 Katie here. I want to take a moment to introduce my good friend and writing partner, Amy Grossklaus. Amy wowed us with the excerpt of The Defiant last month. Now she is back with our first ever picture book review. Welcome, Amy!Guest review :Since the earliest days of storytelling, fairy tales have provided readers with wonderful characters and enchanting settings that capture both young and old hearts. But while they are wonderfully creative, fairy tales have also cast a pall over the concept of what it means to be a “stepmother”. That is why Tami Butcher’s My Bonus Mom: Taking the Step out of Stepmom is so refreshing. It attacks this stereotype head on and debunks the myth that all stepmothers must be cruel. Let’s be honest, as kids we all shivered when the evil stepmother locked Cinderella in the basement just as Prince Charming arrived with the glass slipper. We gasped when the twisted stepmother of Snow White convinced her to chomp into the poisoned apple. There was even an episode of The Brady Bunch, for those of you older than forty, which played off the idea of the wicked stepmother. So it is refreshing to finally read a children’s book that puts the idea of being a stepmother into a much more realistic and caring light. In rhythmic verse, My Bonus Mom tells the story of an eleven year-old girl learning of her parents impending divorce. It follows her emotional ups and downs as she begins to navigate this new life, and hits on one of the most troubling aspects of divorce: when a parent finds new love. While frightening at first, she learns this new person isn’t there to compete for her parent’s affection, but can actually become a “bonus” in her life. A wonderfully refreshing approach to a subject that is so topical today. I highly recommend this engaging children’s story as it instantly grabbed me by the heart. Butcher’s heartfelt prose addresses every child’s fear in this daunting situation. The story does not gloss over the hardships children encounter like days away from Mom or Dad, and worries about being replaced in a parent’s heart. Rather, it honestly deals with the realities of the situation and shows how something positive can come out of a negative situation. LINKS My Bonus Mom on Amazon and Barnes and NobleOfficial website for My Bonus MomMy Bonus Mom on FacebookAbout our guest reviewer, Amy Grossklaus: After working and writing in the advertising/public relations field for over fifteen years, Amy now focuses her time completely on fiction writing. Currently editing her second manuscript, she tries to balance her time between family, freelance consulting and community service work. She currently has a blog which chronicles her experiences as she navigates the publishing industry as a new writer. If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. She pursued a bunch of engineering degrees and worked a lot of geeky jobs, including turns at GE Aircraft Engines, NASA, and NCAR. Now that she writes novels, her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she doesn't have to sneak her notes anymore. Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as much as she can handle. Welcome, Susan! Katie: Having the ability to jack into people’s minds is a very interesting concept. Where did you come up with the idea for Open Minds? Susan: I wanted to enter an online 1st paragraph contest, but none of my current novels had a particularly zippy first paragraph. So I decided to make one up for a novel that hadn’t even been written! I had been playing around with the idea of a boy who was a touch-empath (and thus very isolated because he could know your deepest feelings with a touch) – I wasn’t sure if it was enough for a novel, but I thought it might make a great 1st paragraph. As I was mulling this while drifting off to sleep, an image popped into my head of a girl sitting in a classroom full of mindreaders – only she couldn't read minds. She was painfully isolated (like the boy) in a room that was dead silent, because no one used spoken words any more. I immediately got up, wrote the paragraph … and lost the contest! But a month later, I couldn’t get this girl out of my head. I had to write her story, and that became Open Minds.Katie: Kira has a hard time dealing with her new found powers at first. If you could jack into people’s minds and control them, what’s the first thing you would do? Susan: Freak out. Seriously, I think I would have a much bigger meltdown than Kira does. There’s a saying: We do not fear that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. This is certainly an idea that’s explored throughout the Mindjack Trilogy. Katie: I see you write a blog and various other forms of social media. What is your take on the amount of time an author should spend honing craft versus creating a platform? Susan: An author should spend the vast majority of their time on craft. Platforms are great, and I love social media, but it can easily sap away all of your time. It’s easy. It’s rewarding. It’s fun! But it’s not writing, and the most important thing you can do is create the intellectual property that will sustain your writing career. I’ve posted about this a couple times (ironic, I know!) - Writers Must Write First and Making The Donuts– and I don’t always practice what I preach. But I try. Mindjack#3 is siren-calling me from my plotting cork board right now, and after I finish typing this interview I will immerse myself in that.
 In a time when self-published can be synonymous with low quality, Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn is a diamond in the rough. This YA Sci Fi manages to shine amongst the myriad of Divergent wannabes and, frankly, knocked my socks off.
Open Minds is about a future America where the general population has the ability to read minds. Teens know each other’s inner thoughts and emotions, high school lectures are delivered mentally and you can mentally link in to technology. Kira, a zero, is left out of everything. Since she can’t read minds, her peers treat her like Carrie at the prom and society sees her as a lower-class citizen. Kira has little hope until she discovers a strange new mental power when she accidentally knocks out her best friend. Suddenly Kira is no longer worried she’s a zero; she’s worried she’s a mutant freak. When she meets Simon, a fellow jacker as he puts it, she learns that there are others who can control minds. Simon introduces her to an underground society-- one she’s not sure she’s ready to join. Things go awry when the FBI shows up and arrests all the jackers. Now Kira must decide: Is she with the jackers or against them? And what price will she pay?
Open Minds is rock solid from beginning to end. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, “This is as good as any book on the shelf at your local book store. Hell, its better than some.” Quinn creates sympathetic characters that live and breathe, her world-building skills are adept and she has mastered the art of keeping tension on every page. Even the ending was nothing I saw coming, yet everything I wanted. She tied up all the ends nicely and left some questions yet to be solved. A sequel will be out at the end of this month. I am sure it will not disappoint.
Normally this is the part of the review were I make some suggestions about what areas dragged or what needed to be shored up. Instead I will say that if you buy a traditionally published title for $12.99 when you could get Open Minds, you’re a fool and I have some Rolex watches in my trench coat I want to sell you.
 If you want to read a sample of Amy's writing, vote in the 'comments' section of this blog post. In order for your vote to count, you must have an email subscription to the Underground. If Amy gets ten votes by next Friday (April 27th) we will post her first chapter on Underground Book Reviews. Katie here. I'd like to take a moment to introduce Amy Grossklaus. I first met Amy at the Algonkian Writer's Conference in New York and have since worked with her on Author Salon. Amy is a hard-working mom who is completing her YA Alternate History novel The Defiant. I am very excited to have her here on the Underground. Welcome Amy. Katie: You are currently finalizing your Young Adult Alternate History novel The Defiant. Tell us a little bit about the book. Amy: The Defiant tells the story of seventeen-year-old Sadie James whose southern nation is part of a divided America. Her nation, known as The Fray, has co-existed peacefully with The Empire (The North) and The Glut (The West) since just after the Civil War. But now, rebellion threatens that fragile peace. A group called The Defiant is rallying Fray citizens to fight back against their cruel and corrupt leaders who hold all the power with hopes of uniting America once more. For Sadie, rebellion is only a whispered myth until a series of mysterious and shocking events bring her face-to-face with The Defiant’s leader - someone she knows all too well. Overwhelmed by a deep sense of betrayal, Sadie fights her ties to the rebellion until she and Theo, a young rebel soldier, uncover the sinister truths of her corrupt nation. But before the Fray’s lies can be exposed, Sadie and Theo’s connection to the rebellion is discovered. In a desperate showdown, that will have deadly consequences, Sadie and Theo risk itall to protect those they love and safeguard the future of an entire nation. Katie: Alternate History is an interesting genre. What are some of the challenges of having to rewrite history in a novel like this? Amy: I think the biggest difficulty is making the “what if” scenario believable. It can’t be so over the top that your reader gets caught up in the premise and misses the core of your story. They have to believe that the world you’ve built could have been possible under different circumstances. In order to pull this off, you have to do a lot of historical research so certain real elements can be woven into your idea. Katie: I know you used to work for Ingram Book Group. What did you learn in that job that helps you now in your current pursuit of publication? Amy: I learned that the key to any successful book is getting the buy in from booksellers. A great deal of my time was spent supervising the writing and editing of the “new release” publications that went into the buyer’s hands at the bookstores. It was critical to make every book seem like the next bestseller in just a few lines and that idea taught me how to edit down my own synopsis and pitch.
 Hailing all the way from the shores of Cypress, the Underground is proud to welcome science fiction and fantasty writer Chrystalla Thoma. Welcome, Chrystalla! Katie: Rex Rising has such a unique premise: parasites have infected humanity with some interesting and disturbing results. How much research into the nature of parasites did you do to write Rex? Chrystalla: Parasites have interested me for a long time. I always mention Parasite Rex, by Carl Zimmer, as one of my inspirations and sources of information. It’s a great scientific book for the lay public. I read all the scientific articles I could find, and I was especially intrigued by two parasites which influenced the story of Rex Rising. The first one is Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite we humans often get from cats, and which can influence our behavior in startling ways, ways we are often not even aware of. The second one is Wollbachia, a parasite which transfers parts of its genes to its host and can completely change a population (of insects in this case), transforming all of them into females and only allowing the birth of females. In fact, the parasite takes over its host so completely (and its whole generation of hosts) that it cannot reproduce if it is not infected with Wolbachia – or in some cases it starts reproducing asexually – like the race of the Gultur in Rex Rising. Katie: The cover art for Rex is fantastic. Where did you get such an intriguing and highly professional cover? Chrystalla: Oh, thank you! I made this cover. I bought a stock image, cut it in half, added blue to the eye and the effect of scales on the cheek (with the help of my wonderful husband Carlos). A friend, Marion, taught me how to use Photoshop and I used it to create the titles. I am very glad you like it. Katie: The world you create for Elei is vast and robust. Algae ponds, giant mushrooms and the seven islands all draw us in to a new and exciting world. What did you use to help you envision the place where Elei lives? Chrystalla: I live in Cyprus – an island with almost no drinking water. It rarely rains and I know what a precious commodity drinking water is. That meant in my world water wouldn’t be used for cultivating edible plants. But the sea was around the islands, and I knew that certain algae are very nutritious. Spirulina, for instance, which is a blue-colored algae, was cultivated by certain African kingdoms but also by the Aztecs in ponds and lakes for food. As for the Seven Islands... Their existence and the nature of this isolated world in the ocean will be explored in the two sequels. Katie: The sequel to Rex Rising (Rex Cresting) is already out. This is a fast turnover for a sequel. While so many of us struggle with finding time for writing, what is your secret? How do you find time in a busy schedule to make writing a priority? Chrystalla: There are a couple of reasons for this quicker turnout, none of which are secret. One reason is that Rex Cresting is book two in the series, therefore the world-building, the characters and the idea for the story were already in place since book one. Another reason is that last summer I quit my full-time job due to health reasons and have been working as a free-lance translator ever since. This is a mixed blessing: in theory I can take a month off to write. In reality, if I have work, I may have to work day and night for a month to finish before the deadline the customers set and not have time to write a word of fiction. But, yes, in general I do have more time to write now.
 Rex Rising is the story of Elei, a young man tormented by the parasites inside him. Elei, a sympathetic character if one has ever been written, arrives on the scene after fleeing the murder of his employer and mentor. He has one thought as he loses time and blood: get to Aerica, the last thing his mentor was able to tell him. Once on Aerica he finds Kalaes and Maera, a young couple who take him in and patch him up. Little does the group know the Gultur, the violent female rulers, are after him. They will stop at nothing to get the secret Elei carries inside. The fantastic world that Thoma creates in the Elei Chronicles will not leave fantasy readers disappointed. The seven islands are home to a race of infected humans. The parasites that inhabit the humans change and enhance their bodies, but can also kill them. I found myself fascinated by the seemingly in-depth research that went into creating these complex parasites and their effects. Don’t get me wrong, this book is not a boring analysis on parasitic life. The story is jam-packed with action from beginning to end. Teens will be turning pages to the end. Rex is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters are well-built and realistic; the world is creative and unique without being too foreign to leave us lost. Thoma’s pacing and structure kept tension on every page. The cover itself is stunning and I was pleased to note that Thoma designed it herself. My one critique would be I longed for a broader look at the life and culture of this new planet. Since Elei spent most of his time on the run or in hiding, we missed out on the broad landscape that might have really enriched this world for me. One can only hope that we see more of that in the sequel, Rex Cresting, now available on Amazon. My recommendation is this book will please anyone who likes a good adventure into a new world. It is well worth the $2.99 price tag and while you’re at it you can pick up the sequel as well. You can find Chrystalla Thoma on her blog, twitter, facebook or her Amazon page. You can find Rex Rising here.
 As a long time subscriber to the FundsforWriters newsletter, I had heard all about Hope Clark and her life as a writer. It was when I heard she had her debut novel released that I knew I had to contact her. Please welcome Hope Clark to the Underground. KATIE: First of all, for those few who don't know, you are the editor of the very successful newsletter and website FundsforWriters, one of Writer's Digest's best websites for writers. Where did you get the idea for FundsforWriters? HOPE: FundsforWriters was happenstance. At a ladies' writing group in Atlanta, in 1998, I was asked to speak about online writing, and how it differed from print. At the time I was working for the federal government, for an agency that handled grants and loans, but I wanted to write for myself, so I started pitching essays and book reviews to various sites. One of the editors I wrote for asked me to speak in her stead at this meeting, since she was afraid of crowds. Sometime during the presentation, the topic strayed to concern about being unable to afford computers, printers, toner, etc. I started advising them financially, mentioning contests and grants and such, and the emails started flooding in once I returned home. I asked a journalist I knew about how to start a newsletter, which was new territory back then, so I could consolidate my responses to questions, leaving me more time to write for myself. Unbeknownst to me, that was the snowball catalyst needed to start an avalanche, and FundsforWriters took on a life of its own, overtaking my fiction writing with this sudden interest by writers everywhere. After a couple of months, I had almost a thousand writers on board. I accepted fate's nudge, embraced it and went full speed forward. KATIE: Between the contests, ads, job postings and writing advice, FundsforWriters is full of information. How many hours a week do you dedicate to the upkeep of the information you send out weekly? How do you manage it with your busy schedule? HOPE: FundsforWriters is a daily effort. I work fulltime as a writer, probably half the time with FundsforWriters, a quarter with promotional efforts and freelance pieces, and a quarter on the novels. My children are grown, but I started this exercise when they were teens. I laid down the law at the time that writing was as important to me as anything on their social agenda. Today they are quite proud of what I've done. I'm also a night owl, so I'm in bed around 2-3 AM each night, and up around 10 AM. That's the clock that works best for me, and now that I'm full-time as a writer, I can manipulate my personal schedule. I put in about 50-60 hours per week, but when I need a day off, I take it. The only glitch is when I'm speaking at conferences and they ask me to speak early in the morning. KATIE: Agents and publishers are always looking for a writer's platform. You seem to be the epitome of the platform builder. What advice do you have for new writer's trying to build a platform?
 As a writer, teacher, blogger, husband, parent and much more, Andrew Cotto offers his insights into education, publishing and the role of authors today. Please welcome Andrew Cotto, author of The Domino Effect, to the Underground. Katie: The Domino Effect is a coming-of-age tail akin to Catcher in the Rye or A Separate Peace. Where did you get the idea for the story? Andrew: I've always loved coming-of-age stories, and those two you mention happen to be among my favorites. Oddly, the idea for Domino came to me not after reading such stories but after seeing the Spike Lee film, Do the Right Thing. Something about the effect that movie had on me made me want to tell a story that involved racial or ethnic strife, and I really jumbled a lot of my experiences into something that included both types of conflict. Putting an adolescent in the main role made the transformation a coming-of-age experience. Katie: The main character Danny has such a unique and realistic voice in this novel. Did that voice exist within or did you research to create realistic teenage interaction? Andrew: Thanks. Danny's voice really is the key to the narrative because he'd probably be too easy to abandon without that connection he establishes with the reader. I sort of conjured Danny's voice by tapping an array of voices I know intimately, including a certain amount of my own. Katie: You describe boarding school life so well. Have you attended boarding school or is this the result of in-depth research? Andrew: I'm not much of a research guy, so I tend to write about things I know already. I spent one year at a boarding school, Blair Academy in western New Jersey, and it was all I needed to create the setting, which really is Blair Academy in its physicality. Katie: You mention in your bio an MFA degree. Some authors think the MFA is the way to go if you want to publish. Others think authors can do just as well on their own. What made you seek out an advanced degree? Would you recommend it to those who want to be a published writer? Andrew: I'm a believer in an MFA if you are truly dedicated to growing as a writer. Being in school, with deadlines to meet, is important. It really tests your mettle. You also must endure criticism and learn how to use it. I don't think most writers can grow as much on their own. It also helps one find a community, as well as adding some credibility and focus to the pursuit. In the publishing industry, I believe it opens doors that may not be opened otherwise.
 Every once and a while a young adult book comes along that surprises me. The Domino Effect falls into this category, both thoughtful-- yet humorous, moralistic-- yet light-hearted. Cotto's coming-of-age story left me invigorated, and thinking to myself, “Now, that's how you tell a story.” Though The Domino Effect has not seen the rampant readership like current fantasy and sci-fi novels, it should. The story chronicles the high school career, particularly the senior year, of Danny “Domino” Rorro. After a violent attack at his old school, Danny's parents enroll him in Hamden Academy, a prestigious boarding school far different than life at home. Danny manages to maintain his comical out-look on life in this new setting, though he carries scars from the past. Things begin to change for Danny when he is assigned a roommate, Terance King, the only African American at Hamden Academy. This event propels both boys into a conflict of race that tests them to the core and changes them forever. Though the novel takes a while to warm up, the depth of Danny's character will draw you in and keep you captive. Danny's wise-cracking, street-wise Italian voice will keep you chuckling. Cotto is a master at the adolescent banter and the descriptions of Hamden, told through Danny, were pitch perfect. The tender romance between Danny and Brenda Devine is touching and heartfelt. My one complaint would be that Cotto opens with pages of exposition on the previous three years, much of which could have been dealt out later or cut completely. I fear that readers may get bogged down in the first few pages and miss the gold lurking beyond. Overall, The Domino Effect, does not disappoint. You'll find yourself cheering for Danny through the end. But more importantly, you'll find yourself reflecting on deep issues, something that is often lacking in teen literature of today. You can find The Domino Effect here. You can find Andrew Cotto's website here, his Facebook here and his twitter here.
 Please welcome Coral Moore, author of Broods of Fenrir, an urban fantasy adventure.
Katie: On your website you call Broods of Fenrir an urban fantasy adventure. Can you define that genre for us? What about your novel settles it in that category?
Coral: I've never been asked that, what a great question! Well, I had a lot of trouble figuring out where Broods belonged after I wrote it. I was trying to decide if I wanted to put it in Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I thought there was a case to be made for either, and I still do. While I was discussing the options with one of my beta readers, she said she thought it was more like a fantasy adventure because of the action and the fast pace. I decided she was right and started calling Broods an Urban Fantasy Adventure from that day on. Adding the word adventure puts the emphasis on the action of the book rather than angst-ridden navel-gazing that a lot of UF gets into. Brand really doesn’t wonder why he gets into the situation he finds himself in, he just takes action to resolve it.
Katie: In the wake of Twilight and similar books, how do you keep paranormal romance fresh while still satisfying the mandatory troupes readers come to expect?
Coral: It’s really tough. There are a few staples that paranormal readers look for and I think you’ve got to stay true to those. You have to have a hero that kicks butt in some way. You have to have a love interest, possibly more than one. You have to have some sort of magical something that defies explanation in our modern world. Those aspects are like the framework of a house. What you put on the outside and inside can make your house look completely different, but at its heart the house is still going to be a Ranch or a Colonial. From that frame you can go whatever direction you like, and I think it’s important to put your own spin on it so that the house—or story—is yours. Are there aspects of my werewolves that are similar to others? Sure, they are humanoids that turn into wolves. That’s why I didn’t make up some other name for them. I’ve departed from the traditional werewolf lore quite a bit though and I think I ended up somewhere completely different.
Katie: Some say the paranormal market is saturated, that the very mention of werewolves and vampires sends audiences running for the hills. What’s your take on the future for paranormal literature?
Coral: I’m sure you’re expecting this response since I write paranormal, but I don’t think it’s saturated at all! Like anything that becomes popular or fashionable, there are a lot of derivative works of the new hotness, but I don’t think that means there isn’t any room for more any more than I think the horror market is full because of Stephen King and Clive Barker. There will always be room for good stories. I think paranormal will continue to grow. What readers of UF and PNR love is that small parts of the fantastic bleed into a world they can recognize as their own. The allure is that magic exists, but we just can’t see it. I don’t think the desire to read about paranormal creatures is going anywhere. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more diversification in terms of what kinds of creatures we see and twists on the usual tropes.
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