Tag: books

creativity

In the pause: Why I love writing fantasy fiction books

Christa Avampato

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ~Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“No one is too old for fairy tales.” ~Anonymous

The remarkable thing about fiction is that it can be such a help when trying to survive and thrive in the real world. Turn to any news source and you’ll see our country is in the midst of some bizarre twists and turns. Fiction can help us survive these kinds of circumstances by giving us a brief reprieve and it can help us thrive by showing us what’s possible. I wrote my book to help readers feel less alone, give them strength, and fortifying them with hope. Though it’s fantasy, it’s rooted in the very real circumstances of coping with loss, pursuing truth, and finding the will to love in the darkest of times.

Fiction teaches us that there are dragons everywhere. The good news is that there are warriors everywhere, too, in fiction and in the real world. Our protagonists in fiction inspire us to be the warriors the world needs.

 

creativity

In the pause: My author’s note for my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

It took me some time to write the author’s note for my book and I decided to structure it as a letter to young adult readers. I wanted to tell them why I wrote this book for them and to let them know that their creativity and ideas are important to me, and to the world. Here it is. (https://emersonpage.com is under construction and coming soon!)

Dear young adult,

I wrote this book for you for many reasons. One of the biggest is that we don’t have enough women and girls at the center of young adult literature. So few books feature female protagonists, and there are almost no books in which a female protagonist takes control of her own life and destiny. As a young adult, I wanted someone to listen to me, to see me. Really listen to my ideas, my hopes, and my dreams, and care enough to understand how I saw the world. And I wanted someone to believe that I could make my dreams happen.

That hope brought Emerson Page into my imagination. A teenager who builds her own path through resilience, courage, and confidence, her touchstones are love and compassion. She’s strong and brave, and she cares about others—exactly the heroine I wish I had when I was her age. She’s the heroine you deserve to have now, and I’m so excited for you to meet her.

I want you to believe in the power of your creative spirit. It’s my greatest wish for you that you live the most beautiful lives you can imagine. Develop your mind, your heart, and your hands. They are the three most powerful tools you have to build a better world, one of your own design. You can’t always choose what happens to you. You can always choose your energy level, enthusiasm, and sense of hopefulness, and they will carry you through difficult times.

Life will undoubtedly hand you setbacks. When that happens, don’t give up. Make the setback mean something. Use it as fuel to work even harder. I always wanted to write a book and have it published. That has been one of my biggest dreams. I spent five years thinking about Emerson, writing down notes and ideas here and there. Then I spent two years writing her story, and another year pitching it and getting it through production.

Fourteen people rejected this book before I found my publisher. (And those are just the ones who bothered to send a rejection reply at all. Many others never even did that.) Don’t be afraid of rejection. Learn from it, but don’t let it stop you from moving forward. Your ideas have merit. Keep looking for the people who appreciate you, and don’t stop until you find them. You find what you look for. Believing is seeing. The book you hold in your hands right now is proof that dreams do come true so long as you don’t give up.

This book is also about community, and the power we have when we believe in ourselves and in others. Be good to each other. And when you see someone in crisis, don’t walk by. Help. You would want that help if the tables were turned, and someday they will be. Life is about give and take, and I’ve found that the more I give, the more it comes back to me.

More than anything, this book tells the story of a young woman finding her way in a world that is often confusing and frustrating. The same thing happens to us from time to time at every age. When that happens to me, I look to the stars. They remind me that we’re literally surrounded by miracles. That we are miracles. We are the stars and the stars are us, and we’re all connected.

When Jasper explains Emerson’s ancestry to her in the Library of Imagination, when Samuel sits with Max in the Crooked Willow Café, and when Nora finds Truman in the In-between, an adult is supporting and encouraging a young person who feels alone. No matter how old you are, I hope this book makes you feel less alone.

Whenever I feel down about the state of society, I remember that you will one day be in the driver’s seat, and that helps me to keep going. You are the hope and light of this world. I’m cheering you on and I’m rooting for you. I believe in your value and the value of your ideas. The world needs you.

I always welcome the chance to connect with readers; it’s one of the best things about being a writer. I look forward to the conversation.

Wishing you the most magical life you can imagine,
Christa

Email:
christa.avampato@gmail.com

Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/iamemersonpage
https://www.twitter.com/christanyc

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChrista

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iamemersonpage
https://www.instagram.com/christarosenyc

Websites:
https://www.emersonpage.com
https://christaavampato.com

Sign up for exclusive content, giveaways, and fun event news related to my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, that will be published November 1, 2017: https://goo.gl/forms/GwZKMm8gR3zhFVGJ2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

creativity

In the pause: Introducing Emerson Page

Christa Avampato

I really tried to wait, but I just couldn’t contain my excitement. My fantastically talented friend, Bonnie, is doing the illustration of Emerson for the cover of my book and I am just blown away by it. Bonnie is doing another similar version as well and then I’ll turn both of them over to the graphic designer to blend into the cover design. I’ll share Bonnie’s additional sketch and the full cover design when they’re ready. In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to Miss Emerson Page. She’s pleased to meet you. Thanks for taking this journey with me. And to Bonnie, thank you a million times over. You brought my dream to life, literally.

For information on giveaways, exclusive content, and fun events for Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, click here to sign up.

18426693_10158673624825072_1218801331_o18452715_10158673624510072_1353731907_o18426973_10158673624710072_503636_o

creativity

In the pause: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?

Christa Avampato

Today I’m writing the Author’s Note for my book and I’m framing it as a letter to young adults to explain why I wrote the book. It’s akin to the idea of writing a letter to my younger self, specifically my 13-year-old self since my protagonist, Emerson Page, is 13 in the book. If you could give your 13-year-old self advice, what would you say?

creativity

In the pause: The editing process of my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is done

Christa Avampato

Great news from book land: the difficult job of editing is finally done and my novel has been sent to layout at the publisher. I am feeling so many things right now—relieved, grateful, excited, exhausted, and, if I’m really honest, a little sad and scared. Bringing Emerson to life over this last two and half years has been an amazing process. It’s been a long and winding road filled with blessing, disappoints, and learnings at every moment. Emerson isn’t just a character in a book to me. She lives and breathes and exists in the world, and I will miss traveling this particular road with her. It has been an honor and a challenge to tell this first part of her story, and to see the world through her eyes. What a journey!

And now a new one begins—getting the book into the hands of readers. If you’d like to get updates on giveaways, exclusive content, and fun events, add your email to my list at https://goo.gl/forms/nIZodlQQ993r4RXu1.

creativity

In the pause: Back cover art for my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

I’ve been hard at work with the artist designing the cover of my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. Here’s our work-in-progress for the back cover. What do you think? Sign up for giveaways, exclusive content, and updates at https://goo.gl/forms/ZsMC4d1kN9jKpZhD3. (Please pardon the image watermark as we’re still locking down the design!)

back cover

creativity

In the pause: The launch date for my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is November 1, 2017

Christa Avampato

Emerson cover zoomed outYesterday was a wonderful day! My publisher and I set a launch date for my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. On November 1, 2017, Emerson’s story will be released to the world exactly three years after I started writing the first draft as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Thumbkin Prints, an imprint of Possibilities Publishing Co., and I are planning fun giveaways, exclusive content, and fun events as pub day approaches. To stay in-the-know, take a second to sign up for my email list at https://goo.gl/forms/GwZKMm8gR3zhFVGJ2. I promise no spam, only goodness!

creativity

In the pause: Living your art

Christa Avampato

“Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.” ~Oscar Wilde

Yesterday I was clipping along on my book edits and looking at cover art. At the end of the day, I fully realized just how lucky I am to have this time to see a goal I’ve been working to accomplish for years come to fruition. So much of what I’ve been through in my life is packed into this book, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. I turned over every stone. I left it all out there on the page, just like an athlete leaves the best of their abilities out on the field. And no matter what happens, I’m proud of that effort. I’m prouder of that effort than I am of anything else I’ve done in my life. Oscar Wilde’s right. My life has been my art, specifically it’s been this book.

creativity

In the pause: It’s time to put the past in context

Christa Avampato

“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.” ~Willie Jolley

Yesterday, I listened to an interview with Chris Whipple, author of the new book The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency. The books shows that many of the former presidents made many of the same mistakes that the current administration is making and often with the exact same reasoning as past administrations. Whipple said, “Presidents learn many of the same lessons once they take office, and unfortunately almost all of them learn the hard way.”

This interview reminded me of Jolley’s quote. While we can’t live in the past, it is so important to learn from it. And that includes are own past as well as the past experiences of others. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to forge our own path; being armed with information about the paths of others can only help ease the way. This is why mentorship matters. This is why reflection matters. If we can learn from the past, we have a greater chance of building a brighter future.

creativity

In the pause: Sign up to get updates about my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

I’m so thrilled that my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, will be published this Fall by Thumbkin Prints, a new children’s and young adult imprint of Possibilities Publishing Company. I’ve recently updated the name of the Facebook Page for the book and I’d love for you to sign up for giveaways, special offers, and updates. Just go to https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChrista/ and click the blue “Sign up” button on the right side of the page. I can’t wait to share the progress on the book and Emerson Page’s story with you. Cheers to dreams fulfilled!