I’m honored to be back at Cynsations with the inestimably wonderful Cynthia Leitich Smith with a New Voices Interview. This time around I’m talking about story, the work-a-day writing life, and building robot brains with the help of Sigmund Freud.
Remember, GIRL PARTS paperback drops this Valentine’s Day. In the meantime check out the free short story ABANDON CHANGES available now from Candlewick Press. (You can also read my previous agent-themed interview with Cynthia here.)
Dropping February 14th, 2012 in paperback!
Was it really just 18 months ago…? I was so young then:
Remember, you can find out what happens to Rose in Abandon Changes, right now on Yarn!
“No one is ever surprised by a kiss, no matter how unlikely. From the moment a boy turns his head, just slightly, as if to say could I ask you…? and the girl inclines her chin, just a fraction, as if to say yes? they both know it’s going to happen. It’s as good as done, so you might as well enjoy it. “
“Her heart was a Rubik’s cube that solved itself.”
In honor of Bloomsday, Naboov’s map of Joyce’s Ulysses:
In other news, I’m making good progress on GIRL PARTS 2. I’m about halfway through the first draft. In today’s scene, Charlie meets a hipster.
Happy Bloomsday Everybody!
YOU GUYS. I’m so psyched to be sixty-seven pages through the first draft of a GIRL PARTS sequel. Of course stuff changes drastically from first draft to shelf, but just for fun, here’s a selection chosen at random:
At last she came to door 1. Like the others, it had no handle. It was meant for exiting, not entering the facility. But she’d never planned to get out that way. She’d followed the rain.
Yesterday was submission day; the New One (I’ll tell ya the title *eventually* ) is in the hands of my fabulous editor at Candlewick. Excitement! It was a grueling week, finishing up the final polish. But now that it’s off I’m bursting with ideas, and psyched to get to work on the third book. Thoughts for Girl Parts 2 are coalescing. I think bakers call it the “soft ball” stage.
Possible title: Boy Parts?
Hmm, probably not.
John M. Cusick 
