Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of FERAL PRIDE, on readers inspiring a new series

by Jocelyn Rish

We are thrilled to welcome a very special guest today to Adventures in YA Publishing. NYT best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith hardly needs an introduction as her books are so popular with both children and YA readers and her presence online is so strong, especially with respect to her commitment to promoting diversity in literature. She joins us with an interview as well as a giveaway of a MG-YA first chapter critique! Thank you, Cynthia!

What was your inspiration for writing FERAL PRIDE?

All of my novels can stand alone, but FERAL PRIDE caps my FERAL trilogy and TANTALIZE series (both Candlewick), which are set in the same multi-creature universe and feature some overlapping characters.

The inspiration for the FERAL heroes was the prominent appearance of shape-shifters in my TANTALIZE series – most especially a Wolf named Kieren Morales and an Opossum named Clyde Gilbert.

YA readers were telling me that while they thought the heaven-hell battle had been fully realized by DIABOLICAL (Book 4 in the TANTALIZE series), there was still much to be said about the shifters. I’d left them in a perilous place, begging the question of what might happen next.

What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?

Sensual expressions of romantic love are always challenging. Those scenes are tough to write – I have huge respect for genre romance writers.

Of the pairings in FERAL PRIDE, Yoshi and Kayla’s is the most physically charged. They’re both werecats – he’s a black-furred cougar-like Cat in animal form and she’s a dark-spotted, gold cheetah-like Cat.

They come armed animal-like instincts, against a life-and-death backdrop. The attraction is electric. But they’re also more complicated than that.

Kayla is only baby steps into recovering from the death of her first boyfriend and Yoshi, who has legendary experience with ladies, is suddenly faced with the first one with whom he could have a real relationship, a real future, if they both survive.

What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

I’d recommend reading the TANTALIZE series (which is made up of TANTALIZE, ETERNAL, BLESSED and DIABOLICAL, plus two graphic novels TANTALIZE: KIEREN’S STORY and ETERNAL: ZACHARY’S STORY) as well as the previous books in the FERAL trilogy (FERAL NIGHTS and FERAL CURSE).

Protagonists (and fan favorite) from the TANTALIZE series return for FERAL PRIDE – Quincie Morris, Kieren Morales, the Archangel Zachary, and there’s even a mention of Miranda Shen McAllister in heaven.

There also are a few short stories set in the universe. “Cat Calls” and “Haunted Love” are available for free download from major etailers, and “Cupid’s Beaux” will appear in THINGS I’LL NEVER SAY: STORIES ABOUT OUR SECRET SELVES, edited by Ann Angel (Candlewick, 2015).

What do you hope readers will take away from FERAL PRIDE?

I hope they ask themselves what makes us human and what makes us humane. I hope they’ll be skeptical of media influences and think critically about what they believe and why.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a YA realistic novel, HOW TO END A DATE (Candlewick). It’ll be my first novel with a Native American protagonist since my debut, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins). It’s feels both like a bit of a debut, after writing so much speculative fiction, but also like coming home again.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Feral Pride
by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Hardcover
Candlewick
Released 2/24/2015

The explosive finale to the Feral series by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Anti-shifter sentiment is at an all-time high when Kayla’s transformation to werecat is captured on video and uploaded for the world to see. Suddenly she becomes a symbol of the werebeast threat and—along with fellow cat Yoshi, lion-possum Clyde, and human Aimee—a hunted fugitive. Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed weresnake has kidnapped the governor of Texas and hit the airwaves with a message of war. In retaliation, werepeople are targeted by law enforcement, threatened with a shift-suppressing vaccine, terrorized by corporate conspiracy, and enslaved by a top-secret, intelligent Cryptid species. Can Clyde rally his inner lion king to lead his friends—new and old—into battle against ruthless, media-savvy foes? A rousing blend of suspense, paranormal romance, humor, and high action.

Purchase Feral Pride at Amazon
Purchase Feral Pride at IndieBound
View Feral Pride on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of the TANTALIZE series and FERAL series. Her award-winning books for younger children include JINGLE DANCER, INDIAN SHOES, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (all HarperCollins) and HOLLER LOUDLY (Dutton).

GIVEAWAY

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Jocelyn Rish

Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who loves researching weird and wonderful animals and sharing what she learns. Her debut was BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, about ten animals that do weird things with their butts. Her latest book is BATTLE OF THE BRAINS, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. When she’s not writing, she tutors kids to help them discover the magic of reading. Jocelyn has won numerous awards for her short stories, screenplays, films, and novels and lives in South Carolina with her adorable dog. Find out more at www.jocelynrish.com.

Post @ Jocelyn Rish and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Feb 25, 2015

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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