VILLAIN SCHOOL: GOOD CURSES EVIL
When Rune is caught doodling in class at Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains, the last thing he expects is a reward. However, when he reports to the Dread Master's office for detention, instead of scrubbing slug slime, Rune gets awarded his very own villainous Plot! Rune is overjoyed until he discovers that he must steal a baby, find a henchman, kidnap a princess and overthrow a kingdom. And he only has one week! He embarks on a journey with his Conspirators, the lovely and lethal Countess Jezebel and the furry and slightly slobbery Wolf Junior. Along the way, Rune encounters unlikely friends and even more unlikely villains and learns what it takes to be truly Villainous. Visit the website: www.villainkids.com
Here are some other stories I've written along with my super-fancy book cover concepts. However, they have not been published. Yet. Let's call them Nearlybooks.
SLYDERS
Aisling Booker is bored by her privileged life among high society. However, she gets more adventure than she bargained for when a young man named Brixton Hale appears from behind the grandfather clock in her family's ballroom. Aisling is recruited by Hale to join the Slyders, a group of talented children who are fighting the evil Darklings. Aisling is given a mission to infiltrate the Darklings as a double agent. As her own father becomes more entangled by their plans, Aisling becomes obsessed with her mission to stop the Darklings even as she is caught up in her own feelings for Hale. (Read excerpt PDF)
GATEKEEPERS
A strange sensation is coming from Bel's Celtic knot pendant... and it has something to do with the old woman who lives in the mansion at the end of Bel's street. When a misadventure on Halloween lands Bel in Mrs. Crenshaw's mansion, she becomes entangled in a world of magic, dragons and darkness where she is literally the Key to saving a kingdom beset by evil... (Read excerpt PDF)
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Actually, this is really an autobiography since I'm writing about myself.
I guess I should cover the basics... I grew up (mostly) on an Iowa farm. Yes, we had indoor plumbing. Yes, I've plucked chickens. And yes, there's no better place for a child to find her imagination than in a field, a forest or sitting on a riverbank and dangling her feet over a country stream.
I had an obsession with flying as a child. I clearly remember strapping my mother's oversized Chinese fans to my arms and legs, climbing to the top of my swingset, and extending my golden wings only to plummet to the ground and eat dirt. I also tied carpet remnants to my back and led the neighbor kids in a failed hang-gliding attempt down Mary Belle's hill. I once strapped a plastic garbage bag to my arms as a "parachute." And (worst idea yet) I tied a rope around my leg (for back-up) as I jumped off my great-grandmother's porch and dangled helplessly upside down for an obscenely long time--not willing to admit defeat or face my great-grandmother's disapproving gaze and steady stream of German swear words.
Today, I don't fly so much. But I have other things to lift me up. These include my husband, Ben, and our two daughters.. They understand that I am a writer, and they still love me... even when I hog the computer.
Here are some pics of me as a kid. Note the beleaguered animals. Like I said, I grew up on a farm.
I haven't changed much. Same wild curly hair, same grin... although I'm usually clutching two kids now instead of cats or rabbits. I currently live in a small town in central Iowa... just minutes from corn in every direction. Except north. North there are beans... and cows.
*Pretty much everything you read in this section should not be tried at home... or Mary Belle's hill or your great-grandma's porch or anywhere that isn't thoroughly padded and supervised by an adult.
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A Wicked-Good Blog
Yes, I have dipped my toes in the blog-o-sphere. If you'd like to explore the scattered thoughts of a random mind, then please visit my blog: http://thegoodvillain.blogspot.com/ .
Steampunked Stephanie
To really get into character for my book, SLYDERS, I decided to go steampunk and make myself an outfit complete with ill-fitted goggles and spray-painted Nerf gun (don't judge me). You can read an excerpt here.
A Villainous Party
Here is some awesome artwork by a few Villain School fans. You can see more pics from the Villain School Launch Party here.
EMAIL FROM FANS:
Send Fan Mail Here!
EMAIL FROM MEDIA, ETC.: Email Here to contact Stephanie for an interview or event.
You can also visit my agent's website: www.nancygallt.com
Is there a sequel to Villain School: Good Curses Evil?
I am currently revising the sequel and expect it to arrive in bookstores in 2012!
How can I get a signed book?
I am willing to sign books as often as I can! You can visit my events page to find out where I'll be signing next, or you can contact Mattingly Bookstore in Newton, IA and ask about a signed copy.
Where do you get your ideas?
There's actually a box of ideas next to my computer. I'm serious. I call it "Random Plot Twists" and whenever I get stuck, I reach into it and pull out an idea. :) But mostly my ideas come from random things: a dream, a movie, a picture, a song, even other books.
Can you visit my school or library?
I do sometimes do a limited number of informal visits with schools and libraries. I love meeting fans whenever I can! Info about that can be found here.
Can you read my work/help me get published?
I'm sorry, I really can't read your work or help you get published. But I know a few resources that might help you get YOURSELF published! Those are:
About the publishing process: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/
About finding an agent or publisher: http://cwim.com/
About improving your writing: http://www.thescriptorium.net/
A place for teens to get published: http://www.teenink.com/
A place to read about other authors and the publishing world: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html
Good luck!
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1
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