tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82005372555414176512024-02-19T05:40:23.003-05:00Big Kid CornerLewis Harris Writes Books For Young Readers And Talks About It (and other stuff, too).Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-11825138399176745102009-11-09T07:31:00.003-05:002009-11-09T07:44:25.403-05:00Spain!!!A Taste For Red will be published in Spanish and Catalan by Macmillan Spain! Fantastico! <br />And a big shout out to all of the terrific students and faculty at Desoto Trail Elementary School. I had a great time. I loved seeing so many students dressed up as their favorite book characters; it was like Halloween all over again--which is a good thing.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-83048271018916434082009-09-18T06:17:00.004-04:002009-09-18T14:23:47.363-04:00Tallahassee DemocratThis week the Tallahassee Democrat printed a very nice article featuring myself and A Taste For Red. The reporter, Kathleen Laufenberg, drove out to the house and delved deep into the shallows of my writerly process. She managed to make me look and sound way cooler than I actually am, but I do deserve some credit since I constantly mentioned the heights of my coolness during the interview. You can check out the piece online at this <a href="http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009909150306">little link here</a> as well as a short video where I'm sounding a wee bit authorly and sporting an overly round head.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-16808939190711349882009-08-29T07:01:00.001-04:002009-08-29T07:16:23.478-04:00Making Svetlana GrimmThis is not a brand-spanking new video, but I wanted to see how Vimeo loaded on the blog.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4036926&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4036926&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4036926">Making Svetlana Grimm</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1544167">lewis harris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-42528126002315881992009-08-20T21:29:00.008-04:002009-08-22T08:39:42.767-04:00School Library Journal and Booklist Reviews<span style="font-family:times new roman;">A Taste For Red scored two very nice reviews this week.<br /><br /><strong>Booklist </strong>declared <em>"In the glut of novels about vampires and other supernatural beings, it's refreshing to find such a slim, sharp tale....A tasty read indeed"</em> while <strong>School Library Journal</strong> predicted that the book is <em>"Sure to be a crowd-pleaser..."</em><br /><br />I certainly hope so.<br /><br />I'm receiving terrific feedback from readers at my website. I love to see the nice reviews in the press, but a note from a happy reader is the absolute best. I certainly appreciate hearing from all the students who have written to say how much they have enjoyed Svetlana's adventure.<br /><br />Thanks!</span>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-8502008700534718612009-08-13T16:53:00.008-04:002009-08-13T18:32:24.476-04:00A Taste For Red Down Under<a href="http://www.australianwomenonline.com/childrens-book-review-a-taste-for-red-by-lewis-harris/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369577659672344498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49a1E3AmQ1M_YSSSQSIDYoA7uW_8dUpcCazBhYJWORXoMAZIHwkm_tXRzafwPpZXGW6xAu7JMa30UgII9EtLnYBIn8trj50M-DoHAUfClxABFjCm4OiNBqU43AEkCrSPhW9lQxo_5qrg/s200/mel_gibson_mad_max_002.jpg" /></a> Here are some things (off the top of my head) that I like about Australia: Baz Luhrmann, Mel Gibson, George Miller, Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce, David Gulpilil---and I could go on, but you get the idea: most of what I know about Australia can be rented at Blockbuster. Is this my fault? Probably. But if I try...I think I can name all the territories: Queensland, New South Wales, (<em>um........)</em> Victoria, <em>(um.......)</em> Northwest Territory, Southern Territory, <em>(um.........)</em> Tazmania, <em>(um.......)(um.......)(um.......)</em><br />Okay--I can't think of anymore. So now it's time to Google and see where I went wrong!<br /><em>(minutes later)</em><br />Hey--not too bad. I forgot Australian Capital Territory (it only looks as big as my little toenail), and I falsely merged Northern Territory and Western Australia into one. And misspelled Tasmania. And I called South Australia 'Southern Territory'--is that bad? So maybe I didn't do so well, either.<br />But I've recently discovered another nice thing about Australia: <a href="http://taniamccartneypress.blogspot.com/">Tania McCartney</a>. She's given my book a terrific write up on <a href="http://www.australianwomenonline.com/childrens-book-review-a-taste-for-red-by-lewis-harris/">Australian Women Online</a>. So check it out .Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-70265468697262361632009-08-12T14:53:00.004-04:002009-08-12T15:46:34.326-04:00Back From....?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCEI6LY0il9f-6tGDdxU7KYhV4rqk2W37vyfSPbfDsveDfAidPDOD0UhwR-Q-yrvWp3u2CrnSrNHhd9Dwni5hRtA1N3HGM5p0bfq-voCqAJqCXFTN0uu4HvHDLPI65yKwNvBjRKqIJV8/s1600-h/MOV03655_0001.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369164393290926146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCEI6LY0il9f-6tGDdxU7KYhV4rqk2W37vyfSPbfDsveDfAidPDOD0UhwR-Q-yrvWp3u2CrnSrNHhd9Dwni5hRtA1N3HGM5p0bfq-voCqAJqCXFTN0uu4HvHDLPI65yKwNvBjRKqIJV8/s200/MOV03655_0001.jpg" /></a> Vacation? Yep...I'll definitely have to call it that (South Beach and Key West--beautiful!). And what did I do on vacation? Almost nothing...so nice. Good books, great food, palm trees, bicycles, swimming pools, big hats, SPF 50 sun protection...ahhh.<br /><br />But now it's time to get back to work. Only I'm not sure what that means, or even where to start.<br /><br />Maybe I should write something.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-9795036785958283162009-07-07T15:31:00.005-04:002009-07-08T16:04:24.724-04:00New Writers Event in Orlando 7/11/09<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356180779760020578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4DOgZlpQ8CJwNdI5E4Y3PzkydnU3n34UWuHUaUqLluJNLWc4BU8sHR-Qv6aJJXOUY1aOS43dx7ym-HAUwKwwMK844Scdak83xYYsOgiitlc2SVoBtqdNFSJA1xzdFTFuErpmgzrlMss/s200/ATFR+portrait+high+resolution.jpg" /></a>I'll be in Orlando, Florida on June 11 at the <a href="http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/270480802">Barnes and Noble Colonial</a> for a New Writers Event featuring Florida authors <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Saving-Home/Judy-Lindquist/e/9781886104358/?itm=1">Judy Lindquist</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Jesus-and-Me/Lola-Wert/e/9781606960318/?itm=1">Lola Wert</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Little-Rockers-Club/Melinda-Driscoll/e/9781606961322/?itm=1">Melinda Driscoll</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Orlando-Firefighting/Ginger-Bryant/e/9780738553078/?itm=1">Ginger Bryant</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Groveland-Florida/Doris-Bloodsworth/e/9780738567518/?itm=1">Doris Bloodsworth</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Bitter-Womans-Guide-to-Dating/Antone-Christopher/e/9780978532307/?itm=2">Antone Christopher</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/There-Is-No-President/Reg-Ivory/e/9780595532124/?itm=1">Reg Ivory</a>, and myself. The event is Saturday afternoon between 1-3pm, so if you're in the Orlando area please stop by and say hi. I'll be signing copies of <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Taste-for-Red/Lewis-Harris/e/9780547144627/?itm=7">A Taste For Red</a> and wearing my good shoes and a brand new shirt. Maybe new pants, too. My partner and I are still arguing about the pants.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-59747395713078026642009-07-01T10:09:00.006-04:002009-07-01T12:12:00.674-04:00Book Advances<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 189px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353524910588846066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq3nJrFo2eAwvbXNUvJbRT0tM9HRf1pzdE2uUKcqpnXvt5UidXSoooI9Ptif44dDqc19JVYoc3_lamnxFwwgxULTnSVhAYhM_EincOeTMeMGSwYkPStCbT-dfvaPt9GmbZvDgLpuJ9WM/s200/LHarrisSoldreduced.JPG" /></a> I was happy with my book advance, and would have been happy with less. Or more. The great thing about selling a first book is that IT SOLD. Everything that comes after is cream, although that's sometimes easy to forget. But cream will turn if not properly stored. And it turns anyway, eventually. It has a shelf life, after all.<br />For insight into advances and other less romantic features of the writing life, here are two thoughtful posts from writers <a href="http://sparksflyup.com/2009/06/really-long-boring-post-about-book.php">John Green</a> and <a href="http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-looong-response-to-john-greens-post.html">Jessica Burkhart</a>. The comments under the Green post are lengthy and worth a peek.<br />My own opinions about book advances, book promotion, and the book business in general are hazy at best--and may remain so. Serious consideration of all things practical eludes me; it's one of my gifts. But, if you're dabbling in writing and hoping for publication, the business end of the stick can't be avoided.<br />Whack.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-88865657456388866402009-06-30T11:42:00.007-04:002009-06-30T17:11:29.413-04:00Publishers Weekly Likes A Taste For Red<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353152190357927906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiv3XBq76sfY9tJ7kfJAC_y-cM2W-_IeQEEP5u3ahNS8S8jgpy2jFhIZkcB8c8NmwyjFifOzmAzwYy4xgG4VhbmRY3OAY0zO5UNfdJv1i2ll3B8U0ME_6M0BXRdA_-pJ20LX6n4xbzt0/s200/ATFR+spine+007.jpg" /></a> My editor emailed me a nice review for A Taste For Red from <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6667262.html">Publishers Weekly</a>.<br />Of course, I like this part:<br /><div><br /><em>"Harris sets up deliciously sinister scenes between Svetlana and her teacher, whom Svetlana suspects is involved in the disappearance of three classmates. Reluctant heroine Svetlana has plenty of personality and wit...and although Harris leaves the door open for sequels, his fast-paced debut stands on its own."</em> </div><br /><div>I need to be mindful, however, not to let the opinions of others get too great a grip on my emotional steerage. That's a slippery slope, inevitably leading to back waxing and overpriced slacks.</div><br /><div>Still, I deserve a cupcake or slice of pie or something in celebration. Maybe a cannoli.</div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-45410290167516877052009-06-29T17:45:00.001-04:002009-06-29T09:11:02.762-04:00THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKSThe Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books likes <a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/">A TASTE FOR RED.</a> In fact, they think <em>"The snarky, clever mix of mystery, horror, and goth-girl humor results in a novel that will easily cross genre lines to reach a wide variety of readers."</em><br /><br />I certainly hope so!<br />And another nice review is offered at <a href="http://missprint.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/a-taste-for-red-a-chick-lit-wednesday-review/#comment-1004">MISS PRINT</a>.<br /><br /><em>"A Taste for Red is a humorous, sometimes suspenseful, always fun book that takes the conventions of vampire stories and throws them out the window."</em><br /><br />If you read the book, you'll find that's not the only thing that goes out the window. The reviewer even compares Svetlana to Stewie from FAMILY GUY, which probably makes me happier than it should.<br />But I can't help it.<br />Stewie's one of my favorites.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-73700410182972131062009-06-29T15:15:00.013-04:002009-06-29T17:59:35.884-04:00Ruby Winkle, Rockford, and Bad Car DecisionsWriter and illustrator <a href="http://taniamccartney.blogspot.com/2009/06/women-who-do-what-they-love-meghan.html">Meghan <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Killeen</span> </a>has a post about myself and A Taste for Red up at <a href="http://rubywinkle.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/a-taste-for-red/">her blog</a>. Meghan attended the Art Institute of California in San Francisco and hung out with the circus, which sounds cool. But what <em>really</em> sounds cool (at least to me) is that she once worked for a detective agency.<br /><br />I was a huge fan of <a href="http://www.tvparty.com/recrock.html">The Rockford Files</a> when I was a kid. I wanted to grow up and wear <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">sport coats</span> and sideburns and cruise around town behind the wheel of a gold <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Firebird</span> thwarting bad guys and tossing off clever remarks.<br /><br />What person in their right mind w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY8o7oaxkucABOZwiuD8ZdvbyVFm2txrQmLG1vU9sctG724dfQHEgC1d7fkzgfTUWGnGymUEZWrpW7vweL3Wpbr9a8d3z8I5Hhwo_ugG33Zag0zANgvFI_yOQvZaiTYs20iop3P30drs/s1600-h/250px-Toyota-Tercel.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 116px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352851192113199970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY8o7oaxkucABOZwiuD8ZdvbyVFm2txrQmLG1vU9sctG724dfQHEgC1d7fkzgfTUWGnGymUEZWrpW7vweL3Wpbr9a8d3z8I5Hhwo_ugG33Zag0zANgvFI_yOQvZaiTYs20iop3P30drs/s200/250px-Toyota-Tercel.jpg" /></a>ouldn't?<br /><br />But I kinda shot myself in the foot when I bought my first car, a 1982 Toyota <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tercel</span>.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-24170434546829816392009-06-26T10:29:00.005-04:002009-06-26T10:36:08.800-04:00Powers Of Ten<a href="http://www.powersof10.com/index.php?mod=explore"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351644501414387826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yYeJkCHpknVOKBprYDFvo3AF0MWmmgqL_GBFL6FqJq7EFdm6kCE6XFSNfsCHcuHb4HvsdmyWklZ2ev9xDE8EQZhvSnl_F98ZTGg8Izo1lK_YESXWmkLp2TbYABdSXWq7lXVr1mYN2-M/s200/MV5BMTIyNTQ5ODMxNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTQxNTUxMQ@@__V1__SX100_SY138_.jpg" /></a> I had a sneaking suspicion that I was insignificant, but this is ridiculous...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/819138?pg=embed&sec=819138">"Powers of Ten: A film dealing with the relative size of things in the universe and the effect of adding another zero."<br /></a><br />This is a fantastic little film from Charles and Ray Eames (just under nine minutes). I might've viewed this as a young student and then needed about 30 years to appreciate it. Or maybe I didn't see it, but it certainly reminds me of the short movies we watched in science class back in the day. Do you remember the clack-clack-clack of the projector? And the sound of the film finally tearing apart, like it always seemed to do?Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-31306414522721097732009-06-25T11:39:00.009-04:002009-06-25T12:11:21.508-04:00Nice Review from The Miss Rumphius Effect<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351297527508858066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5exK5ru_wY4W1oYwQd_jjsVE_ftuXhyphenhyphenbMVO3jr6Xw4kjjJhpKkoWGZJ5JxO90ekQkKZLJmb1iaukqIya0efi3P-gig8MwCTyzTFQWh04gTH-Cumlwxl3ovdNWpIF9EEu5njzwHAY1lU/s200/ATFR+spine+007.jpg" /></a> Kind words for A Taste for Red can be found at <a href="http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-taste-for-red.html">The Miss Rumphius Effect</a>!<br /><div></div><br /><div>I like this part:</div><div>"There was one twist that I didn't see coming that was both stunning and hilarious. When things got to the nail biting stage I found myself cheering for Svetlana and her friends. You will too. This is an enchanting romp that middle school kids will thoroughly enjoy. I hope Mr. Harris is hard at work on a sequel, because I'm ready for one."</div><br /><div>I'm ready, too. <em>(Sandpapers palms together in an anticipatory fashion. Attempts to manifest twinkle in eye, but probably doesn't.)</em></div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-55797844012695847002009-06-24T15:18:00.021-04:002009-06-24T17:17:56.279-04:00Advice For Newbie Writers<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351002947019237282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-JbfIcPwiYDn0QZYuc-wznl5XoY5WxdPIbf0A8UJcj7OiU-L_jol3tqJqmDYUgMioyuZIBXk2SyJfhbvvE_PGtkdmDemPo1bJyLdiiVKjr9d13adQggcYdgKrINLfByvMjgWllp-Svw/s320/manuscrptone005.jpg" /></a>A fellow writer asked me for advice today. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, I seem to have offered up a straight answer (for the most part). Straight answers really kill the entertainment potential, but do make for a nice break.<br /><div><div></div><br /><div>I've written most of my life, but only sought publication about three years ago. Up until that time, I'd written journals, poetry, and short stories. I'd always wanted to write and sell a novel, and fancied I could if I put my mind to it. I love crime thrillers, so I tapped out a Jim Thompson-type noir. It took me about six months to polish the novel into something that I believed was good enough to send out. I researched the book biz and realized publication would be a tough nut to crack, still...I was pretty confident. I'd written a great story after all.<br /><br />I decided that the best way to get my story published was through an agent. I'm talking mainstream publishing. You can self-publish and create a quality book, but I wanted to be a writer, not a publisher. The best tool I found for locating an agent was <a href="http://www.agentquery.com/">agentquery.com</a> and the best tool I found for writing a decent query was <a href="http://evileditor.blogspot.com/">Evil Editor</a>.<br /><br />I sent out queries and no one was interested. And it was a great story! Thrills, chills, spills, and all that...<br />But a great story is not enough. Luck and timing are involved. And sometimes the story needs more work. And sometimes it needs to go into a drawer for a few weeks or months or years. Everyone says it, and it's true: Keep writing, keep re-writing, keep polishing, and keep submitting. When you get feedback, listen to it. You don't have to agree, but listen to it.<br /><br />So I sent out queries and collected rejections. Mostly form rejections and the occasional form rejection with a personalized scribble at the bottom. I decided that while I was submitting the crime thriller to agents that repped crime thrillers, I could write another novel to send to agents that repped <em>other</em> novels. Like what? I'd read somewhere that the thing to sell was a romance novel. So I tried my hand at romance...and didn't have much luck. It wasn't fun. I'm not a romance reader and I didn't enjoy writing it. And you have to write something you enjoy. I have three chapters of a romance titled TRAIL TO LOVE that I hope no one will ever see. </div><br /><div>As a kid I was a big reader, so I took a stab at a story for young readers. I cooked up a middle grade adventure and loved it. I loved writing it. I sent it out and collected more rejections. I wrote a second middle grade work and began sending that one out. I collected rejections, refined my queries, filled the occasional request for sample chapters and manuscripts, and refined my queries even more.<br /><br />Next I thought I'd give horror fiction a try. I was in the middle of writing a novel about underwater vampires when the notion of an eleven year old girl who only "thinks" she's a vampire entered my head. That idea eventually became the story that is currently sitting on shelves in libraries and bookstores around the country.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/">A TASTE FOR RED</a>. (Does happy dance)<br /><br />So my advice to newbies is simply a regurgitation of my own experience: Write things you LOVE to write, read all the time, listen to informed feedback when you're lucky enough to get it, set reasonable goals, and don't be discouraged.<br /><br />It's hardly original, but there you have it. One nugget I'll offer that veers slightly from the run-of-the-mill is this: If you have a day job, quit. Even if you don't want to be a writer, quit your day job.<br /><br />Work is silly. </div></div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-2588103306306323522009-06-22T20:15:00.005-04:002009-06-22T20:30:42.024-04:00Book Review and ARC Giveaway<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/order_page.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350313295497676514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxQNKbyeJ6Q9bD6hn4C3Id8MBne2EXwGwHtk13qPwua34KOBTga_xQd6fFRbmNl7ub6_KVVLZB6PeWbVvi2cDumCtKjw7y6WRnZ0sMLPY77gAtX9xA1vBHtEPSsQEDwQ8S0OHYiFpckM/s200/ATFR+portrait+high+resolution.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Over On <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/book-review-arc-giveaway-taste-for-red.html">J. Kaye's Book Blog</a>, an advance reader copy of A Taste For Red is up for grabs.<br />She's even thrown in a nice comment about my book! Simply post a comment at her blog for a chance to win.</div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-84258135585565074402009-06-18T10:45:00.007-04:002009-06-18T11:07:18.293-04:00Book on the BrainI dreamed about <a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/">A TASTE FOR RED</a> last night. I could relate to you the specifics of the dream--I'm sure that you can be trusted--but best not to risk it. Someone we don't know might read this post and then--wham!-- I'd find uniformed men brandishing enormous butterfly nets banging at the front door.<br />Best to be safe.<br />And best to take a break for a few days...or at least after today. Later I'm heading to a couple of bookstores and then to the Ocala Library, but after that I'll be laying low for the weekend. I'll be trapped in the Parent Zone, where nothing productive can happen anyway. I see lots of sausage and cake and baking soda in my future.<br />Surprisingly, it sounds just right.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-44032504841512366132009-06-17T09:40:00.013-04:002009-06-17T19:29:39.266-04:00Fuzzy rabbits, underwater vampires, and Lewis Harris<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/order_page.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348441156902141826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSjY-TK0sFH9rhHnZXsyFo7RENC6UE7EF9jhxLXEp5NBsxf4zUin6Z3vTB1DrmQ6FhIN9IcsoXfi6kls25fTGORqlyRaS29QxfK1RqBGeUfLwCcUb7qfrqEE2ovsqcW6QB8Ix2UMo6rU/s200/ATFR+portrait+high+resolution.jpg" /></a>I like the above title, but it's not mine --it's from Bartography where Chris Barton has a nice <a href="http://chrisbarton.info/blog/2009/06/fuzzy-rabbits-underwater-vampires-lewis-harris.html">interview with me </a>posted at his blog.<br /><div></div><div>Thanks for the great questions, Chris.</div><br /><div></div><div>And congrats on your recent starred review from Kirkus! (along with the many other <a href="http://chrisbarton.info/books/dayglo.html">rave reviews for The Day-Glo Brothers</a>)</div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-12030336650004839942009-06-16T17:40:00.018-04:002009-06-16T21:50:09.342-04:00BookPeople Recommends A Taste For RedSvetlana Grimm is a favorite at <a href="http://www.bookpeople.com/">BookPeople </a>!<br />Thanks Emily for the kind words. Here are a few choice tidbits:<br /><br />"...wonderful, funny read..."<br />"...perfect for girls and guys..."<br />"...not one you want to miss this summer."<br /><br />Definitely not :^)<br />Check out the full skinny at <a href="http://kidsblog.bookpeople.com/2009/06/10/new-arrivals-in-chapter-books/">BookKids Recommends</a>.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-33729904172993732932009-06-15T17:44:00.007-04:002009-06-15T19:37:52.904-04:00A Taste for Red is Released!!<a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/order_page.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347696596235135522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOvczD_Ik2qUzkIqABBfJ7FiTn-0g2-ixLL7NDGA5oiDp1rQ5ugnJ18fdRtXkZLtqAGg9ZGdqgjcSAk5dwIKJvuC2V3Pwe_pQslecdu4v80qOVoR_MVjS4NRHzsy3eMVQZgeABloDp7E/s200/book+cover.jpg" /></a>I went into the wonderful <a href="http://www.inkwoodbooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp">Inkwood Books</a> in Tampa and it's available there. It's at <a href="http://www.bookpeople.com/">BookPeople </a>in Austin. It appears to be in stock at most Barnes and Noble. It's available online wherever fine books are sold online. It's on my mom's coffee table. It's in the trunk of my car. It's in libraries in Arizona, Vancouver, Boston, Tallahassee, and on and on and on. It's propping up the wobbly work bench in my brother's garage.<br /><br />If it's not available on the shelf at your favorite bookseller, just ask. They'll be happy to order it. Seriously...they'll be "very happy." By simply requesting A Taste For Red, you'll be spreading thick spoonfuls of joy! You can't put a price on that (although for business purposes, your local book retailer might.)<br /><br />I have to thank Clarion Books and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for doing a fantastic job getting A Taste For Red out into the world.<br /><br />But mostly I have to thank my wonderful friends and family who have supported and encouraged me along the winding path to this happy moment. I thank the folks who've bought the book and the one's who will buy the book and those that will tell their friends about the book and that <em>they</em> must buy the book even if their children have to go without a meal to offset the cost of the book. I know...it's cruel, but really, what's one meal? Or two? A Taste For Red is distracting and oh so nutritious--they won't even notice.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-8007989700670593542009-06-08T17:13:00.007-04:002009-06-08T17:39:57.520-04:00Postcards From The Edge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNTfbVKo6vKQaiQ3Ci0qbmqu6A0IWy-5UE_aJNIJFl_KQphJDWH3FGMeTktpE5i4FzzdrBUkZyCYAmKkUQxEkJziK79V8xYkm5E0BPSegStHdt0W8VCqfRD236bu0se_PpktsLb_vgJQ/s1600-h/ATFR+high+resolution+title.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 109px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345074394577418082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNTfbVKo6vKQaiQ3Ci0qbmqu6A0IWy-5UE_aJNIJFl_KQphJDWH3FGMeTktpE5i4FzzdrBUkZyCYAmKkUQxEkJziK79V8xYkm5E0BPSegStHdt0W8VCqfRD236bu0se_PpktsLb_vgJQ/s400/ATFR+high+resolution+title.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I've been working on postcards and bookmarks lately. Do I need these things? Sure, I guess...everything says that I need them. It makes sense. I need something to show that I was there...I need to leave a trail.</div><br /><div>I picked up an order of postcards the other day and they look terrific. I've been working on my bookmarks this afternoon and I've finalized the design. Haven't I? Well...at least for the moment. I've talked to some printers and then some more printers and then spoke to some other printers and now I'm ready to call a printer. I'm trying to determine if I want gloss or matte or one-sided color or two-side color or coating --whatever coating is...</div><br /><div>It's just a bookmark...relax.</div><br /><div>Just pick something and pay for it--big deal...but a get a receipt.</div><br /><div>I'm a page folder anyway. Bookmarks are...well, for other folks. I love to fold the corners of pages. The top corner, the bottom corner, left page or right--it doesn't matter. </div><br /><div>I used to worship books, and still do, but with less reverence. Now I like to abuse a book a bit. Take ownership of it. Leave a nice fat thumbprint or mustard stain. While backpacking, I've even ripped the pages from books to start a fire--then burned the rest of the book to lighten my load. Self-help books burn best.</div><br /><div>I think it's the fumes.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-44448122690141460392009-06-05T03:40:00.011-04:002009-06-05T04:59:13.325-04:00Janette Rallison Mind-Rain Give Away<a href="http://www.benbellabooks.com/bookstore/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=566"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 159px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343746240459180786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDj1fzTDUGZAVT2rFpGQtTOMbtzNCl90FhpuOyPet1mJkqzumOwGvfuUuhVPMuTi_CaNp_dxXJhD80Y3iNI8oPwCAkWVnSd-mKsiwegXU4Cy8Ab34fjlRZQHz6UIfR-wkel5ln2Bd0MI/s400/51gN985J8LL__SX106_.jpg" /></a><br />Would you trade five years of your life to be beautiful?<br />I think a lot of us already do.<br />When you factor time spent on the cleansing mask, pedicure/manicure/beauty salon, lipstick, hairspray, eyeliner, exfoliant, abdominal crunches, choose shoes, five outfits on and off to find the one you're wearing, accessorizing, tweezing and teasing and straightening and curling, long-longer-longest lashes, lip-defining, blush-blending, hip-hugging-push-upping, hair coloring, sit-center "love me, love me, love me" mantra that makes up so much of so many days for both gals AND guys...well...it has to add up.<br /><br />Author <a href="http://www.janetterallison.com/">Janette Rallison </a>has an essay about the role of beauty in our society included in <a href="http://www.benbellabooks.com/bookstore/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=566">Mind-Rain</a>, a collection of essays centered around the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24770.Uglies">Uglies series </a>by Scott Westerfeld. Janette has an excerpt from her essay posted and is giving away a copy of Mind-Rain <a href="http://janette-rallison.blogspot.com/2009/06/mind-rain-book-give-away.html">over at her blog</a>.<br />You just have to answer the question: would you?Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-81803534328702308782009-06-02T13:36:00.021-04:002009-06-02T15:47:37.003-04:00Five Questions for Chris Barton<a href="http://chrisbarton.info/books/dayglo.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342803258140498066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUIbs90bGebGjUaedrWIZa46wmdxw0Vyw1tNIbVDK9p52fUL9da94IboAawkC2eAFNXGfH4NZ40LL1P7ZO6HPEKKlg6W7tcQ0dVtGzRwBisg9ZPJzaqwmP40pJ1gh5GUG0BlpjbRHBD4/s400/16731.jpg" /></a> "It all started with a magic act and an accident at the ketchup factory..."<br /><br />How can a reader walk away from a great teaser like that?<br /><br />Here's the lowdown from Charlesbridge:<br />"Joe and Bob Switzer were very different brothers. Bob was a studious planner who wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Joe dreamed of making his fortune in show business and loved magic tricks and problem-solving. When an accident left Bob recovering in a darkened basement, the brothers began experimenting with ultraviolet light and fluorescent paints. Together they invented a whole new kind of color, one that glows with an extra-special intensity Day-Glo."<br /><br />Now that sounds like a great book for young readers.<br /><br />And the writer is definitely on a roll. Chris Barton's debut picture book, THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS, has just been released from Charlesbridge, his second book, the awesomely titled SHARK VS. TRAIN, is slated for a 2010 release from Little, Brown, and he is currently hard at work on a YA non-fiction project for Dial. That's almost more than I can cram into one sentence.<br /><br />Thankfully, Chris slowed down long enough for five questions:<br /><br /><em>1) What book had the most influence on you as a young reader? Was there a title that inspired you, that lingers as a defining book in your life?<br /><br /></em>There wasn't a particular book, actually, but there was a magazine: Rolling Stone. By that time, it had moved from breaking the story of Patty Hearst's kidnapping to putting out things like "The Hot Issue," but it still opened up a cultural window in my pre-Web teenage small-town East Texas life. I liked the subjects it covered, and I loved the story of how the magazine had come into being through scrappiness and determination and good timing. As I got older, I became less directly inspired by it -- I no longer wanted to be a rock critic, and I no longer wanted to be the editor of Rolling Stone -- but I think it did give me a sense of what professional satisfaction and fulfillment through the written word should feel like, and when I stumbled into children's writing, I recognized that sensation immediately.<br /><br /><em>2) Your debut THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS has just been released and you have several other projects in the pipeline. What was the most unexpected discovery that you made on your road to publication, the thing that surprised you the most?<br /></em><br />The entire world of writing and publishing books for children was an unexpected discovery. It was like lifting a big flat rock and finding this thriving, fascinating ecosystem that had been nearby all along but hidden from view. I was most surprised by the sense of community, the mere existence of an organization like SCBWI, and the lengths that children's writers and illustrators will go to in order to help and support each other.<br /><br /><em>3) You seem to do a lot of research for your books, doesn’t that drive you nuts?<br /></em><br />I love doing research. What drives me nuts is having to stop researching and go with whatever information I've managed to accumulate. Because if I'd been able to keep going, who knows what cool fact I might have found next?<br /><br /><em>4) When I lived in New Orleans, I noticed that everyone leaving New Orleans was either going to New York City or Austin. Why Austin?<br /></em><br />The second-most-influential publication on the teenage me was The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at the University of Texas. I happened to be in Austin each spring when the graduating seniors would publish their farewell columns, and those made the basement where the Texan staff worked seem like nirvana. So, I came to Austin to attend UT and write for the Texan, and I've been here mostly ever since. I did live in New York for a little while (interning for Rolling Stone), and in Houston and Atlanta, and my wife and I had the good sense to honeymoon in New Orleans in December when the French Quarter was pretty much empty and there was no one to get between us and the food.<br /><br /><em>5) If a picture book, a middle grade reader, and a YA novel got into a knife fight, which would emerge victorious?<br /></em><br />The knife maker -- the weapons manufacturer always comes out ahead.<br /><br /><em>Very clever answer. I was hoping for a gory and detailed fight scene, but you've thwarted me! (Shakes fist).</em><em><br /></em><br />Check out <a href="http://chrisbarton.info/index.html">Chris's website and blog</a> and join him at<a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=705326611&ref=ts"> Facebook </a>for all the latest news.<br /><br />THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors is illustrated by <a href="http://www.persart.com/">Tony Persiani</a>, written by Chris Barton, and available <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781570916731">online or at your local bookseller.<br /></a>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-15379076584425542582009-05-28T16:19:00.006-04:002009-05-28T17:39:55.859-04:00A Taste for Red Arrives<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzFuoBpN5jdIyXOEOW5onnoe6mDIxOqUykqC99Ys2tooHfgjHYQsyy2fec440zZAzK5FDU8cDqQG9I1vBe5Xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>It's an actual book! And I've got it in my hands! Thanks to all the folks at Clarion Books who helped make such a beautiful edition! If you're wondering how to get the book into your hands, here's a fragrant bouquet of <a href="http://www.lewisharrisbooks.com/order_page.html">online links</a>. Or ask at your favorite bookstore! </p>Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-1044284285348762512009-05-27T16:53:00.005-04:002009-05-27T18:30:00.369-04:00Happens Every Day<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4907301.Happens_Every_Day_An_All_Too_True_Story"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340610485379816306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0DrWuQ-P6fG_mVsvUEiN7eYdw7PZlEHnnDFbw9DK7oR2yYkV5tWtQKTguY8XoXIM4PoSROLnexltI19FsbH6-1chd-283QzmIWNBDJqmVyTh6J5A-CCEb4PpFo2XQqT7rd0L8wdxXFc/s320/happens+every+day.jpg" /></a> I just finished Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies. It's not a book for young readers and it's not a book to dive into if you're looking for a little light escapist entertainment. It's an uncomfortably frank memoir of divorce and family disintegration told from the POV of a woman struggling to keep her marriage intact. As the title suggests, there's nothing remarkable about the story itself, although the honesty with which it's told is remarkable. And painful. It comes with the subtitle <em>an all-too-true story</em>. And it's a bummer. I've never been divorced or married and that had zero impact on my ability to identify with the writer. It's a book about hard reality, about the gut wrenching fact that sometimes a person has absolutely no control over the biggest things in life. The story made me mad. It frustrated me. I couldn't say I enjoyed (it's not that kinda book) --but I'm glad I read it. And I can recommend it.<br /><br />I'd be interested what other readers think about this book--especially if you're married.<br /><br />Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story by <a href="http://www.isabelgillies.com/">Isabel Gillies</a>, Simon & Schuster 2009Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8200537255541417651.post-73314348355395419382009-05-19T07:53:00.004-04:002009-05-19T08:40:49.191-04:00Nice Review from Shelf AwarenessShelf Awareness has posted <a href="http://news.shelf-awareness.com/nview.jsp?appid=411&j=685272">a nice review</a> of A Taste For Red, my forthcoming release from Clarion Books. I love the words <em>funny pleasingly creepy debut</em>. Especially in that order. <em>Deliciously ironic twist</em> make a fine trio of words as well.<br /><br />Time is flying. The release of ATFR is now less than a month away! Unbelievable...and exciting. Pretty soon I'll be able to countdown the days on my fingers and toes! Unless something unfortunate happens. Just to play it safe, for the next few weeks I'll avoid working with threshers, combines, deli meat slicers, chainsaws, and power tools in general. I guess I should also make a payment to my bookie. Salvatore can be frighteningly operatic at times.Lewis Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16769208461193904406noreply@blogger.com0