kami garcia

meeting melissa marr

Q: What can turn two debut authors into stuttering teenagers?
A: Meeting Melissa Marr.

For me, it was like meeting Mick Jagger. (Except Melissa is MUCH younger, cuter & cooler - yeah, I said it- cooler.) She is one of my absolute favorite authors, right up there with Flannery O' Connor & Ray Bradbury. So what's it like to meet an author you completely idolize? Surreal...

This is coming from someone who dragged all of Melissa's books (including WL: Desert Tales) into the Village Idiot, in her purse, and was too shy to pull them out. (Clearly, the Village Idiot was not just the name of the pub.) Would you pull out your concert tees and ask Mick to sign them?

Anyway, the good stuff...

She is as cool as she looks (notice she's wearing purple - some Beautiful Creatures synergy). She is nicer than your best friend, and treats you like you're hers. She has an awesome husband, Loch, who didn't make it into the picture because he was our photographer. She spent most of lunch saying incredibly generous things about our book (as if weren't the ones who were carrying her books around in our bags).

* I want her to move to LA & live next door to us, so we can hang out all the time (and maybe get a little writing advice...)

Contest: Artists & Authors - Win an Original Painting

 
[ Kara Walker's "Cut" ]              

I'm not sure why Malinda Lo's cover reminds me so much of Kara Walker's work, but it does. Walker draws on a long history of classic motifs to create her cut paper silhouettes, but she twists them just so. Walker's compositions are set in the South before the Civil War, and depict the frightening and abusive realities of plantation life for slaves.

Much in the same way Lo recreates the classic story of Cinderella in her novel, Ash. And that slight twist is what makes their work so compelling - and what makes us think. They are also both feminists, activists, and incredibly talented women.


[ a look at one of Kara Walker's installations ]

Is their an an artist whose work reminds you of a novel you love? Tell me who they are & send me a picture of the book cover and artist's work at: kamigarcia@aol.com. I'll choose my favorite and send you a special painting, painted by me.

I will pick the winner next Friday, July 3rd. You can see a sample of some of my work here or click on "My Paintings" on the sidebar.

See the contest entries here.

Authors & Artists Contest Entries

Deltay's (Lucid Conspiracy) Entry:

 

 [ Sakuran II by Jingna Zhang & Peony in Love by Lisa See ]

The umbrella, the flowers, the rustic Oriental feel, the colours... I think they complement each other nicely. - Deltay

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This entry is from I Heart Monster:

 

[ Shadowland by Meg Cabot & "Shrinking Violet" by Suzanne Woolcott ]

I'm a fan of the Mediator Series by Meg Cabot. The first book, Shadowland's cover and this painting by Suzanne Wolcott remind me of each other every time I see them.  - I Heart Monster

    

[ Twilight by Stephenie Meyer & "Dusk" by Suzanne Woolcott ]

Not that I'm a huge fan, but I always think of Twilight when I see this painting of hers. - I Heart Monster

  

[ The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan & "My Tree Is Special" by Suzanne Woolcott ]

And though I haven't read it, this one always reminds me of The Forest of Hands And Teeth. - I Heart Monster

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This entry comes from Michelle:

 

[ Kami Marin Garcia, "Untitled #1032" & Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block ]

I happened to stumble upon your artwork and saw that it reminded me of Francesca Lia Block's Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books.  I hope it's not too weird that I'm using your artwork, but I automatically thought of Dangerous Angels when I saw it. - Michelle

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Yay! Our first Caster Girl Entry, from Caster Girl 17:

      

[ Magritte- "Man in the Bowler Hat" & Deadville by Ron Koertge ]

Not only do they both have hats, but they are both kinda disturbing in the same impersonal way. -CG 17

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Entry from Shelly Burns:

    

[ Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield & "Pink Pointe Shoes" by Ann Radley ]

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Vania's Entry:

   

[ Hold Still by Nina LaCour & Photo by Vania Stoyanova]

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Ari sent this entry:

 

[ A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett & "Ballet Girl" by Xiamen Fly-Art Industries ]

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The next entry comes from author of Shadowed Summer, Saundra Mitchell:

 

[ A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray & Waterhouse's "My Sweet Rose ]

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The first entry comes from The Book Blogger.

"I think it was maybe the beginning of last year(?) that I would go searching and searching for posters of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and I remember finding a Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol. I had seen his art before, but never knew his name and when I started reading the A-List series around the end of last year, I kept thinking about his art. I think it's because they're both colorful and bold."

How do you decide if a book is worth reading?

As a reading teacher and an author, that's a complicated question. Do you choose beautifully written novels, full of subtle metaphors and classic themes? Or do you reach for novels with less impressive writing, but more compelling plots and characters? It's a little like asking which flavor of ice cream is better - chocolate or vanilla. Subjective at best.

So what do I reach for? Chocolate or vanilla?

For me, it's all about voice. I don't care how well written a book is - if I can't connect to the voice, I'm putting it down. My students say the same thing. And then there's character...I can almost meander through the Storyless Sea if I love the character. My favorites: Freak, from Freak the Mighty, Jace from Mortal Instruments, Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, Norah from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Sidalee in Little Altars Everywhere.

Sure, I love a good story and I won't give a book more than thirty pages to show me what it has to offer. But voice is the thing. The sci-fi/fantasy fan in me also loves a great world. Cassandra Clare and Clive Barker are masters at world building. But that's after you've read The White Mountains as a kid, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, & Focult's Pendulom a little later. And The Golden Compass is a masterpiece.

What do you think? What makes a book worth reading?

dirty little secrets & vlogs

I'm into secrets (especially dls) and I'm going to start filming my next vlog. So I thought I'd ask you (if anyone's reading this) what you'd like to know about me, see me do, etc. This does not include eating anything disgusting. So if there's something you're dying to know (or moderately interested in knowing), let me know. And stay tuned...

xx K

shadowed summer by saundra mitchell

I love books set in the South (The Prince of Tides, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Witching Hour). Unfortunately, most of them are full of tired stereotypes (fried chicken is not the only thing people eat in the South) and take place in towns that feel more like a set of True Blood than actual places in the South.

This is NOT the case in Shadowed Summer. Saundra Mitchell has crafted a novel so real, I could feel the sweat dripping down my neck and found myself standing with the fridge door open. The characters are so heartbreakingly real, I was thinking about Iris long after I finished the novel. I love the fact that Iris spends her summer doing exactly what any girl in a small Southern town would do - unearthing secrets, digging through attics, and getting into some trouble along the way. She really is my kinda girl.

But Shadowed Summer is not just a novel full of atmospheric qualities, written in impeccable voice. At its core, SS is a ghost story - haunting and frightening, suspenseful and impossible to put down. If you don't believe in the supernatural, so be it. But if you read SS, Saundra Mitchell will make you a believer.

Beautiful Creatures book club contest: win a copy of Fairy Tale & swag

Check out the BC Contest for Cyn Balog's Fairy Tale & win a copy of Fairy Tale & swag.

Rockin' Out in NC

Here we are rockin' on the porch of one of Beaufort, North Carolina's, historic homes - the Thomas Duncan House. It was built in 1856, and back then they were likely doing exactly what were are in this picture. Sitting on the porch, drinking sweet tea, and gossiping about the neighbors.

That's what I love about the South - tradition, porches, and sweet tea.

Hope you're rockin' out wherever you are.

eating my way through south carolina

The famed Jestine's Coca-Cola cake - I just had some by the way. And pecan fried chicken and sweet tea. This is what you do in South Carolina when you aren't looking at beautiful houses you don't live in or sweltering in the June heat.

If you're not in the mood for Coca-Cola cake, this sweet lady will sell you some green tomato cake. On her birthday no less.

last chance to enter the ELS contest

^{Today is the last day to enter the Eyes Like Stars Contest Giveaway!}
Win an ARC of the book, and bag of swag, including: Bertie's scrimshaw necklace, silver star earrings, blue hair dye, a black rose hair clip, cupcake lip glosses and more. You only have one more day to get your name in,  so get to it!

Check out the contest Rules and how to enter here:

Contest Rules and Entry

53 people have already entered, don't be left out.

We'll post a Vlog Saturday morning with the results.