be justified, right? HA. Wrong.

In order to write a convincing poker scene, even if your character is making mistakes, you still need to be able to show what’s happening in the game. In fact, in many ways it was probably more difficult trying to write those scenes because I not only needed to know the RIGHT way of doing things, but I also needed to know how mistakes would be perceived.

Thus, my poker lessons began. They started off at a rest area half way between Maine and New York, then continued through numerous how-to books, endless episodes of the World Series of Poker, and finally through editing where Pete would make gentle suggestions like, “Perhaps there should be a buy-in.” he he.

But you know what? In the end, I’m happy with my story, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be included in the anthology. I learned something new, and even though I still would not call myself a poker player, I could probably hold my own in a round or two.

Guess that means it’s time to research something new. Mud bathing, anyone?

NOOK Book
Kindle Edition

Reviews
"Popular young adult authors, including Alex Flinn, K. L. Going, and Walter Sorrells, contributed to this fast-paced compilation of stories about teenage encounters with poker. The characters find themselves in high-stakes situations: playing with the Devil, competing in a scholarship game, fighting to defeat a deadbeat stepdad, and staying one step ahead of an Internet poker company…The stories vary from the eerily realistic to amusingly far-fetched. In all cases, teen poker players will recognize themselves and their opponents in this diverse collection. "—School Library Journal

"Hautman deals a winning hand with this entertaining collection of short stories about poker…Ten talented authors who play the popular American game explore its many aspects. K. L. Going’s subtle opening tale presents a young man who underestimates both the game of poker and the game of life…The nicely balanced collection, which ranges from the light humor of a girl debating about whether to win a heart or a hand to a cautionary selection about poker’s addictive potential, is a sure bet for teens…"—Booklist

Rush Hour: Face
Delacorte Books, 2005
Edited by Michael Cart
Includes KL’s story Samuel
Buy from Amazon

Reviews
"Cart combines short stories, photographs, nonfiction essays, drawings, poems and one graphic story in this edgy and eclectic third installment of his series of literary journals—this one focused on the ambiguous topic of “face”…Interpretations of the topic include saving face, coming face-to-face with challenges, and being two-faced. Each piece is excellent…"—Kirkus Reviews

"The word “face” has numerous meanings. It could mean the location of the eyes or to confront something fearsome head on. This new anthology, the third edition in the “Rush Hour” series, examines all different aspects of the word. When faced with the word, each of these well-known authors and artists has a different view…Like most anthologies, some of the stories are better than others, but the strength of this anthology is its diversity. No story or piece of art is like another."—Children’s Literature