Best Gift Ever for a Writer: Words

The teens at camp. They read my book!

The teens who participated in Auburn's creative writing camp this summer gave me an amazing gift. They wrote poems based on the opening of Cleopatra's Moon. Some wrote from the perspective of the dead brother, others from the ship or even the ocean. I have to share some of them with you:

From the perspective of the ship:

Oak Beast

A beast made the flesh of oak

drifts across my body

the beast shouts in many voices

then it is silent.

It drops something into my depths

It sinks farther and farther

then, something drops out of its skin

a small black horse

 

From the dead brother's point of view:

Forevermore

 I am cold forevermore.

I am cold, and the world is black

and my heart is still 

and I wish for rest.

As my eyes are covered, 

the world grows colder, darker

and my journey begins.

I remain cold forevermore.

From Cleopatra Selene's point of view:

Puzzle Incomplete

Watching him thoughtfully,

he left me behind

gone forever

sweet brother of mine,

heart swelled with grief and sorrow

I can only wish his soul a fair good morrow.

Farewell, my brother,

missing puzzle piece,

my friend.

From death's point of view:

Death's Ode to Little Moon

Such a sorry, pretty girl

rumored for grand things.

She hardly relieved her kin to me.

Her mother and her brother gone,

the last to die and be free.

Death's sweet, swift comfort is to be known

by her weary eyes,

yet like her mother's determined gaze,

it fails to fall, but rise.

And Anubis's:

I'm Listening

She was praying

I heard her asking me 

about her brother.

She was sending him my way 

into the underworld,

entering the river westward.

There are many more wonderful examples of their work, of course--I just wanted to provide a sampling. But really, it's all been so humbling. Thank you Ashley Parsons and Chantel Acevedo (writer and professor extraordinaire) for making it all happen!

 

Of Free Downloads, Awesome Teens and Summer Craziness

Download Cleopatra's Moon-- for FREE--this week (until Wednesday, 7/25, I believe) at http://www.audiobooksync.com/sync-young-adult-titles/cleopatras-moon/. My novel was included in a wonderful program sponsored by audiobook publishers to highlight their great variety of books. This program pairs a YA book with a classic work--in my case with Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.  

This just makes me squee because...dang, Shakespeare! Although, as I've noted in my kid's biography on the queen, I'm not overly fond of how Mr. Shakespeare portrays the queen, given that he gives full expression to Plutarch's politically-minded/propoganda (i.e., he needed to make the queen look bad in order to not offend the Caesar in power).

You know that saying, "He or she is a piece of work?" That's one of Shakespeare's gems--aimed at Cleopatra. When we use that phrase today, we mean that person is craaazzzzzy. Off their rocker. Completely cray-cray.

Yet Cleopatra held the Egyptian throne for 20 years during an extremely unstable period. She managed to negotiate back from Rome territories her own father had relinquished. And she aligned herself with powerful Roman generals in a concerted effort to maintain Egypt's independence.

There's nothing cray-cray about that.

Also, my audiobook is narrated by Kristen Potter--a fabulous voice actress. She won the 2011 award for Best Voice in Nonfiction and Culture by Audiofile. So, yeah. Go download now!

Be sure to check out the other free downloads available this summer through the program as well.

Auburn University's Creative Writing Camp for Teens

Thanks to my bud Ashley Parsons and the wonderful Chantel Acevedo (assoc. prof. and writer-in-residence at Auburn), I was invited to meet with an amazing group of teens who had read my book. 

*Head explodes*

They were amazing--so bright and confident and articulate about wanting to be writers. At that age, I was beyond clueless! These kids are going to take the world by storm.

Did I mention they all had my novel?

*Stuffs brain matter back into cranium only to have it explode once again* (Sorry about the mess.)

Camp Half-Blood at Little Shop of Stories


I love Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson's books. Always have. So it was a thrill to be involved in creating a Camp Half-Blood at Little Shop with awesome owner, Diane Capriola. Seven years ago! Yeah, that's when Diane started the camp. Hard to believe it's been going on that long. It's always been a blast--but, also exhausting.

This year, the kids built their own swords (boppers), made their own shields, handled snakes, played capture-the-flag (endlessly!) and re-enacted myths. Thanks to Nick Capriola, they also played "Percy Jackson Mad-Libs," which gave rise to one of my favorite exchanges of the camp:

Counselor Nick (son of Hermes): "Give me a noun for something you put on FOOD."

Camper: "Arsenic?"

Ha! I was brushing up on my notes to tell a story, but that one almost made me fall out of my chair. I LOVE kids!

Oh, and in between all this, I'm working on two books, have a son getting ready for college (sniff) and have been ferrying the girl all over town for visits with docs, physical therapists and pilates instructors to help her overcome an ankle injury before the dance "season" gears up.

But, I'm looking forward to a mini-writing retreat with author/illustrator extraordinaire and great pal, Elizabeth O. Dulemba, where we will force each other--FORCE, I say--to write for uninterrupted chunks of time in her lovely mountain hideaway. Dreamy!

Connecting with Teens Made my Day

I recently spoke to a high school Latin class of juniors (11th graders). I had a blast. But ya know what really made me happy? Not a single kid fell asleep during my talk (hey, it was an early class, okay?
And we're talking teens).

Yesterday, I received a thank you note from the teacher along with a thick packet of letters and cards from the students. I sometimes receive sweet notes from younger
kids, but I had not expected this from the older ones. It completely made my day (thank you Ms. Burke!). I just had to share some of their comments:

I was worried that I wouldn't like [your Cleopatra book] because it's a children's book, but I ended up really loving it! I kept sharing all of the fun facts that I learned with my friends and parents. Who knew one person could be SO interesting?!

By telling us about the life of Cleopatra, you have renewed my interest in the ancient world...[your approach] actually leaves space for the individual to make his/her own conclusion about how and why things took place. Mrs. Shecter, your job might make you the coolest mom ever.
(My kids would disagree, but still.)

I really enjoyed the detail and depth of your story. I specifically appreciated your enthusiasm...I myself am a history buff and enjoy hearing from other people who have the same passion.

The young man who wrote the above added a PS regarding the replica Spartan helmet I brought in:  The helmet was really cool. I cannot believe you own that. I am jealous.

Again, I love my job