tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151805112024-03-13T08:30:35.916-07:00JILL WOLFSONSo glad you found my blog. Here you'll find information about my books, signings, details on school visits -- plus all sorts of musings -- my family, my garden, whatever else comes to mind.
ALSO CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE WWW.JILLWOLFSON.COMJill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-6934672750119938232013-04-24T16:12:00.000-07:002013-04-24T16:12:04.046-07:00Real Life Fury<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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A vigil was recently held to commemorate a “beautiful,
witty, funny” – and bullied – 15-year-old girl named <a href="http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/audrie-pott-remembered-as-witty-funny-kid-during-candlelight-vigil-at-saratoga-high?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001">Audrie Pott</a> who committed
suicide last year. This happened in a high school near where I live, and when I
read about the vigil, I felt unnerved and angered, a real sickness in my
stomach, by the details of the tragedy.
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In my new novel, I have a scene that’s eerily similar to
what happened to Audrie: A girl with a history of being bullied, a party
without adult supervision, alcohol that had been laced, rape, photos taken of
the horrendous event and then sent viral. </div>
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<br /></div>
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For my character Meg, the only real difference is that she
willingly chooses to have sex with a longtime crush the night of her fateful
party. With a brave, trusting heart, she acts out of love and normal teenage
desire. But the bullies are there with their weapons – humiliation, threats,
taunts and cameras. </div>
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In <i>Furiou</i>s, this
is a turning point for Meg (spoiler alert here). It is the final slap that
unleashes years of misery at the hands of bullies, a lifetime of not being seen
and not being heard by adults, of having to navigate alone through an often-vicious
high school landscape.</div>
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Meg’s inner Fury – the goddess of revenge who takes care of
business when we humans are too blind and too self-centered to stand up for the
innocent and vulnerable – literally comes out. Her tormentors get the full
brunt of her uncorked rage. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Unfortunately, Audrie’s Fury didn’t have that same chance to
emerge. Hers was a more familiar pattern in real life, especially for young women. The
cruelty of others twists itself into a chaos of emotions –humiliation, anxiety,
depression, fear, sadness and hopelessness. </div>
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I know these feelings. I was bullied in middle school,
imitated mercilessly, taunted, locked into my own locker, and I lived in a
constant state of dread, anxiety and shame. I remember the notes and ugly
drawings of me being passed around my 7<sup>th</sup> grade classroom. I
remember the headaches and the loneliness. I didn’t even recognize it as
bullying back then, just considered it to be some kind of lack in myself, figured that I was somehow
“asking for it.” I can’t imagine how much worse it is now with the texts and
photos on the Internet. </div>
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What I hope is that our entire society is finally having
enough of this. I’m not talking about harsh sentences for the culprits of individual incidents. That’s just a bandage, a way of saying that we solved the problem, that it’s just these few
isolated cases. </div>
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My Fury wants us all to stop turning a blind eye to what so
many kids are living with, to stop chalking up bullying behavior to “kids being kids” and expecting the
victims to develop a tougher skin or fend for themselves. <br />
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My Fury wants all of us – adults and kids – to
understand just how insidious and prevalent it is. It’s not just the
high-profile cases, like that of Audrie Pott. It’s the everyday, ongoing,
relentless misery lived by kids who are seen as being different. </div>
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My Fury wants your Fury to speak out and say: Enough! No
more! We are going to do something about it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Here are some resources:</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsAgainstBullying">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsAgainstBullying</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.antibullying.net/">http://www.antibullying.net/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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http://www.stopbullying.gov/</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-14369707116245127292013-04-15T09:25:00.006-07:002013-04-15T09:25:59.642-07:00How to Help<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">On April 16, <i><a href="http://www.macteenbooks.com/books/winter2013/furious.html">Furious</a> </i>finally
goes out into the world. So many people have been generous with their help.
I've received great editing, marketing advice, graphic design tips,
cheerleading and hand-holding. I appreciate all of it!<br />
<br />
Now, maybe some of you are sitting there thinking, "Gee Jill, what
more can I do to support this book?" Um, feel free to quickly move on if
that thought never crossed your mind! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">For those of you still here, thanks so much. The reality of the
publishing world is that authors have to throw themselves into self-promotion,
so – deep breath – I'm suggesting</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> 5 ways you can help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">
<br />
</span><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">1</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt;">.</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>If you are able, buy
a copy of <i>Furious</i> – and buy it sooner
than later.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> Strong early
sales are very important in the publishing world; it's how they measure success
and delegate marketing dollars. Buy a copy (or two) to save as gifts for
birthdays and holidays. Donate a copy to your public library or nearby school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Who would enjoy it? </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><i>Furious</i>
is marketed as Young Adult (ages 12 and up), but 55 percent of YA books are
bought by adults. The story will appeal to readers with an interest in mythology and contemporary high school drama. It grapples in a fun way with heavy themes, such as justice, bullying, loss of family and the power of
friendship. It will appeal to young people who care about social justice, who love "Buffy," and anyone who has ever fantasized about getting revenge.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> It's even got romance, surfing and advice on dealing with
frizzy hair. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">A starred review in Booklist says: "</span>the combination of poignant coming-of-age with creative satire equals a fun treatment on a big topic." </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">If you live near me, I am happy to sign your copy. Or, send me
an email and I'll quickly mail you a signed bookmark and <i>Furious </i>button to wear.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">You can buy books through any online seller, but I encourage purchases
via your local (and probably struggling) independent bookstore. If they don't
have the book in stock, it's easy to order.<br />
<br />
</span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">2.</span></b><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Spread
the word<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Talk up <i>Furious</i>. Tell teachers, librarians,
tweens and teens about the book. If you are a teacher, consider using it as a
read-aloud or order it for the school library. Use it as text for classroom
discussion. It’s great for studying mythology and literature, the justice
system, problems of bullying, gender issues and more. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">3.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Spread the word</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">,
part 2. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Social media me. Go on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Furious-Jill-Wolfson/dp/0805082832/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365132741&sr=8-1&keywords=jill+wolfson">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> and other book
sites and give it a rating or write a short review. On Facebook or other
social networking sites, mention the book. Share my updates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">I’ll be doing a blog tour (April 6-April 23). Go to the sites;
post a comment or tweet. You can find the full schedule here on my blog.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">4.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>See
me in person.<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Come to one of my
scheduled events. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Check out this blog</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jill.wolfson.5?ref=tn_tnmn">my Facebook page</a> for updates on
where I'll be reading. I'm always nervous about speaking in public and your
encouraging smile will be so helpful. <br />
<br />
If you are a teacher or librarian, invite me to speak to your students.
Recommend me as a speaker to your local bookstore events coordinator, book
group, writing group or community organization. I can talk about the book
itself and also offer practical advice about writing and publishing.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">5.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Well-wishes, hugs and glasses of wine</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">. Bring them my way. These are appreciated most of all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Love,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Jill</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-17200805302330992992013-04-06T21:08:00.002-07:002013-04-07T10:21:44.628-07:00Let me read to you<span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here's where I'll be reading and holding workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area. More to follow as events are confirmed. I really hope to see your smiling (or furious) face at one of these events. There will be FURIOUS bookmarks and buttons. You know you want them! Mark your calendar. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Thurs., April 18, 7 pm. </b></span></span> <span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.booksinc.net/blog/not-your-mothers-book-club/dont-get-mad">Not Your Mother's Book Club</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Gets EVEN – </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 11pt;">a night of delicious revenge (with author </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Elizabeth Eulberg) </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Books Inc. Opera Plaza</span><br />
<div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Fri., April 26, 6:30 pm</b> —Hicklebee’s, San Jose. <a href="http://www.hicklebees.com/event/teen-lit-jill-wolfson-book-swap-april-26">Teen Lit Book Swap</a><br />
<br /><b>Wed., May 1 , 7pm. </b>A Great Good Place for Books, Oakland. <a href="http://www.ggpbooks.com/event/jill-wolfson-furious">Teen Read</a>. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b>Fri., May 3, 5-6pm reading; 6-7 writing workshop </b>—<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/459520874126495/">University of California Santa Cruz </a><br /><br />
</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgw17BuunomP7mXFWk9n9FyOGIOr-42MtHTC4AM1s6J7mKjqWKDjPL1xbdenvHwGyuA463FyhChDDcc_1zXBfYkfe8aX-I08gPFp-qWa6RmgEiWpAW56gzt3nSQ3Xh9ZlF9NXQQ/s1600/bookmarks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgw17BuunomP7mXFWk9n9FyOGIOr-42MtHTC4AM1s6J7mKjqWKDjPL1xbdenvHwGyuA463FyhChDDcc_1zXBfYkfe8aX-I08gPFp-qWa6RmgEiWpAW56gzt3nSQ3Xh9ZlF9NXQQ/s200/bookmarks.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b>Tues. May 7, 7:30pm</b> —<a href="http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/event/2013/05/06/month/all/all/1">Bookshop Santa Cruz</a>. My hometown reading. It's not on the store schedule yet, but it's happening. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><br /><br />
<b>July 15-19</b> <a href="http://www.csusummerarts.org/courses2013/WR-Writing_Fantasy.shtml">CSU Summer Arts Program: Writing Fantasy for Children and Teens. </a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;">Hope to see you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;">~~Jill<br /><br />
</span></span>
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Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-17498796606232697682013-04-05T08:33:00.001-07:002013-04-05T08:51:34.822-07:00Blog Tour ManiaI have some great stops on my blog tour -- with interviews, reviews and guest posts about all things<a href="http://www.macteenbooks.com/books/winter2013/furious.html"> <i><b>Furious</b></i></a>. On April 8, I'm also announcing a music contest for prizes (books and bling), so check it out.<br />
<br />
Fri, April 6: <a href="http://winterhavenbooks.blogspot.com/">Winterhaven Books</a> Win an ARC.<br />
<br />
Mon., April 8: <a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/">Two Chicks on Books</a> Hear the Playlist for FURIOUS.<br />
<br />
Tues., April 9: <a href="http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/">I'd So Rather Be Reading</a><br />
<br />
Fri., April 12: <a href="http://www.thebestbooksever.com/">The Best Books Ever</a><br />
and <a href="http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/">Adventures in YA Publishing</a><br />
<br />
Mon., April 15: <a href="http://birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com/">Birth of a New Witch</a><br />
<br />
Tues., April 16: <a href="http://bookswithbite.net/">Books With Bite</a> PUBLICATION DAY!<br />
<br />
Wed. April 17: <a href="http://www.macteenbooks.com/blog/">MacTeens</a><br />
<br />
Thurs. April 18: <a href="http://scifichick.com/">SciFiChick</a><br />
<br />
Fri. April 19: <a href="http://ibbookblogging.net/">IB Book Blogging</a><br />
<br />
Mon., April 22: <a href="http://rubysreads.com/">Ruby Reads</a><br />
<br />
Tues., April 23: <a href="http://janicegablebashman.com/">The Writing Life</a><br />
<br />
Stop by, leave a comment and enjoy!<br />
<br />
~~ Jill<br />
<br />
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<br />Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-17079664610740547562013-03-05T11:07:00.004-08:002013-03-05T11:07:54.328-08:00Good review just came in.<br />
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4 Stars: Final verdict? This is definitely a really fun YA mythological retelling story, and definitely one to check out.</div>
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This one by <a href="http://birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/review-furious-by-jill-wolfson/">Birth of a New Witch</a> is smart and thoughtful.<br />
<br />Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-80892701291249101992013-02-26T10:21:00.003-08:002013-02-26T10:21:54.698-08:00Here's the full Kirkus review. Whew!<br />
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<b>Review Issue Date: </b>March 1, 2013<br />
<b>Online Publish Date: </b>February 6, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b><i>Henry Holt<br />
</i><b>Pages: </b><i>352<br />
</i><b>Price ( Hardcover ): </b><i>$17.99<br />
</i><b>Publication Date: </b>April 16, 2013<br />
<b>ISBN ( Hardcover ): </b><i>978-0-8050-8283-8<br />
</i><b>Category: </b>Fiction<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When a charismatic classmate unites three disenfranchised teens, they learn that their anger is an immense and terrifying power in this dark tale that gracefully weaves Greek myth with modern high school culture.<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Meg, Stephanie and Alix feel both powerless and incensed by the injustices they see around them. Seeing this, Ambrosia, immortal goddess– cum-classmate, grooms the three girls for her own vengeful purpose. Ambrosia stokes their rage and directs them to their natural calling as the Furies, deities of vengeance. At first, the Furies are gentle and fair with their justice, punishing wrongdoers by burdening them with a sense of shame. But the girls become ever harsher, drunk on the corrosive power, and inflict mental anguish upon their victims before they, too, must face their personal demons. Meg’s candid narration is occasionally suspended by Ambrosia’s diary entries into <i>The Book of Furious</i>. Here, Ambrosia, in Greek theatrical tradition, expands on her long-standing hatred and the mythology from which the current drama has sprung. Fans of Wolfson’s heartfelt realistic novels will relish her fleet prose and these new characters as she examines the theme of justice versus revenge.<br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For readers moving beyond Percy Jackson into the more complex realm of teen angst, this is an enthralling and chilling tale that uses Greek mythology to create a timely fable. <i>(Fantasy. 12 & up)</i></span></span>
<!--EndFragment-->Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-6275617706888009232013-02-25T08:49:00.000-08:002013-02-25T08:49:22.929-08:00First Review of Furious<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Waiting on the first review of a new book always gives me a knot in my stomach. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">So, finally, here's an excerpt:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"> "For readers moving beyond Percy Jackson into the more complex realm of teen angst, Furious is an enthralling and chilling tale that uses Greek mythology to create a timely fable."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Thanks Kirkus Reviews!</span>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-2910617763304730142013-02-05T16:27:00.001-08:002013-02-05T16:27:37.064-08:00<i>Furious</i> is showcased as part of a 100+ book give-away at <a href="http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2013/02/100-book-giveaway-jill-wolfson.html?spref=tw">Live to Read</a>. Lots of great books. Check it out.Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-31604142837787164882013-01-20T12:08:00.000-08:002013-01-20T12:08:15.461-08:00Fury Wings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HQwnkBm1O-468ZZ6_qx-s4zmEE7dQcTZEIjE2Jpv23S8SpVdhndySLnUMfySI7jol9mHCDJvvrVXL8MScVM0qzurNrerqREbUL5lt8DZDWEb7L4sXxgB6fss32u01I9-C0Sd0Q/s1600/wings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HQwnkBm1O-468ZZ6_qx-s4zmEE7dQcTZEIjE2Jpv23S8SpVdhndySLnUMfySI7jol9mHCDJvvrVXL8MScVM0qzurNrerqREbUL5lt8DZDWEb7L4sXxgB6fss32u01I9-C0Sd0Q/s320/wings.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
In anticipation of the publication of my new book, Furious, my friend Carol knitted for me this gorgeous cape of Fury wings. (Modeled by my bedroom floor lamp). Love having a friend who reads and knits.Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-69342938385903996422013-01-18T10:52:00.001-08:002013-01-18T10:52:15.291-08:00Road Sketches by 1000 Artists<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My pal </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=771519519&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="http://www.facebook.com/jonbailiff?group_id=0" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">Jon Bailiff</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> is taking the train from Calif. to DC for the Obama inauguration as part of the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/1000-Artists-Inauguration-2013/321256451259093">Thousand Artists project </a>- a public art-making event. He is sketching non-stop to document the journey. I am so jealous of this! These are some of my favorite pictures so far.</span><br />
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Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-78544050595860591102012-10-08T12:47:00.001-07:002012-10-08T12:48:11.701-07:00The Plot <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And here's the description from the jacket cover:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were only three angry high school girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Furious.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, that’s us. The three Greek Furies, come to life, ready to take our revenge on everyone who deserves it. And who doesn’t deserve it, really? We’re done with chances. We are angry. The Furies have come to town.</span></div>
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Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-78710234942799632002012-10-08T12:12:00.000-07:002012-10-08T12:12:49.360-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Look what's here! Galleys for <i>Furious</i>. If you are a blogger or reviewer and want an ARC, let me know and I'll ask my publicist to send one your way.Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-48580726308216471012012-08-26T12:26:00.001-07:002012-08-26T12:26:13.904-07:00Yippee. My newest YA novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Furious-Jill-Wolfson/dp/0805082832/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346008930&sr=8-1&keywords=furious+wolfson">Furious</a>, has a pub date. April 16, 2013. And a cover. It's always exciting -- and a little unnerving -- to see what someone else's vision of what I wrote. Love it?<br />
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<br />Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-17955197812600605452011-11-29T12:21:00.001-08:002011-11-29T12:27:11.626-08:00Awesome Book TrailerThe publisher of the new UK edition of <i>Cold Hands, Warm Heart </i>has created a great new cover, plus a f<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10jzXgN0Vos">antastic book trailer.</a> It's so amazing to see a character come to life -- and death. What do you think?<br />
<br />Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-69176421310785486382010-01-04T18:23:00.000-08:002010-01-04T18:27:51.057-08:00Radio show about the Beat WithinRobert Pollie, the host of the 7th Avenue Project on public radio, produced a fantastic hour-long radio show about The Beat Within. He asks great questions -- and did some amazingly profound interviews with some of the incarcerated kids at Santa Cruz juvenile hall. Listen to Daniel, Sami, Ronnie, Ulysses and others talk about their lives "inside" and their relationship to the written word.<br /><br />You can hear the program by clicking <a href="http://audio1.cruzio.com/kusp/pod/rpollie/2010/01/03.mp3">here. </a><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-80326648726594734282009-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:002009-12-03T08:54:40.837-08:00Publicity for the Beat Within FundraiserI'm thrilled at all the great press we're getting for the literary Beat Within fundraiser. Donate some cash to this fantastic and important art and writing program for incarcerated kids and you get an autographed book as a thank-you gift.<br /><br />Read the article in <a href="http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_13915155">The Santa Cruz Sentinel. </a><br />And in <a href="http://www.metrosantacruz.com/metro-santa-cruz/11.25.09/a&ebooks2-0947.html">Metro Santa Cruz.</a><br /><br />All the details for donating? Click <a href="http://beatwithinsantacruz.blogspot.com">here</a>.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-84072215794614963962009-11-11T11:58:00.000-08:002009-11-11T12:00:01.130-08:00Donating to the Beat WithinThanks so much to Amy Reed for posting on her <a href="http://amyreed.wordpress.com/">blog</a> about the<a href="http://beatwithinsantacruz.blogspot.com/"> fundraiser</a> for <a href="http://beatwithin.org/">The Beat Within. </a>(And for her very generous donation of a book). One of the fun benefits of organizing this fundraiser is being introduced to the work of so many writers. I enjoyed checking out the interviews on her blog.Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-68656510959786047412009-11-03T07:25:00.000-08:002009-11-03T11:55:12.867-08:00Non-Fiction in November<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIIntentionalStory_Names" ft="{"type":"name"}"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;" class="UIStory_Message">Blogger Nina Amir has declared: It's "Write Non-Fiction in November"month, her once-a-year challenge to complete a work of non-fiction in 30 days. She's posting a month's worth of pertinent info to help you along your way to publishing success. I'm her guest blogger today, in my guise as editor of <a href="http://siliconvalley.parenthood.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bay Area Parent</span>.<br /></a></span></h3><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click <span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://writenonfictioninnovember.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/how-to-land-a-nonfiction-magazine-assignment%E2%80%A6-and-get-asked-to-write-a-second-article-when-you%E2%80%99re-done/">here</a></span> to read my post. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> </span></span>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-18252422108632193172009-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:002009-10-26T16:16:19.265-07:00Donate a Book; Buy a Book<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLz3woJqDWOcWapZly-OpNWiLoRAtvaJzUvzGvuKy1P3zwrg2aka5ouMNZkjeSjHUFVg7EHaMeWk7wrcy6rKAdpRDm1t43rgwoOs9uA4RnC_oGkeCXB2jW9ByLf6XUYJIxsUuLA/s1600-h/sidecover_1426.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLz3woJqDWOcWapZly-OpNWiLoRAtvaJzUvzGvuKy1P3zwrg2aka5ouMNZkjeSjHUFVg7EHaMeWk7wrcy6rKAdpRDm1t43rgwoOs9uA4RnC_oGkeCXB2jW9ByLf6XUYJIxsUuLA/s200/sidecover_1426.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397048414072830706" border="0" /></a><br />Almost every Friday night for the past 10 years or so, I've been a volunteer with a writing program called <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://beatwithin.org/">The Beat Within</a>.</span> Each week, I join staff and other volunteers at the juvenile hall in my home town to hold writing workshops with kids, ages 14-18. The hand-written pieces from the workshops are then published into a weekly magazine, The Beat Within, which circulates through juvenile halls and prisons around the country. Each entry is published along with an adult response. It's an amazing program.<br /><br />And now, I'm helping to raise funds to keep it going. We're asking authors to donate autographed copies of their books to give away as a thank-you gifts to donors. The drive is just getting started and already so many wonderful writers have stepped up, including from Newbery-award winner <a href="http://www.paulfleischman.net/">Paul Fleischman</a> and <a href="http://www.karenjoyfowler.com/index.htm">Karen Joy Fowler,</a> author of the bestseller <span style="font-style: italic;">The Jane Austen Book Club.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr1z5cc8ERN0mu5OX2J2m4Fbprti4KZwxdxOoqB1Cw479nkfKlewUxQkfrLs4buAroggqD5P8M6SnnVaS93Y6XspY7qQDK8-sFZeWEc9VFb26o8vz-eeWwuYOeZOs_M4QfCDAiw/s1600-h/sidecover_1438.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr1z5cc8ERN0mu5OX2J2m4Fbprti4KZwxdxOoqB1Cw479nkfKlewUxQkfrLs4buAroggqD5P8M6SnnVaS93Y6XspY7qQDK8-sFZeWEc9VFb26o8vz-eeWwuYOeZOs_M4QfCDAiw/s200/sidecover_1438.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397050651363840786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">To read all the details about the fundraiser, click</span> <a href="http://beatwithinsantacruz.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We need your help if you are an author, or if you love books and kids!<br /><br />For more info, contact me here or at Books4Beat@gmail.com.<br /><br />And please, please feel free to pass along this message and post it on Facebook, your blog, etc.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-74433726286824794772009-10-05T13:25:00.001-07:002009-10-05T13:57:46.371-07:00Dear Diary -- With Jillian Cantor<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I met Jillian Cantor when we were both on the same panel at the Tucson Book Festival. The joke was that, in order to be a YA author, you need thick dark hair, to be named Jill and to have grown up in Philadelphia.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jill</span>ian is the author of the wonderful YA novels, THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS (Harperteen) and THE LIFE OF GLASS (Winter 2010/Harperteen). Her first novel for adults, THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS, will be released in Fall 2010 by Avon/HarperCollins.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I'm so glad that she didn't toss her high school journal. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Here's Jillian:</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KbeqRfs9xsmmtwDC9CD5WM36EGaLj3MU4h2wwdHrsG8dc-nwn65F9EpVP3x4HSes7XkjI9DogblX3v2xmA_QtGazwvDCtkgL55sx9E5EkqUcXOoBrIdaF7GRfsYvWa-KvP1L1A/s1600-h/Authorphoto2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KbeqRfs9xsmmtwDC9CD5WM36EGaLj3MU4h2wwdHrsG8dc-nwn65F9EpVP3x4HSes7XkjI9DogblX3v2xmA_QtGazwvDCtkgL55sx9E5EkqUcXOoBrIdaF7GRfsYvWa-KvP1L1A/s200/Authorphoto2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389215052231080850" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">In my upcoming release, THE LIFE OF GLASS, my main character Melissa keeps a journal during her freshman year in high school. It is a continuation of one her fath<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtOE737enROgVBVB41iNge4LOAN273_08UbpUmZCyPd6gYJkxMrtWidTvzYLKlRy8onnf0AZCtYcyTDqpSy8iIWOzF9gugNcL7LwovIZ_c62dxOt4yvXnIpZFtQlg06ksCLfVWw/s1600-h/LifeofGlasscvrdes4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtOE737enROgVBVB41iNge4LOAN273_08UbpUmZCyPd6gYJkxMrtWidTvzYLKlRy8onnf0AZCtYcyTDqpSy8iIWOzF9gugNcL7LwovIZ_c62dxOt4yvXnIpZFtQlg06ksCLfVWw/s200/LifeofGlasscvrdes4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389219749186749810" border="0" /></a>er kept before he died, a journal filled with strange facts and unusual love stories, a journal Melissa adds to by writing in the love stories she knows and discovers throughout the year, just so they won’t be lost. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Like Melissa, I, too, kept a journal during my freshman year in high school. Near the beginning I wrote, <i style="">I’m a Freshman! Can you believe it?</i> <i style="">This is going to be a year for believing in myself, setting my goals, and reaching for my dreams</i>. However, what follows reads like a soap opera – the boys I liked (which changed almost weekly, I should add), the fights I had with my friends. I’m not sure why, but I even gave my journal a name -- “Capricious” or “<st1:place st="on">Capri</st1:place>” for short. Seems fitting now, looking at how capricious and whimsical I actually was back then, but how I came up with that name, I can’t tell you. I began all the entries by writing “Dear Capri,” (because I guess Dear Diary must’ve felt too boring to me!). Oh, and in the back I have a list of names I like for my future children – at the top of the list is Capricious, which I note will be the name of my first born. (I can assure you, that is not actually his name, though!)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here are some excerpts from some of the entries. All the names are totally changed because. . . well, because I’m actually Facebook friends with most of these guys now, and even all these years later I would be mortified if any of them read this and realized I was talking about them!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Thursday, November 12, 1992<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guess what? Last Friday A. asked me out, but when I said yes he said JUST KIDDING. How rude and immature! Well now I have spies trying to figure out who he likes. A lot of people know that I like him now, but I don’t even care. In fact now I’m even questioning how much I like him. I keep flirting with B. Just a reminder that “there are other fish.”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Wednesday, November 25, 1992<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. . .as for A. I wish he would ask me out, so I could say NO! Yuck!! . . .B is so funny, he makes me laugh all the time. He’s just a really awesome person. </span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Sunday, February 17, 1993<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Well, long time no see. B. is SO long gone. I thought that I liked C., but then on Friday we had a dance, and suddenly I found D. very attractive. . . Options for the Dinner Dance are still open. Who knows? Anything could happen between now and June 11. </span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Friday, March 19, 1993 (12:04 AM)<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">I really like D. I want to go to the Dinner Dance with him, but I’m scared to ask him. What if he says no? What if he says yes?</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then there is a whole saga involving the Dinner Dance, in which one guy (E.), who I only liked as a friend, asked me and I said yes. But then this other guy (F.) who I dated on and off in junior high confessed his love for me and asked me, so I backed out on my yes with E. and ended up going with F. instead. I still cringe just thinking about it now. The rest of the journal pretty much chronicles my relationship with F., which really wasn’t much more than a friendship. We never even kissed – a point I obsess over for pages and pages. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And then the journal ends on September 3, 1993, which was the first day of my sophomore year and also the day I met my first serious boyfriend (who is now my husband). And after that, I never kept a journal again. Although, part of me almost wishes I’d kept writing, because that’s something I’d love to read now, what I was thinking and feeling when I first started dating my husband, what I would’ve written about him. <span style=""> </span>And then the other part of me is REALLY glad I didn’t!</p> Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-29317766068340107222009-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:26:09.314-07:00Kids Who Write<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDoemM5CQ0hyphenhyphenagTAt1LzukD6MqO7K7Y-aS4pGDCzl-fH8vZwwXVYnGG7dxA_bbpfQ5JNNqYjMNaX8avgwqEt3qxkwHaxqQnXz8yvp5hDFnDXyvbzM1vsoDUMcBV5sBxCtVXj5ag/s1600-h/kid-writing.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDoemM5CQ0hyphenhyphenagTAt1LzukD6MqO7K7Y-aS4pGDCzl-fH8vZwwXVYnGG7dxA_bbpfQ5JNNqYjMNaX8avgwqEt3qxkwHaxqQnXz8yvp5hDFnDXyvbzM1vsoDUMcBV5sBxCtVXj5ag/s200/kid-writing.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386656894687253890" border="0" /></a><br />Every time I talk to a group of students, I inevitably get asked the same question by an earnest and passionate tween or teen: "I'm a writer. Where can I get published?"<br /><br />Here's a resource list for budding authors, in addition to recommending that you create your own blog or website.(That's what I do!)<br /><br />For writers 13 and under, there's the wonderful <span style="font-style: italic;">Stone Soup</span>, which is published in my town (Santa Cruz, CA), and distributed all over the country. It's been described as "<span style="font-style: italic;">The New Yorker</span> for kids", and I agree. For details on how to publish and subscribe, go to <a href="http://www.stonesoup.com/">stonesoup.com</a>. At this website, you'll find more resources. Click on "links" and click on "Young writers in print." Voila.<br /><br />A wonderful salesperson at Anderson's Books in Naperville, Ill. suggested <a href="http://kidpub.com/">kidpub.com </a>and its teen counterpart at <a href="http://teen-author.com/">teen-author.com.</a><br /><br />A friend pointed me to <a href="http://teenlink.com/">teenlink.com.</a><br /><br />Another: Kids who are immigrants or whose families are immigrants might enjoy entering Mitali Perkins' <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/d5a06;www.mitaliperkins.com/contests.html">Fire Escape contests</a>.<br /><br />Now it's your turn. Have your found anything else either print or online?Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-45867359060377778312009-10-01T08:46:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:51:16.556-07:00Proust Questionnaire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1_GZO5FegK9Iib-eHIPibn65GSWB9bgmzj-w2uhc_mOLclX50POceQAL8RWI9dZnUIzPYgxcyBKc89NtWshSL78SYF2WRcrjw2ufO5-WIrgcccD0nsJJVuzXCGDtgHMQTwNkhg/s1600-h/450px-Perelachaise-Proust-p1000395.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1_GZO5FegK9Iib-eHIPibn65GSWB9bgmzj-w2uhc_mOLclX50POceQAL8RWI9dZnUIzPYgxcyBKc89NtWshSL78SYF2WRcrjw2ufO5-WIrgcccD0nsJJVuzXCGDtgHMQTwNkhg/s200/450px-Perelachaise-Proust-p1000395.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387659543987669154" border="0" /></a><br />Each week, Julie Halpern features an author on her Blog of Wonder: Proust Questionnaire. Today's guest? Me. Lots of fun to answer the questions. Check it out <a href="http://www.juliehalpern.com/blog/2009/10/proust-questionnaire-thursday-todays.html">here.</a><br /><br />Couldn't resist posting the picture of Proust's coffin.Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-21047144126838339012009-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:002009-09-25T14:46:06.332-07:00School Visits in Naperville<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5exMooFxjClKokrnKbPkd40pmOwwWpag0W-gZYQ3gM069aoV9nojrr8mBTzV-wva5HTqSoIzbwZH89SDX6x5-F5WWPRWk-IXvkUUO6Fg0emVkRxwa7nBdCLzsu4cazkJekExbWA/s1600-h/naperville+school+visits+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5exMooFxjClKokrnKbPkd40pmOwwWpag0W-gZYQ3gM069aoV9nojrr8mBTzV-wva5HTqSoIzbwZH89SDX6x5-F5WWPRWk-IXvkUUO6Fg0emVkRxwa7nBdCLzsu4cazkJekExbWA/s200/naperville+school+visits+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385524071119423346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I had a blast visiting today with students at Crone and Gregory Middle Schools in Naperville, Ill. I loved all the thoughtful questions, including: "So, do you think one day in the future in an advanced civilization, doctors will no longer do transplants, but will use stem cells to regenerate nerves and create viable organs?" <span style="font-style: italic;">Um, er, maybe?</span><br /><br />I so love the passion and energy that school librarians put into welcoming visiting authors. Check out these two fabulous book displays that greeted me as I walked in the door. Thanks Karen and Nancy. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KZXDTh-7MQJsBf8u_XriuFu3wEmmImf5iSirlkh62rj8QBerH4PazwsQtCWbfWwMf2XQFA8uxdYP5S5c9X0EZUcLyw4hHQjRQRXzXyfSnccxYLXspA3OyE9EemBSHXDOjpTJg/s1600-h/naperville+school+visits+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KZXDTh-7MQJsBf8u_XriuFu3wEmmImf5iSirlkh62rj8QBerH4PazwsQtCWbfWwMf2XQFA8uxdYP5S5c9X0EZUcLyw4hHQjRQRXzXyfSnccxYLXspA3OyE9EemBSHXDOjpTJg/s200/naperville+school+visits+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385523847136596594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YycQHTPL7JW_NOZT0ak3yGL4Ugtm6w-00UNUsDsrmQ5AKWWvDcEdNpC9KoP1RmVT9V_toU7HMntdnSK_T-3g83VQVROkoPpvAc6pgs9tRD4rgFFm7XF9rfff4RjFWY5s5jW2zQ/s1600-h/naperville+school+visits+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YycQHTPL7JW_NOZT0ak3yGL4Ugtm6w-00UNUsDsrmQ5AKWWvDcEdNpC9KoP1RmVT9V_toU7HMntdnSK_T-3g83VQVROkoPpvAc6pgs9tRD4rgFFm7XF9rfff4RjFWY5s5jW2zQ/s200/naperville+school+visits+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385523582589873538" border="0" /></a>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-58456918195383243732009-09-24T20:01:00.000-07:002009-09-24T20:03:03.914-07:00Anderson's YA Literature Conference<span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Just got to Chicago for 3 days of book promotion, school visits and speaking at Anderson's YA conference in Naperville on Saturday. Looking forward to being on panels and hearing Judy Blundell, Gennifer Choldenko, among others. Come if you're in the Chicago area. <a href="http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/youngadultliteratureconference.php" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span></span></a><br />Here's the <a href="http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/youngadultliteratureconference.php">link</a> with the details.<br /></span></span>Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15180511.post-19154298169964794842009-09-18T12:51:00.000-07:002009-09-18T13:13:12.864-07:00Dear Diary --With Janette Rallison<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja280N7OZ4qJ969baTotZB8KbwLc1jM2J6V4su_0DCoL5z5UO7sKTrx4sYAjvy2v3PFSoLLSvtwl10HJQiIErJ36tDx4_z_jOcdx83KZll-FhoAnj_tEjt8HiUDBw-iLR-BmBx7Q/s1600-h/AuthorWoman_blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja280N7OZ4qJ969baTotZB8KbwLc1jM2J6V4su_0DCoL5z5UO7sKTrx4sYAjvy2v3PFSoLLSvtwl10HJQiIErJ36tDx4_z_jOcdx83KZll-FhoAnj_tEjt8HiUDBw-iLR-BmBx7Q/s200/AuthorWoman_blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382901153313920290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">About a month ago, I was helping my mom clean out my childhood home and came upon my middle-school diaries. Wow, what a drama queen I was.<br />Hmmm. Drama Queen 7th Grader=Children's Book Writer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I invited other writers to share their earliest and most personal writing. The invitation stands! Let me know if you want to participate.<br /><br /><br /><br />First up: Janette Rallison, </span>author of many wonderful books, including <span style="font-style: italic;">Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List</span> (IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2007</span>); <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a Mall World After All </span>(IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2008</span>) <span style="font-weight: bold;">and <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Take the Ex out of Ex Boyfriend </span>(IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2009)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's Janette!</span><br /><br />I've written in journals since I was thirteen. You'd think that at some point I would have gone back and reread through these tomes, but beyond a few times that I’ve flipped through some of the later ones to reminisce about an event, nope, I haven't cracked any of them open.<br /><br />I realize now, that I should have, if only for the entertainment value. Wow, I was silly at thirteen. For example, my sister got married that year so this event got a lot of page time in my journal. I understand my writing about my worries--they were mostly because my parents thought she was too young to get married. (She was the oldest so I hadn't realized at that point that my parents thought 32 was the respectable age to marry.)—but I described every detail of the day including the wedding luncheon and the reception. I wrote about the red punch, (it was so good I breathed it in) how many forks were used, (three, and they were silver) how many pictures were taken of the bride and groom (at least 250) and I even drew diagrams of where we stood in the reception line, what the cake looked like, and the poles that marked off the dancing area. <br /><br />I have no idea why I felt the need to record all these details. Did I think someday we were going to reenact the event? Was I writing it down to make sure my reception was just as fancy? Did I think archeologists would one day unearth my journal and need it to understand wedding rituals of the 20th century? I have no idea. It was the only bit of information I didn't write down.<br /><br />I did find some of my other observations on marriage interesting. I wrote:<br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span>I wouldn't mind being married. Sometimes I just want to get away from it all, from my parents, from all the things I do around here that I wish I didn’t have to do.</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span> </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span><br /></span> </span>(Obviously I had getting married confused with taking a vacation to Disneyland. Hello, when you get married you have to do all that stuff that you wish you didn’t have to do plus some. I guess I thought elves came to pay the bills and stock the fridge.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I wish I could get away from school and all its popularity groups and the struggle for boys and all the homework. </span> (Okay, granted, I had a point about that. I don’t miss junior high.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My sister looked so happy, so peaceful. </span> (Of course she did—she no longer had to spend all of her time planning reception details.)<br /><br />Then I went on to talk about my cousin, Jill’s wedding reception—luckily without the details about every food on the table or what color the napkins were.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Jill looked absolutely radiant! It was then I really decided that I was really going to look forward to my wedding. I even started a wedding fund which I now have a little over 10 dollars in. </span> (I have no idea what happened to that fund. I probably spent it on chocolate in later years when I grew more cynical about men.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I wonder what it would be like to be with a man, have his children, and live together for the rest of our lives. It’s a big step getting married. I hope I find the right guy. </span> (I did, and it’s wonderful—even if I didn’t get ribbons on the poles to mark off the dancing area for the reception. Come to think of it, I didn’t get a band or a dancing area. I think I should show my journal to my parents. They owe me some ribbons and a band.)<br /><br />By the way, at Jill’s reception I caught the wedding bouquet and then afterwards one of the waiters who worked there asked me to marry him. He was just kidding. I said, “Yes!” That was fun! (No wonder my parents worried their children getting married too young.)<br /><br /><br />Janette Rallison<br /><br /><br />--------------------Jill Wolfsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13160541822804716831noreply@blogger.com0