New interview with a young Teashop reader

Behold...the power of of the interwebs: I recently connected with a very interesting blogger, James Altucher, on Twitter (@jaltucher). I really enjoy reading his insightful and irreverent posts and participating in his Thursday afternoon Q&A sessions. He replied to me several times to say his daughter was enjoying The Teashop Girls. She recently emailed me her list of questions about the book and I was happy to respond. Here is our exchange:

1. Do you like tea? and is that one of things that inspired you to write "The Teashop Girls"?

I do like tea very much. I drink it just about every day. I like teas with a lot of flavor, such as Jasmine green tea, Vanilla rooibos (this is a kind of herbal tea), and chamomile with mint in the evening. I think it's a good idea to try lots of different kinds, because all the varieties of tea taste different and sometimes people say, "I don't like tea," after they've only had one or two kinds. I also think it's a good idea to add just a tiny bit of sugar to your cup. :)

2. If you do like tea what is your favorite kind? and is it the same as Annie's favorite?

Annie's favorite is English Breakfast tea, but just like me, she loves all different kinds. In fact, I bet she would change her answer depending on what day you asked her. Right now, my favorite tea is chamomile with mint.

3. How many more books about the teashop girls do you think you will write?

I've already written two, and I think I will probably do a third one someday. But right now, I'm very busy with my other series of books called Planet Explorers. If I do write a third Teashop Girls book, what do you think should happen in it? I need some good ideas. :)

4. Would you every like to work at a teashop yourself like Annie wanted too?

I think working in a teashop would be lovely, but I mostly just want to write books now. I did work in a local restaurant for many years, which was part of my inspiration for writing The Teashop Girls. Teashops, cafes, and restaurants are very good settings for books because there are always so many interesting characters coming and going in them!

5. What was your favorite character from the book? and which character do you think was most like you?

I really enjoyed writing Zach, because sometimes the pest can be funny. But I think my favorite is Annie because she's the most like me.

6. I liked the ending when all the little girls in town became teashop girls and not just any and her friends. How did you think of that?

Thank you. Well, I wanted Annie to use all of her energy to think like an entrepreneur so she could help Louisa save The Steeping Leaf. I thought that if all the little girls in town wanted to come to Louisa's shop, it would always have customers. People like going to places where they see genuine friends, so it just made sense to make The Teashop Girls club bigger and welcoming to all girls.

7. Did you and your friends make up any little clubs when you were little like Annie and her friends did?

When I was about Annie's age, I loved these books called The Babysitter's Club by Ann M. Martin. My friends and I tried to make a club like that of our own, but we were never quite as organized as the girls in those books were. That's why I think tea is a wonderful way to have a club--it's not work, it's just fun and peaceful.

8. Will the steeping leaf face any other challenges in your other teashop girl books?

You'll have to read THE SECRET INGREDIENT to find out. ;-) I think you will like it.

9. Did you ever wish you could own a small business like the steeping leaf?

Yes. I love small businesses. Even though I don't own a teashop like The Steeping Leaf, I think of my books as a business. It's my job to create a product and then to sell it to my readers. I do most of that work at the computer, which isn't quite as fun as meeting customers at a teashop. But the neat part is, sometimes I get to meet readers in person when I do events at bookstores and libraries or give talks at schools. Hopefully I will do an event in New York City in the future.

10. Which do you yourself like better tea or coffee?

I do drink both tea and coffee. I guess I really like hot beverages! It's tough to pick just one...I love them both. :)

#SampleSunday...A chapter from my YA novel NOTES TO SELF

Dear readers,
I have a new contemporary young adult novel out right now called Notes to Self. It's released under my pen name Avery Sawyer. I'm participating in a Twitter promotion called #SampleSunday, where readers have a chance to check out my work. Here is a chapter from close to the beginning of the book. I hope you enjoy it! xoxo, Laura

GRAVITY

My head was an explosion of pain. Someone was pressing two flat irons against the backs of my eyeballs. No, that wasn’t it. The pain was deeper, in my ears. Audible, searing, unrelenting. I wanted to search for it, locate it deep within my skull, and put it out like a match dunked into a bucket of water. I wanted to push on my temples, to find a way outside of my head, outside of the shrieking.

I couldn’t feel my hands.

Where are my hands?

I tried to keep my breathing even so I wouldn’t cry out. The room surrounding me was aggressively white. White walls, white blinds. I was in a bed covered with white sheets. The lights were turned down low, maybe even off, but I could still tell somehow that it was daytime. What happened? Where was the screaming coming from? Did someone need my help?

Beeping.

There was a constant beeping sound layered on top of everything. I licked my lips, but my tongue felt strange: bigger than normal. Something covered my nose.

I wanted to move my body. An instinct told me to start slowly. I moved my arm to try to touch my face—thank God, my hand was okay—and realized there was a tube coming out of the crook of my elbow. My other arm was free. I used it to explore my head. Toward the top and back I found there was a place where my hair was shaved off. Some sort of probe went right in. Into my head. I gasped, horrified.

The pain grew worse behind my eyes, but I didn’t shut them. What happened? I kept breathing, my eyes darting around the room like a trapped animal’s. I realized the beeping had sped up a lot. Someone else must’ve realized it too, because the door to my room opened. A woman wearing green scrubs came in. Her face looked concerned.

“Hello there,” she said. Her voice was rich, soothing. My eyes went to her mouth, willing it to say more, to drown out the cacophony in my head. It didn’t occur to me that I could try to speak. I just stared at her and waited. I couldn’t figure out how to move my tongue to form a word. She pushed a button on the wall and more people came in.

“Welcome back, Robin,” she said, stepping back as the other people surrounded me and looked at the equipment on either side of my bed. Someone shined a small, bright light in my eyes. The woman in green didn’t say anything else. Now that I think about it, I suppose it was because I didn’t reply. You’re supposed to reply when people say things to you.

If you can.

I heard the other people talking, but it was like they were very far away. They were all murmuring in fast medical-sounding words that I didn’t understand.

One of the people came closer, a woman in a white coat. The others seemed to defer to her, to make way. “Robin, I’m Dr. Corwin. You’re in the neurotrauma center at Florida Hospital. You’ve suffered some contusions to your left temporal lobe as the result of a small skull fracture. The Medivac brought you and your friend in. I need to ask you some questions, okay?” The doctor’s manner was brisk, but not cold.

“Okay,” I managed to gargle out. Did that make sense? Was that the right word? I sounded like a stranger to myself. I had no memory of anything after Emily and I stood and looked up at the Sling Shot in Fun Towne. Oh my God.

We climbed it. We were at the top.

Where is she?

Where is Em?

I tried to focus on the doctor in front of me. She said the CT scan showed my brain was a bit swollen. They had to keep a close watch on the pressure inside my skull.

“I think I fell,” I whispered. Was that right? I remembered climbing, talking, trying not to cry, grabbing, grasping, and then…nothing.

“Looks like it,” the doctor leaned in to hear me.

“I fell?” I said again. “My head…”

“We know,” said another person in the room. Someone touched my shoulder comfortingly. My vision shifted and I felt like the dimensions of the room warped. I could see everything from my own eyes and view the whole scene as if I stood in the doorway, away from everyone in it, including my body. My stomach turned and I shut my eyes. “It’ll be okay.”

“I fell. I fell. We fell. Emily and I fell.” I kept saying it over and over in a whisper. Eventually I stopped moving my lips and let the words repeat in my brain.

This wasn’t making any sense at all. I was supposed to go to the mall today because Em had a ton of gift cards with small amounts left on them that one of her aunts had given her. She was a genius at finding clearance stuff for three dollars. I didn’t want to be here. The lady, the doctor…her mouth was moving, but her words were too quiet. It sounded like she was saying them all out of order. “What?” I asked several times.

“Can you tell me what you remember?” Dr. Kerlin (Collin?) was speaking slowly. I focused on her mouth. Remember. What did that word mean?

“I don’t know. I…” The screaming. I opened and shut my eyes, but the sound only got louder. I wasn’t actually hearing anything. Was I? “I…I fell…?” Tears gathered in my eyes. The room looked squiggly. The walls were changing colors, yellow, then red, then white again. I tried to blink them away. Where was Mom?

“It’s alright, Robin. You can rest. We’re just glad you’re doing as well as you are. The paramedics said they found you both on the ground, unconscious. Your mother will be back any minute.” The doctor typed something into a computer in the corner of the room and glanced at the equipment next to the bed.

“Wait.” It took everything I had left to figure out the words, but I managed to whisper, “Where’s Em…ily? She…I…”

“She’s still unconscious, Robin. She hasn’t woken up yet. Try to rest; it’s the best thing for you. I ordered some medication for your IV drip that will help with the pain.”

I was sinking. The weight on my chest would never leave. It would just keep on pushing until the bed swallowed me up and I couldn’t breathe at all, ever again. I looked up at the people surrounding my bed and they receded, moving farther and farther away from me…actors on a television screen that was slowly fading. Before I shut my eyes completely, I felt two tears sliding down my neck. I didn’t have enough energy to stop them.

If you enjoyed reading this chapter from Notes to Self, please consider picking up a copy at Amazon for your Kindle, iPhone, or iTouch. It's also available at Smashwords for reading on your Nook, Sony Reader, or computer screen. Thanks for checking out my work. :-)

Two Delicious Teas from Teavivre

Teavivre.com recently sent me a gift of tea samples to try. It's so exciting to receive a package all the way from China! Today, I'd like to review two of the five: Jasmine "Dragon Pearls" Green Tea and White Peony Tea (Bai MuDan). I enjoyed both very much. The pearls are so pretty and I love watching them "bloom" in hot water. I took a photo of the pearls before steeping. The tea itself was delicate and flavorful. I tried it both plain and with a half teaspoon of sugar. Both ways were tasty. I think Jasmine Green Tea is a good afternoon tea. It's perfect along with shortbread or a scone. I love its fragrance and earthy flavor.

Next I tried the White Peony Tea. I took a photo of it steeping in my teapot and in a clear jar so you can check out its beautiful color. This tea tastes mild and floral. I'm drinking mine with a half teaspoon of sugar. I think it would pair perfectly with a snack of cheese and crackers. I'm sure I'll finish my Teavivre samples before the end of the month and wish for more. Have you tried any Teavivre teas? What did you think?

Scatterbrained and Proud Of It

For a long time, I've had three or four jobs at one time--something that's not uncommon among writerly types. I write novels, curriculum and non-fiction pieces for magazines. I also tended bar at a local restaurant until very recently. For the most part, this sort of scattered approach suits me. I get to explore lots of different interests and writing "voices." Sometimes it has its downsides, as when I'm on a deadline for more than one project and not sleeping well. But for the most part, I love indulging my scatterbrained self. I don't even mind doing marketing for my books. It's just one more part of my oddly shaped work days.

My approach to life began in college. I had a hard time choosing a major because it seemed unreasonable and boring to take classes in mostly one subject. I solved the problem by choosing the most non-specific liberal arts program I could find: Rhetoric, and spent all eight semesters with a schedule full of classes in English, psychology, art history, regular history, speech, sociology, philosophy, women's studies, Spanish, business, math, film, nutrition, astronomy...you get the picture. I can't believe Wisconsin awarded me a degree after that crazy run through its halls. :-)

I'm not a Renaissance Woman, because I can't fix cars or tile your bathroom or paint a nice watercolor landscape. I'm more like an information junkie who loves to learn. You can see why I chose to become a writer.

However, writers often stick with a certain style or audience. You know what you're getting when you buy a Meg Cabot novel or a Michael Lewis book, for example. It's wise, in a noisy book market, to focus. But I can't. I want to write all different sorts of things. In addition to my Teashop Girls books, I recently started the Planet Explorers: Travel Guides for Kids brand. I'm also proud to announce the release of a drama-filled young adult novel titled Notes to Self this week. It might seem a bit scatterbrained to put time and energy into these projects after my success with the Teashop Girls (all wisdom would suggest I focus on Teashop 3), but what can I say? Scatterbrained is me.

I've chosen to take on the pen name Avery Sawyer for all my Y.A. material going forward, as I want to write in an edgier style without confusing any Teashop fans. It's somewhat ironic, as Notes to Self is my most personal novel to date...but I think it makes sense. "Laura Schaefer" for kid and tween content, "Avery Sawyer" for teens. Cool?

Are you a scatterbrain, too? Let us unite and revel in it! :-)

Monroe Street Teashop Girls Charm Bracelet Hunt!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a part of the Monroe Street Teashop Girls Treasure Hunt. It was a fundraiser for Madison Public Library organized by Orange Tree Imports, the fabulous shop on Monroe Street which is right where my novels take place. A great time was had by all and I got to sign a lot of books! Here are some photos from the event. :-)

I would like to sincerely thank all the friendly readers I met yesterday, as well as Orange Tree Imports, Madison Public Library and all the terrific businesses on Monroe Street that helped make such a fun event possible. Yay tea, yay books, yay Madison!

Little Free Libraries

I first learned about Little Free Libraries when I read this article at Madison.com. It sounded like such an amazing idea that I knew I had to be involved somehow. I rent an apartment, so it wasn't feasible for me to get a Little Library and put it in the front yard quite yet. I did the next best thing: I donated as many extra copies of The Teashop Girls as I could to Little Libraries around Madison. I'm thrilled by the concept and excited that so many other people are too (including author Ann M. Martin, who wrote The Babysitters Club series and the new book Ten Rules for Living with My Sister). If you're looking for a terrific way to connect with your neighbors, I highly recommend building your own "LFL," or going to http://www.littlefreelibrary.org to learn more about acquiring one for your neck of the woods. Here is the Little Free Library at my dentist's office...so cute!

In Which Laura Gets the Hang of this Video Business

Welcome to the second episode of Teashop Girls TV. Today, I talk scones. Specifically scones from The Secret Ingredient. Hope you like it!