Thursday November 20, 2008
Jamie Martinez Wood will be joining us to chat with the 6th Grade class at Riverhead Charter School on Long Island, NY.
Biography:
Jamie Martinez Wood is a former assistant to reknown literary agent Julie Castiglia, Jamie Martinez Wood. She is the author of Rogelia’s House of Magic and has written for young adult and nonfiction categories, including The Enchanted Diary, Como Te Llamas, Baby? and A to Z of Latino Americans: Latino Writers and Journalists, for which she recently won the 2008 International Latino Book Awards for Best Reference Book.
She lives in California with her husband and children. This is her first novel. You can visit her at www.jamiewood.com.
Rogelia’s House of Magic
IN ROGELIA’S HOUSE OF MAGIC, three different 15-year-old girls find friendship and special powers as they are trained in the ways of the curandera by a wise old woman.
When Rogelia becomes a maid at Marina Peralta’s home, it’s obvious to Marina and her friend Fern that they have a real mystic on their hands. Soon Rogelia agrees to teach the girls the magic of their ancestors, much as she taught her granddaughters, Xochitl and Gracielia. Even though Marina and Fern are thrilled to have this chance to understand and use their powers, Xochitl isn’t happy about sharing such a sacred thing with anyone but her sister, who perished in a car accident. Besides, magic has let Xochitl down before. Why wouldn’t it now? But, as the girls will eventually discover, at Rogelia’s House of Magic anything is possible.
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Hello Jaime! We are looking forward to speaking with you soon:)
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I’m ready and waiting!!
I’m sorry to tsay that the web cam didn’t come through. Maybe next time.
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Hi Jaime,
Thank you dofor your patience. we will be ready in one minute
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It’s 2:05 EST – are you there?
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sorry – I just saw this
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Jaime I will post questions from the students
Do you have any children ?
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I have three children
Ali – 18 in college
Skyler – 11 in 5th grade
Kobe – 9 in 4th grade
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Nicholas:Are you working on another book?
Ladejah:What is it about?
Voshon: What do you do in your spare time, what are your hobbies?
Sasha (student) What inspired you to write Rogelia’s House of Magic?
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I just sold a book to my publisher – Ten Speed Press to write The Faerie Herbalism with Faerie Artist, Lisa Steinke.
I’m also working on a woman’s book called The Making of a Xicana Goddess
Hobbies: hiking, yoga, reading, writing
An editor asked me to write Rojo’s Mojo (my nickname for the book). But while writing it my diaries were my inspiration – working out the relationship with my mom and how as a teen I felt so disempowered and sought ways to feel more connected
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Jessica: What made you become a writer?
Erik: Did you have another job or career before you became a writer?
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The Making of a Xicana Goddess is about exploring magic and creativity as a means to heal from divorce, abandonment, sexual abuse, and death
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Maurice: How long did it take you to write your first book?
Ladejah: Did anyone from your family inspire you to become a writer?
Voshon: Who are your role models?
Samantha: What is your background? Can you explain your heritage?
Jataya: who is your favorite author?
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I’ve been a writer since the 2nd grade. I still have that first story, it was called The Floating Bed.
Even when I went to college, I knew I wanted to write. I thought I would write for business, so I became a public relations writer. But I couldn’t fit into the corporate world, so I became a massage therapist and then found a job as a literary agent assistant, then I got the gig to write my first book
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Maurice: How long did it take you to write your first book?
6 months!!
Ladejah: Did anyone from your family inspire you to become a writer?
My aunt. She’s also a public relations writer. There are a lot of perks to that job if you can stand the high heels.
Voshon: Who are your role models?
Isabel Allende, my grandfather, my aunt and Lucille Ball
Samantha: What is your background? Can you explain your heritage?
I’m half Mexican from my mom, actually 8 generations in southern California (in other words my peeps are also part Native American). My dad was half German and half Yugoslavia (now Slovenia). But since I didn’t see much of him, I really got two doses of diluted Mexican-ness.
Jataya: who is your favorite author?
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Sasha (student) Did you ever doubt that your book would sell?
Warren: What kind of car do you drive?
Joseph: What is your favorite book you have written?
Nicholas: I think you are very intellegent.
Voshon: And inspirational!
Torey: Do you like historical fiction books?
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My favorite author is Isabel Allende and CS Lewis. I still have my Narnia set from when I was 11 and I’m 40 now.
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LOVE THESE QUESTIONS!!!!
I’m typing as fast as I can!!
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Sasha (student) Did you ever doubt that your book would sell?
It had basically sold before I wrote it. The editor asked my agent (who was my boss at teh time) if she knew of any writer who would like to write The Wicca Cookbook. AI wrote the proposal and it sold. This might sound humble because I still had to write something good, but it felt so right.
Warren: What kind of car do you drive?
A blue Honda CRV with lots of stickers and things dangling from my rear view mirror. MY fave sticker say “Blending in with you muggles.” I love to watch people stop and read that one.
Joseph: What is your favorite book you have written?
The Teen Spell Book. I used my diary to write abou tall teh times that I felt sad, angry, disempowered and wrote visualizations and affirmations to come out of darkness into teh light. It’s helped so many people I just adore that book and my courage to be so honest and vulnerable. I actually got in a car accident on teh way to my first book signing because I was so scared that I had essentially published my diary, but I kept pushing myself and my reward is comments from parents and teens about how much its helped them.
Nicholas: I think you are very intellegent.
I think you are very cool
Voshon: And inspirational!
And wise
Torey: Do you like historical fiction books?
LOVE historical fiction!!! Actually that’s another book in teh oven – called hauntingly familiar a time warp kinda book about an ancestor and her decendant mixing into each other’s lives. Based in 1875 exactly where I live
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Sasha (student): Do any of your children write too?
Erik: Do you write any adventure books?
Ladejah: Are you going to make any middle grade books?
Jamall: Do you hang out with a group of writers?
Brianna: Which do prefer Sprite or Sierra Mist?
Zack:
Marquis: Have you talked with any other schools before?
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I don’t know why I always mispell the as teh…
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No worries I mispell all the time. The students are actually spell checking me.
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Sasha (student): Do any of your children write too?
Ali is going to school to be a writer. Her dream job would be to write for Rolling Stones Magazine. I think that’s a good goal. I had her edit Rogelia’s House of Magic so she could have writing credits.
Erik: Do you write any adventure books?
Not yet.
Ladejah: Are you going to make any middle grade books?
Rogelia’s House of Magic could be considered middle grade. Although I do have ideas for this readership, too. It’s called the Queen’s Apple, still working on it. Been working on it forever!
Jamall: Do you hang out with a group of writers?
No, but there’s a group of Latina authors and we’ve been talking about getting together once a month to chat.
Brianna: Which do prefer Sprite or Sierra Mist?
7up
Zack:
Marquis: Have you talked with any other schools before?
Yes. I had one local school develop a play from the first 8 chapters of Rogelia’s House of Magic. But via email and across the country? This is a first. And I like it
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Are any of you writers?:shock:
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Joshua: What kind of hair products do you use?
Samantha: What are you doing to save the environment?
Mickey: Where do you live in California?
Ladejah: What is your favorite food?
Zack: Do you like any sports?
Brianna: Do you have any pets?
Luke: What is your favorite tv show?
Ladejah: I wish I could meet you in person.
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All hands are up. They all are aspiring writers.
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Joshua: What kind of hair products do you use?
Because I have long and luxurious hair? Thanks for noticing!! Actually I use a eco-friendly product called Alba Botanicals.
Samantha: What are you doing to save the environment?
I compost, take my grocery bags to the store, walk or ride bikes when I can, print the least amount of paper possible, use cloth or baskets to wrap gifts, grow my own vegetables, turn off the lights, reduce phantom energy leaks, use recyclable products, etc..
Mickey: Where do you live in California?
I live in the OC baby. I can walk to the beach in 30 min.
Ladejah: What is your favorite food?
tacos
Zack: Do you like any sports?
I’m an excellent soccer player if I do say so myself
Brianna: Do you have any pets?
6 cats! Two kitties have to go though, even though my sons disagree
Luke: What is your favorite tv show?
I don’t watch tv. Can you believe it??? The last show I watched was Friends. Before that it was I Love Lucy. I swear. No lies.
Ladejah: I wish I could meet you in person.
I know, huh?
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Huzzah for the writers in the room!!
BTW on my website http://www.jamiewood.com/teen you will find some handy tips on writing and getting published on the left column in both the writing and FAQ sections. Make sure to look up some of the past info
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Ladejah & Erik: Thank you so much for visiting us and we had a blast. We hope to talk again with you soon.
Luke: I hope you write more exciting books.
ladejah: I can;t wait to read the rest of Rogelia’s House of Magic. It sounds so interesting. Mrs. T started reading it but only chapter one.
Sasha (student) I hope you keep writing and never stop.
Whole class: THANK YOU!!:lol::razz::grin::cool::mrgreen:
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YOU’RE WELCOME!!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
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Oh and enter my contest and maybe one of you will win a book!!!!! See info on my website http://www.jamiewood.com/teen.
XOXO
Jay
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Jaime,
Thank you for visiting the classroom.The kids had fun. I am so happy you joined us. Have to run to my next class. I will email you later with the transcripts. The students also want to know if you can come back another time. We will talk about it. Hopefully we can try the Skype type next time. They would love for you to visually come into the classroom.
Sasha
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Sasha
It was great fun. I’d love to have the transcripts up on my website. And I will figure out Skype and be ready for the next visit.
Jamie
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The book sounds interesting, I added it to my wishlist!
(Btw, the link to Jamie’s website is wrong; it goes to jaimewood.com instead of jamiewood.com)
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Tink,
Thanks for the catch. The link is fixed. I’m glad I could introduce you to a new author!