Joyce Moyer Hostetter

Last January, one of my readers, a teacher who read BLUE with her students, wrote to tell me how much she enjoyed it. She wanted to track down a particular video about Hickory's polio epidemic.

It's wonderful, of course, to know that a reader enjoys my books and that my story sparks an interest in history. But it's some kind of special when she offers to help research my work-in-progress because she lives near where it takes place.

When Candy Scherberger made this offer I thanked her and promptly returned to whatever else was overwhelming me at the moment. Then in August, I realized I was ready for her help. In particular, I wanted details related to the library at the College of William and Mary.

Clearly, August isn't the best time to ask a teacher for a favor. So I gave Candy an out but she promised to do what she could. Then, this week, she put an archivist in touch with me.

As a result, I know the name of the head librarian in 1942 - Earl Gregg Swem - who is now a character in my book. I know that the library, itself didn't have a name and that it was open and active during the summer (Whew! I needed that!),and I know that indeed, Mr. Swem hired student assistants. (I'm going to assume that one of them could be a love interest for my fictional character!)

In addition, I have links to hundreds of issues of The Flat Hat, the college's newspaper. And if there's anything I love more than an old newspaper rich with details of time and place, it would be - hmmmm what would it be?

Maybe the reader who helped me find it? Thanks a million, Candy!

I loved The Glass Castle! So naturally when I heard Author, Jeannette Walls was coming to my hometown I ignored everything else and showed up at Lenoir Rhyne University.
Mike Collins, host of "Charlotte Talks", a local NPR program, interviewed her for a radio broadcast which you can listen to here.



Jeannette is funny and wise and has chosen a positive attitude toward her horrendous childhood.

We know that having her book on the NYT best seller list for 100 weeks made Jeannette a rich woman. But she doesn't take material things for granted. To her, flush toilets, the ability to buy groceries, and the chance to take piano lessons is a miracle. I love that about Jeannette, that she can still revel in the small luxuries of life.

And that she can see the upside of down things. She said "On the up side, "I'm a fighter and a scrapper.  On the downside, I'm a fighter and a scrapper!"  And "We all have demons. We have to put a harness on our demons, not cast them out!"

She has a new book out, Half-Broke Horses which tells the story of her maternal grandmother. I just finished that book too. Although it's fictionalized, it too, feels much like a memoir in the telling. Having read her grandmother's story, I can see a bit of what shaped her mother and also what has made Jeannette the resilient person she is.

Last week I searched Google Images for a pic of this statue across the street from the Charlotte Convention center. Didn't find it anywhere. Now, I have a feeling it is about to show up all over Facebook with images of smiling media specialists.

That's because American Association of School Librarians' Conference is meeting in Charlotte. I spent the day at the conference. And Carol Baldwin and I fulfilled a wish to get a picture of ourselves with these books.

I attended one of several workshops Carol presented this weekend. I love watching Carol present which is a good thing since I'll be spending next week teaching with her at NCCAT. Carol and I co-lead seminars for teachers and also co-author the Talking Story e-newsletter.

From Carol's workshop I dashed to the exhibit floor where I signed books at the Author Pit Stop.

A few weeks ago I blogged about this awesome book by Ginger Wadsworth.



Now there's an awesome trailer for it. Can't you feel Teddy Roosevelt's spirit here?



Bully for you Ginger!

If you were a leprosy patient shipped off to the Kalaupapa Peninsula, separated from home and family, would you be smiling?

I'm not exactly sure which of the residents of Kalaupapa painted these rocks.  Or when.  Likely a century after Father Damien lived and died.

But I do know that ever since he came, there have been more smiles on the Kalaupapa Peninsula.

And on Sunday, October 11, 2009 when Pope Benedict presides over his canonization, there will be lots of celebrating!

It's a big week in Louvain, Belgium where Father Damien's remains are interred. A few years ago, Chuck and I visited that spot in conjunction with my research for Healing Water, a historical novel that takes place in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.

 

This is the church building with the crypt in the lower level. I don't have a good picture but you can see one in this issue of the Maui News. There was a special mass at the cathedral today.
Father Paul Macken, a Damien expert met us there and answered questions that would help me be accurate in my story telling and and in the author note in the back of the book.

He drove us then to Tremelo to visit Damien's birthplace and museum where we got a glimpse of the way he lived.

KITV in Honolulu is covering the event. Lots of links on this KITV website.

Pamela Young of KITV and 200 others from Hawaii are on a pilgrimage to Belgium and Italy, then back to Kalaupapa. Eleven of the pilgrims are former Hansen's Disease patients from the Kalaupapa, Peninsula where Father Damien served.

Pamela is blogging about the experience here.

On Sunday, October 11 (a mere 6 days from now) Joseph DeVeuster (Father Damien) will be canonized.

I've decided to celebrate with a Damien/Molokai, Hawaii-related post each day this week. There are so many options it's hard to know where to begin. But why not with one of the books that I relied on so heavily during my research?

I love The Lands of Father Damien by James H. Brocker because it has so much heart and lots of history. Of course, the history can be found in many places. But the heart of this book is not easily duplicated.

I felt the aloha here the moment I opened its pages. And later when I met author Jim Brocker at his store on topside Molokai, I understood why. He is truly an unassuming and generous person!

One of the real gifts Jim gave me in this book was a feeling for the landscape of the Kalaupapa Peninsula where my story, Healing Water takes place. It is chock full of Jim's vivid photography with informative captions as well as vintage photos from the time of Father Damien. One example is this photo which Jim graciously permitted me to include on my website.
Also, on my website is a video clip of Catherine E. Toth's visit to the Kalaupapa Peninsula on Molokai, HI. You may want to check that out!

Meet Nathan Clement. Author and Illustrator of this very cool book. (Which BTW is the recipient of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus!)

Nathan is also the designer of this so nifty website. (which, as you can see is mine!)

Nathan blogged about the process saying, "We wanted to make it seem like her—choosing symbolic imagery from her work, capitalizing on things in her life that are important, and giving her readers a rich, visual impression."

I have to say Nathan was quick to understand what I had in mind and to produce the look and feel I wanted. Working with him was delightful and I am thrilled with the results.

Here's what he has to say about his website work.

I'm offering design for a basic web site. I've made my living for 20 years in one form of design or graphic arts or another. I've had experience designing for the web, but do not have all the development (coding/programming) skills. So, I do the visual set up, focussing on who you are, how you want to represent yourself on the web—kind of like a book cover for YOU! Then, I work with a developer who is prepared to do the basic coding for a basic site, to get it up and live.

Even if you're not looking for a website, visit Nathan Clement's blog and do one of these two things in the comment section. .

1. Congratulate Nathan on his recent contract with Boyds Mills Press for a second picture book!
2. Tell him what you like about the site he designed for me.

 

 

Leaving a comment gets you entered into a contest for 2 free books - Nathan's DRIVE and my HEALING WATER. Drawing is Oct. 4. Announcement - October 5.

Hurry now - this is our boost to your economy!

This week I'm soaking up Ken Burns' newest documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. And last night I enjoyed the second episode with a brand new picture book in hand.
Camping With The President is a marvelous story about 4 days when President Theodore Roosevelt slipped away from the Secret Service, ignored official business, and went camping in Yosemite Valley in California.

Roosevelt had always been an outdoorsman but being president limited his ability to get into the wilds. Upon reading John Muirs' book Our National Parks, Roosevelt made plans to spend some time in the wilderness.

"I want to drop politics absolutely for four days..." he said.

In this historically accurate book, Roosevelt meets Muir and off they go on a wilderness adventure. The reader enjoys watching the president of the United States escape the crowds and feels his excitement at being in the forest, waking up under a blanket of snow, and cooking bacon and eggs over a campfire.

Roosevelt's enthusiasm for the giant sequoia trees, the tiny forest animals, and splendid waterfalls is communicated on every page of the book. Author Ginger Wadsworth, clearly shares his appreciation for America's great outdoors and her attitude is contagious.

In addition to her highly readable story, Wadsworth includes additional resources and other backmatter regarding Yosemite, Muir, and Roosevelt.

I loved watching the documentary with this book in hand - comparing Karen Dugan's watercolor illustrations to the images on the TV screen, and finding quotes by Roosevelt in the text.

Camping With The President covers only a small part of the second episode in the documentary. The film has much more to say about the influence of Muir and Roosevelt on our National Park system. But the spirit behind their influence is beautifully captured in this picture book for elementary students.

Camping with the President
Ginger Wadsworth
ILLUSTRATED BY
Karen Dugan
Ages: 8 and up
Grades: 4–6
Pages: 32
List Price: 16.95
Cover: Hardcover
Published: 9/1/2009

Anne Greenawalt, interviewed me on her blog.Anne is the author of Growing Up Girl, a delightful book of short stories about well, about growing up girl.

I love the subtitle of Anne's blog - News, Tips, and Scribblings from a Burgeoning Author.

Anne does have a lot of writing going on! For one thing there are her articles at Suite 101.

She is co-writing a comeback story with John Ulsh, who survived and thrived against all odds in the wake of a head-on car colision.

And Anne has an agent shopping her first novel, "Once A Spartan". Does the story of a girl athlete in the early olympic games intrigue you?

It's just a matter of time until Anne Greenawalt, Girl Wonder lands on YA fiction bookshelves.

To celebrate the launch of her new website, Joyce Moyer Hostetter is giving away books!

A. First way to win free books.

1. Post the following sentence on your blog or facebook status - Check out Joyce Moyer Hostetter's classy new website at www.joycemoyerhostetter.com/
2. Comment on Joyce's blog or livejournal to inform her of the link you created.
3. Particpants' names will go into a "hat" and a winner will be selected on October 4th.
4. Prize is a signed set of Joyce's 4 books! (Book info is on the website)

B. Second way to win free books.

1. Visit Joyce Moyer Hostetter's new website www.joycemoyerhostetter.com/ and enjoy the design created by Nathan Clement of Stickman Studio.
2. Visit Nathan's blog and tell him what you like about the design.
3. Participants' names will go into a "hat" and will be drawn on October 4.
4. Prize is a signed copy of Nathan's picture book DRIVE and one of Joyce's HEALING WATER.

On October 5, Joyce will announce the winners of both contests on her blog, livejournal, and facebook.

Spread the word! Christmas is just around the corner and this could be as many as 4 gifts all wrapped up!

Well actually, Joyce might let you do the wrapping.

This is me on the padded glider on the porch of my very own rustic cabin at the Carolyn Yoder Alumni Writing Retreat.

There are ten other writers here and I think some of them are actually writing! But the weather is perfect for sleeping and I worked hard to get here so I'm having a day for eating and sleeping and catching up with friends.

However, lest I get too comfy, I'm scheduled for a one-on-one critique with Carolyn very soon. And I've already seen her feedback on the pages I submitted earlier. So don't go thinking that I'm going to be chillin' all week while the world keeps turning elsewhere.

Today is just getting me rested for the hard work ahead.

By the way - This is a Highlights Founder's Workshop. They always hold delightful surprises. The highlight for me this time? Meeting Carolyn's mom. Very cool lady!

 

In 1942, this tunnel in Williamsburg, VA had a dirt floor and was a great place for young couples to walk through, holding hands. Or to sneak a kiss.

I blog today because of a comment my husband made this morning. He was at his computer with that last cup of morning coffee when he mentioned that all the regular bloggers he reads have quit posting.

Including me.

Hey it's summer - people are mowing grass and climbing mountains and sky diving!

I've done precious little of that stuff. A smidge of mowing, maybe. And too little hiking. But skydiving? Get real!

So what's my excuse for not blogging? I found it this morning embedded in a post on my YA Writer listserve. One of my fellow writers put it like this.

What is it with non-writers that they don't understand how
deeply you have to be involved with the book to be able to write or
revise effectively?

Wow! Not sure why I needed mbcatmiller to clarify this for me but suddenly I realized why I had trouble writing this story I'm working on. I wasn't deeply involved enough. In some ways it all boiled down to more research.

But it was also about being deeply involved. Having the house to myself for hours on end and even for a few days. Reading chapters aloud and studying photographs, interviewing octogenarians, reading their memoirs, and exploring material that is in some way related to the time and place of my story. (Did I mention research?)

Have I mentioned going back to 1942 and staying there?

I think Mary Beth has it right and I've been thinking about that alot this summer. Writing a story means drilling down into the setting, the time, the characters. If we're jerked back into our real lives too often, we're apt to become disoriented. And it's hard to write when you're groping about in search of what you were saying just before you got interrupted.

Fortunately, I got past my dry spell this summer. And wrote the story. Mostly by slogging through some uphill moments in the last several weeks.

I'm wrapping up that first draft this week. And reading it aloud all day everyday. And tweaking. And I'm so happy because I'm going to spend next week with dear editor and some lovely, like-minded writers. We'll be immersing ourselves in our stories.

But I promise to blog some - so hubby has something to go with his coffee.

Anyway. There's my excuse for not blogging recently. Nothing to do with skydiving. Just been off in a different decade, is all.