The Misadventures of Loopie Snood

Author INTERVIEW - Linda Joy Singleton

2007-04-13T16:48:55Z

Welcome, Linda Joy. Thank you for taking the time to let me interview you.

Q. What inspired you to be a writer?

A. As soon as I started reading on my own, I started writing. No one told me to do it. Words and stories just sprang out of me and onto paper. As young as eight, I wrote because I loved stories. I submitted short stories in my teens, gaining experience with rejections. And when I was thirty, I sold my first juvenile novel. Since then I’m sold over thirty books.

Q. Can you tell us about your latest book release?

A. The 4^th title in THE SEER series, SWORD PLAY, came out in 2006. I took fencing lessons for research and watched a joust that resulted in a serious injury to one rider. The book opens with a ghost and ends with a battle of swords. In August 07 the 5^th title in THE SEER series, FATAL CHARM, will be published by Flux.

Q. What prompted you to write your books?

A. Are they based on true life or are they completely fiction? My books are all fiction. I love to write about magical, strange and mysterious things that fascinate me. I’ve written about clones, psychics, ghosts, aliens, mermaids and cheerleaders. Whenever I’ve writing about a topic excites me. I do most research online but love to go places and meet people who help make even the most fantastical plot seem real. There are little bits of people I know, emotions I’ve felt and places I’ve been in every book I write.

Q. Would you take us through your typical writing day?

A. You’re gonna hate me (g)…but when it’s cold I don’t even get up in the morning. I put my laptop on my bed, prop myself upright, check my email then bring up my latest manuscript. I spend a few hours rewriting what I’ve already written, then if I’m a good girl, I add new pages. Sometimes I edit over and over without adding any new pages, but the rewriting makes it so much better. So I write slower than I used to but I like to think the work shines a little brighter for the extra work.

Q. Do you think about your readers when you write a book?

A. No. I become my character and feel her story. We’re experiencing the plot together.

Q. What sort of things do you do when you’re not writing?

A. Watch reality TV shows. Take walks. Go to the movies. I bowl (badly) on a league with my hubby. In the summer we boat & camp. I also spend a lot of time surfing the web. Oh, and lots of reading. Books rock.

Q. What are some of your favorite things?

A. My family, cats, my dog Lacey, the color pink, my series book collection, trees, lakes, the ocean and sunshine.

Q. Many writers speak about writer’s block. Do you ever have that, and if so what are some things you do to get over it?

A. I don’t get writer’s block. I get writer’s procrastination and disappointment, but I never run out of ideas. There are too many books to write and not enough years to write them all.

Q. If you could say one thing to a new writer what would it be?

A. Read. Yup, you’ve heard that before, but reading is the key to learning the flow and music of words. Read all kinds of books and soak in a multitude of voices. Then read some more.

Q. If you could say one thing to the children reading your books what would that be?

A. I hope you love my books.

Q. When it comes to writing what’s next for you?

A. I’m working on a series about a girl who feels like an alien in high school for good reason. It’s turning out soooo good. I love my ugly-girl character and am having a ball writing all the weird things that happen to her. I am being sooo mean to her, but nice, too, because she’s going to find love and magic in the end.

Q. Are you available for signings, school visits and writing workshops?

A. Yup. That was me you saw on the side of the road with the sign: Will Give Talks For Honorarium.

www.LindaJoySingleton.com

Still around - Snood Review - Ida B

2007-03-12T17:33:47Z

Snood Review - Ida B by Katherine Hannigan

Home-schooled, Ida B Applewood has everything any child would want – an abundance of time to play and explore her father’s acreage. Highly in-tuned with nature, Ida spends her days talking to trees and the brook that runs through the family’s land. Her world is shattered when her mother falls ill and enters cancer treatment. Some of her family’s acreage is sold and Ida B is forced into a school system she hates. Angry and betrayed Ida B builds walls and plans to hate everything and everyone around her. Slowly a caring fourth grade teacher tears down her walls and helps Ida B open up to the others around her again. She begins to heal and accept the changes in her life.

Katherine Hannigan creates a strong character with a strong voice in Ida B. Although, because of her home schooling and the care of her parents she seems older than a fourth grader her voice is even and deliberate. Her quirks and stubbornness to accept change makes Ida B a character to fall in love with.

Highly recommended.

Back/halloween

2006-11-01T02:22:01Z

I'm still alive. I've been away. I've been busy with promotion and things.

I'm back.

I love this day. I love candy. If I were shorter/younger I'd be out there trick-or-treating. I bought enough chocolate bars, chips and sour chewy candy for about 250 little alien creatures - we got 48 knocking at the door. It breaks my heart to have to eat all the leftovers ;)

loopiesnood @ 2006-09-04T17:53:00

2006-09-04T21:52:28Z

You Are 17 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Busy writing so...

2006-09-01T16:30:02Z

All I have to say is...

Olives - YUM.

Squashed

2006-08-17T20:06:02Z

You know that little dude who tells you your writing sucks every now and then? This is mine.

Yeah, baby! Tell me I suck? I don't flipping think so.

Errr... I hope that was the little sucky dude. Maybe it was the last editor who rejected my ms. Nope just checked under the keyboard. That was the dude.

Serious Attitude

2006-08-16T23:58:04Z

I sat down to write but didn't get anything done because my computer decided to give me some serious attitude. I mean when you open up WORD and get this - what can you do?

Memories

2006-08-12T22:12:08Z

There I was minding my own biz, doing the supper dishes and thinking on a new story idea - which is good because I finished my wip when suddenly I craved a malt. You know those ice-cream sort of things you get in a cup with a spoon.

See when I was growing up we had this restaurant where all the kids hung out called Arnolds. They served burgers and stuff there as well as malts and floats and stuff like that. They even had an old jute box.

Now I know your thinking Loopie - you've gone completely loopy. I suppose you're Joni Cunningham or something and are you going to marry Chachi? That was Happy Days you dough-brain. Check yourself into the nearest mental facility and get a full brain check.

Okay now my come back.

No I am NOT loopy and do NOT have to check myself into the mad-house. I didn't even grow up in the 50's. Yes, I know that SOUNDS like Happy Days but truly we HAD a Happy Days obsessed dude living in the town I happened to have been living in at the time. We had a Arnolds and all that stuff and all the kids hung out there. There was no Joni, or Chachi, Fonzie or Richie. There was a Jodi, Chad, Arnie and Richard.

And right now I want a dag-nabbit malt okay? But I don't know where you can buy a malt around here. I don't even know if anyone sells malts anymore so I have to sulk and eat some darn too good for me fruit.

You know it's time

2006-08-07T13:45:23Z

to get out the swiffer:

When you turn on a fan in your office and find yourself transported back to the dust bowl in 1934.

My office.

Storms

2006-08-03T14:26:27Z

WOW... left my house to go to the store (less than a five minute drive) and it was sunny. Hubby was watching the neighbour's kids in the pool as he talked to the neighbour dad. 1/2 way to the store the sky got DARK. I couldn't see ten feet ahead of my car because the winds kicked up so much rain and branches flipping off trees. Power was knocked out at the store by the time I got there and also at home by the time I got back. Lightning -Thunder the whole works as well as at least one tornado touching down.
I wrote this yesterday but the power got knocked out again before I could post it. I tell you it was one HOT night. Hubby woke up at about 2 and jumped in the pool then came back to bed.
At least today there's a breeze.

Writing news - still waiting for ~~some~~ ~~moola~~ ~~(moulaaa?)~~ a darn (keeping it clean) overdue check from one of my publishers and hopefully news of another check from another writing related thang. Hopefully the mailman didn't get sucked up by those twisters - you know how you always see the cow flying in the movies? Well picture it in a mailman's uniform with a mail-sack slung over it's neck - heh -no my mailman doesn't look like a cow, my mind just wanders through pastures like a hungry cow.
Also waiting on news from editors who have some of my stuff out there actually I suppose it's my agent I'll hear from not the editors. ANYHOW... I'm waiting. Hopefully I'll get some writing done without too many interruptions this morning.

EWWWE

2006-07-29T17:05:34Z

One should not eat a greasy meal before getting on an amusement ride. No I did not puke but the person in front of me did.

This is so Me

2006-07-27T16:17:06Z

Your Aura is Orange

Your Personality: A total daredevil, you'll try any thrill. You're easily bored and you prefer to be on the go.

You in Love: You see love as an adventure, and you find most men dull. You need a man who challenges you!

Your Career: Your ideal job is flexible, fun, and maybe a little dangerous. You have the makings of a private investigator or extreme athlete.

What Color Is Your Aura?

loopiesnood @ 2006-07-25T19:27:00

2006-07-25T23:40:56Z

Spent the entire day shopping. I spent a few hours in a big bookstore. That was fun. Came out with four books. I thought I bought five but I must have put one down while looking at others and left it behind. I didn't pay for it anyhow. Leaving it behind when I really wanted it just means I'll have to go back another day - like that makes me want to cry. Bought... A magic tree house - for a kid who collects them. Bought... Wiley and Grampa - Grandpa's Zombie BBQ - because it looked so much like something I wrote a few years back that my agent decided kids wouldn't get because of the Grampa and we didn't bother shopping. Me thinks me name should be Dav Pilkey because this is the SECOND time this has happened to me - I wish Dav would stop looking into the Loopie brain :). I bought the Awful End by Philip Ardagh because it looks good. And I bought Street Pharm by Allison can Diepen because I don't always read silly.

Safely out of the Jungle

2006-07-23T20:54:08Z

I have just arrived safely out of Irian Jaya. The trek through the jungle was difficult. Everything looked similar and I soon became lost. With only my bare hands to break past the thick vines covering the trees

Soon I was chased by a band of fierce animals

Days and days of intense walking. Watching for signs I was afraid I'd never see civilization again.
Exhausted from lack of sleep and deprived of food and water I stumbled upon a village. I was grateful the locals asked me for lunch but I had to decline not sure whether I was going to be there to eat or whether I was going to be theirs to eat -
(What do you think?)

I followed a trail to the beach where I found a boat to take me back to North America-

Okay, Okay... I wasn't really in the Irian Jaya Jungle in New Guinea. I was weeding my garden but if you saw those weeds you'd know I was lucky to come out alive.

loopiesnood @ 2006-07-22T18:42:00

2006-07-22T22:42:21Z

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer

You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.
You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules.
Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.
You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller!

You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

A SNOOD REVIEW

2006-07-21T17:20:19Z

Today's book - 'Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost' - Cornelia Funke

Tom is a timid kid who’s afraid to go down in his cellar – for good reason. It’s haunted. His older sister Lola though doesn’t see the ghost Tom sees and teases him. With the help of an eccentric ghost hunter, Hetty Hyssop, Tom tackles the ghost in his cellar. He soon finds out the ghost – Hugo - has nowhere else to go because he has been thrown out of his villa by a bigger badder ghost - an Incredibly Revolting Ghost or IRG. With Hetty’s help Tom and Hugo enter the villa – meet the villa’s owner Mr. Lovely and the four of them rid the villa of the IRG.

This book was a little disappointing for me. Not to say that it wasn’t good. It is. I just wasn’t up to the greatness of the Thief Lord or the other novels of Funke’s that I’ve read. It could very well have been in the translation but there were several times I put the book down to do something and didn’t feel the need to pick it back up to continue reading (though obviously I did).

The main character Tom is likeable enough and near the end I found myself routing for him to overcome the ghosts but I didn’t really care either way. I think I would have enjoyed it more had he been able to do more for himself instead of relying on adults to do it for him. Although he solved the conflict he had with Lola, he wasn’t the one to devise the plan to catch the IRG. The plan was thought up by Hetty Hyssop (whom I rather enjoyed, but she too didn’t seem whole as a character).

The story itself was humorous enough but again, I was disappointed that it wasn’t laugh out loud funny as I was expecting it to be. Overall, it was an enjoyable-light read and even though I had some problems with it I’d still recommend it to young children who like scary but not too scary

To order the book from Amazon go here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439833086/sr=8-1/qid=1153503524/ref=sr_1_1/102-1076366-7978531?ie=UTF8

OMG They're multiplying

2006-07-20T01:51:49Z

The knock on my door at 8:00am - at least I think it's 8:00am my eyes aren't totally focused - no glasses that added to a late night of writing or rather early morning. I'm thinking - okay just go away but NO another knock this time much louder. I drag my butt out of bed and crawl to the door thinking possibly an early morning priority post from Ima Justa Intern with my copy edits. Another knock - even louder.
Me - "yeah yeah, I'm coming." I stand, unlock the bazillion locks and swing the door open. I don't see anyone so I close the door thinking they didn't stick around. I figure I'm already up so why not grab some coffee and get some writing done. But there's another knock. Huh? So I open the door. Again I don't see anyone so go to close the door ago - when I hear a "HI, Loopie."
Oh. I look down. One of those alien creatures that hangs around my house.
"Hi."
"My mom said for me to come and play here." The creature walks past me and runs up the stairs. "Going to play some Ape Escape, K?"
"Right." I close the door. Bet the kid's mom is sleeping in.
Go to the kitchen to grab some java and hear another knock.
"I'll get it," the kid says. (kid meaning child - not the domestic horned ruminant of the genus Capra, family Bovidae). "It's probably Chol anyhow." But this time two kids race to the door. One went up - two come down (where the other kid came from I do not know) and with more energy than a couple of mosquitoes in fridge of the blood bank. Another kid enters my house.
"Hey, Loop. How's it going."
"It's going fine." I say, thinking it was finer when I was in my bed dreaming of... well if I told you what I was dreaming of it wouldn't come true so I won't tell you. Moving on.
"Cool," the kid says. "We're going to play air hockey."
"Yep." So I go into my office with my coffee to write. There's a knock on my office door. "Yes?"
The door creaks open and six kids come in. "We're bored. Can you do some crafts with us."
I look at my screen. I look at the kids. They're all pouting and they've got those hypnotizing sad eyes going x12 (14 if you count the kid with the thick glasses). I look at my computer screen again.
"Pleeeeeease."

"Yeah - okay. Just one, though. I have to get some writing done."
So we make fake stained glass window stickers....
and then...
shaped pencil erasers.
and then...
melt plastic beads together to make bowls -
(by this time there are eight kids)
and then...
bouncy balls
and then ...
some mosaics pictures
and then I made lunch - Pizza
after lunch we made a coffee cake
and the kids went swimming
and then they had an air hockey tournament
of course I played too because you can not have an air hockey tourney at Loopie's house without Loopie.

So there you have it. Today I didn't write so I'll have to write until the wee hours of the morning and then...
drag my exhausted butt out of bed when someone knocks on my door at 8:00 am or earlier tomorrow because they had so much fun at my house today. I think I should have SUCKER tattooed on my forehead.

Bed Shopping

2006-07-16T23:01:31Z

I'm beat. I went into the city to shop for a bed today with my hubby - at least I think he's my hubby. I best make sure otherwise my real hubby will be a little upset that I've been living with this guy. Anyhow... we're looking for a loft bed - you know the kind you can stick a desk under. So we're going in and out of all these furniture stores and it's a zillion degrees outside (about 45C with the humidity - not up to doing the conversion to F right now sorry). We have no ac in the car and I got about two hours sleep last night so I'm already tired when we walk into the third last store looking for a bed. Right - so we walk in and are instantly attacked by some woman wanting to sell us the whole store. We say we're just looking at loft beds - do you have any of those? So she brings out this catalog and goes through it with hubby. He says can you get me a price? So she goes into the back and looks it up - we're standing at the desk waiting for her return. Some dude walks into me several times (he's not blind or anything but he just seems to bump into me where ever I'm standing and it's creeping me out so I'm darting around trying to avoid getting bumped into again - Note the store is NOT crowded and I am not taking up a whole isle or anything - I'm fairly small actually and easily avoidable. I think the guy just didn't know how to get out of my space. By the time the lady comes out again about a 1/2 hour or more later I'm practically crawling from exhaustion. So anyhow she's going over the pricing with us.

Her: The loft bed is $219 - and I'm thinking great price.
then she goes - this shelf is $235. And this shelf is $240 and the back is $300 as she's pointing out the actual shelves that frame the bottom part of the bed and hold it in the air.
So I'm like:
Uhhh it's all sold separately?
and she's like yes. We sell it in pieces.
so I'm like so you're telling me the loft bed is $219 right and that's just the bed part?
and she's like - yes.
and I look at her and say so that's not really a loft bed then is it . It's a floor bed.
And she's like Huh? I don't understand your question.

If you know loft beds - most of them if they don't come with the shelves have a base or a frame that keeps them off the ground so you can put something under it. Well this one didn't. Everything sold separately so how can they sell the bed part as a loft bed unless it's already a loft something?

Yah. BTW we didn't buy that bed or any other today. Hubby has decided it's going to be cheaper to make one - YIKES!

Now I'm going to go get a bowl of my favorite comfort food (tapioca pudding - yes I know that's turning some of your stomachs but this loopie chick has odd tastes) and sulk over not finding a loft bed that didn't cost more than the average children's author advance.

An Industry Summer

2006-07-15T21:26:49Z

Oh what a glorious time of year. The birds are singing. The children filled with laughter because they aren’t being tied by the seat of their jeans into little cramped desks and forced to memorise an hour’s worth of times tables.
The weather is great. The beaches are open – and filled to capacity so there’s not a sliver of sand left to lay a washing-cloth let alone a beach towel. Ah but it’s still marvelous – fabulous even because everyone is so relaxed. Except maybe the mum with eight kids screaming that they want ice-cream or the latest electronic toy. Ah yes – summer filled with good times and good memories.
And then of course there’s the publishing industry in summer. The wonderfully quick responses from one of your editors or your agent – right after you email them with an important question or a new ms. And you think WOW they’re at their desk. Then of course you read the email.
“Thank you for emailing. Editor Ta-king Summeroff will not be in the office from July 1rst until Oct. 1rst when the weather in NY starts to suck. If it’s important you can email Ima Justa Intern at tuloforarealvacation@majornyhouse.com”

I have four of those babies sitting in my email box right now. Gotta love summer. I wonder if writers can change their names to Summeroff and get a vacation too. I doubt it. Editor Summeroff usually wants a new ms on her desk when she returns.

As Promised - A SNOOD REVIEW

2006-07-15T01:42:52Z

A snood review....

Today the book is

Bet you're wondering how I got that book when it doesn't come out yet right? Connections... Loopie is very connected actually and NO Loopie is NOT Susan Taylor Brown - or related to her - as far as I know. So here's it is already...

A Snood Review -

HUGGING THE ROCK - by Susan Taylor Brown

Written in verse HUGGING THE ROCK portrays the story of Rachel - a young girl who has just been abandoned by her mother. Granted her father – whom her mother called ‘the rock’ – someone who always does the right thing - is still in the picture. He steps up to take care of Rachel but things aren’t the same. He's been abandoned by the mother too. At first to Rachel, her father is distant and she’s unable to read how he really feels about her mother leaving. She blames him for her mother’s departure –thinking maybe he was a bad husband or that he kicked her out. Then She blames herself - thinking maybe if she had been a better daughter her mother wouldn’t have left.

Slowly, as they learn to live without Mom, Rachel and her father become closer and Rachel learns some things she never knew: like how her mother was bi-polar and how she never wanted to be tied down with a husband or child in the first place.
The book leaves us with Rachel and her father alone and doing well without her mother and Rachel feeling her mother was right. Her father is a rock and rocks are good to have around.

Having someone close to me with a mental illness myself, I found the storyline of her mother being bi-polar and the descriptions of her mood-swings very true to fact. The reactions of Rachel and her dad were also right on the mark.

Susan Taylor Brown writes in strong verse - not adding anything that would drag down the story but at the same time showing us the entire story in a few words.

I did feel at times Rachel’s voice wasn’t as strong as other times, and in some parts it was hard to tell how old she was by the language she used. But overall she was a strong mc. I cried with her, laughed with her and cheered with her.

Reluctant readers will pick HUGGING THE ROCK because of the blank space involved with verse and the story and main character is strong enough to keep them reading.

A great read all in all. I really recommend this book to anyone over nine – especially those children dealing with either parental abandonment or a loved one with mental illnesses.

To pre-order it from amazon go here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tags-on-product/1582461805/103-8580574-4581447?redirect=true

Reviews

2006-07-13T16:06:36Z

Well I know I promised a review of an un-named book today however I was interrupted by several children who are now swimming in my pool as I steal my neighbour's wireless internet connection. I'm not quite sure whose children they are just that I know they interrupted me as I was thinking on that un-named book I was going to review. I just know they aren't my children. At least I don't think they're mine. I figure if I had children, surely I would remember having them - don't you think? These children do seem to hang around here an awful lot though. I must dig deeper into my memory just to make sure. Imagine the emotional scars you'd have if you grew up with your mother not knowing she was your mother even though you practically lived with her. Well they just called me Loopie and not Mum so I guess they aren't mine - either that or they called me Loopy and that would be a total diss and if I am their mother I should ground their butts because I don't think I'm at all loopy -Okay - Okay - maybe sometimes I'm loopy but not right now.
Oh great, these kids are asking for food now. I'm not sure I have food as living alone I don't carry much but I'll check. They want KD. I don't think I have KD. To be honest I'm not even sure what KD is just that it comes in a box and tastes like... well... the box it comes in. Why these children are asking for something that tastes like cardboard when I'm a very good cook I don't know. It makes me very concerned for their health. I sure hope their mothers feed them more than cardboard for supper.
Okay now these kids are getting impatient and they're growing hair on their faces and horns on their heads. OMG they're turning into some kind of unrecognisable hungry beasts which could possibly grow very big and eat me for dinner. I surely hope I have cardboard in the cupboards.

loopiesnood @ 2006-07-12T20:35:00

2006-07-13T00:35:58Z

Hi everyone! I'm totally excited to be joining you. Well maybe not THAT excited but I'll try to act excited - just for you. That's right you. Ya, know who I'm talking to. YOU, YOU, and YOU.

Speaking of YOU, I've seen all these memes around LJ. I'm not sure where you get them but some of them are pretty cool and I'd do just about anything to switch the convo from YOU to MEMEME. Now that would be FABULOUS. Fabulous is such a fantastic word don't you think? Perfect for its meaning. The way it just rolls off your tongue when you say it Faaabuuulouuus... and if you say it with a French accent... Faaaabuuuullloooous - okay that sort of sounds the same on LJ except for the extra 'O's. But say it out loud. Just do it. Let the word roooooooolllll off your tongue. Isn't that fabulous?
Ooops sort of got of the topic of mememe. I kind of tend to do that. My mind wanders. It's sort of good for writing unless you want you writing to be coherent, of course which I don't always want anyway. Off topic is good. But lets get on topic.
Me. About Mememe.
My name is Loopie Snood - for real. At least that's my name so much as I can remember anyhow. I've been called Loopie for a zillion years (not really a zillion, heh) so I'm not about to change it now. Changing it would just get confusing, you know? Like if I changed it to something like Betty and someone called me Betty I'd totally ignore them and they'd just think I was a Betty Snoot when really I'm just a Loopie Snood not used to being called Betty Snoot. Whatever - you get my point. Back on subject...

Loopie Snood - mememe! I'm a writer and a reader. I love love love to read and I love love love to write. Someday, okay tomorrow - yeah tomorrow - I'm going to start writing book reviews. Just on here for now :) . That would be cool.

But enough about me. What about you? YOU, YOU, YOU?