Showing posts with label Christopher Mannino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christopher Mannino. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Writing Tips and the Kid Lit Blog Hop #66

Carpinello's Writing Pages is back this Hop with more tips from the Children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult writers I've interviewed. These are from November 2014. Feel free to leave a tip of your own.

Be passionate about your work–the more passionate you are about sharing it with others, the more likely people will be to check out what you’ve done. Never stop networking or pursuing possible avenues of publicity. Generosity goes a long way tooChristine Meunier, author of the MG/PreTeen Free Rein Series

I still regard myself as a Newbie Author, but if I had to give advice to others it would be to form a great support group with other authors who are genuine and can guide you along the way. I have been extremely lucky in that senseLorraine Carey, author of the MG novel Jonathan's Locket.

Never give upChristopher Mannino, author or the YA fantasy School of Deaths

Write what you know and then make up the rest. Be serious about your craft and understand that this is a business, and there are ugly sides to it, but don’t be afraid to chase after your dream. Be professional in all you do. Don’t skimp on editing costs or cover art costs. Invest in your work and yourself. Get your work critiqued if at all possible before you release it or even before you have it edited. That way you can make changes and make it as best as possible before the editor takes itBrae Wyckoff, author of the YA fantasy series The Horn King

One thing I can attribute to my success is the fact that I belong to several author groups. There is something inspirational, energizing, and fun about being in the same community of like-minded people. I would advise every author, particularly if you’re new to the publishing game to find a group of authors on the social networks or in your local community you can meet regularly and exchange ideas with. Iron sharpens iron, and you’ll see a significant improvement in your writing and hopefully book sales as a result. Also, keep on writing. Farmers farm. Teachers teach. Builders build. And writers?…well we writeDavid Chuka, author of Kojo the Sea Dragon Gets Lost


And Now,

Welcome to the 66th Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists.

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews
and

Remember, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

Hostesses:

Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

Stacking Books

BeachBoundBooks

Music Teaching and Parenting

Pragmatic Mom

Reading Authors

The Logonauts

Spark and Pook

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
 

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.
* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*
* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *
* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*
* Feel free to link more than one post.*
2. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 3. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 4. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Happy Hopping!

 

KID LIT BLOG HOP

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Meet YA Fantasy Author Christopher Mannino

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow MuseItUp YA fantasy author Christopher Mannino and his first book School of Deaths.

First, a bit about Christopher:

Christopher Mannino’s life is best described as an unending creative outlet. He teaches high school theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to his daily drama classes, he runs several after-school performance/production drama groups. He spends his summers writing and singing. Mannino holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Catholic University and has studied mythology and literature both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his love of reading that truly brought his writing to life.

Why did you pick to write books for YA?

I am a teacher, and have worked with teens and other kids most of my professional life. I spend more time with kids than I do with adults. It seemed a natural place to start my writing career.

What types of books do you like to read?

Nearly anything, though fantasy and historical fiction tend to be my favorites.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Theatre is my other great passion. I love to work on shows, teach theatre, and perform. I also have a great passion for traveling, and travel helped inspire this novel.

Tell us about School of Deaths and how the story came to be.

The idea for School of Deaths emerged when I was finishing my graduate degree at Oxford University. I spent four months abroad, far from everyone I knew. Every week, I traveled somewhere I had never been before. I would climb castle ruins in Wales and visit cathedrals in England. One of my favorite trips was to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. After misjudging the time it’d take to get there, I became stranded. The tourist office was closed, and I couldn’t find a hostel. I walked from pub to pub asking if I could sleep above their bar.

The next morning, having slept none, since I’d found a room over a noisy pub, I crept to Barras Nose before dawn. Barras Nose is a stone peninsula, or rocky outcropping jutting into the Celtic Sea, just north of Tintagel. Tintagel itself is a small island with castle ruins on its cliffs. Some believe it to be the birthplace of King Arthur. When I reached Barras Nose, the winds howled so fiercely that I had to crawl on all fours to keep from being blown into the ocean below. Then dawn broke. No other humans were in sight. I struggled to keep my balance, but watched the sun rise on the ruins of the ancient castle, listening to the thunder of waves pounding the fifty foot cliffs I clung to. Wind battered me with ferocity, and I imagined a character being buffeted by winds, completely alone. I envisioned  Suzie, alone in a world of men, buffeted by sexism.



Here's a peek at School of Deaths:

Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.

As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.


Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

School of Deaths is my first published novel. The print book will be released this winter.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I am currently working on a sequel for School of Deaths, told from three points of view, which expands greatly on the world introduced in the first novel. Sword of Death is scheduled for release in the spring of 2014.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Never give up.

Anything else you want readers to know?

It’s great to sometimes combine my two passions, theatre and writing. The book trailer for School of Deaths features students I’ve taught and was filmed by a former student.

Where can readers find you and your books?


Chris:

Website

Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

School of Deaths:
 
Muse It Up 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Book Trailer