Books of the Last Year: A Recap

The past year has been a whirlwind, in good and terrible ways. But that doesn't mean I haven't been reading, and today I'd like to acknowledge some of the finest books I've read (relatively) lately. A mention here constitutes endorsement, and I plan to place reviews in the appropriate sites.

The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag. I wanted something to read on the plane to Spain, but I don't recall how I came across this author. I loved the sense of women's history and empowerment here.

 Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown. A fellow Launch Lab alum wrote this perfectly researched and imagined historical fiction about some of the most universal women's struggles.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I had this book recommended to me many times before I finally picked it up at my then-local bookstore, Antigone in Tucson, Arizona. It was the last in a long and hallowed line of books I read to my husband. He hadn't grown up with adults reading to him, so I started reading him my favorites and exciting new books to him before we were married. When my voice would give out, he would often pitch in, especially if we were at a really good part. This is why my husband put Harry Potter in our wedding vows. I had a lot of trouble getting into The Night Circus. Though my husband enjoyed it, I couldn't see that it was coming to any particular point. We didn't quite finish before my husband checked into the hospital, and after he lost consciousness, I read the last three chapters to myself sitting in a chair next to his bed. Of course, that's when the story all comes together and I ended up finally understanding why so many people recommended it to me.

A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin. I was nervous to get into this book because the great Manolo García, my idol in all things creative, recommended it to me when I met him in May 2016. If it was no good, what would that say about this artist I so admire? I purchased this book at Antigone two days before my husband passed away, which you might think would mar it for me. But I remember going to pick the book up with my sister-in-law as a much-needed break from the hospital, a slice of normal in a world that was quickly turning upside-down. I needn't have feared any of this. Lucia Berlin's writing is so overwhelmingly fantastic, this book is the only thing I remember about the first month after my husband's passing.

Monterey Bay by Lindsay Hatton. A tour-de-force by a fellow Launch Lab alum.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. On point and familiar, even though everyone's grief is different, with the added benefit of falconry drama—doubly unforgettable. I wish I'd read this before publishing the goshawk scenes in Seven Noble Knights!

The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman. Useful and no-nonsense exactly when I needed practical coping mechanisms.

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud. This author was a favorite for my husband and I to read to each other, and I was comforted to be able to read this book when it came out on our wedding anniversary. I loved the mind-blowing imagery of life after death and how the two worlds might intersect. And I'm glad Lucy didn't abandon Lockwood & Co. for long.

Odd Adventures with Your Other Father by Norman Prentiss. I came across this gem by a fellow Kindle Press author when we did a cross-promo together. Whimsical, touching, and shocking in all the right places, this book made me realize I love some kinds of horror writing. The end is an unspeakably beautiful fantasy for someone who's lost a loved one to cancer.

Narrow River, Wide Sky by Jenny Forrester. I earned an internship at Hawthorne Books this winter, and focused on setting up the book tour and other publicity concerns for the wonderful author.

The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. Thank goodness I came across this daring and truthful memoir in the Hawthorne offices! Read it. Now. You'll thank me.

Dora: A Headcase by Lidia Yuknavitch. A hilarious examination of the gender and age bias in traditional psychotherapy. It made me want to read every other book Lidia Yuknavitch ever produces.

Life is Short—Art is Shorter by David Shields and Elizabeth Cooperman. Astonishingly effective in their brevity, the pieces here inspire you to experiment in this age of short attention spans.

Death's Dancer by Jasmine Silvera. Another wonderfully imaginative book by a fellow Kindle Press author.

The Miniature Wife and Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales. I picked this up because I've been accepted into the prestigious Tin House Summer Workshop, and I'm thrilled I'll be working with Manuel Gonzales in July. Every one of these stories excited me for its approach, its novel logic, its turns of phrase, or the proliferating concepts I sensed behind the imagery, which was always exactly as crazy as I needed it to be.

Violation by Sallie Tisdale. Some of the best essays by one of the best essay writers.

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown. I won this advance readers copy via Goodreads. I think disappearances and faked deaths are a whole genre in themselves. This one had compelling characters and interesting twists.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier. Another Goodreads ARC win. Othello is my favorite Shakespeare, and the way the author transferred it to a 1970s middle school playground is fascinating. Great pop culture references run through the interesting and believable decision to make the action take place over a single school day.

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. After a tragedy or trauma, you no longer have Option A available. I'm doing a lot of thinking about what my Option B is, and this book helps with that as well as with not feeling so alone.

I'm astonished I've read so much when concentration has often been a challenge this year—I've left out plenty of books here! Thanks for checking out my recent literary path. Straight an narrow it ain't!

Achieving a Big Goal without My Soul Mate: Seven Noble Knights at the Harvard Book Store

My trip to Massachusetts last week was the culmination of so many hopes and dreams. It was also the first time I'd been back to the place where I met my husband without him. Friends, beauty, and acute loss combined to create an emotionally complex triumph for my writing career.

Reading at the Harvard Book Store is the most obvious validation I've had of my book baby, Seven Noble Knights. I've been planning this event since before my husband passed away so unexpectedly. I always thought he would come with me, be his wonderful supportive self, and take photos and videos. I had to look elsewhere for the support I needed, and am amazed and thrilled that I found it.

Among the awesome people who attended the event were the other reader, talented memoirist Nadine Kenney Johnstone, author of Of This Much I'm Sure; Jennifer S. Brown, author of Modern Girls; Rick Heller, author of Secular Meditation; and Maile Hulihan, author of the forthcoming comedy Trinity of Bitches. Their enthusiasm helped me focus on the wonderful things about the evening.

I've rarely seen anything more beautiful than my book baby for sale in the Harvard Book Store.

Right next to checkout, ready for the next eager reader! Looks like it's already sold a copy or two...

I wanted the audience to love my epic novel as much as I do, so I read from it with great gusto.

Want to see the reading in action? You can because of kindness and support from my college creative writing advisor and dear friend, who took the video.

After the reading, Nadine Kenney Johnstone and I took questions from the audience. We discussed inspiration, how to get the writing done even when moving across the country, our next projects and sequels, working with an academic press, the lost medieval epic poem on which the novel is based ("It doesn't get more exciting than that!"), and the value of human life in the tenth century in light of the excerpt's mention of a "homicide fee." One audience member astutely pointed out that Seven Noble Knights would make a great television series. I'm not the only one who thinks so!

On a side note, look at the book behind Nadine: The Regional Office is Under Attack! This is by Manuel Gonzales, with whom I'm going to have the honor of working this July at the Tin House Summer Workshop!

Nadine also spoke about the reliving/processing/healing effects of writing her memoir and I wondered if that was in my future, too.

One of the prettiest city blocks in the entire USA

Many readers purchased books and I got to sign them with a nice pen I wish I could've kept. After the rush, Alex from the Harvard Book Store had me put my name in the remaining copies. Signed copies of Seven Noble Knights are now available if you drop by or order online! Nowhere else.

Friends tell me my husband's spirit was there to witness this event that meant so much to me.

I know. It wouldn't have happened without him.

If you can't get enough Seven Noble Knights videos, don't miss the intimate reading of Chapter I—murder, mayhem, and machismo in just five minutes!

Reading Up a Spring Storm in Oregon

On Saturday, I went with my supportive mother to the Saint Helens Spring into Art phenomenon at the community center. There were culinary arts, rug weaving, paintings and sculptures on display, a dog adoption area, and ukulele band performances, to name just a few.

The community center building houses the town library, and I found my baby, Seven Noble Knights, in really good company on the new shelf.

I wore my shirt with the awesome medieval sleeves in order to read the first chapter of Seven Noble Knights for a diverse and enthusiastic audience in the auditorium.

Audience members told me I brought the story and the time period to life with my reading, so I felt pretty good. This was great community-centered practice for my reading at the Harvard Book Store later this week!

Afterward, I set up Seven Noble Knights (with a printout of its Historical Novel Society review), Tree/House, Unpredictable Worlds, and Awash in Talent in the children's area of the library with several other local authors. Even though we were tucked in the back of the community center where people had to come looking for us, I sold and signed several copies of Awash in Talent and one of Unpredictable Worlds, and chatting with readers and the librarians was a lot of fun.

One male reader asked me what Tree/House was about, and I amazed myself saying, "It uses Jungian archetypal imagery to retell the Bluebeard legend." Tree/House is kind of a hard sell to a male reader, anyway, but I'm not sure what made me venture into the alienating scholarly definition of a book many people have enjoyed without knowing about Carl Jung or the Bluebeard story. Note to self: Tree/House is the story of a woman's empowerment through sleeping in trees.

Another note to self: If I had mentioned the book signing at the reading, I might have attracted more historical fiction readers to the second event. It's not easy to remember to be your own publicist when you're having fun.

Thanks to everyone who listened to the first chapter of Seven Noble Knights and who stopped by my booth! And to my mom, who was my biggest fan on Saturday!

If you just weren't in Oregon on Saturday, I did a special YouTube reading of the first chapter, which you can watch any time here.

Enjoy! And I'll see you at Harvard!

Springing Along with a New Publication and Events

I know many of you are finishing up your taxes, that springtime blight. I've done mine for the first time as a widow, and it was about as fun as I expected.

Lest you think the piles of W2s and 1099s swallowed me up, it's time to let you know about the other amazing projects I've been working on.

The first is ready for you now! My historical short story, "The Lake," has come out in the award-winning Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine. The April issue is chock full of spine-tingling delights. My contribution makes use of Jungian imagery to pay tribute to one of my favorite poems ("The Lake"). The poet, Edgar Allan Poe himself, shows up as a young man in this story to have a transformative effect on an impressionable girl. It doesn't get much more gothic.

I never thought of my self as a horror writer, but more and more, I'm attracted to the psychological aspects of scary stories. If it has something creepy or uncanny, I'm there! There's something for all your horrifying needs in this issue of Dark Gothic Resurrected. It's also available from Amazon.

I'm proud to say the folks at Kindle Press have included Awash in Talent in a big sale: 150 Kindle Books for $1.50. Time to make my zany Rhode Island book the bestseller it should be! This unique piece of art and labor of love won't cost you more than a cup of coffee until April 30.

I'm also busy assembling superauthor outfits for not one, but two events this spring:

April 29: Spring into Art at the Saint Helens Public Library will see me reading briefly from Seven Noble Knights with many other talented authors. I'll also be at a table where you can purchase Seven Noble Knights, Awash in Talent, Unpredictable Worlds, or Tree/House and get them signed right before your eyes! I look forward to talking with you on April 29.

May 3: I return to the place where I first lived with my true love and fulfill a life dream: A reading at the Harvard Book Store with Q&A about Seven Noble Knights! If you're near Cambridge, I encourage you to show up for this free event, which will also feature wonderful memoirist Nadine Kenney. It's sure to be standing room only, so come early! The bookstore has signed copies available for preorder, too!

Photos and videos to follow.

Interview with Jasmine Silvera, Author of the Kindle Press Fantasy Death's Dancer

In honor of the Kindle Scout Second Anniversary Sale, I'm sitting down with Jasmine Silvera, author of the fantasy Death's Dancer. We found each other when I commented that Awash in Talent is a fantasy, but doesn't follow rules, and our conversation didn't follow many rules, either.

View the action as it unfolded here. We talked about the ways her novel surprised her, the Easter eggs she's hidden inside Death's Dancer, and whether there's any fun to be had outside of writing. See below for some good chatting between authors. Jasmine returned the favor and interviewed me, and posted a transcript at her blog, too!

About Death's Dancer:

Isela Vogel is dancing on borrowed time: a degenerative hip threatens her successful career bringing the favor of the gods to her patrons. Now, one big job could set her up for life; if it doesn't get her killed. The Necromancer Azrael must harness the power of a god to stop a killer, and that requires a dancer. 

Capricious gods and scheming necromancers are the least of Isela's worries. If she and Azrael fail, it will cost more than her life. If they succeed, she will lose everything she loves. 

And then there's the danger of falling for a Lord of Death.

Jessica Knauss Your novel is so imaginative. Did it surprise you? How?

Jasmine Silvera It was quite a surprise, though I'm a diehard plotter—when I started Death’s Dancer, I thought I was writing a straightforward alternate world fantasy, or even old school Urban Fantasy (à la Charles de Lint and Emma Bull—before it was mostly badass chicks with swords and/or guns and/or magical powers). Prague just has this otherworldly feel that leant itself to that. It was going to be much more of an ensemble book. But Azrael and Isela had such strong voices, and their attraction kept "getting in the way." So at some point, I stopped fighting it and let them do their thing.

Though, to be clear, I love a good badass chick Urban Fantasy! Marjorie Liu's Hunter's Kiss is one of my all time favorites!

Jessica Knauss I love reading about your version of Prague. What's your link with that city?

Jasmine Silvera We lived in Prague for almost two years. Shortly after we got married, Mr. Silvera's job presented the opportunity to relocate. We jumped on it! We have the best souvenir ever: my daughter was born there.

Jessica Knauss When your characters took over, did it generate any material that you had to edit out?

Jasmine Silvera Strangely, no. They really helped me focus! I did have to edit a lot of the details of the scenery and city though. I could go on and on about the cobblestone patterns throughout the city and how they change in different neighborhoods. Prague as so many incredible place details, and buildings and particular bits of history. When the book began to creep toward 100,000 words, I took a hard look at how much of that I absolutely needed to give a sense of place. Anything that didn’t help move the story forward, or define the characters in some way had to go. Sadly.

Jessica Knauss Maybe you can use the material in a travel guide later.

Jasmine Silvera Yes! I have a "streets of the necromancer" tour in the back of my mind. Someday, maybe!

Jessica Knauss Jasmine, I'll sign up for that tour.

Jasmine Silvera If anyone is looking for a book that does an AMAZING job of incorporating the history and sights of Prague in a modern mystery setting, check out City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte. It's a real work of art!

Jessica Knauss What was your favorite scene to write?

Jasmine Silvera That is such a tough question! I love writing ensemble scenes which is kind of a cheat answer because there are two in this book: the dinner scene with Isela and her friends at the Academy, and her Sunday dinner with her family (hmm, funny how they both revolve around food!)

It was a fun challenge to give everyone enough screen time to make them worth being in the scene, and make all of their personalities distinct enough that it doesn’t get too confusing and move the plot forward. I (hopefully) succeeded.

Jessica Knauss I haven't gotten there yet, but I'll bet you succeeded. I also sense that you enjoyed writing about choreography. I practically felt like I had been dancing after reading some of the scenes.

Jasmine Silvera I do, although I'm more drawn to Latin dances—flamenco, salsa, tango—than ballet or modern dance. I actually stumbled into salsa. I wanted to be a tango dancer, but I was told I had too much "hip action" and I should try salsa. I fell in love... And it turns out everybody on my mom's side of the family could Salsa but me. Who knew?!

Jessica Knauss Do you hide any secrets that only a few people will find in your books?

Jasmine Silvera I’m a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, so of course I had to slip in a few easter eggs. My goal was to try to make them unnoticeable if you aren’t aware of them. I don’t want my attempt to to be "clever" to pull the reader out of the story in any way. A lot of them are around character interaction or specific character traits. People who know me will have lightbulb moments. I’ve also tried to seed a few things for future books: one bit between Gregor and Isela is a setup for something that happens later in the series.

Jessica Knauss How do you select the names of your characters? I ask because they're beautiful, unusual, and also seem to point to ancient traditions.

Jasmine Silvera Thank you! I wanted them to be unique but pronounceable. Sometimes characters come fully formed, names and all. Isela was always going to be Isela. She was pretty stubborn about that. And I have no idea where it came from. I just woke up one morning with "Isela. Issy." Azrael on the other hand was a mystery until the middle of the second draft. I wanted something that sounded old but familiar. I was flipping through a book of Angels for an entirely different project and came on the Angel of Death. Azrael is one of the few angels that appears in the theology of Judaism, Christianity and Islam under a similar name. That got my ‘what if’ machine going. Divinity is a fickle thing: it’s a matter of faith and interpretation. What if Azrael wasn’t an angel, but a powerful sorcerer with the ability to control death?

For side characters I tend to look up popular names in the years that character would have been born. I also try to be conscious of a character’s background when naming.

One of my favorite antidotes (also a great argument for why you need beta readers) revolves around naming a character. One of Isela’s friends originally had a very Czech name. At one point pretty late in Dancer’s production, a friend (who is Czech) pointed out that as the character came from a Russian background it was unlikely she would have been given a Czech name. It was a tiny detail that most people wouldn’t have noticed, but I think those details add up to credibility to a story, especially one that veers so heavily into the fantastic.

I probably obsess over it way more than I should.

Jessica Knauss Did you read a lot as a child? Was there one book that you couldn't live without?

Jasmine Silvera My ability to come home from the library with stacks of books (and read them all) was legendary in my family. I still get a little overwhelmed with gratitude when I step into a library (and did you know Prague has some of the most beautiful libraries in the world?!)

But to answer the question: I read Watership Down probably a dozen times. It was terrifying and thrilling and mundane all at once. I’ve never looked at rabbits the same way. Yes I get something new out of it every time. It's also the book I've bought and given away more than any other.

Jessica Knauss That's a complex book that stands up well to multiple readings, even by a brilliant reader. And I hope there will be libraries on your Prague tour.

Jasmine Silvera Here's my personal favorite. 

Jessica Knauss All this creative writing can really take it out of you. How do you relax?

Jasmine Silvera Yeah, blocking dance and fight scenes really takes it out of me. I’ve practiced yoga for over ten years, so I tend to unroll my mat when I’m feeling stressed. I used to be a runner, but I was always getting injured. Walking the Camino de Santiago taught me to enjoy the joy of just taking a steady pace and looking around at the things I pass grounds me. It’s deeply restorative. Now I'm a walker.

Jessica Knauss I commend you for using physical activity to unwind from the brain drain of writing. I hope to walk at least some of the Camino someday. It seems like a great idea, and it's my duty as a medieval Hispanist.

Jasmine Silvera Jessica, with your extensive background in Spanish history you would probably get way more out of it than I did. If you ever do decide to do it, let me know. I'd come along just to learn a few things!

Jessica Knauss Sure thing! Last question: Besides writing and walking, what other things do you enjoy?

Jasmine Silvera I love making photos. In another life I would have definitely been a photographer. I’m pretty devoted to my Instagram account, because it lets my inner shutterbug have an outlet. I started playing the cello in my late twenties, and though I’m not very good (and have very little time to practice these days) it’s one of my favorite nonwriting challenges.

Jessica Knauss Find Jasmine’s lovely photos on Instagram. Thanks for a lively conversation, Jasmine.

Jasmine Silvera Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me, Jessica! It's been a wonderful exchange.

All Kindle Scout–winning titles are on sale for 99 cents now through April 3. Fantasy, YA, romance, mystery, thriller, suspense—Kindle Scout loves them all!

Springtime Renewal with a Free Book and Big Sale

It' been a long winter. Luckily, the Vernal Equinox anthology is here, just in time to celebrate spring. This free anthology takes renewal as its theme. If you've ever wondered whether Emily from Awash in Talent is trapped forever in her bizarre forced-therapy prison, the story I contribute will show you the way she finds renewal. It's the first chapter of Awash in Talent's anticipated sequel, Call It What You Will (which is still being written). This entertaining story and nine others in the fantasy, horror, romance, and literary fiction genres are yours for free!

Author and anthology-maker Lincoln Cole's page gives you a link to Vernal Equinox and showcases all the featured novels in one convenient place.

The release of Vernal Equinox coincides with the Kindle Scout Anniversary Sale. In honor of two years of reader-powered publishing, all Kindle Press titles are only 99 cents each, today through April 3. A panoply of wonderful writing awaits, including Awash in Talent and all the books from Vernal Equinox! Check them all out at Amazon or get the deal conveniently on Awash in Talent's page.

Be sure to check out A Book A Month's appealing and well organized page for the event. Don't mess around with genres you don't care about—find your favorites with an easy click!

Also in celebration of renewal, in April my deep psychology story "The Lake," based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem, will appear in award-winning Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine.

Lest you think I haven't been busy, I'll let you in on a secret: I've been writing a fantasy story, set in Providence, Rhode Island, and another special place, with all new characters. I'm letting my imagination run wild. My writers group has called it magical, unique, vividly rendered, entertaining, and just great. It's good to have my honest efforts rewarded, and I have high hopes I'll be able to share a complete version of this story with you soon.

And last but not least, check out the popularity ranking of the Seven Noble Knights All Classical interview, also available here.

Radio Stars: Seven Noble Knights and Me

Portland's All Classical station is at the intersection of the river and the light rail. 

Picture it: You're an artist, and someone you're not related to and have never met and you know appreciates the type of art you do in general has seen your art and liked it enough to talk with you about it for thirty minutes at his radio station.

A selfie in the very moments when my authorial fame hits its zenith. 

Exciting? You bet. I know because it happened to me!

Ed Goldberg at Portland's All Classical is an avid reader, and I had the inestimable pleasure of chatting with him (at New York speed) about Seven Noble Knights.

Check it out and download it free at the station's site. It is also on iTunes (the J. K. Knauss March 1 track) also free. If you don't find it there, have a listen at the top of my Seven Noble Knights page! 

The view from the studio wouldn't be complete without rain clouds. 

As you'll see when you have a listen, we crammed a lot of information into thirty minutes! I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making the recording. Doña Sancha, Don Gonzalo, their seven sons, Mudarra, and Doña Lambra await you!