The Grace Tour with Kim Liggett Recap

I had the pleasure to attend the Boston stop for The Grace Tour at the Brookline Booksmith on Tuesday, October 8th, aka pub date for The Grace Year. I was so excited to see Kim Liggett along with moderator/author Sasha Alsberg and authors Holly Black, Rory Power and Libba Bray. I have been a huge fan of Kim Liggett’s books since I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of Blood and Salt at BEA 2015. Since then, Kim has published five books!

I met up with my friend Rachel for some ramen before heading over to Brookline Booksmith. I wanted to make sure I got a good seat so Rachel and I went to the bookstore fairly early. We browsed the store a bit and met a few YA book lovers. Rachel couldn’t stay for the event but I was so happy that I was able to see her for a little bit that night.

The panel itself was pretty hilarious. Sasha started off with an icebreaker. She asked everyone what is the most outlandish plot they wrote. She mentioned that she had a story where Justin Bieber and Criminal Minds merged together called FBI Girlfriend, Pop-Star Boyfriend.  Holly mentioned that she wrote Nights of the Silver Sun in which she mentioned she probably meant Moon. She wrote the story in 8th grade about the Interview with the Vampire mashed up with another book/show. Rory wrote a persuasive piece when she was 14-years-old about how a girl who convinced her parents to lease a horse for $20.00. Libba mentioned "all my crazy ideas have been published." She also talked about a vampire movie musical. Kim exclaimed she didn't start writing until she was 40 or so. She also said that there are no books in her drawers but at one point she had an idea for a necrophilia romance which was shot down.

Sasha talked about how The Grace Year is hauntingly beautiful yet she asks Kim, how do you scare your readers without showing it. Kim mentioned, "I don't think it's more horrifying compared to what we see everyday" when she talks about The Grace Year. With sexual assault, the Me Too Movement and how people are treated everyday, the apple is not far from the tree. Kim talks about how even thought she writes horror, she is afraid of everything.

Sasha discussed he mean girl trope and about what invokes girl on girl hatred. She mentioned about how there is a competition and how it can provide a story line and character development. She asked all the authors how do you tackle the mean girl trope and what do you think about it. Kim talked about how it is so easy to do. Girls should have offered a more helping hand. They shouldn’t bully. Kim mentioned about how this “book changed me. I changed how I view women. I grew up with Tierney.” Rory talked about how she “loves mean girls.” Her book has 40 mean girls stuck on an island. She talked about how “everyone sucks” and talks about feminism. Holly mentioned how we shouldn’t allow girls to be mean in fiction. Girls should have a complete set of emotions and not just being mean. Libba discussed about thinking about the internal misogyny and found families. There are so many ways to express feelings and sometimes people are not allowed access of rage. We need to practice being in the ring and to forge friendships. It’s about sparring and giving edges. Sasha talked about how girls should be empowering and there should be a mutual respect among people.

Sasha asked, "If your character lives until 80-years-old, what would they tell their grandchildren?" Rory thinks fondly about how her main character broke a nose over an orange. Holly mentioned how Aurora tells her children how Prince Philip ate a mouse heart. Kim exclaimed how Tierney tells how the grace year ended. Libba said two words..band camp.

In terms of mythology, Sasha asked Holly how she crafted her fairytale world and what she did for research. Holly talks about Brian Froud and Alan Lee’s book called Faeries and the movie Labyrinth. These frightening and folkloric creatures of nature intrigued her. She did a lot of research on England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I love Brian Froud's work on faeries in general. I highly checking out his works and Amy Brown's.

Hearing from the authors about if they plan the twists and turns before the ending was fascinating. Libba talked about how she doesn't plan at all. She explores the human condition. Libba also mentioned about the project when she says "Help me, Baby Jesus." And the response is "Jesus can't help you." She goes where the series goes and where it takes her. In terms of being a plotter or a panster, Libba mentions how she puts the characters through so much and they go through so much growth. Of course she is panster.

Kim exclaimed that things get worse before they get better. She knew all of her story at once after getting inspired to write The Grace Year. This has never happened before with other novels. She was at Penn Station and noticed a family in front of her. There was a girl who was 13 to 14-years-old. There was a man passing by. He stared at the girl and looked up and down. A woman passed by and she looked at the girl but with a look of sadness. The girl was going back to boarding school. The parents were relieved since the girl was tucked away for a year, keeping her safe. It’s a brutal system. It’s a gut punch. The beginning and ending was written during the trip to DC. “I had to write the book,” Kim said. It was a profound and weird experience but she knew she had to have this story be told.

Sasha asked the panelists about how they feel about backlash when they kill off a character or if they put the character through a tough feat. Sasha talked about how she appreciates the invoking of emotions. Holly feels like a message is being sent in a bottle. She disconnects with sending emotional and angry feelings and how someone receives it.

The authors discussed about what was one thing they wish they knew before they published books. Rory said that she was lazy and said yes a lot to things. She didn’t know what she was getting into. She learned how the brain thinks and how to control her impulse. Sasha exclaimed that she wished she took a public speaking course and she learned that editors don’t edit the whole book for you.

Sasha talked about creativity and asked the authors about “what is something that refilled the creative well beyond your writing?” Sasha mentioned about how she likes to paint. Kim used to be a backup singer in the 80’s. She had Aqua Net hair and she started being a backup singer when she was 16-years-old. Kim fell in love with stories this way. She mentioned about how deep hurts come from young adulthood. It’s the heard of the matter. Everything else are symptoms. Right now, Kim doesn’t sing anymore. She had massive stage fright. She stepped in front to do a showcase and she froze. Normally, she doesn’t see everyone since she is not in the spotlight. Kim exclaimed how living your own life refills the well. She had a lot of life experience and she talking about enjoying yourself. Libba is a frontwoman of a band. She writes and records music. Occasionally she will have some performances. Rory watches TV such as Criminal on Netflix. Holly loves gothic interior decorating.

Sasha had several rounds of lighting speed questions and answers.

1. What is your favorite toothpaste?
Some answers included Sensodyne, Biotene and Tom’s.

2. What is your favorite writing instrument?
Libba: Pen and paper
Kim: Rollerball
Rory: Laptop
Holly: Laptop

3. What is your least favorite word? You cannot use moist.
Libba: Trump!
Kim: Winger
Rory: Fester
Holly: Carbunkle

4. What is your favorite baking dishes?
Libba: Seamless
Kim: Brisk chicken
Rory: Microwave
Holly: Pumpkin bread
Sasha: I can't bake cookies at al.

5. What is your favorite fall snack.
Libba: Pumpkin spice..."souls of my enemies"
Kim: Apples
Rory: Cheez-its
Holly: Coffee

6. Coffee or wine?
Libba: Coffee!
Kim: Coffee!
Rory: Yes!
Holly: Ditto

7. What is your favorite city?
Sasha: London
Libba: Providence...and all 14 that live there.
Kim: Rome
Rory: Edinburgh
Holly: London and Edinburgh

8. What is your least favorite clothing?
Sasha: Socks
Libba: Bra
Kim: Bra
Rory: Tights
Holly: Bra

Sasha asked the authors what they are reading currently or what they just finished reading. Libba mentioned Wilder Girls, Three Women and Middlegame. Holly said Wayward's Son. Sasha then ends her series of questions with, "What is next for you?" Sasha talked about an urban folklore fantasy. Libba said a vampire music musical but she really is working on the last book of the Diviners series, King of Crows. Kim is currently working on two novels. One is adult and one is YA. Both has to do about what ring women together. Rory is working on a new standalone that is coming out in 2020. She describes it as corn of horror and field of nightmares. Holly is finishing up the highly anticipated Queen of Nothing.

Sasha opened up questions to the audience. One reader/teacher mentioned how they are introducing social justice themes into their curriculum for their students. They asked the authors what is one thing you wanted to hear as a 16-year-old? What did you want to know? The authors talked about rules and permission. They are not trying to play by the rules to win because rules aren't set up for us to win. We need to dismantle the system. You don't have to ask for permission to do this.

Someone asked Rory about the integration of girls discovering queerness and the exploration and how that is natural. Rory responds with how it's an important element. It's not just one particular experience. She poses the question, "Do I want to be her or be with her?" Another person wanted to hear Rory talk more about the antagonists vs. protagonists. Rory mentioned, "Everyone is a protagonist in your own story." She loves terrible girls. Rory talks about how the darker parts of a story is acknowledging parts of themselves.

The panel ended with a signing and I was so excited to see Kim again. I saw Kim a couple time back in 2015 at BEA and the Boston Teen Author Festival when Blood and Salt was published. I haven't seen her since and I was ecstatic when she told me she will be around the Boston area in October. Of course, I made sure to block it out on my calendar. It was so great to be able to catch up for a few minutes with Kim and to congratulate her on her 5th published novel! I have been a fan since Blood and Salt, which is her debut novel. Definitely check out all of Kim's novels which include Blood & Salt, The Last Harvest, Heart of Ash, The Unfortunates and The Grace Year.

Belles and Brujas Tour Recap

Although this event recap for the Boston stop for the Belles and Brujas Tour is super late, I finally have this out for all of my readers! Thank you to the Brookline Public Library and Brookline Booksmith for making this amazing event happen. The Boston tour stop occurred on Tuesday, June 5th. The Belles and Brujas tour is celebrating Dhonielle Clayton’s The Belles and Zoraida Córdova’s Bruja Born, both books that were released earlier this year. Also joining the duo include special guests Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, and Sasha Alsberg, co-author of Zenith.

Magic and mayhem are part of the cross-section of books. Dhonielle asks the panelists, what drew them to magic and fantasy? Zoraida mentioned how she is looking for magic to transport into books. If you’re a teen at the age of 14 and you read about a character of the same age doing these incredible things, you have the sense that you can overcome what the character overcomes. Zoraida fell in love with Amelia Atwater’s vampire books when she was a teen. Julie mentions how “fantasy is freedom.” She first fell in love with The Mists of Avalon. Sasha talked about how she always wanted to be an astronomer but she sucks at math. She fell in love with sci-fi and is a big Star Trekkie. Dhonielle said that her dad is a big nerd and loves space opera, comics and that they always went to the bookstore every Saturday. She always loved to read and she escaped reality and things that happened at school through reading. Dhonielle claims, “fantasy is an escape and it’s a place for me find strong women.”

Dhonielle asked the panelists about the strength of their characters. Zoraida describes the Brooklyn Brujas as “Charmed but brown.” Each sister has her own book. The sisters are average girls but they have powers that they don’t know what to do with. Magic comes from them. The magic doesn’t come from romantic love or from others. Magic is inward and it climbs outwards. Dhonielle claims she likes villains more than heroes. Julie always loved fairytales. She rooted for the go-getters for what they want. Julie always wanted to write a story about a woman who has ambition and has a driving force of life. She wanted to write about a woman with agency instead of the pure and the innocent. Sasha and co-author Lindsay Cummings wanted to write about how girls should be in real life. They wanted to break stereotypes of the catty fighting. They both wanted to hone in on close and healthy friendships between females and to turn around the stigma.

In terms of world building, Dhonielle asks, how do you build your world? Sasha wrote three years ago and used a lot of spreadsheets about anything space related. She based it on what is real or what was a theory. Sasha made magic out of them and manipulated concepts. It was a hands on experience creating worlds and she had fun creating a map to figure out how the world will look like. Zoraida made a map in visualize where everything is going to be and worked from there. When Julie was writing book two, Kingdom of a Blazing Phoenix, there is a canon you have to stick to and the world building has to be similar. Dhonielle mentioned that her second book in the Belles series is called Everlasting Rose. Both Dhonielle and Julie agreed world building helps to write the second book. Dhonielle and Sasha often forget something that happened previously in the story during drafting like the spelling of characters' names. Sasha also said that she has dyslexia and spells characters names wrong all the time.

Dhonielle aks the very important question, “do we have the responsibility to tell teens the truth?” Zoraida writes about certain subjects and bridges lines. We should be telling the truth to kids and teens. The difference with kids reading YA compared to adults reading is huge. The teens want to belong to what they read. They want a sense of identity about who they are. Julie agrees with Zoraida and said that teens are going to inherit the world. She doesn’t like how Disney sanitizes fairy tales. Julie wants to show women who are ambitious and power hungry and not wanting a man to save them. Sasha learned a lot from YA and what she read from books when she was in her teens. She wants teens to learn a lot from what she writes as well. Dhonielle wants to “write about teens how they are and not what they should be.” She claims we need to get better telling the truth and not cleaning everything up. Don't give into the pressure and lens to a certain way.

When a question was brought up about whether the authors would want to be a hero or a villain, Sasha and Dhonielle both said villain and Zoraida and Julie answered with hero. There was also a conversation about a Hufflepuff exterior but a Slytherin interior. Sasha asks everyone “would you want your book to be adapted into a play or a musical?” In unison, Julie and Zoraida said musical! They talked about dance numbers and combusting into song. Dhonielle said her books will be dark if it was a musical and opted for the play. Sasha talked about dancing space pirates with a possible Captain Jack Sparrow for her’s. Zoraida then chimes in “ballet?” to Sasha. Another question that was asked was would you be on the always be on the run for seven years or be in jail for years. Julie said jail because she is such a Hufflepuff. Sasha, Dhonielle and Zoraida said on the run. Each author was asked if they would want their book be misspelled or have the cover changed. For some odd reason the conversation shifted to alpacas smiling to corgis. Zoraida even mentioned how Eric Smith is a corgi king!

Back to more serious questions, what has added to help grow the genre in regarding how adults gravitate toward YA. Zoraida writes about death a lot because when you are older, you think more about mortality. Teens often feel immortal. Dhonielle mentioned how lately YA caters to the nostalgic teen experience and that is why we need to write more about the truth. She would like to see more teens at book events and in signing lines. One of the issues is the structure of books. We need to change that. She says that we need to change the structure for teens to get books. Dhonielle hopes YA books will find a way to make it into school and class syllabi. We need fresh voices. Teens want books about drama, kisses, witches and more. She believes that there should be new classics read in school and no more Mice and Men type of books. Julie writes for herself but she writes for teens. She writes about destiny vs. choice. Sasha a in-between. She is not a teen but not quite an adult. At age 18, she was writing for herself. She believes that literature is universal.

In terms of reading, Dhonielle described how Holly Black’s books “creates new experiences.” She loved “following into the woods.” Zoraida hated reading until she was 13. Librarians and teachers always told her to read The House on Mango Street or How the Garcias Lost Their Accents. Zoraida claims, “I love reading myths and I wanted to create my own myths.” A question was asked regarding the research for world building. Dhonielle said she did research on the beauty industry for months before creating a loose outline for The Belles. Zoraida talks about her Brooklyn Brujas series and how there is no handbook for what she is writing about. However, there are superstitions which she researched. She also looked up the Day of the Dead and made sure she doesn’t replicate certain things. She claims, “I figured out what I wanted to avoid when researching in order to create my own world.” Julie is a plotter. When she has enough research to create a book bible, then she writes the book. She read and watched a lot about the Silk Road for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. Sasha used a spreadsheet and did a lot of research on current Celtic mythology that isn’t quite mainstream. She also did a lot of fact checking. Sasha mentioned how she loves watching documentaries and that “it’s so fascinating and so different.”

I had a great time and the turn out was pretty decent. It was nice to see a variety of different authors and different genres. A lot of book swag was handed out and there were a couple of raffles at the event. I love how the event was taken place in the teen room at the library. There was plenty of time to meet the authors and to chat with them and of course to get books signed.