Lara Zielin

I do not spell good. But, see, there’s this place that wants to help people spell good, and write good, and learn to do other things good, too. And it’s not even out of Zoolander. It’s real.

It’s called 826michigan.

And they are having an epic spelling battle. I am not participating (see above: spelling, no good). But Rob is participating. And so is our friend Jim Ottaviani. They are a team.

The thing is, even if they don’t spell good, they can cheat. That is, if they raise enough money. The more money they raise, the more they can cheat.

You can help them by clicking here and donating. They’re trying to raise $826 and, well, like the come-from-behind duo they are, they could use a little help.

Will you help them spell and help kids develop a love of books and reading through 826michigan? I really can’t think of a better cause than that.

Even that little piglet wearing rain boots that’s all over the internet wants you to donate.

Thanks, and if you want to catch the event live, it’s at Woodruff’s Bar in Ypsilanti on March 30, starting at 7:00 P.M.

A-w-e-s-u-m.

Man, can I just say — there is SO much good young adult (YA) fiction out there! Hoo boy. The quality of everything I read just keeps going up and up and up. I love it. Here are a couple of YA books I’ve read recently that I wished would never end:

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr. The first sentence of the back jacket copy starts: I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy’s Buick …

The novel was a National Book Award finalist, and little wonder. The main character, Deanna, is raw and tough and still likable, which is no mean feat. The story represented a snapshot of Deanna’s life at a crossroads, and I loved how the author showed her wrestling with obligations toward family, with her reputation as the town’s slut, and with believing something better was out there for her. Zarr is officially my hero — and Deanna, too.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The main character, Sam, is smart, pretty, popular — and shrugs at her easy good fortune. Things are sometimes hard for people. They’re not hard for her. That’s just how it is.

Sam isn’t aware of how her life impacts others until she relives the day she dies again and again — sort of like Groundhog Day but much, much deeper. The way Sam becomes alive through dying is beautiful and heart-wrenching. I read this book in one solitary sitting. And it’s not exactly a slight tome. It’s YA lit at its best.

On my to-read list? Well, there’s never a shortage of books there, but here’s a snapshot:

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

What books have you read/loved lately, and what’s on your reading list?

When I was a kid, my parents would drag me to yard sales, flea markets, swap meets, antique stores — you name it — and the whole time, I’d be miserable. I’d pout, roll my eyes, fume, and vow never, never to do this when I had a choice in the matter.

(For the record, I also vowed to serve only the blueberry muffin batter when I was old enough to host my own Thanksgiving, because the batter was oh-so-much better than the baked version.)

Little did I know in both cases that my tastes would change. Dramatically.

Now, other people’s junk is my treasure. Things I love to find at a yard sale include:

Art and art-related stuffs. We have an old frame we found at a sale last summer and hung it on the wall with a decal (acquired on Etsy) behind it. LOVE.

Things I can rehab. This candelabra was a junky mess that I got for $4. I polished up the wood and painted the metal gold, then added some hanging crystals. Booyah.

Little things. I love little things. Tiny bowls. Bitty animals. The littler the better. Here is a tiny Noritake salt bowl, a little hand-painted plate, and a wee iron pig — all from garage sales or Treasure Mart. Cuuuute!

Lord knows Rob and I don’t need more stuff, but a good, old find is a treasure indeed.

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: The cheese underground! It’s an artisan cheese site by a Wisconsin native, and the site even offers a 2011 artisan cheese-maker calendar. I need to be best friends with Jeanne. Like, now.

Rob and I recently watched the Joan Rivers documentary, A Piece of Work, and it got me thinking about hustle. At 77, Joan’s still hustling, trying to get work, to promote herself, and to attain a level of success that she feels she hasn’t yet achieved. My comedic hero, Kathy Griffin, was interviewed for the Joan Rivers documentary, and Kathy herself has talked at length about hustle: about busting her butt to put up her own fliers, to promote herself, to get any work she can, to try and get a leg up in the industry. For a long time, it didn’t work — for both Kathy and Joan. But doors did open up for them eventually, though it’s certainly been a tough road.

In that sense, I do believe there’s a tipping point at which hustle pays off. Where, if you post enough fliers and send out enough postcards and make enough phone calls and craft enough YouTube videos, your name does land on tongues a bit more easily. And that can continue to build with a snowball effect of sorts.

But, as Rob and I were discussing our own careers, we also both agreed that hustle sometimes has a different payoff than what you expect. For example, Rob busted his butt and hustled for years trying to make it as a filmmaker (all while holding down a day job). After a time, neither his day job nor his movie career were taking off. And yet he was full of hustle. Eventually, the skills he garnered from his hustle translated to a new job, which he loves. His hustle eventually opened doors for him — and helped him redefine what success meas vis-a-vis his movie pursuits. Hustle didn’t have the rewards he thought it would have (i.e. an Oscar and a red-carpet debut) — but it still had rewards. And he’s still hard at work on film pursuits, they just have a little bit different shape than they did before.

Me, I’m not a best-selling author, despite major hustle for my last book. I’m still not besties with Meg Cabot, and Stephen King doesn’t know my cell number. I don’t have fan emails cluttering my inbox.

Even so, I’ll hustle again for THE IMPLOSION OF AGGIE WINCHESTER  and we’ll see what happens. I’ll still probably show up at library events where they’ve forgotten I’m coming and haven’t publicized it; I’ll probably walk into bookstore signings where they stick me at a table in a corner and ignore me; I will probably get slammed in some reviews. But I won’t give up. I don’t know what the payoff will be, but I know that there’s value in hard work and hustle. It might not be what I think (i.e. shopping for Fluevogs with Jennifer Weiner) but it will be something nonetheless. And maybe something better than what I could have imagined in the first place.

So, you know those apps that tell you the name of the song you’re listening to? TitleWOW is like that … but for books. It’s a billion-dollar, can’t-lose idea. For sure.

(Nah nah, James Frey.)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! It’s my favorite holiday. I love the stuffing and potatoes and turkey, but I don’t want to forget all the things in the world to be grateful for. Because there are so many of them! In fact, here’s ten:

10.) A job I love. It’s true, I often struggle with how to work full time and find time to write, but at the end of the day I really love what I do Monday through Friday. University of Michigan alumni are the best, and it’s an honor to write about them — not to mention the students and faculty at the academy. Go Blue!

9.) Ypsilanti. When I first moved to Michigan, all I heard about was how Ypsilanti was Ann Arbor’s lackluster, hard-up neighbor. I never could have guessed that Rob and I would move here and LOVE it. The community, the people, our house — it’s all wonderful. Ypsilanti is a gem, and I’m so glad we live here.

8.) My parents. My mom and dad are ridiculously generous people that make sure Rob and I know, all the time, how much they love us. They never come for a visit empty handed; they never leave without asking when they can see us again. I’m super lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

7.) My agent. Omg. My agent. She is so unbelievably cool. Please understand that I have a new book idea, like, every five minutes. In addition to all the young-adult stuff, my agent has talked me through writing romance, nonfiction, children’s books … no matter what hair-brained notion gets stuck in my craw, she’s always there to support me and help me work it out. She’s rock solid, thoughtful, and she believes in me. LOVE her.

6.) People I’ve never met. This has been the year of meeting awesome people through Facebook and Twitter. I wrote a guest post about it over on my friend Colleen’s blog, focusing on my friend Scott, who has been a huge inspiration to me. There’s also my buddy Neil Shurley — we share a love of donuts, writing, and we even have the same birthday.  I have never met these folks — not in person, anyway — but my life has been so, so enriched by them.

5.) Writing success. Five years ago, I’m not sure I would have believed you if you’d told me that I would sign contracts for multiple books, get an article published in Writer’s Digest (coming out next month!) and start a successful business helping writers get closer to their publication dreams. Not to mention hold down a day job where I write and edit all the time. I am doing what I love day in and day out. And I’m still stunned that it’s going so awesomely well. Someone pinch me!

4.) Amos. The worst beagle ever has taught me a lot about life and love. You can read more about that here. He makes me grit my teeth and want to scream, but he also brings me joy. And I’m thankful for that.

3.) Julia Collins and Ypsi Studio. Oh man, where do I start with this one? I have been so inspired — and transformed — by connecting with awesome women at my gym. I blogged about why I love the place a few months ago. I never would have guessed that in 2010, I’d run two 10k’s, complete a duathlon, finish the Detroit half marathon, and STILL want to get up and run at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Thank you, Ypsi Studio!

2.) Fearless friends. Man, 2010 has been the year of people going through some tough times. Many of our closest friends have faced obstacles that would fell lesser people. I’ve been amazed at how those around us have not been afraid of the dark times, and have faced demons — both within and without — with courage that continually amazes me. I’m so proud to call these people my friends.

1.) Rob. So, as I type this? Rob is in the kitchen making stuffing and singing a little song he made up with lyrics that go, “I like to cook for my girl…” Next to me is a cup of coffee he poured. Across the table is the amazing birthday present he surprised me with. At times, I hardly fathom how on earth I ended up with the greatest guy in the history of EVER. Rob makes me laugh, fills my life with joy and happiness, and he makes my life better each and every day.

I didn’t even have room on my list for drum lessons, cheese, health insurance, good books … I could go on and on. But it all comes down to one thing, really: Pretty much, I’m the luckiest person ever.

Heidi Kling is here! Heidi is the author of the gorgeous, romantic, and totally captivating young-adult novel Sea. I was given an advance reader’s copy of Sea and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Here’s the synopsis  and review from Booklist:

“I’m sitting alone on the other side of the world talking to a sea turtle that might be my mom.” So begins Kling’s debut novel, the story of 15-year-old Sienna (Sea to her friends), who lost her mother three years earlier when her plane disappeared over the Indian Ocean. Her body was never found, and Sienna secretly believes she could still be alive. Joining her father’s psychiatric team helping child victims of the 2004 tsunami, she spends two weeks in an Indonesian refugee camp where she meets the gorgeous and enigmatic Deni, with whom she has an instant connection and a bittersweet romance. Kling blends facts about Indonesian culture and the wake of the tsunami with a lyrical story of loss and daring to love again. The evocative cover art (a couple silhouetted against watery blue tiles) and exotic locale will attract readers, although the cultural details sometimes lack elegant exposition. Sienna’s loss, newfound courage and eventual acceptance of the changes in her life ring true in the satisfying and wholly believable first-person narrative.

Heidi generously stopped by Larawrites to answer a couple questions about her novel. If you’d like to read said amazing book, I’m  giving away my copy of Sea to one lucky commenter!

And now, without further ado, here’s my short but sweet Q&A with Heidi!

Larawrites: Your fictional tale is based in a very real tragedy, the 2004 tsunami. Did you yourself do relief work overseas and is that how you came to understand the tragedy so closely?

Heidi Kling: I didn’t. My husband did. I wrote a long article about it for Spellbinders, a literary magazine for teachers, librarians, and parents, check it out here:

http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-november-issue-and-book-giveaway.html

Larawrites: [*Inches closer, gets up in Heidi's business*] Sea experiences an intense reaction to a boy (Deni) at first sight. Did you write this from personal experience at all?

Heidi Kling: Of course. Am I going to share? No way.

Larawrites: [*backs off reluctantly*] Fair enough. But because I have to ask: If Sea were any kind of donut, which kind would she be and why?

Heidi Kling: I think Sienna would be a powdered donut. She’s sweet, but not too sweet. Pretty but not overly made up. Deni would be a glazed. Delicious, so-soft inside and out. Spider would be rainbow sprinkles because you just want to dig in and don’t mind the sprinkles falling all over you. Because you wanted to know about the boys too, right?

Larawrites: Totally! I totally did!

Heidi Kling: Thanks for hosting this, Lara!

Larawrites: Thank you, awesome author Heidi Kling, for stopping by. And readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win Sea!

I’m so excited! It’s here! It’s Youth Literacy Day!

I could sit here and tell you in great detail how my local 826michigan organization helps teens read, write, and develop a love for words — and do they ever. But, curiously, they do the same thing for me, too. It’s true! I have adored being involved in this organization as a volunteer, and each time I’m there, I walk away more and more pumped about anything having to do with literacy and the printed word.

Which is to say, when you celebrate Youth Literacy Day today, and I know you will, it’s not just about kids. It’s about communities, and impacting people on every level — volunteers, parents, teachers, the whole ball of wax.

The 826 organizations do amazing work. Please help them today by clicking here to donate $8.26 through PayPal or text the word WRITE to 20222 for a one-time donation of $10.

Thanks for celebrating 826 on 8/26!

Did you know that on Youth Literacy Day — this Thursday, 8/26 — you can text “WRITE” to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $10?

It’s true! You can!

And how easy is that? You can support youth literacy just by texting. I swear, technology is so awesome sometimes.

You may ask yourself, how did I get here Lara, why are you so invested in youth literacy?

To which I would reply that a picture is worth a thousand words. Thusly, I give you this:

Let me tell you, this fascinating little tome, which I penned in second grade, ends really well.

Which is all to say I’ve been writing and reading since before I could do much anything else, and it’s become something I’m passionate about — professionally, personally, and just generally. David Eggers put it best when he recently said “More than ever before, a young person’s success is inextricably tied to their ability to express their ideas clearly and powerfully.” Celebrating Youth Literacy Day helps show support for helping kids do just that.

Look, the stuff we write might not always be amazing …

… but it doesn’t have to be. It just has to be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

Will you help support Youth Literacy Day? Follow @826michigan on Twitter or visit www.826on826.org to learn more!

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUTH LITERACY DAY? <– If you say this like the guy says “Are you ready for some football?” on the NFL commercials, it’s really exciting.

Youth Literacy Day is this Thursday, 8/26, and will celebrate the power of reading, writing, and self expression. 826 organizations, founded by David Eggers, are heading up the charge for Youth Literacy Day by asking people to support the 826 chapters in their city.

I’m getting behind this because I know firsthand how books can forever impact kids and teens. I grew up in a small Wisconsin town but I don’t believe I limited myself because I saw so many possibilities in the pages of the novels I was always reading. Books infused me with the passion to become a writer — something they still do, in fact. Growing up, when I didn’t have any friends — something I experienced more often than I would have liked — I always had literary characters who, even if they couldn’t leap off the pages and talk to me, at least were often going through similar things.

Can you support Teen Literacy by donating $8.26 on 8/26 through www.826on826.org?

Need more convincing? No worries. I’m making this Youth Literacy Week on Larawrites.com, so I’m all about sharing the youth literacy love until this awesome organization has all the money they need.