a dog.

Yes, you’ve guessed correctly. I’m speaking about Enzo, the beloved canine in Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain (HarperCollins Publishers, 2008).

Above everything, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a love story. Enzo is in love with his human family. And his owner, Denny is in love with his wife and daughter and the art and sport of racing cars.

Readers have used such comments as uplifting, entertaining and inspirational. Susan Wiggs has noted in her praise for the book – “It’s a heartfelt story of hope, redemption, and the transformative power of love.”

This book squeezed my heart. There were a few moments when I didn’t think I could read further as I was connecting so strongly with the plight of the dog and his owner. All in all, an unusual novel.

Have you had the opportunity to read this novel? Or have you started a book where you didn’t think it was a love story but then suddenly at the heart of the book – it transformed into a love story?

I’m interested in your reflections.

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

This is The Year of the Tiger – with the focus on courage, power and optimism. I like these descriptors as it seems they are the qualities that one requires for maintaining focus in the writing business.

‘Courage’ reminds me that I can keep going – one day at a time, one paragraph at a time, one page at a time.

‘Power’ reminds me, that I am in control of my writing. I choose the topic, I choose the characters and I choose the plot. (Sometimes with great ideas provided by other writers or by craft books.) But it is important to remember that although I don’t have any control of the ‘publishing business’ I certainly can be in charge of my own writing. I am therefore, powerful.

And of course, optimism. There will always be a writer around the corner who writes faster and has more success. Writing is a humbling enterprise. I have to be thankful for the prolific, excellent authors  because they keep readers coming back to search out more books. Hopefully, one day, my book will be one of them.

What do you think of courage, power, optimism and writing?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

I found ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ by Garth Stein (Harper), ”This Charming Man’ by Marian Keyes (Avon) and ‘True Colors’ by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Griffin). As well, I located a non-fiction reference book, ‘The Constant Art of Being a Writer’ by N.M. Kelby (Writer’s Digest Books).

I am so excited. Fresh material. I’ve already consumed ‘True Colors’. I had to know what happened. It was a page-turner for sure. I was so appalled at the treatment of one of the characters that I had to race to the ending. I went to bed with my eyes sore, I hadn’t finished the book and couldn’t sleep. Finally, after tossing and turning, I got up and read until the end. I was hooked. Whew! 

Have your read anything lately that you couldn’t put down?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

I feel the same excitement in September.  In fact, for a long time, September was the start of my year. Even though I’m no longer working in schools, I still enjoy that September exhileration of launching into something new.

I love New Year’s because I remember that anything is possible. Anything. And goals are the way to go. Somehow the whole concept of a goal seems more attainable than a resolution. I guess I’ve broken enough resolutions to not want to ‘go there’.

I am working on my goals today and certainly most involve writing. However, my key word for this year is ‘balance’. When my life is balanced then I’m able to observe, able to make better sense of my world and able to write.

So for my friends out there – if you need to remind me – BALANCE is my mantra for the year.

What are you thinking about as we approach the new year?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

I’m feeling more alert, more enthusiastic and more energized. Of course, I know that there’s a tremendous correlation between the body and the mind. But sometimes one has to ‘get out there’ and ‘do it’, instead of reading and thinking about one’s exercise plan. 

I’m surrounded by many folks older than me. And they’re an inspiration. They’re golfing, cycling, walking, hiking and playing tennis.  Life has not always treated them kindly. They’ve had surgeries and illnesses. They’ve suffered through losses.

But they get up in the morning and start anew.

For the next few months, my pathway to better brain fitness will be through re-awakening my body.

What about you?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

“Dear, you look like a reader,” she said.

I nodded.

“Have your read this book? She rummaged around for a few moments in her bag and hauled out ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold. “What do you think?”

I gulped. Was she really reading such a hard-hitting novel?  ”Ah yes, I’ve read it. It’s a tough slog, grim. Have you finished it?”

She shook her head. “I only read it in the afternoons. It’s too scary to read when it gets dark outside.”

“Yes.”  And I felt strange. Embarassed at my assumption that because she was decades older than me, and looked a certain way, that she would only be interested in a certain kind of writing.

If I’m lucky and have good health and live to her age, hopefully I’ll be reading challenging novels as well. I walked home slowly, thinking about how I’d categorized her.

P. S. for those who haven’t read ‘The Lovely Bones’,  Susie is a young girl who tells the story of her murder-and its aftermath-as she watches from heaven.

Have you made any assumptions lately?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

All writers have some sort of process and after a number of years I’m beginning to understand mine. I have to allow myself the opportunity to just ‘get it down’. The editing, the chopping, the finessing comes later. After all, you can’t edit a blank page. I have to remember that writing can be fun. And it is. Sometimes. But most of all, it’s the most challenging enterprise I’ve embraced.

No one is making me write. I simply have to do it. So, keeping that it mind, I think I’ll revisit my work from this morning.

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

Picture the largest greenhouse you can imagine.  It consists of 6,500 windows and 7,200.000 cubic feet of sealed glass. It is sealed from the earth below by a 500 ton welded stainless steel liner. I was in awe.

Two missions were created in the nineties. Small teams were locked inside the large structure to study the five natural biosystems and agricultural areas. This confined environment led to a number of complex situations.

In other words – the human drama rose to the surface. Members of the teams split into groups. Anger and distrust bubbled up. I suspect the situation was like an early version of the TV show ‘Survivor’. After all the millions of dollars poured into the experiment, the main issue ended up being ‘the people’.

People and their visions, people and their feelings, people and their ability to create or destroy relationships.

That’s why I’m drawn to writing fiction. I can take aspects of lives around me, books that I’ve read, movies I’ve seen and my day-to-day thoughts and stir them all together in one big stew.  It’s all part of the complex web of creating new characters.

Why do you like to write fiction?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

Fascinating Stuff.

Just outside of town, numerous vortexes can be found. According to seers, these dimensional portals are centered at particular power spots around the earth. The cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Aiea State Park on the island of Oahu, and Machu Picchu in Peru are other locations where special energies are located.

As I’m passing through, I’m not sure I’ll have the opportunity to explore these power spots but I remember the extraordinary sensations I experienced when I entered Machu Picchu. A sense of awe, a sense of peace and an absolute sense of astonishment! How did the people at that time create such  magnificent structures?

What have you experienced lately in nature that has taken your breath away?

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.

The entire day was research for a new YA book. The various topics, booths and workshops ranged from Energy Healing, Chakra Clearing, Meditation, Reike, Laughter Yoga, Feldenkrais, Aromatherapy, Tarot and Magic and Ritual.

If the moment is right, and if the practioner has the time, I’m interested in asking  ‘Why did they become interested in their particular speciality?’ Their answers are revealing. Usually, an incident took place and they felt driven to search for information in a particular area.

Afterwards we had a great lunch and then finished the day by perusing the shelves of Munroe’s, a very fine book store.

As I drove home, I was filled with happiness. What a perfect day!

©2010 Jodie Esch | Confessions of a YA author. All Rights Reserved.