Aggie portraits revealed!

So, Blog, last time you remember I shared about my long term yearning to acquire illustrated versions of the characters from my novel Aggie's Nine Heroes.

And you also know that I semi-miraculously stumbled upon the perfect artist for this task, one Anna Rettberg.

Well, Anna outdid herself, and without further ado, here's the crew:

Can I get a crazed SQUEE? C'mon Blog, let it out--you need to with all this awesomeness!

Close inspection will reveal to you that there are little flecks on the image. That's because, although the final rendering is digital, Anna began by drawing each figure with pencil. I love that she left in the flecks for authenticity! She scanned the drawings and then worked in Photoshop to outline, color and shade them.

Okay, now let's let the readers take a closer look at each of the characters in this little slide show below. Who's the hottest guy? (*cough* Jason *cough*) And who could possibly be more adorable than Aggie, huh? Don't you just dig Brandon's fabulous smile? And Glenda's terrific hair? Lucas's elfin good looks, Nita's curves, and the complete charm of Bernie?

Are they not, as I sometimes say, on beyond zebra? I can't get enough of looking at them. Okay, let's just take one more view, the way I'm going to do the 30" x 10" print that is going on the wall at Magic House:

Wow. Just wow.

Will I be sharing a photo of the art on the wall once I have it? Oh c'mon, Blog--what do you think?

All my thanks to Anna, and yes as I say this I am bowing down "I'm not worthy" style. She's the best.

UPDATE 4/19: Anna is now offering prints of the illustration in her online shop! If you'd like to order one, go here.

I wanna see my characters SO BAD!

Aggie, by me

So, Blog, here's the deal: When you're a fiction author, and privileged with the power to create characters, sometimes you become pretty fond of them. Now imagine knowing and liking a bunch of friends that you will never see with your own eyes, not even in photos. I'm sure lots of writers deal with this okay, but me? Well, it makes me bonkers, and not in the good way.

Case in point is the title character in my latest novel, Aggie's Nine Heroes. She's a bright, earnest, philanthropic young girl, as determined as she is cute. I wish I could see her. Not just Aggie, but her team of nine friends and family, everyone of them unique and special.

Complicating this is the fact that all my life I've wanted to be a cartoonist/ illustrator. Cartoon depictions of the A9H gang would be perfect, Blog, because Aggie, her grandpa Bernie, and her best guy friend Brandon are all comic book fans. I could almost see how they should all look...just enough to make me nuts, and far short of being able to capture on paper.

W-I-P cover, by me

Which did not stop me from trying. I did the above cartoon of Aggie, festooned in her beloved hot pink hula hoop. Not bad for someone who sucks at illustration--but of course nothing like I wish I could do.

Early on in writing the book, I developed a work-in-progress cover which I cobbled together in Photoshop in a most complicated fashion. It did give me a sort of feel for Aggie, her teen-in-the-90s casualness, her air of independence and self-reliance. Another feeble stab...

Aggie, by Katie

For a long time now, my cover designs have been done by my daughter, Katie Nelson, who clearly got her illustration genes from her father and is a professional graphic artist. Katie flattered me by basing her cover on my W-I-P one, and she did a fine job turning Aggie into a silhouette/cartoon hybrid.

Her execution of the silhouettes of the team of nine was also boffo. I don't know how she does this stuff.

The Nine Heroes, by Katie

So, that made for an awesome book cover, but I couldn't get over my crazy craving to somehow see my ten fictional buddies turned into cartoons. Thus it festered inside me for months, until one fateful day....

Via Facebook, I was introduced to an illustration of a bunch of TV characters hanging out together at a cocktail party. I took one look at the depictions of personal faves like Sheldon, Mr. Spock, Walter from Breaking Bad, House, and the rest...and I went completely bonkers, in the good way. When I checked out the blog of the artist, one Anna Rettberg, I went bonkers in the good way all over again.

This was my illustrator.

Aggie, by Anna

Seeing as Anna's TV illustration was in the process of going viral, I wasted no time emailing her at once. In spite of being on the verge of college graduation and suddenly in the limelight, she was happy to agree to a commission! It was really happening! My SQUEE must have thundered across the entire Midwest, Blog. I sent her Katie's art and my notes on the ten characters, and prepared to wait for the line art for my review.

It was only a few days later when the astonishingly speedy Anna emailed me a 4 MB file, which, when opened by my trembling hand on the mouse, revealed the line art of Aggie and her crew. My cat Cody was sitting in front of the monitor, and who knows what he thought when his mistress began to sob and laugh simultaneously.

They were perfect!

How can I possibly explain the experience of seeing on the screen these ten characters who before lived only shadily in my mind's eye...and yet now were so perfectly, spot-on recognizable? This was, without doubt, a Top Ten Moment in my life, Blog. Bonkers in the BEST way!

For now I will share here just the image of Aggie Borkowski, with her hula hoop. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I'll be clicking on another file in another email from Anna, and seeing the ten in full color.

Plan now on me not getting anything else done on that day, Blog. And plan now on seeing it yourselves, readers, as soon as it comes into my possession!

Aggie FTW! (Hollywood Book Festival, that is)

Awesome news, Blog...and I couldn't wait to share it! The Hollywood Book Festival just announced the 2011 winners of its book competition, and Aggie's Nine Heroes won honorable mention in the Fiction book category. And they say it was a huge field of competitors this year!

Winners are chosen based on the author's storytelling ability (blush, blush) and the book's deserving  recognition by the film, television, game and multimedia communities.

So far Aggie is one-for-one in book competitions, so let's hope this will encourage more people to find out what makes it such a great book. Hey, don't take the author's word for it...ask the judges! :-)

Five reasons to get yourself Aggie, some of which are weird

Blog, I'm sure our readers have gotten the idea now that I'm releasing a new novel. ("Oh, you mean from the constant posts mentioning it and the character guest blog and all that? No, who knew?!?") Well, the time has come for them to pay the awful price of following this blog and listen to the official pitch...because the book is now out and available in paperback and ebook (Kindle, nook, Kobo, pdf, etc.) from your favorite online retailers!

No, not your favorite online retailers, Blog...the readers'. Track with me here.

Oh, and here's the final cover design for you all too!

What's the book about? A young girl determined to realize her dream of creating a real-life team of heroes. Her awesome grandfather, and his sometimes terrifying/sometimes wonderful "handicap." Life growing up in the 80s and 90s. Figuring out what love is. A trio of winsome computer hackers. A Care Bear named Bono. Helping others to triumph over mean corporations and crappy luck. A snowman dressed like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Wow, Blog...it sure sounds like a good book.

But why should each and every one of our bizillion several readers get a copy? Here are a mere five reasons why....

1. It just came out and already the rave are rolling in:

Hey, we just love "inspirational and entertaining ride," don't we, Blog? Thanks, J. Brown, for the five stars!

2.  You'll become part of Aggie's heroic team. That's because all proceeds of the book go to support Kiva.org in its microlending to deserving, underprivileged entrepreneurs around the world.

3.  It teaches some excellent life lessons and also has attractive guys in it. Both important elements to the female reader, don't you know, Blog.

4.  It includes computers, comic book references, martial arts, and hot chicks. Guy stuff because A9H is not just for females.

5.  Aggie's here in comic-book form to invite you herself! Yep, I drew this portrait of the heroine as a comic book character (because she grew up a comics fan like her Grampa)... and how can you resist that face, right?

I rest my case. So, just how can you obtain your copy? Visit the official Aggie's Nine Heroes page where you'll find purchase links to a bunch of online bookstores, including current prices.

Thanks from me, the Heroes, and Kiva.org for your support!

Having trouble finishing what you start?

This is Nita Zayas, one of the members of Aggie’s Nine Heroes (Diana’s upcoming novel), and I’m delighted to be guest blogging today. Blog, I’m told you have some questions for me on the subject of how to reach closure with your projects. Project management is a specialty of mine, as you’ll learn from the book when you read how I got on the team. So let’s get started!

Blog: It’s really great, being an anthropomorphized non-entity such as myself, to talk with an imaginary person such as YOURself, Nita! First question:  What’s your best suggestion to people who have a lot of trouble finishing projects?

Nita: The best way to prevent Epic Project Fail is to do some “likelihood analysis” before you even begin. Ask yourself honestly, what are the odds you will bring this project to fruition? Set aside the reasons why you’re thinking of doing this thing: because you feel obligated, because someone else did it and was a success, because it would bring a result you really badly want. Ignore all that and focus...do you honestly have the time, money, resources, motivation and talent to get to the end? Because time spent on a project with only a 50/50 chance of completion is, frankly, wasted time. And it’s time, energy and resources you could be using to actually finish something else.

Blog: So is it always a bad idea to try something new?

Nita: Not at all.  There’s nothing wrong with taking a chance now and then, trying something new that you aren’t sure you can do. But limit those experiments and recognize them for what they are. Watch carefully for the point at which you’ve proven you can’t take the project any further successfully, call it a learning experience, and move on.

Blog: Okay, let’s say you’ve done a “likelihood analysis” and really feel this project is something you can carry through to the finish. What’s the next important step?

Nita: It’s really important to develop a complete plan, not just plunge in. Make a complete list of what you’ll need for the project and either obtain it all or make sure you can within the required time frame. And speaking of, make sure you have a time frame. Set a definite deadline and swear to yourself you will keep it. Think through all the steps to completion, and make task lists. Determine, based on your deadline, task deadlines along the way. And make sure you stick to them.

Blog: Are deadlines really so important?

Nita: If you just want to dabble or play around, and don’t care about ending up with a specific deliverable, no.  But if you’re serious about project completion, then you need to plan for more than just the final deadline. I know some people work best under pressure, but the people with the best project completion success rate, work to avoid pressure. Pressure can be motivational, sure...but it is also an added obstacle.

Blog: This sounds like it would be hard for some people. Aren’t distractions natural? I mean, so your deadline is to have the dresser stripped by Saturday evening, but then a friend calls and wants to go for coffee.  Can’t there be some flexibility?

Nita: Definitely. Which is why another key to project success is building in a lot of wiggle room. Estimate how long it will take you to complete your project and then build in an extra 33%. If you know you’re the kind who lives an impromptu life, make that 50%, or even more. That way you can shift task deadlines but still stick to the overall time frame.

Blog: Well, that works. Is there a particular attitude that will especially improve your success rate?

Nita: There sure is. Be the Boss of You. I mean, you need an internal voice that will crack the whip. That internal boss has to have a strong conviction that the project needs to reach closure. S/he is motivated to get the final result, so will tell you “DVR that show for later, get the dresser stripped first.” And this goes back to my first piece of advice: If you don’t want the end result badly enough, recognize that up front and don’t do the project. You’re going to need to rely upon your desire for completion to keep you going till the end.

Blog: But what about the projects you’re forced to do, but don’t want to? How do you find motivation for those?

Nita: With those sort of projects, I look at the final goal as “Not Having to Work on This Anymore.” I picture how nice it will be to have the job behind me, not to be fretting about it or dreading it. I focus on that rather than the distasteful project itself. Actually, negative motivation like this can make a person even more efficient than the positive kind!

Blog: Makes sense. What do you suggest for people who find themselves overwhelmed by too many projects?

Nita: I recommend that you never commit to more than five projects at once, tops. Three if they’re large ones. If you’re at that limit, don’t even entertain the idea of starting something new until you’ve completed something old. If you must take on the new project for some reason, then choose your least important ongoing one and mentally table it--don’t even think about it until you’re back down to four. Life is all about multitasking, but too much of it can really cripple efficiency and overwhelm the brain.

Blog: So, Nita, do you have any final tip for those suffering from the dreaded Lack of Closure in their project lives?

Nita: Be sure to balance projects with down time. Achieving closure is the goal, but not at the expense of other aspects of life. If your life is getting out of balance, it’s never too late to chop some projects. You can always move them to your Bucket List!

Blog: Thanks, Nita! You know, as an anthropomorphized non-entity, I have a lot of projects. And now I’m excited to get them finished!

Aggie's on Facebook!

Heyo, Blog, I'm stoked about this:  my novel Aggie's Nine Heroes now has a Facebook page!  For our friends who want to Like the page, we're making it super easy:

And in the interest of making more things easy, here's a little checklist to help our readers determine if they really should Like Aggie on Facebook. If you are into three or more of these subjects, you will find real value in being a fan of the A9H Facebook page:

• Being a hero in a small way
• 80s pop culture (esp. if you were born in that decade)
• Science nerdiness
• News about the book (like where to get it)
• Movies and/or live theater
• Entrepreneurialism
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and other things Whedon)
• Martial arts
• The work of Kiva.org
• Comic books (esp. X-Men and The Sandman)
• Diana Laurence's writing
• Being organized
• Fads
• The Chicago Cubs
• Consumer protection
• Computer geekiness and technology
• Event planning

Blog, you should go now and Like Aggie's page...you love the 80s, are definitely a techie, and I've seen you practicing your karate chops.  Do. It. Now.  Thanks.

How my heroine Aggie will help the real world too

Blog, I've got some super exciting news. I just completed arrangements for the proceeds of sales of my new novel, Aggie's Nine Heroes, to go to a great charity called Kiva.org.

You see, Aggie's Nine Heroes has more going for it than quirky characters, suspense, adventure, romance, and a Care Bear named Bono. It also explores themes related to responsible living, charity, and benevolent entrepreneurship. Aggie's grandfather Bernie is a model for using one's gifts and financial success to make the world a better place. Meanwhile, Aggie and her team of heroes create a business dedicated to serving the needs of people in trouble. So, I wanted likewise to use the proceeds of this book in a manner that Bernie and Aggie would approve.

In Kiva, I found the perfect charity to support the concepts explored in the novel. Kiva is an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to microfinance institutions in developing countries around the world in the U.S., which in turn lend the money to small businesses and students.

Kiva enables people who otherwise would be "unbankable" to start businesses and become productive members of their local communities, while bringing themselves and their families out of poverty. The loans provided by supporters of Kiva are paid back in full about 98% of the time, so everyone wins. It's a brilliant concept that is being embraced by more people all the time, through Kiva and other organizations like it.

25% of the proceeds of my book sales will be donated outright to Kiva for ongoing administrative expenses. 75% of proceeds will be provided to investments through Kiva. I'm so excited to see what lives I and my readers can touch through this project! And it will all start after Aggie's Nine Heroes is released in June. Blog--and blog readers--stay tuned for the fun!

The bizarre origins of my next novel

As an author I'm not much for dry spells, Blog, but I had a doozy this year. Releasing five titles in 2009, including all the promotional work for How to Catch and Keep a Vampire, left me worn out, I guess. But you can only keep a writer quiet for so long. Besides, one of my biggest fans expressed on Facebook how she was pining for another book, and that kind of thing is hard to ignore: people who actually notice how long it’s been since you published something.

I've honestly been trying to come up with something for months, but every idea I had petered out fast. Meanwhile, I was reading a lot of really good books, books that combined compelling, clever plot ideas with wonderful characters and moving themes. Comparing my ideas to these excellent novels, I seemed to fall short every time.

A couple weeks ago, Blog, I had a really vivid dream about this extremely attractive guy. Not anyone I've ever known or seen before, but in the dream he told me his name and I actually remembered it. Jason Colton. Jason was in his early 30's I'd say, and really tall, like 6'3", and really slender. Lanky. He had my favorite kind of hair: curly, longish, and dark brown, like Frodo or Neil Gaiman. Biggish nose, thin lips, and sapphire blue eyes. A really low voice. He had a pretty serious manner about him too: no-nonsense. And in the dream I was just obsessed with him.

People familiar with my work know that I'm a Jungian and I believe in the animus. The animus, in a nutshell, is a feature of the unconscious mind, the constellation of a person’s opposite traits (and therefore the opposite sex), and in spite of being part of you is also utterly autonomous. The only way to interact with the animus is when he projects himself onto others, whether they be people you know, celebrities, or characters from books, TV and movies. Whenever that happens, you pretty much have to fall in love.

This Jason was my animus for sure, and it so happened I had just been thinking that day how frustrated I was not to have had a crush for ages...well, since 2009 for sure. It’s hard for me to write when I’m not crushing somehow; I need a muse. So, when Jason showed up, I figured he was there because I asked. I also figured he might be the key to finding my next book.

And then this friend and fan of mine posted her plaintive plea. Blog, I figured I really needed to take this synchronicity seriously.

That night in bed I had some imaginary conversations with Jason. Brainstorming. We probably worked through three ideas and they all quickly bombed. This was not going well, and I wanted to get some sleep! Finally I said, "Look, Jason, I got nothing. Maybe you could give me a good dream or something? This is gonna have to be all on you."

I woke up next morning unable to remember any dreams. "Sometimes I wonder about this Jungian stuff," I thought. I did my morning computer stuff, and then I worked out in the basement, and then I took my shower.

As I toweled off, it came to me. Like six ideas at once that dovetailed perfectly, and I loved them all. For the next hour (getting ready and driving to work), great chunks of the opening chapters, images of the characters, details and anecdotes flooded my brain. A girl raised by her grandfather, his specific "gifts," her eccentric aspirations, and crazy elements from the Korean war to hula hoops to the X-Men to a sprawling mansion to the Chicago Cubs to Jason Colton, who would of course be a character. Names, locations, dates. And all of it, in my humble opinion, really good stuff.

It was Aggie's Nine Heroes. A novel I was just dying to write. Where did all this come from, after my nice nine month drought of ideas? Well, Blog, you know who gets the credit in my opinion.

I have written almost three chapters already and I like it better all the time. It's going to take quite awhile to write as there is a lot that has to happen and a lot of characters to develop, but they are all going to be a blast to get to know. I already think Aggie's grandfather completely rocks, and if you’ve been following the meaning of this post, you know that statement is not me bragging.

The most oft-asked question of authors by their fans is this one: "Where do you get your ideas?" Well, now you know where I get mine.

Sorry you asked? LOL