THE FRACTURED KEYBOARD: October 2014

Thursday, October 23, 2014

I asked PANDEMIC author, Yvonne Ventresca, to stop by and share some contagious facts about her book.

What is the title and genre of your book and a quick tag line?

Pandemic is a young adult novel published in May 2014 by Sky Pony Press. During a deadly contagious outbreak, one teenage girl must face disease, death, and her personal demons in order to survive.

Is this your first book? Second? Third. . .? (Feel free to list them all.)

Pandemic was my debut novel. I’ve also written two nonfiction books for teens: Avril Lavigne (a biography of the singer) and Publishing (about careers in the field).

(You can find more info on Yvonne's books here.)

Who is the intended audience for this book and why do you think they should read it?

Pandemic is for people ages 12+ who like survival stories. With Ebola in the news, Pandemic gives readers a way to think about a contagious disease in a fictional world. School Library Journal said, "This is an engrossing apocalyptic story, told through Lil’s eyes and newsfeeds as her neighborhood, then the East Coast, and finally the entire U.S. buckles to its knees as the pandemic spreads. . . . Themes of friendship and coming together in a crisis carry the novel."

What is your favorite thing about the main character?

Lilianna is resilient and good-hearted.

Where did the idea for this book spring from?

I find natural disasters and contagious diseases particularly worrisome, so these types of unpredictable situations have always been on my radar. When the Swine Flu pandemic occurred in 2009, it wasn’t particularly lethal, but it did make me wonder. What if a virus was extremely contagious and caused a high death rate? And what if a teen girl had to survive the outbreak on her own?

Tell us an unknown fact about the book.

Mr. B (the antagonist) was originally called Mr. D. During Pandemic’s final edits, my son switched to a school with a principal named Dr. D. Since the character is an evil man, I thought it would be wise to change the name. J

Tell us a little bit about you.

I grew up on Long Island and now live in New Jersey with my husband, two teens, two dogs, and some random fish. I write from home and am currently working on a psychological thriller set in Hoboken.

Give us a strange but true fact about you.

After attending an SCBWI conference and presenting a draft of Pandemic’s first page for critique, I returned home from the weekend with a horrible case of the flu. (The irony!) I took notes afterward and used parts of my delirium in later chapters of Pandemic.

If you could meet one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

When I’m not writing, I study karate. (You can learn more about my martial arts journey here.) I would love to go back in time and meet Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshinryu karate.

If your main character could meet one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Lilianna would want to meet the head of the CDC so she could learn the latest news about contagious diseases.

Thanks for stopping by Yvonne!

To connect with Yvonne:

Website www.YvonneVentresca.com

Blog www.yvonneventresca.com/blog.html

Facebook www.facebook.com/yvonneventrescaauthor

Twitter twitter.com/YvonneVentresca

Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/317481.Yvonne_Ventresca

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/yvonneventresca

To buy Pandemic:

Indiebound www.indiebound.org/book/9781628736090

Amazon www.amazon.com/Pandemic-Yvonne-Ventresca/dp/1628736097

Barnes and Noble www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pandemic-yvonne-ventresca/1116107728?ean=9781628736090

Powells www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781628736090-0

Books A Million www.booksamillion.com/p/Pandemic/Yvonne-Ventresca/9781628736090

Book Depository www.bookdepository.com/Pandemic-Yvonne-Ventresca/9781628736090

Chapters www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/pandemic/9781628736090-item.html

In person events:

October 26, 2014, Sunday, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
NJ Association of School Librarians Fall Conference
Authors' Alley
Long Branch, NJ

October 30, 2014, Thursday, 7:00 pm
Tour de Noir Author signing with Jennifer Murgia, Lisa Amowitz, Cyn Balog, Molly Cochran, Janice Gable Bashman, Dianne Salerni, Jessica Verday, Yvonne Ventresca and Elizabeth Keim.
Barnes & Noble, Easton, PA

November 1st and 2nd, 2014, Saturday and Sunday
NJ SCBWI Fall Craft Weekend, Faculty
Workshop: Revision Resources--Tools to Analyze Your Manuscript
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
Saturday Craft Day is *free* to SCBWI members, but registration is required.

November 15, 2014, Saturday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Author Day at the Hillsborough Library
Hillsborough Public Library, Hillsborough, NJ

December 13, 2014, Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Mary Jacobs Library Foundation Book Fest
Barnes & Noble, Princeton, NJ

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Available Manuscripts

THE LITTLE ELEPHANT KEEPER -New!

Historical Fiction Picture Book

Ages 4-8 450 Words

Eleven year old Hattie Snyder loved animals. Lucky for her, her father was head zookeeper at the Central Park Zoo. Instead of just kittens and puppies, Hattie had access to all sorts of exotic creatures. But her favorite was a young elephant who seemed to understand every word Hattie said. . .

BUSTER WON'T WEAR BOWS - New!

Picture Book

Ages 4-8 565 Words

Meet Buster. He is big and boisterous and all dog. Unfortunately, his manners are atrocious and he manufactures more drool than a hungry camel! So when his owner tries to teach him to behave more like Jazi, her neighbor’s designer dog, she learns the hard way that Buster can’t help being buster, but that isn’t always a bad thing. . .

EXTREME MAKEOVER; GRIZZLY EDITION - New!

Rhyming Picture Book

Ages 4-8 500 words

A mean and grungy grizzly bear is heading home from a night of wreaking terror on his neighbors when a clever squirrel convinces him he is in need of a makeover. Does this squirrel have the bear’s welfare in mind or is there an ulterior motive?

FROSTBITE - New!

Picture Book

Ages 4-8 600 Words

Snowflake Lane is a fun and safe place to live if you're a snowman. But then the Stokers move into the neighborhood and little Bram makes a front yard snowman of his own. But instead of a corncob pipe and a button nose, this guy's got icicle fangs and doesn't cast a shadow! Now the other snowmen are shivering in their snowballs and it isn't because of the cold. Will Snowflake Lane ever feel safe again?

LAINEY'S EXASPERATING DAY

Picture Book

Ages 4-8 280 words

To her dismay, Lainey is having one of those days! But as flustered as she is, you can bet Mom & family have her beat. Is it there any way this terrible day could have a happy ending? With this kid, anything is possible!

CHEZ BUG

Picture Book w/ Non-Fiction Elements & Buggy Facts

Ages 4-10 735 words including sidebar info

Ever wonder what bugs eat? Take a tour of Chez Bug with the ever unpopular hostess, Miss Skito, and find out what the coolest insects are munching.

THIS ISN'T MY NEST!

Picture Book w/ Non-Fiction elements

Ages 4-10 480 Words

Not all birds make normal run-of-the-mill nests. Did you know the nest of the Grebe floats on water and the Pink Flamingo lays her eggs on a mound of mud that looks like a clay pot? Follow Baby Hummingbird as he tries out many "unique" bird homes before he stumbles upon the smallest one of all.

A HOME FOR EVERY CREATURE

Non-Fiction Picture Book

Ages 4-8 265 Words

A home can be below the ground, high in a tree, or anywhere in between. Animals find comfort in the strangest places. Where do you like to snuggle?

THE GUMBALL

Rhyming Picture Book

Ages 4-10 305 Words

No child can ignore the allure of that brightly colored gumball machine. But what happens when that coveted orb of chewy sweetness bounces away? Why, you chase it of course!

CAN YOU SAY MAMA?

Picture Book/Board Book

Ages 0-4 80 Words

When mother uses moments from her daily routine to try and coax baby to say “Mama,” the child has other ideas. Eventually, Daddy arrives home and baby’s cute little gurgles and coos finally form a word. . .

MILLA'S MIDNIGHT SCHOOL

Historical Fiction Picture Book

Ages 4-10 750 words

In a time when it was illegal to teach slaves to read or write, Milla Granson, opened a secret school in the dark of night. A slave herself, Milla risked her own punishment to make a difference for her people.

CASSIE AT THE BAT

Historical Fiction Picture Book

Ages 4-10 510 words

In 1974 girls won the fight to play Little League Baseball. But that was only the beginning of their battle. . .

WESLEY ASKS WHY

Picture Book

Ages 0-4 350 words

When little Wesley begins discovering the wonders of the world around him the word "why" streams out of him like water from a garden hose. Mother patiently answers all his questions until he finally stumps her with the most important one of all. “Why do you love me so much?” This time, her actions, more than her words, convey the answer.

JUST JUSTIN

Picture Book

Ages 4-8 400 words

It’s the first day of school and Justin is determined not to show up looking like everybody else. When Mom lays out his clothes he takes one look at himself in the mirror and declares, “Boring!” Then, with an imagination bigger than he is, this little guy proves that no matter how he looks on the outside, inside he is still just Justin.

WHAT'S IN LITTLE MEADOW CREEK?

Historical Fiction Picture Book

Ages 4-8 650 words

Nearly 50 years before the Sutter's Mill incident, a young boy finds a pretty yellow stone in the creek on his family's farm and brings it home where it is used as a doorstop. Eventually, curiosity spurs him into action, thus beginning our Nation’s first gold rush!

LT. DIXON'S LUCKY CHARM

Magazine Article/Historical Fiction

Ages 8-12 770 words

When the city of Charleston is bombarded with cannon fire from a Yankee ship nestled in it’s harbor, Lt. Dixon comes to the rescue. Armed with a brave crew of eight men, a rudimentary submarine (which has already sunk twice,) and a lucky gold piece, Dixon pilots his way into history.

Works in Progress

WHITE TRASH

(Formerly known as BLOOD TIES)

(In Revision Process)

Young Adult Novel

All Talon Cooey really wants is a normal family and the chance to play baseball for the Wakebridge High team. Instead, his father is in jail, his mother is an alcoholic and his little brother is a pint-sized Goth freak. Life ain't easy when you're sixteen and the only responsible one in your family. Yet when dad calls from prison begging for money to stop a death threat, what's a kid to do? As Talon's whole world falls apart, it becomes clear dad may not be the only target. Being the son of a drug-addicted loser may offer more than simple emotional torture.

THE LOCKET

Middle Grade Novel

When Josie finds a like-new diary with only two entries in it hidden in a false bottom of an old dresser, she unwittingly releases the spirit of it's distraught owner. Desperate to right a wrong, this prim little ghost and her determined, modern-day friend begin a search for the truth.

CAN I KEEP IT?

Picture Book

Mattie Rose just wants a pet. So why is mom so upset when she brings a few animals home?

THE FRACTURED KEYBOARD

Thursday, October 23, 2014

I asked PANDEMIC author, Yvonne Ventresca, to stop by and share some contagious facts about her book.

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