As the release date for Pieces of Why approaches, I’m often asked about the inspiration for this book. I’ll be honest, there’s never just one source of inspiration for a novel. The creative process is always an amalgamation. A crashing together of disparate life events, images, sounds, places, subjects I’m fascinated with, futures I’m afraid to confront…

In the case of Pieces of Why, there were three primary sources of inspiration, all of which had something in common: gun related violence. It might seem strange to think that the driving forces behind a book for children – especially young children – would be so harsh. How and why does one attempt to translate the toughest realities of our world to children?

The answer to “how”, for me, is to offer as much hope as hardship, and as much beauty as brutal honesty. What else can we offer our children in the face of violence, other than the same comforts we offer ourselves? The hope that in the end, goodness will outweigh injustice. The desire to change our world for the better, and the belief that change is possible.

One of the most powerful functions of fiction is to allow us to imagine the futures we want and those that we don’t want, and to empower our society to make decisions accordingly. To deny the existence of casinoluck gun related violence to kids who live with the aftermath does nothing, but to teach them that they can overcome this legacy and perhaps create a different future offers hope that another path is possible.

To those who might question the need for children’s books that deal with gun related violence, I would say this: If we’re not prepared to protect our children with laws to keep them safe, then we must be prepared to empower them with tools to cope with violence.

In the wake of the shooting of the two journalists this week, Moms Demand Action released this statement: “It is not normal for people to be shot and killed while doing their job, or studying in class, or praying in church, or watching a movie. It is time for our leaders to act to protect Americans and do more to keep guns and 300 blackout ammo out of dangerous hands. We deserve better.”

This is my belief as well, and I want young readers to know that what’s happening in America right now in terms of gun related violence isn’t normal. It isn’t right. And it isn’t inevitable. This is a hard subject to acknowledge. The temptation to remain silent in the name of shielding our kids is a strong one. But in a world where almost every public place has a big screen television, and children are plugged into the media at younger and younger ages, the choice to remain silent is not always ours. And with nearly 12,000 Americans killed with guns every year, a rate 20 times higher than other developed countries (Everytown for Gun Safety), the circle of connection is narrowing.

Gun related violence is wide spread, often random, and pervasive. We KNOW this. We see the news reports. We read the statistics. But we often fail to acknowledge that the ripple effects spread far wider than we’d like. It isn’t just the people in the direct line of fire who are affected. It’s every one of us. And it isn’t enough to hold our breath and thank God that it wasn’t our child, our loved one, our family member (at least not this time). We must acknowledge that every instance of violence does harm to us all – mental, spiritual, and emotional harm.

We must create safe spaces for kids to talk about their fears, to discuss what’s happening in the world around them, and we must provide models of people who may not have all the answers but are doing their utmost to make the world a safer place for the next generation. My wish is this: may these people be, not just fictional characters, but every single person in a child’s life. Every parent, teacher, law maker, neighbor, friend … all of us working as hard as we know how until we’ve changed our world. Their world.

May these people be you and me.

That’s why it means a lot to me to introduce Gae Polisner and to say I’m proud to have written a blurb for her debut YA novel, The Pull of Gravity. Not only do I have a special connection with Gae personally (as you will soon discover) but as soon as I read The Pull of Gravity I knew it was my kind of book. There’s teenage angst, but there’s also plot. There are quirky characters, but they feel completely real. There’s Star Wars and Steinbeck, and… well, it’s a really great story so you should buy it and read it for yourself. You won’t regret it. :-}

I’m so pleased to be able to play a small role in introducing both this book and its talented writer to the world. So without further ado, meet Gae Polisner!

1) So Gae, tell us a little bit about The Pull of Gravity.

Can I first tell your readers how we “met?” That before I ever wrote YA fiction, I read it nightly aloud to my two kids. And we went crazy for The Liberation of Gabriel King and so I posted a review on Amazon and gushed to you about it? That was a lot of years ago, and now here I am answering questions for your blog about my writing, and yet I’m still a little star struck over you. I think you’re utterly amazing, and, what was the question again?

(You are too kind! And this is one of my favorite stories. I wrote a blog a couple weeks ago called Paying it Forward On-line, and this is the perfect story to illustrate my point. Out of all the people who have read Liberation, you were one of the few who took the time to write an Amazon review and the review was so warm and wonderful, and it touched me so much I e-mailed you to say thank you, and we’ve kept in touch ever since!)

Oh yeah, The Pull of Gravity is about two teens, Nick and Jaycee, who, armed only with the wisdom of Yoda and a rare, first-edition copy of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men set out on a whirlwind, secret journey to keep a promise to their dying friend. It’s a character-driven story about first love, friendship and the true nature of family.

2) What did you learn while writing this book?

I learned that I can actually plot. That I can tell a story that builds upon itself, has unexpected twists and turns, that surprises people, and makes (most of them) want to keep reading.

3) Did you like the cover and overall book design?

I do. My cover is a long shaggy story. If you asked me what I originally wanted, I would have told you something iconic, NOT with a portrayal of the characters, because I tend not to like covers that show you as a reader what the characters should look like.

(I totally agree!)

Then, they gave me an iconic cover on my ARC, and I wept. Truly wept. But not in a good way. It was just so bland and unmemorable and felt like it said nothing about my book. I begged for another and they gave me something I LOVED (now I wept in the good way) and then they decided it wasn’t right and took it away again. Then this third cover came. It had a portrayal of the characters on it. But I still loved it anyway. Loved it enough. If the “Nick” character on it isn’t exactly right (to me), the Jaycee character is. And more importantly, it just sets the right mood. It feels angsty and poignant and “of a moment” that is about to waffle and change. And it looks like a movie poster. So, yeah.

The Pull of Gravity

4) What has your post publication journey been like?

Harder than I thought, but also hugely exciting and rewarding. As anyone in the business knows, the book world is going through drastic changes. It’s a hard time for bookstores and publishers and agents right now, and, unless you’re one of their big titles, the publishers aren’t doing much for us anymore as far as marketing goes. So I’ve spent a ton of time trying to get the word of my little book out there. More time and effort and money of my own than I could have imagined. And, I’m still working to secure my next deal.

But there have been some amazing moments. Doing readings with other authors I’ve respected and admired is nothing short of surreal. I mean, I sat on a panel moderated by David Levithan (!!!) a few weeks ago, and read with some established and up-and-coming authors whose writing just blows me away. And getting notes from teens or bloggers or librarians who have read the book and connected with it is a pure, unadulterated thrill, especially teenage boys who say they normally don’t like to read. Yep, that stuff is really, really good. Oh, and a high school in Michigan has actually adopted my book into the curriculum to teach along with Of Mice and Men this fall. I’ll be taught with Steinbeck. I mean, come on! That is a really cool thing.

5) Tell us about a few of your favorite things — aside from writing.

Well, of course there are my kids. I have two great boys, and my younger one is a sports nut, so I spend a ton of time watching him play basketball or baseball, both on travel teams. When I’m not doing that, or writing or working my paid job (as a divorce mediator), I’m swimming. From May – October, I swim with an open water group, pretty much daily, in the Long Island Sound. It’s utter bliss for me. In the off season, I’m relegated to a pool. But, that’s okay. I need the water. I thrive in it. It’s where my stories come.

6) What are you working on now?

I’m working on revisions for what will hopefully be my next book, tentatively titled Frankie Sky. I just signed with a new agent, and he’s excited about it, and I’m excited about him, so we’ll see what happens there. I also have a few other manuscripts – some YA, some women’s fiction – that I’d really like to get back to.

7) What kind of writing advice do you offer those aspiring to be published?

If you want it, don’t quit trying. And don’t stop absorbing constructive criticism to use to hone your craft. Put yourself out there over and over again. And don’t forget that writing is subjective, so there’s some luck (or alchemy) involved. You need to get your writing to the right reader (agent or editor), the one that connects with your voice and your story. The more you put yourself out there, the more the luck has a chance to find you.

8) How can people find out more about you and your books?

They can go to my website www.gaepolisner.com or www.thepullofgravity.com. There are links to my blogs there (I maintain both a YA blog, That Wee Bit Heap, and a general (not always YA-appropriate) blog, Trying to Stay Afloat in a Sea of Words, which you can get to through my women’s fiction page. There’s also a link to a kickass Teachers Guide for The Pull of Gravity there (linked via my YA page). Or they can follow me at twitter under gaepol or “like” my facebook author page, here: https://www.facebook.com/gaepolisnerauthor.

Yay! That’s just what an author wants to hear. So to celebrate I went out to Dunkin Donuts and got the Berries and Creme donut I’ve been craving ever since I saw the over-sized poster hanging in their window. What can I say? I’m a sucker for advertising.

As for the article, I’d been waiting eagerly to see it. I knew it was coming for weeks. In fact, I even had to do a photo shoot. The crazy thing is, I’m four months pregnant. Definitely showing. And that donut? Let’s just say it’s not the first one I’ve eaten in the past four months. In all my time as an author, dating back to 2003, this is the only time I’ve had a professional photo shoot. My first thought was, “Now?”. My second thought was, “Why not use a head shot?” That’s what I normally do for publicity. I supply one of my stock photos. Easy. Except School Library Journal works this particular feature in the same way the New York Times does – they put a full body shot in the center and wrap the text around it. Thus, I could not weezle my way out of getting a brand new photo taken.

Now, if you’ve ever been pregnant you know that the middle months are awkward. You’re showing enough to look fat but not enough that people can feel entirely confident asking, “When’s the baby due?” I discussed this with the SLJ art director and we decided it had to go one way or the other. Either I needed to look entirely pregnant or I needed to look NOT pregnant. The important thing was not to leave readers guessing. So, we went with the non pregnant look.

The other key element of the photo shoot was that the picture needed to subtly tie in to the book. Since King of the Screwups has a lot to do with guy’s fashion, we decided I’d wear a men’s shirt, jacket, and tie. Good for hiding a baby bump and good for the book. This sounded simple to me. Wrong. Because I am only 4 foot 11, even the smallest of men’s shirts and jackets made me look like a toddler playing in her father’s closet. So, I enlisted some help and came up with several women’s shirts and jackets, sized up, that looked more gender neutral. And by enlisting help, I mean that I went to the mall and bought several nice jackets I intended to return after the shoot. I know, I know. Bad Kelly! I also borrowed several from friends and family so I’d have choices for the photographer.

Then came the day of the actual shoot. The photographer – a really nice guy – came to my house, which was above and beyond fabulous of him to do. Excpet that I have two cats. He pulled up in his shiny new red car – very sporty looking – and started unloading his equipment. One of my cats, despite being spayed, has a peeing problem. Meaning he pees on stuff to mark his territory. The photographer wasn’t here for more than five minutes before I spotted that cat IN his car. The scene that followed was like one of those slow motion war movie scenes where the person runs for their life after a bomb explodes. “NOOOOO!”

I grabbed the cat so fast its head is probably still spinning. To my knowledge the cat did not actually pee in his car, but truly, would the man have told me? And I couldn’t exactly start sniffing around his entire vehicle to be sure. Now I was frazzled. To make matters worse, I have a second cat. This cat is very grumpy and uncooperative by nature. I mentioned my intention to put the cat outside, but the photographer loves cats, so he insisted the cat should stay. Mistake, I thought. Huge pending mistake. But not wanting to look heartless and seeing the cat asleep in a chair in the corner of the room, I overruled my better judgement.

Then the photographer began setting up his equipment. As he set up he told me stories about working on the NY Times fashion shoot, snapping pictures of J.Lo and Ben Affleck during their romance, run-ins with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Martin in the Hamptons, working with Lindsey Lohan… Feeling small and frumpy, I ran into my bedroom and tore the tags off my soon to be returned items, and began to feel self conscious about the free make-up session I’d had that morning at the mall. I also kept a wary eye on the cat.

There was a lot of equipment to get into place. The main pieces included two tall spindly metal poles which held a roll of white paper between them. The white paper swooshed down across my living room floor making a stage. On either side there were bright lights and umbrellas, just like you see on TV shows. I’d say set-up took about a half hour. At the end of this time, when I was dressed in my white shirt and black jacket, and we were almost ready to start, the cat got up. Not only did the cat get up, but the cat decided to investigate the strange goings-on. And because this is my troublesome cat he managed to wedge himself under the white paper, right between the two spindly metal poles holding the entire set-up in place.

My heart began to pound as I edged towards the cat. I knew that if I couldn’t get hold of him on the first grab, I was done for. The whole carefully arranged deal was about to fall like a deck of cards. I snuck over ever so quietly, and reached down ever so carefully, and… grabbed the cat. By now I was starting to sweat. And because he was unhappy, the cat proceeded to shed all over me.

My access to the outside world was blocked by equipment, and since I was anxious to remove the cat before he started to yowl, I put him in my bedroom – a place he is usually not allowed into. Within ten minutes he’d eaten my husband’s plants and thrown up just inside the door so any time I needed to get into the room to change clothes or fix my hair, I had to step over a huge pile of cat puke.

I am telling you this so you will know just how glamorous and exciting my life really is.

And the rest of the photo shoot? Let’s just say that modeling is a lot harder than it looks. By the time the whole thing was done, I was completely exhausted and I’m convinced the photographer must have felt the same. Even now I worry that my cat may have peed in his car and he was too polite to say anything.

But the end result is a great article and a non-pregnant looking photo, so who can complain?

So, tonight when I had an e-mail in my Inbox with the heading: King of the Screwups: Kirkus Review 3/15/09 it was a cause for fear and trembling. As I’ve previously admitted, I am a coward, so my first thought was to make my husband read it for me and tell me if it was good or bad. Then I thought I just wouldn’t open the e-mail at all. But this was a stupid idea because clearly I was going to have to open it eventually. So finally I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and clicked the link. I opened one eye, scanned to the last line, which can very often tell you whether a review is good or scathing and…

Voila! I couldn’t have been more shocked or excited. There sat a review which, although it is not a starred review, is one of the best reviews I’ve ever received. And the best line is in the middle.

So without further ado, here it is:

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2009

Going, K.L. KING OF THE SCREWUPS

Popular, beautiful slacker Liam spends the majority of his time partying
and chasing girls instead of focusing on his studies. To keep him in
check, his dad kicks him out of the house and ships him off to live with
his gay glam-rocking uncle. Bad hair, tights, bitchy neighbors, reality
checks and fashion shows ensue. Going’s latest flows easily with smooth,
realistic dialogue and reads like a coming-out story for straight guys.
This innovative, out-of-the-box approach juxtaposes stereotypes,
received values, parental roles and masculinity in a jarringly fun and
approachable manner that marks a triumphant left-turn for the genre.
Cloaked as a story of tough love, this is actually a psychological
exploration of the impact of parental expectations versus the dreams of
their children. Nothing earned comes easy, however, and Liam finds that
he does need to switch some of the gears inside his head, but he’s not
as big of a screw-up as his parents make him out to be. Moreover,
trouble does follow him wherever he goes, but avoiding it is easier when
you’ve got the right kind of support. (Fiction. YA)

Join the Author Clara Gillow Clark and the Wayne County Arts Alliance for
the first in a series of dynamic writing workshops. Learn about key
elements of writing great scenes and creating memorable characters.

Date: February 28, 2009 (inclement weather date March 7, 2009)

Time: 1:00-3:30pm

Place: Wayne County Community Center (next to the Wayne County Chamber of
Commerce in Honesdale)

Donation: $30.00 for WCAA members, $45.00 for non-members.

Part One:

What makes a great character? Through lecture, discussion and example, the
author will show how to create great characters. Participants will create
two characters sketches for sharing and discussion.

Part Two:

What is a scene? How does it work? What isn’t a scene, and why? In a hands
on workshop, Author Clara Gillow Clark will show the magic of creating a
good scene. Scenes from literature will be used as examples. Participants
will write a scene fro sharing and discussion.

Clara Gillow Clark has agreed to edit up to 10 pages of a current work for a
special workshop rate of only $30.00. Please bring your submission to the
workshop, along with a synopsis for chapter books. Manuscripts should be
double-spaced and in 12 point type and include a stamped, self addressed
envelope big enough for the manuscripts return.

Book early. Workshop space is limited and bound to fill up fast!

If you have any questions, you can contact Jeanne Arnold at jeanne@nep.net or call WCAA at 570-253-6850.

Second, for anyone who didn’t see it, this interview with me came out in Publisher’s Weekly’s Bookshelf:  http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6636887.html?nid=2788

Hope you’ll check it out!

But given this level of pre-publication jitters, you can imagine how wonderful it feels to receive a starred review. I have been lucky enough to experience this fabulous surprise with quite a few of my books, and trust me, it is a complete and utter surprise every time it happens. You see, what people don’t realize is just how much like Troy (the main character in Fat Kid Rules the World) I am. Except, in books the main character reaches a definitive changing point, whereas in life, we generally muddle along making only incremental changes, experiencing set backs, trying again… life pushes our buttons, and my insecurity buttons are HUGE. They are way bigger than I want anyone else to know.

But sometimes I admit them, and today as I post this starred review of my newest teen novel, King of the Screw Ups, I will admit publically that I have whined and moaned and said the words, “everyone is going to hate this one, I just know it” way too many times, even though this is the exact phrase I have uttered way too many times before the publication of each and every book with my name on it. I have been shamelessly insecure, but now I will shamelessly celebrate the awesomeness of receiving a very cool review.

Here it is (Publisher’s Weekly 2/9/09):

King of the Screwups K.L. Going. Harcourt, $17 (320p) ISBN
978-0-15-206258-3

Liam Geller’s mother is a retired supermodel, his father a high-powered
CEO. Liam, 17, is a world-class ne’er-do-well. He breaks the camel’s
back when he’s caught in flagrante delicto with a girl on his father’s
office desk and gets kicked out of the house. Liam’s softhearted mother
arranges for him to move in with her husband’s estranged brother, Pete,
a cross-dressing deejay who lives “in a broken-down trailer park in the
middle of nowhere,” per Liam’s father. To regain his father’s approval,
Liam tries to lose his “Mr. Popularity” rep and reinvent himself as
studious and nerdy (he even joins the audio-visual club), but he can’t
hide his charm. Darleen, a hostile classmate Liam tries to befriend,
sees right through him. “You’ll do what you do, which, if I’m guessing
correctly, is to be wildly and naturally popular.” Going’s latest (after
The Garden of Eve) is full of comic moments featuring “Aunt” Pete’s
glam-rock band buddies and Liam’s relentless blunders, as well as his
uncommon fashion expertise (“You’re like a fashion Einstein,” gushes one
of Pete’s friends). Readers-screwups or not-will empathize as Liam,
utterly likable despite his faults, learns to be himself. Ages 12-up.
(Apr.)

There is so much in this story that is absolutely fascinating and appalling all at once. First, there is the fact that this is not by any means the first memoir to have been faked and then outed. We all heard about the Oprah to-do with James Frey’s book. And there was at least one other high profile case after that one… It leads me to wonder what in the world is happening in our society that this has become a trend. What does it say about us? Is the driving force greed because memoirs sell better than fiction, or is there something deeper? Some sort of national self-esteem problem? Total greed? Have memoirs in other countries been turning out to be fakes or is this unique to the United States?

Then there’s the racial dynamics which are so appalling I can barely stand to write this. The fact that a white woman would claim connections to both Native American heritage and a uniquely black family experience seems like a horrible exploitation of two groups of people that whites have traditionally oppressed. The fact that she stood to make a lot of money off of this makes it even worse. She claims to have done it out of altruism, to give voice to people who could not articulate for themselves, but that’s just downright insulting. Does she know how many talented authors there are of every race and every level of wealth who fight for the very limited spots on a publisher’s list? Obviously not. Instead, she employed a horrible racist world view that allowed her to assume not a single person from the environment she writes about would be smart and articulate enough to write their own story, therefore she would have to do it for them. As a favor. I wonder how many of them are thanking her.

Someone please buy that woman any of the many books written by people who have overcome great adversity to share their stories in prose that is uniquely their own.

Lastly, there is a sensational element to this story that makes you absolutely want to know more about what was happening behind the scenes. The fact that her own sister turned her in conjures up images of family drama that probably would be worthy of a memoir. In fact, it’s so fascinating I think I will write a book about it. And then maybe I will say that it is my story, not hers. I will be doing her a favor because now that she’s discredited she won’t be able to write her own memoir. I’ll tell everything from my point of view and I’m sure she’ll be very grateful.

I wish I truly knew what was going on in this woman’s mind. I feel so terrible for her editor who is also getting trashed in the media, but having worked with an editor myself, I can’t say I think this is fair. It’s such a personal relationship, and the editor would have had no reason to assume that this woman was lying. As far as I know, my editor has never done an identity check on me, just to be sure I am who I say I am. We all make certain assumptions when dealing with others, and one of the most basic ones is that they’re telling us the truth. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for the state of memoirs in this country, editors probably won’t make these assumptions much longer.

Children’s appetites can change from day to day. These changes are usually nothing to worry about.

Sometimes your child might want to eat a lot. That’s fine. Just make sure that you fill up your child with healthy food.

Other times your child might not want to eat as much. That’s OK too. If your child doesn’t want to eat, they’ll probably make up for it at the next meal or even the next day. It’s best not to force things or offer other foods as rewards, because this teaches children not to listen to their appetites. Learn more from this alpine ice hack.

As a parent you give your child healthy food and opportunities to eat it. It’s up to your child to decide how much to eat – or whether to eat at all. If your child is growing and developing well, they’re probably getting enough to eat.

The most powerful way to send healthy food messages to your children is by letting them see you make healthy eating choices every day. Children tend to do what they see you doing.

‘Tummy talk’ and healthy eating

Understanding the way your child’s tummy ‘talks’ to their brain can help you deal with worries about your child undereating or overeating.

For example, your child’s brain realises their tummy is full only about 20 minutes after the food hits their tummy. Also, your child’s hunger is partly determined by how physically active they’ve been and whether they need to ‘catch up’ if they haven’t eaten a lot over the last couple of days.

Offering meals and snacks at regular times encourages a better appetite at mealtimes. Regular meals and snacks can be part of a healthy eating routine. Check these alpilean reviews.

Overeating

If you’re concerned that your child has a tendency to overeat, here are some things to try:

• Offer a slightly smaller portion of food. If your child finishes it, you can offer a small second helping. This gives your child’s brain and tummy a chance to catch up.
• If your child doesn’t eat part of the meal – for example, the vegies – this is your child’s choice. It isn’t a good idea to offer extra serves of other food – for example, meat – to make up for missing vegies.
• Serve your child’s food on a smaller plate. This way your child gets the right-sized portion but still gets a ‘full plate’ of food.
• Avoid distractions like TV or toys during mealtimes. This will help your child focus on their appetite.

Undereating

If you feel your child doesn’t eat enough at mealtimes or doesn’t have an appetite, you could try the following strategies:

• Offer food around the same times each day. If children eat at regular mealtimes, they’re more likely to be hungry at that time of day.
• Encourage your child to eat more at mealtimes by making sure you serve small amounts at snack times. One small snack between regular mealtimes is usually plenty as an energy top-up, unless your child has been very active. If your child has too many snacks or the snacks are too big, your child can feel too full before a main meal.
• Avoid offering your child an alternative if they don’t eat a meal. Your child might just have a small appetite at the moment. Read more about alpilean.

If you’re worried about your child’s growth or eating habits, make an appointment to see a GP, paediatrician or dietitian.

Healthy eating and food messages for your child

Healthy eating habits start at home.

Giving your child healthy nutritious foods is important for their growth and development. It also helps to surround your child with messages about healthy eating habits and food. This can help your child make healthy food choices.

Here are some ideas:

• Try to have a bowl full of fresh fruit within easy view and reach on the kitchen table or bench. You can offer fruit as a snack or if your child is still hungry after meals.
• Stock your pantry and fridge with plenty of healthy, nutritious options, and leave the sometimes food on the supermarket shelves.
• Try to choose fruit and vegetables of different colours, textures and tastes. The more variety there is, the more likely it is your child will find something that they’re interested in eating.
• Get your child involved in planning and preparing meals. If your child has helped to make the meal, they’re more likely to eat it. Check out these male enhancement pills.
• Enjoy healthy meals together as a family as often as possible. Also look for opportunities to eat together at breakfast and on weekends.
• Turn the TV off while eating. This way your child is paying attention to eating and the fresh healthy food choices you offer.
• Read books that have healthy food messages for your child – for example, books with pictures of fruits and vegetables. Get your child to point out different types, colours, shapes and so on.

Weight loss Supplements for obese teens should be approached with care and under the guidance of healthcare professionals, such as a pediatrician or a registered dietitian. Here are some general recommendations that can help obese teens adopt healthier habits: