Kuráž pro začátečníky

Welcome to the world, Kuráž pro začátečníky, the Czech edition of COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS, out this month from Albatros. Exciting! 

Reflecting on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots

Hey, friends,

Excited to share this article I did with PARADE MAGAZINE about patriotism and family bloodlines and why those themes were so important to me in writing my novel, MAYDAY.

Happy Fourth of July!

kh

Author Karen Harrington Reflects on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots

Author Karen Harrington Reflects on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots The Fourth of July means different things to every American. Some of us remember picnics, fireworks and backyard barbecues as a kid, others see the holiday as a time of reflection of what it means to be an American.Whatever your thoughts on this spec

Celebrating Pat Conroy

Happy Birthday to the wonderful Pat Conroy. We miss you.

I'm celebrating him today because he celebrated so many young writers like me.

Throwback Thursday

The first ARCs of SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY featured a lovely cover. In 2012, my best friend surprised me with a cake, featuring that same cover. 

Happy Thursday!

20 Days of Backstory: Day 20

Hi, friends,

This is the final day of my blog series on MAYDAY backstory. Thank you for following along.  

BACKSTORY FACT 20

In the first draft of the story, I wrote an epilogue from Wayne Kovok as a young man in the military. 

The idea to write a letter was a good one, but I decided to include a letter from Grandpa instead. This just illustrates how stories morph over time. 

Here is the epilogue, unedited. The “seven things” was a once, now deleted thread in the novel in which Grandpa gave Wayne advice. It refers to completing seven things a person can take pride in, not own, but can be photographed. 

To: Sandy Showalter

I heard a song the other day. It included the word bewildering in the lyrics and it made me remember you and that time in my life when I wrote letters I never sent. But hearing that word caused me to pause and pick up a piece of paper and a pen. I haven’t done that since school days. Usually I just type. But I thought you’d want to know that today, I’m checking off one of my seven things. Serving my country. There will be a photograph and when I look at it, I’ll remember everything. 

Sincerely,

Wayne H. Kovok

2nd Lieutenant, United States Air Force

--

20 Days of Backstory: Day 19

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 19

MAYDAY has a playlist. Most of the time, I bounce around and listen to a ton of songs while I'm editing. For MAYDAY, I had a steady playlist, which provided constant inspiration.

"The Soldier and The Oak" by Eliot Park. (This is the song I heard as Grandpa and Wayne drive East to find the flag.)

"Wave on Ole Glory" by Billy Dean. (Just because.)

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down (When Wayne finds out Grandpa's secret and runs.)

"America" by Imagine Dragons (Watch the video here )

"Til There Was You" by Meredith Willson (The Beatles' version. This is Denny's song.)

"Hero" by Family of the Year (I think Wayne feels this way.)

"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson (Another running song.)

"Learn to Fly" by The Foo Fighters (A must listen after reading the final page. I listened to this hundreds of times as I edited that final chapter.)

20 Days of Backstory: Day 18

Hi, friends,

 In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story.

BACKSTORY FACT 18

- I had a picture of Robert Duvall on my desk while writing the novel. He served as the muse for Wayne's grandfather. I love him! 

Did you know that one of the major charities Mr. Duvall supports is Our Military Kids, whose mission it is to minimize the emotional toll on military children? True story! Check them out and lend your support, too. 

20 Days of Backstory: Day 17

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 17

In a crucial scene, Wayne and his grandfather eat at The Hamburger Store in Jefferson, Texas. This is a real place! The meringue on the pies is epic.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 16

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 16

In one scene, a Blue Jay lands on a mouse trap with tragic consequences. That happened in my backyard right before I was getting ready to go to the American Library Association Meeting three years ago. I cried. It was really awful. 

--

Want to know more about my writing process? Check out this interview I did with Kidliterati blogger and author of COUNTING THYME, Melanie Conklin.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 15

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

MAYDAY is a story about friendship, fathers and sons, and the importance of finding one's voice. 

BACKSTORY FACT 15

During the first round of edits, my editor remarked that she was “obsessed” with the last line of the novel. I wrote that final line early in the drafting process because author John Irving said he often begins a novel by knowing the last line. I challenged myself to do that. I think it worked. 

See Irving's comments on this idea in "Forward Thinking, Writing Backwards." 

20 Days of Backstory: Day 14

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. (You might remember Wayne from his small role in COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS.) 

MAYDAY is a story about friendship, fathers and sons, and the importance of finding one's voice. 

BACKSTORY FACT 14

Like Wayne, my family has a long, proud history of service.

My brother, Robert Harrington, when he was in the Marines.

My Dad used to talk about our family service a lot. My favorite story too place in 1941. When he was seven, the family sat around one December morning in Stoneham, Massachusetts, listening to the radio. His aunt told him, "Bobby, go run and get your uncle and tell him this. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor." 

My father ran to the back of the house where his uncle was cutting wood. He gave him the message. His uncle grabbed his tools and ran to the house. He put on his National Guard uniform and went to his post. Soon after, he was inducted into the regular army and was in charge of troop movements in and out of Boston. By 1945, he'd risen to the rank of full colonel, leading his troops in Germany. 

My dad also introduced me to the historical novel APRIL MORNING by Howard Fast when I was in middle school. There are several valiant characters with the last name Harrington in this story. As a kid, that story AND seeing the name Harrington inside a book made a big impression on me.

I chose the photo below to use on my dedication page, where I dedicate the novel to all the men and women who've served in our country, past and present. Take note of the flagpole in the background. It came from the mast of a great ship. My Dad said he remembers his father telling him it came from the navy ship, The U.S.S. Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides." 

My dad and grandfather in 1945.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 13

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 13

I watched this neighborhood kid sprint to the bus every morning for a year. Each day, he barely made it on time. I rooted for him. I thought, he must be doing this on purpose. It seemed like this was something Wayne Kovok would do, too. It gave me the idea to include running as a theme in MAYDAY. 

Check out my interview in BOOKPAGE magazine here for more backstory.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 12

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 12

After the crash in MAYDAY, Wayne naturally sees airplanes in a new light. He's even more aware that real people are flying miles above the earth at all times. He lays down in his yard and ferries planes in his hands as they pass over his airspace. 

I did that. 

It takes 28-30 seconds for them to pass over my house. Sometimes I made up small stories about the people in the planes.

The view from my backyard

--

Praise for Mayday:

"A fine character-driven tale that slowly grows to a crescendo of satisfaction."
―Kirkus Reviews


"Wayne is an appealing protagonist with a strong voice who develops believably over the difficult months, as do the other characters. A well-done book on all levels."―Publishers Weekly


"The main characters are well depicted and highly appealing.... Thought provoking and touching, Mayday applies to anyone who has ever felt like an outcast and wishes to become someone with a sense of pride."
―VOYA

"Wayne's is an authentic, funny, and sometimes sarcastic teen voice, which comes through clearly, even when he can't speak out loud.... in this sweet tale of survival, heroism, and the search for strength."
―School Library Journal

20 Days of Backstory: Day 11

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, which is a PW Pick of the Week!

BACKSTORY FACT 11

In MAYDAY, Wayne's mother creates a Wall of Honor, showcasing photos of Wayne’s ancestors. 

I have a similar collage in our house and use it to tell our daughters about the interesting people they came from. Each photo has a story.

Here are a few of the photos.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 10

Hi, friends,

It's Day 10 of my blog series on backstory about MAYDAY!

BACKSTORY FACT 10

-

I spent a year researching plane crashes. The Congo crash, featured in the opening chapter, haunted me most. It’s a great teacher: group think can be deadly.

--

Praise for Mayday:

"A fine character-driven tale that slowly grows to a crescendo of satisfaction."
―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Wayne is an appealing protagonist with a strong voice who develops believably over the difficult months, as do the other characters. A well-done book on all levels."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The main characters are well depicted and highly appealing.... Thought provoking and touching, Mayday applies to anyone who has ever felt like an outcast and wishes to become someone with a sense of pride."
―VOYA

"Wayne's is an authentic, funny, and sometimes sarcastic teen voice, which comes through clearly, even when he can't speak out loud.... in this sweet tale of survival, heroism, and the search for strength."
―School Library Journal

20 Days of Backstory: Day 9

Hi, friends,

It's publication day for MAYDAY! 

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 9

-      Wayne gathers lots of research about the debris field of his plane crash. He also matches this with wind speeds on the day of the crash. 

My daughter got so interested in Wayne’s wind speed research that she did her science fair project on wind. It was called BLOWN AWAY. A+! 

If you want to be blown away and/or learn about wind speeds, order your copy of MAYDAY on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

20 Days of Backstory: Day 8

Hi, friends,

Only one more day until MAYDAY is published!

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, a story Publishers Weekly gave a starred review and calls "a compelling exploration of life after disaster." 

BACKSTORY FACT 8

I first thought of writing about a plane crash after watching an episode of AIR DISASTERS in which debris trailed out of a doomed plane, landing miles from the actual crash site. 

However, I'm not a nervous flier. I learned from Wayne Kovok's research that 80% of all crashes are survivable.

Also, I like this graphic about how planes fly.

v

--

Find out more at www.karenharringtonbooks.com 

 

"MAYDAY is an utterly engaging and heartwarming novel of loss and redemption. Wayne Kovok is a natural-born wonder." - Mark Goldblatt, best-selling author of Twerp and Finding The Worm.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 7

Hi, friends,

Who likes to know a little behind-the-scenes information about a story? 

BACKSTORY FACT 7

     
Wayne Kovok, the main character, is a fact-loving seventh grader. He shares more than 70 confirmed, true facts in MAYDAY. This was a fun part of the novel to work on because I'm a fact nerd.

I’ve been asked what my favorite facts are and would have to say the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the continued search for Columbia Space Shuttle debris in East Texas. Also, I spent an inordinate amount of time researching the weight and dimensions of the world’s largest matzo ball.

    Here is my copy-editor’s comment that sent me down the rabbit hole.

-          Seems like there have been larger, but I don’t know that any larger than 267 pounds have been recognized officially by Guinness World Records. See http://azjewishpost.com/2010/p-s-tucson-chef-creates-guinness-world-record-matzah-ball-israelis-israel-travels-pilates-guru-hadassah-hears-marquez/

-          http://jewishworldnews.org/worlds-largest-matzo-ball-competition-more-than-just-a-cooked-mass-of-unrecognized-ingredients/

20 Days of Backstory: Day 6

Hi, friends,

Who likes to know a little behind-the-scenes information about a story? I know I do. In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. (You might remember Wayne from his small role in COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS.) 

MAYDAY is a story about friendship, fathers and sons, and the importance of finding one's voice. 

BACKSTORY FACT 6

My good friend Tim is a car restoration professional. He helped me with the Ford Mustang research in MAYDAY. He also told me to put the word “weedwhacker” somewhere in the book. I couldn’t find a spot so I put it in the acknowledgments next to his name. He thinks that's hilarious. 

My friend, Tim,with his custom built Ford Bronco racer.
He and my husband race in the Baja 1000.

Find Tim's other custom projects on his website.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 5

Hi, friends,

Who likes to know a little behind-the-scenes information about a story? I know I do. In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. (You might remember Wayne from his small role in COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS.) 

MAYDAY is a story about friendship, fathers and sons, and the importance of finding one's voice. 

BACKSTORY FACT 5

Caddo Lake State Park in Uncertain, Texas is a key setting in the book. As Wayne's plane comes apart, debris falls to the ground over East Texas. Wayne hypothesizes that his uncle's honor flag may be in or near the park. 

My family camps there every year with family and friends.

With my daughter

Along the river

Praise for Mayday:

"A fine character-driven tale that slowly grows to a crescendo of satisfaction."
―Kirkus Reviews


"Wayne is an appealing protagonist with a strong voice who develops believably over the difficult months, as do the other characters. A well-done book on all levels."―Publishers Weekly


"The main characters are well depicted and highly appealing.... Thought provoking and touching, Mayday applies to anyone who has ever felt like an outcast and wishes to become someone with a sense of pride."
―VOYA

"Wayne's is an authentic, funny, and sometimes sarcastic teen voice, which comes through clearly, even when he can't speak out loud.... in this sweet tale of survival, heroism, and the search for strength."
―School Library Journal