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​book reviews

Tribute: The Cleaners Series: Book 1                     by Chris Knoblaugh

6/10/2018

79 Comments

 
Debut author, Chris Knoblaugh introduces us to her book: Tribute: The Cleaners Series: Book 1:
When twelve-year-old Miguel’s gang member Papa makes promises to Santa Muerte, someone in Miguel’s family loses a soul. The last time, it was Miguel’s gentle aunt. This time, the target is Miguel’s brother, Juan.

Santa Muerte, the skeletal patron saint of drug traffickers and murderers, always claims her fee.

The trouble is Miguel won’t let Juan’s spirit go. The resulting paranormal possession attracts demons, doppelgangers, and an ancient soul slayer from the depths of Hell — all of whom must be vanquished if Miguel is to live.

Even with help, Miguel’s refusal to release Juan threatens the lives of those Miguel loves most. Miguel must choose to release his brother or lose yet another loved one, for the bargain was made with Santa Muerte and the price must be paid.
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This middle-grade ghost story certainly surprised me. I was expecting Casper the friendly ghost, I got a streetwise teen-ager in a rough part of San Jose, California. This is more than a ghost story, it's a peek into the world of a 12-year-old Hispanic boy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about growing up on mean streets, dealing with sofa-surfing, discarded needles, and homeless people, some who might be angels in disguise, sometimes.
I particularly relished the first person POV of Miguel, a 12-year-old boy trying to survive being thrust into the spirit world, when his older brother, Juan, is murdered. The internal chaos is magnificent, Miguel’s efforts to find some stability are wonderfully described. His courage in trying to bring his brother peace is inspiring. Scene setting, action, dialog, and secondary characters all come to life in an exquisite way under Chris’s pen.
I love this story and award 4.8 stars.
I am excited to tell you the author has indicated she is working on a new story set over 200 years in the past, with a working title, "Atonement". I am looking forward to that very much.
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You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Tribute-Cleaners-Book-Chris-Knoblaugh-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39855132-tribute
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tribute-ms-chris-j-knoblaugh
 
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/ChrisKnoblaugh
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17944982.Chris_Knoblaugh
https://dancingwithwordstutoring.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CKnoblaugh
http://mrsknoblaugh.weebly.com/
 
tags: MG, YA, middle grade, young adult, spiritual, Christian, Catholic, Church, spirits, fiction 
​
Copyright © 2018 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 
​
79 Comments
Chris J Knoblaugh link
6/12/2018 08:59:00 am

Thank you for the lovely review, and for your fabulous support on Twitter! I am excited to work with you again in the future. I enjoy writing for my classroom students, who encouraged me to publish Tribute. The second book in the anthology series is in the works, and I know I will be turning to you for help with it.

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Mark
6/12/2018 10:21:35 am

You are very welcome, Chris. I am so glad your students recognized the genius of your writing. I look forward to working with you in the future.
Let's talk about the genesis of your book. Was there an inciting event in your life that sparked the idea for "Tribute"? Why did you share it with the class you teach?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 11:11:40 am

Yes, Mark, I had students who lost friends and relatives to the gang activity in San Jose at the time. I also taught students who struggled with the situations in the book (couch-surfing, sleeping on floors, dealing with a lack of parental support, homelessness, etc.). I chose Tribute as the title to honor the courage and strength I saw in those tweens. I have tremendous respect for their grit and determination.

Mark
6/12/2018 11:59:54 am

That is a wonderful title, it fits in more ways than one. Santa Muerte was looking for her payment or tribute also.
What gave you the idea to write this book? How long did it take you to write "Tribute"? Were there any major sections that got cut along the way?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 12:09:41 pm

I had a student in my class whose relative was killed in a gang incident. It was a traumatic time for him and for his family. He talked a little about how hard it was to attend school after the funeral. I kept thinking about my students, their home life, and the things some of them faced. I decided to try writing the first draft in 2016 for NaNoWriMo summer camp, and I submitted it to PitchWars in 2017. Many people responded positively to the first chapter on the boards, but no editors picked it up. I ran it past my critique partners, and they said I needed to keep going. I found my marvelous cover artist on Twitter, so I plunged on to publication in April on my school's spring break.

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Mark
6/12/2018 12:54:43 pm

What a difficult time for that student, I bet it was helpful for him to be able to talk about it. What does he think of your book?
I am sure glad you pushed on with this book.

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 03:36:18 pm

I don't know what the student thinks, as we did not stay in contact after he moved on to high school. I was teaching middle school at the time it happened, and then moved to a different part of the school district to teach fifth grade for a while. I recently moved back to middle school (my favorite curriculum) to teach sixth and seventh grade English. I am currently teaching at a performing arts middle school in my district. While the kids here also experience trauma from time to time, nothing quite as tragic has happened.

One of my coworkers, who lived in downtown San Jose in 2005, is currently reading my book. He pulled me aside to thank me for writing it. He said it touched him deeply, and reminded him of that time period.

It has been interesting to see how many adults are reading it and leaving reviews. It strikes a chord.

Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 12:13:03 pm

You also asked about cut sections. I started to write the back story about Miguel's father and his arrival in the U.S. I decided to cut that part. I hope to develop it as a standalone companion short story for Kindle.

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Mark
6/12/2018 12:59:52 pm

That sounds good, it should make a good story also, showing how decisions can ripple through generations.
You mentioned you are a teacher, what kind of class or classes do you teach?
I know this is your first published book. Have you been writing for a long time? If so, prose, poetry, or non-fiction?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 03:50:15 pm

I teach five sections of English. This year, I had 140 sixth and seventh grade students. I also tutor writing through my business, Dancing with Words Tutoring.

As for how long I have been writing, I have written for all of my adult life. When I graduated from college with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in English Literature, I started writing chemical monographs for Food & Cosmetics Toxicology. From there, I started writing NIOSH grant proposals. That led to laboratory status reports and managing a library for Morton-Thiokol Corporation. That led to designing online database products for a Texas consumer online system, LexisNexis, and Dialog Information Services. From there, I became an online product manager for the San Jose Mercury News. That required trade shows, product marketing materials, and product specifications.

I worked for Sun Microsystems until I was laid off in 2001. At that point, I joined San Jose Unified as part of the San Jose Fellows teacher program thanks to a teacher recruitment program from NOVA.

I have written many stories and poems for my classroom. I always wanted to try publishing, so I was happy that KDP and CreateSpace gave me a chance to do that.

Mark
6/12/2018 04:12:39 pm

That is some great experience, so wide ranging.
A bachelor's of English is a useful degree for a writer. Do you think it's essential for any writer to have?
Did you do any writing before college, if so, what did you write?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 04:17:48 pm

If you talk to any of my high school friends, they will tell you that I was always scribbling. In high school, I was adicted to gothic romances and crime fiction. I kept asking kids to give me a one paragraph profile of a character they wanted to be along with their signatures.

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Mark
6/12/2018 04:39:42 pm

So many writers have told me they were writing from an early age. Do you remember when you wrote your first story and what it was about? How much later did you realize that you could influence people with writing?
Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantster?

Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 05:20:12 pm

I do recall my first "bound" book. My dad worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons as the Chief of Mechanical Services. That meant we lived behind the barbed wire and moved around every six months to go to a new site where he had to construct the next required building. As a result, I attended 12 different school systems in 8 different states. It was fairly common for me to be put on an independent study contract with a school in order to submit assignments.

My only stint in private school was in the fourth grade at a church school where my parents had me take a test to skip the third grade. I don't think the teacher was thrilled to have this younger child in class, so she told me to "write a novel" over Christmas break. I did. I wrote a story about an elf forced to deliver presents for Santa when Santa fell ill. I wrote it, illustrated it, and bound it in a cloth binding. I recall it was around 50 handwritten pages. I received high marks for it, and the Principal asked if he could keep it. Looking back, I think I made it that long just to prove a point.

Therefore, I think I've been a bit of a wise acre all of my life. When it comes to story design, I'm a hybrid plotpant. Since my stories are set in historical settings, I dive into nonfiction research first. Once I have the information I need, I plot using jot dot notes. Subplots come in after the fact as a colored thread using Flair pens. After that, I just write. Share what I've written, collect feedback, and revise.

I am an introvert, but I am not shy.

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Mark
6/12/2018 05:38:08 pm

Quite an interesting background. All that moving made it hard to make friends, or you became adept at making friends quickly.
What a creative mind! That book sounds so cute.
What is a jot dot? I am not familiar with that.
You must have been quite proud of that Christmas story book. Did you keep writing short books or stories? Were you writing fan fiction or your own stories?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 08:39:50 pm

A jot dot list is a synonym for a bullet list. In middle school and high school, I wrote many first chapters. I wanted to try writing like the novelists I loved: Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Edgar A. Poe, Isaac Asimov, Margery Allingham, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Victoria Holt, and many more. I was in Student Council, Theater Club, Explorer Scouts, and took many sci/math classes, but in between I read like a fiend and twiddled with writing.

I never used the characters from those authors, so I wouldn't call it fan fiction. I had teachers who kept saying we needed to pay attention to how the authors wrote and the things they did, so I tried to do that.

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Mark
6/12/2018 09:32:27 pm

Very cool! I think that must have been great exercise to practice writing in the style of famous authors.
If you had the opportunity to meet two authors, one dead and one living now, who would you pick and why?
Is there an author who has changed your mind about a particular genre or style of writing, either positively or negatively and why?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 10:09:42 pm

Wow. Loaded questions. I am used to asking students those types of things, not answering them myself!

Hmm. The dead author is easy. Shirley Jackson. Hands down. I love her short stories, and _We Have Always Lived in the Castle_ is one of my favorite novels. I adore the way she handles unreliable narrators. "Charles" is also a delight. I'd want to have a dress up tea party with her, where we could come as our favorite characters. They would have to serve Earl Grey tea with blood sausages and cheddar crackers. For dessert, it would need to be a concoction from Sidesurf Cake Studio.

For living authors, I'd have to say Neil Gaiman. I use _Coraline_ every year in my classroom. The way he weaves in myth and horror is fantastic. As dry as it might sound, I would like to take a series of courses from him. Ideally, these would be about myths and legends. I have a lot to learn.

Genre shifting? I'd say Pat MacEwen. She is a talented author who blends horror and comedy. I've always loved horror, but her infusion of comedy twisted my head around like _The Exorcist_. It is adult literature, but I guffawed.

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Mark
6/12/2018 10:18:01 pm

Excellent, thank you for sharing those choices. In private to me, you mentioned you were working on a second volume for The Cleaners Series, "Tribute" being the first. Can you tell us a little about that follow-up book? Does it have a working title? Does it follow the timeline started in "Tribute" and why or why not?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/12/2018 10:54:44 pm

The series I started is like Goosebumps, not Harry Potter. It is an anthology series with similar themes and motifs set in various time periods. I've found that using historic settings with horror elements can get reluctant readers to learn more about history.

The next book is set in 1751. Like Tribute, it features cryptids and horror elements. This time, a voodoo priestess is of assistance. The setting is New Orleans. The working title is Atonement. The title fits.

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Mark
6/12/2018 11:08:09 pm

Very good. Thanks for clarifying that for me. I am definitely looking forward to it. I love a good hist-fic book, many have other themes woven in also. The Louisiana Purchase was done in 1803, so the city of New Orleans was still under control of the French, was it not?
I confess I do not know much about this time period, so I am looking forward to learning about it.
How much time have you spent in researching for this story? Have you been to N.O.?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 11:25:57 am

I spent about a year researching the story. New France was filled with political intrigue, which features in the character conflicts. I have been to New Orleans, but I would like to go back. It is an interesting and culturally rich city with a diverse heritage.

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Mark
6/13/2018 11:37:45 am

Did you go to New Orleans to research the book or some other reason?
Even though you have been writing much of your life, "Tribute" is your first published book. That had to be a big learning curve. What are the three most important things you learned in that process?
What is the most important thing a new writer should know about publishing?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 12:42:43 pm

The first time I went to New Orleans was when I was in the eighth grade and we were stationed at the Federal Prison in Texarkana. I fell in love with the architecture when I went with my parents. We always took road trip vacations, and that was one of them. I still prefer road trips to flying.

The three biggest learning curves for me were formatting, finding a cover artist, and hiring editors.

After several miserable attempts, my husband did the formatting for me. I just do not have the patience required to twiddle with software, whereas he's a programmer who enjoys that. When it came to a cover, I knew the mood I wanted to capture and I set off to find an artist who understood what I wanted. I found the marvelous artist Matt Forster (@Matt_Forster) on Twitter and approached him about covers. I am thrilled with the result, and with the framed painting I have for my home!

Finally, locating an editor was painful. I tried sample edits from seven editors and received bids from 10 more. Many wanted to charge me several thousand dollars, which was far beyond my ability to pay on my teacher salary. Others sent back my sample with massive rewrites. I don't write literary fiction, which is what they sent back. I need books with simple sentence structures so my ELL students can read them. I finally found a solid editor who did not try to rewrite my work. Next time, I will ask you!

As for advice, I suggest following writers on Twitter and joining writing groups on Facebook. It is also a good idea to have face to face reading groups, and to practice reading your work aloud. Finally, determine how much money you can spend on production and marketing. Self-publishing is not free.

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Mark
6/13/2018 01:26:47 pm

Great advice! I and Matt already follow each other. I have just added him to my list of Illustrators and Covers. Did you know I have lists of people who help authors on my Twitter home page? Many different services besides the three you already mentioned, publishers, audio books, and more.
I consider the author's voice to be more important than making sure every jot and tittle is correct. Of course, spelling is what I am best at, but sometimes spelling errors are important in the story, especially in dialog.
I will be honored to help you with your next book.
At one point, I thought about adding e-book formatting to my skillset. But after looking at it carefully, I decided the best thing was to not dilute my existing spelling skills, since that is what I do best.
I prefer road trips also, lately I have rediscovered train travel and have found that even more enjoyable.
A lot of authors choose to write in third person instead of second or first person, why do you think that is? Why did you choose to write "Tribute" in first person?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 01:37:44 pm

I like first person and the unpopular third omniscient point of view. I grew up reading omniscient books from 19th and early 20th century writers. I disagree with readers who think headhopping is confusing. Then again, as an INTJ I am not a fan of "all of the feels" writing. My T is a capitalized T on the Myers-Briggs scale. I like distance when I read.

For Tribute, I used the first person point of view because I want the reader to question some of Miguel's perceptions. I prefer first for unreliable narrators.

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Mark
6/13/2018 01:55:05 pm

I personally find first person POV very enjoyable. It's far more intimate and the discovery process feels more organic to me.
You mentioned that you spent a year researching for your next book, "Atonement". Did you have much research to do for "Tribute"?
Was there any particular scene that was harder to write in "Tribute" than the others? Did any of the characters prove to be difficult to write?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 03:01:13 pm

The part of Tribute that needed the most research involved which real locations existed in 2005. I picked a random number street location near a park and a school in my district for Miguel's house. Then I needed to determine where the bus stops were, which busses went where, the schedule for 13 years ago, businesses that existed at that time, and similar details. I once read a book about New York years ago, and I was excited to "walk the experience" when I went right after I graduated from college. I was disappointed to find the streets were not near one another. They existed, but the description in the book was not realistic. I did not want to recreate that.

Businesses come and go. Construction occurs. However, I wanted the navigational events in Tribute to be physically possible.

I struggled at first with Saul. I needed a character on the edge of myth, yet he had to be immediately accepted as plausable. That meant experimenting with his speech and backstory in multiple little vignettes until I found something that worked for me.

I learned that technique when my husband and I went to the Jackson Hole Writing Conference a few years ago. It is very natural for me, because I have to write first draft short models for my students all of the time to demonstrate concepts. I had never considered applying that to fiction, since most of the models I have to create are for expository essays of various types. Once I realized I could break down chapters into chunks of various types, it became much easier to assemble the story.

The hardest scenes were the fight scenes. I took an excellent online class from savvyauthors.com. Then I read a few blog articles on writing fight scenes, and watched some movie clips on YouTube.com. Writing paragraphs to describe what I watched really helped.

Reply
Mark
6/13/2018 03:43:08 pm

Thanks, Chris, for sharing the nuts and bolts, I think a lot of new writers will be thanking you for that information.
I really agree with you about physically possible events in the real world. Books, more than movies, need to reflect reality in the temporal and physical space they occupy.
Your research really paid off, I enjoyed the action a lot.
Writer's block. Have you ever struggled with it? What have you tried to get past it and what works the best for you now?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 10:41:53 pm

I know many people experience writing block, but I have not had that particular problem. I have had writing burnout, but I think of that as a different thing. After a long week of writing for my classes, grading essays, and discussing how to analyze whatever we are reading, sometimes it is all I can do to stumble to bed and sleep for ten or twelve hours. When I wake up, the last thing I want is to go back to reading and writing. When that happens, I need to get outside.

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Mark
6/13/2018 11:11:54 pm

I can certainly empathize with that. Reading and proofreading for hours gives me the same result. I have started walking around my block, 3 laps equals one mile, I try and do it in around 15 minutes.
How do you relax when you are not teaching and writing?
Do you have a particular genre you like just for the pleasure of reading? Do you read books differently now, because you are an author, is the thrill somewhat diminished?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/13/2018 11:39:12 pm

To relax, I enjoy watching SYFY, Animal Planet, Food Network, the Travel Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, and Destination America. I'm not a movie person. To unwind, I ike reality shows.

I don't have a chance to read for me until school is out. Our last day for this year was last Friday. I've had other things to do this week (like smog checks, CP group, cleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry), so I haven't picked any reading material for me just yet.

When I do get to the library this weekend, I'll look for some cozy mysteries to gobble down.

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Mark
6/14/2018 12:13:03 am

I discovered the world of cozy mysteries a couple of years ago and I really enjoy them too.
You mentioned you are part of a critique group, fellow authors, I assume. That must be nice to be able to have a place to share with people who know what it's like. Which is more important in your mind, being part of critique group or having several beta readers and why?
Do you think a pseudonym is important or frivolous? Why?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 09:01:38 am

I belong to the CWC South Bay, the CWC Peninsula, and the HNS groups. We have regular meetings monthly or quarterly. I also have a regular monthly CP meeting with four other authors. Having a room full of kids gives me direct access to beta readers in my target audience, and reading aloud to them lets me quickly see where something is lagging. Tweens are not shy about letting you know if they like something or not.

I don't believe one group is more important than the other. Instead, I think you have to have thicker skin with other authors. They often tell you they would do this or that to a story, and that may make it their story not yours. As noted earlier, I had a hard time finding an editor who didn't want to turn Tribute's simple direct language into literary prose my students would be unable to read. Other authors sometimes want more subplots or more interior angst than I want to include.

My students help me keep on track with exposing character responses. If you work with ten to fourteen-year-old kids, you know they are still learning how they want to respond to different events. They may admire a bully. They may pull away from a parent's hug. They may act out to get negative attention if someone else is getting positive attention. They may jump off a roof just to see what happens. They may take up parkour just because their bodies are young and flexible, so the leaping and running feels good. They don't usually spend hours mulling over their interior feelings. Older teens and young adults do that more often than they do.

I think you need both beta readers and CP's.

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 09:09:54 am

You also asked about pen names. I've thought about that quite a bit. I decided to use my own name for MG and YA books. As a teacher and tutor, that helps my CV.

However, when I retire I want to try writing some adult science fiction, fantasy, romance, and thriller work. I like trying new things and learning how to achieve an effect. I will probably use a pen name for those. I have friends who use pen names, and they tell me it lets them wrap themselves in a different persona when they write. I like that idea. I've always loved theater and getting into character, so that sounds like fun to me. I have no idea who I want to be then. I'll figure that out once I file for Medicare.

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Mark
6/14/2018 10:16:57 am

You certainly proved the case for the advantage of beta readers and critique partners. You make a good point, without really trying, all advice must be considered carefully and not followed blindly. I urge proofreading clients to consider my comments as suggestions to improve readability, after the obvious errors are corrected.
Those are great reasons for using both your name and a pen name.
Emotions are an important component of most stories. Are there any books that bring you to tears with each reading?
Are there parts of your books that make you feel emotional? Are there any scenes you find difficult to write?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 10:40:24 am

I don't generally cry over fictional characters unless they remind me of my deceased parents. I've read thousands of books so far in my lifetime, and I can only recall crying over three works. The death of Boromir brought tears of anger, which are different. The poem "My Father's Hands" made me think of my blue collar dad, and it brought tears since he passed in 2005 of Lewey Body Disease. My mom passed in 2013 from Alzheimer's. I recently read an article in a magazine about a woman whose mother passed from the same disease. That made me cry.

I'm not a very emotional person under most circumstances. My husband is the feeler in our relationship. I'm the rationalist. I know many readers love the emotional ups and downs they experience from reading. I'm not like that, and never have been that way. Autism runs in my family, so that may be part of it. I think another part is teaching in an urban environment. The lives of so many of my students and their parents are far more difficult than the imagined lives in most novels.

I enjoy reading and seeing how writers turn a phrase or develop an idea. I always read from an analytical viewpoint. "Can I use this paragraph to demonstrate a technique?" "Can this part of this novel show students how to write a flawed character?" "Can I use this to teach a point, or is it too subtle for a 12yo mind?" That part of my brain is never turned off.

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Mark
6/14/2018 11:03:57 am

I believe it's really hard to turn off "teacher mode" when reading, I can't really turn off my "Hyper-Speller" either.
It makes a lot of sense that teaching in the urban environment has toughened you up some. The environment that we live in impacts us all, without a doubt.
Do you have a lucky charm or a necessary procedure when you write?
What, if any, is your writing kryptonite?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 11:44:28 am

My spirit animal is the dragonfly. I use that design in my home. I don't have any particular writing routine other than to grab a big coffee and large water to drink. Once a first draft is done, I let it sit for a while. When I go back to it, I have it printed out and put in a binder. That way, I can insert or remove pages individually. Once all of the changes are made and keyed, it goes off to an editor for line edits. I hired a developmental editor five years ago when I worked on a first draft learning novel. I found that what she did is what I do for my tutoring students. That was really useful to know. Now that I have a CP group, they serve that function.

The thing that weakens my ability to write is a backlog of student work to complete. Right now, I am tutoring one fourth grade student this summer. Her mom wants me to tutor her high school brother online. That means setting up procedures and a work plan for him. Doing that will take about three hours this weekend. I also have to research his tenth grade curriculum and the state standards he has to hit. Finally, I need to get a current writing sample from him to determine what he needs to learn. Anything like this that takes my time away from my own work affects my writing. On the other hand, I don't get paid to write my own material. It also doesn't pay off if people don't buy my books. So, from that rationalist point of view, the time is well spent if it brings in money. Teachers are not paid well, so most of us have multiple jobs.

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Mark
6/14/2018 12:00:35 pm

That makes a lot of sense, Chris. You are a very pragmatic person. Income generation has to come first. Writing is a long term investment, not an hourly wage.
Why the dragonfly? That is not a common choice. If you don't mind talking about that. If you do, just ignore the question.
You mentioned that you let a first draft sit for a period of time. What is the average length of time for you?
Do you have a notebook of writing ideas?
What is the best money you have spent to advance your writing career?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 01:16:44 pm

My dad and I used to go fishing when I was a kid moving from place to place. We both enjoyed the silence and stillness of fishing at dusk on a pond or lake. Dragonflies remind me of him. When I was laid off from Sun Microsystems and decided to try teaching, I taught seventh grade core (language arts and social studies). When prepping lessons that summer, I read about some of the myths and legends associated with the 15 cultural groups you teach for California 7th grade social studies standards. The dragonfly struck me as very appropriate both as a representation of my father and as a representation of being able to quickly change directions. A dragonfly can change directions midflight. They have short lifespans, so they represent living life as fully as possible. They bring good luck and adaptability, which I welcome with open arms. They can also bite you, which is usually not expected. I like that surprise element. They eat mosquitos, which gives them high marks on my list. Finally, I think they are very elegant insects.

As for setting things aside, I might put something aside for years or just days. It all depends upon my reality at the moment.

I don't have an ideas notebook. I have a notebook of notes from writing conferences and presentations. They are all about style and techniques. That comes from never turning off the analytical side of my brain. If I tried to, I think I'd only have about 3% left!

What I have instead are mounds of books. They are annotated, dogeared, bookmarked, and well-loved. Right now, I am working through Meeks' Mastering Amazon Ads, and experiementing with AMS.

The best money I spent to push me into writing was a Mystery Writers Conference when I first started teaching, and discovered I would have to teach narrative writing to my seventh grade students. I had never taken a creative writing class until then, so the conference was my introduction to creative writing.https://www.bookpassage.com/mystery

The year I went, it was in the summer. Now, it is in September, so I can no longer attend. The second best spend was for the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. http://mcwc.org/ The instructor was great, and it was fun to meet others interested in writing for tweens.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 01:43:39 pm

I have always thought dragonflies were so cool also. I loved their speed and agility! Having that connection with your dad is priceless, of course.
You gained a lot from those conferences! Is there another conference you might be going to anytime soon?
You must have a lot of books. I think most writers do. I love books myself, but I do most of my reading on my kindle, now. It sounds like you prefer a physical copy as compared to an e-book. Did I catch that right, or do you like both for different reasons?
Do you think someone can be a good writer without reading books?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 02:21:27 pm

My husband was laid off three years ago, and keeps looking for employment. Ageism is real in the SF Bay Area, particularly in technology companies. Most of his former colleagues are retired, but we are not at the point where we can do that. Since I am working on writing this summer, we aren't headed to any conferences at this time. However, I love daydreaming about places to go. I look them up here and drool: http://writing.shawguides.com/

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 02:33:57 pm

I am not a fan of ebooks for research. I like copies I can easily dogear and annotate. If I am reading something I will later teach, I mark the vocabulary in the text and write the chapter questions I will use in the margins. Keeping everything in one place is pretty important for me. It cuts down on lugging things back and forth to school. Hubs prefers ebooks, but his computer set-up has large dual screens. I just use a Lenovo ideapad 110.

Can you write well without reading? I see examples of that every year in my classroom, and I have to say the answer is a resounding "no". I have the kids write a paragraph for me the first day of school, and I can tell immediately who reads outside of school and who does not.

My personal opinion is that someone who wants to write needs to read.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 04:43:04 pm

I understand about ageism. I have experienced it also. I have a kindle and a tablet. I discovered I could highlight passages and make notes on these devices. Now I do all my casual reading on them. I do all my proofreading on my laptop.
Is there a particular moment in the past when you realized that you had power in your words and you could make a difference with your stories?
Thinking about your early days as a writer, is there one thing that stands out that you didn't understand at all and do you think a lot of beginning writers make this mistake or a different one?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 05:34:57 pm

The first year I taught, I learned to tell my students stories about social studies instead of emphasizing fact memorization. By turning the facts into tales, they tended to remember a startling amount of information without nearly as much effort. I read the textbook aloud, discussed it, had them take Cornell Notes, and then we turned the Cornell Notes into story boards for test prep. At first, I thought doing the analysis for them was the biggest difference, but then several kids wrote me thank you notes at the end of the year. They told me they remembered things for the final by thinking about the storyboards we created and reviewing those. That was when I realized I was on to something useful.

I consider myself to be a novice fiction writer, having only really worked at it with any direction for about six years now. When I first started, I thought creating beautiful imagery through eloquent phrasing was somehow more elevated and admirable than simplified phrasing. I experimented with my students. They retained the material which was more dramatic and vivid. At the same time, they preferred suggested violence to the depiction of gore (we were studying the Huns).

I think many beginning writers lose sight of the value of suggestion and innuendo. They also use 20 words when 10 will do. It was a stormy night, with crackling lightning shaped like grasping fingers in the dark. They have to be able to visualize it to remember it.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 06:01:34 pm

You have emphasized one of the core principles of learning, people have different learning modes. Some visually, some aurally, some need both. It's very refreshing to hear about your creativity in helping the students.
Having the students give you feedback was brilliant! They taught you so much. I do love a well-turned phrase, but many authors try to reach the heavens with their flowery prose and sometimes lose touch with the earth we all walk on.
Your next book is going to be historical fiction. I have heard a little talk about ethics in historical fiction, any idea what the discussion was about and do you have an opinion?
Has hubs and your family always been supportive of your writing career? If not, has their opinion changed? What caused them to change their mind?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 06:54:48 pm

Modern readers are frequently offended by historical novels if they accurately portray the language and events of a time period. Societies from all cultural groups frequently used skin tone, professions, or birth order to place more power or importance with one group than another. Sex roles in cultures also varied. Slavery is another tricky topic, as is the marriage age and the rights of women and children. My eleven-year-old students are often aghast to learn they would have left home at seven to become apprentices or would have been married by now (depending upon menses or cultural practices).

I think historical novels should portray situations as they were. It helps to show more than one point of view, which is why I like omniscient third person for these books.

As for family support, Hubs and my daughter have always been supportive. Other relatives are a mixed bag. If the question is really, "Have all of your relatives purchased your book?", the answer to that is no.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 07:34:33 pm

I am shocked and not shocked that people can be offended by the past. Thanks for helping me understand that. I am one not shocked by the past most of the time. Then we are provided with the opportunity to do better in our age.
Good to hear your immediate family is behind you all the way. I bet your experience is common.
"Atonement" is going to be a different book from "Tribute". Would you ever consider doing a sequel to "Tribute", book 1.1?
Have you found it hard to get readers to leave reviews? If so, have you found a strategy to improve the rate of reviews?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 08:02:30 pm

I know what I want to write as a follow-on to Tribute, but I have a lot of research to do before I try to write it. I want each book in the series to have related short stories and additional related novels.

I am finding it difficult to obtain reviews. I have four on the paperback and two on the ebook. I've sold over 50 books since April, so the ratio is low for sales to reviews. I've run Pinterest ads asking for reviews and Facebook requests on my author page. I also asked for reviews through my Twitter account. I have my fingers crossed that some of those will start to show up.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 09:21:15 pm

I have yet to talk with an author that doesn't say the same thing. It sounds like you are on the right track. Does Amazon give you the email address of the person who bought the book?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 09:55:59 pm

Amazon does not give me buyer information in any form I know about. It tells me my sales and my royalty payments, but I don't know of any way to get purchaser information. That may just be my own ignorance of how things work. This is a learning process for me.

Reply
Mark
6/14/2018 10:10:20 pm

I asked out of ignorance. But I am going to hazard a guess and say that the information is not available, I think if it was authors would be talking about it.
Here is an idea to think about. Write an extra short story that ties into the book or leads into the next that can only be obtained with proof of a review. Knowing Amazon, that might be a violation of some obscure term of service. It is certainly a tough nut to crack.

Do you have any trouble editing your own books or do you use someone else for that?
Do you have an opinion on book trailers? How about audio books? Have you ever listened to any audio books?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 10:48:07 pm

I usually do not have many grammar errors in the works I write. I did find errors after uploading to Amazon. I presume they were introduced in the upload, since the original text did not contain the problems. They were things like missing words. Since I use dialect for some characters, some phrases trigger error comments on proofreading software. You noted 12 errors in an earlier email to me. Some are intentional dialect errors, but the disturbing ones are where I deleted a word and it returned or where one word was substituted for another in the final. This just tells me I need to have someone other than myself look at the final product before I post it.

I did hire two different editors. The first one had issues with the simplistic sentence structures. I tried explaining Hi/Lo reading requirements, but the individual wanted to change the phrasing to more literary language. The second did a good job for my ELL readers, so I was surprised by the artifacts which emerged. I learned I need to have a proofreading of the final copy when it comes back before posting it to paper or ebook conversion.

Reply
Mark
6/15/2018 12:36:23 pm

I always try tread lightly when dealing with dialog. I understand there can be differences in speech patterns and colloquialisms.

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/14/2018 11:03:46 pm

I want to learn more about book trailers. I know they interest teen readers, since my kids talk about them. I don't know anything about them though. I've made videos for classroom use, and I find making them more tedious than formatting for book production. I presume book trailers are of a similar ilk. They seem like something to hire out for me.

As for audiobooks, I use them all of the time when teaching a novel. My voice can hold up for reading for about two hours, but I could never work for five hours straight in my classroom with oral read alouds. I tried, and I lost my voice in one single day. I am definitely interested in audiobooks for The Cleaners Series. I just have to find the time to look into their production.

Reply
Mark
6/15/2018 01:05:26 pm

Book trailers are fun, and if they get more kids interested in reading then they have served a great purpose. So far, my graphic skills are limited to posting pictures online. But I do have a list of illustrators on my Twitter home page. Also, if you search for book trailers on twitter you will find a bunch. There should be something that will get you more information.
Let's go back to marketing for a minute. Do you have any plans to offer a book or short story for 99 cents or free, after you have another book or two on the market?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/15/2018 02:46:24 pm

Oh yes, I plan to release several short stories related to each book in the series. They will be of the .99 or free variety. I also need to make the study guide for Tribute. There is quite a bit of work ahead.

Reply
Mark
6/15/2018 03:03:48 pm

Why a study guide for "Tribute"?
Do you think self-publishers can produce a book as good as mainstream publishers? What is the biggest advantage of self-publishing?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/15/2018 03:54:57 pm

I started writing Hi/Lo pieces to use in my classroom and with my tutoring students. Preparing a study guide has always been part of that plan. Sometimes, I teach book club reading classes in the summer, and I want to have the guide ready to make that an easy process. It also keeps me from having to write lesson plans on the fly for a substitute teacher.

Yes, I think self-published authors can produce good books. I have quite a few friends with agents who published the traditional way. The biggest difference I see is in the marketing and promotions side of the business.

The advantage of self-publishing is control. I need books like Tribute to use with my students. I grew tired of trying to find "tween-suitable" books that were fast paced while also grappling with realistic issues. I did try query writing for a while, but time isn't on my side for that sort of thing. I plan to retire before long, and I need the materials now.

Reply
Mark
6/15/2018 05:03:32 pm

That is very interesting and so American! If you can't find it, then build/write it.
Having control means more responsibility of course, and more of the profits are yours also. It takes a lot to publish a book.
Is "Atonement" going to be used in the classroom also? You could actually kill two birds if you have enough history in a book like that. It might also be useful in the homeschool market. That is another growth industry.
Has it been your plan all along for the first several books to be useful in your classrooms?
How did you celebrate when "Tribute" was published? Did your CP group throw a party?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/15/2018 09:22:56 pm

It is my plan to use the material I write in my classroom and when I tutor students outside of school. When I retire from the classroom, I plan to continue writing and tutoring.

My CP partners gave me binder clips and paper clips for my classroom. We didn't have a party. My personal plan is to take my husband out for lunch on Father's Day. We will combine the two things in a sushi lunch date.

Reply
Mark
6/15/2018 10:20:45 pm

That is pretty neat. Using your books in more than one way. Pretty ingenious in my estimation.
How would you describe your writing to a person who has not read your book?
Would you describe your book as character driven or plot driven?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/16/2018 06:47:42 pm

When I write, I focus on the events in the story first, and then step into my characters during revision to add character nuances. I teach my middle school students the same thing, since they only have one to two hours to write a short story during testing. To do that, we spend a couple of weeks developing a main character. I explained how we do it for myth writing at https://dancingwithwordstutoring.blogspot.com Now that school is out, I will be able to add the plot development lessons to the blog. I plan to use it next year with my seventh graders, who are required to write an illustrated myth as part of the curriculum.

Since I create the main character and backstory first, I suppose you could say the stories are character driven. However, what I do after I create a character is drop him or her into a situation to see how they react. For my students, we have decks of situation cards the kids write. Each deck has a focus: setting, story problem, antagonist, conflict type(s), and ending type(s). The goal is to have the students prepared to write about a character they developed who is dropped into a situation they did not create. I do the same thing when I write myself.

Reply
Mark
6/16/2018 07:15:21 pm

I think you have developed a really good system for teaching how to write. The bones are there for everything! The rest is adding flesh and details.
Do you use character sheets, style guides, timelines and/or maps to keep everything on the straight and narrow in your writing? What else do you do to prevent errors in time and space?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/16/2018 07:49:57 pm

For my students and tutees, I have them create a project folder with a few character sheets, jot dot plot charts, and reflection questions for each story element. I let them stub out parts using ###putstuffhere### if they get stuck on a scene. That lets me also quickly check progress by searching for that string in their Google Docs when they post to Google Classroom.

For myself, I have a really messy notebook of jotted items. Online, I have a folder of thoughts for each book including reference websites for facts and ideas that pop into my head. I am also surrounded by mountains of dogeared and bookmarked sources. Finally, I TIVO record history programs and paranormal shows to see if something interesting appears.

Reply
Mark
6/16/2018 08:16:44 pm

The more I learn about your teaching methods the more I like it. So much of that comes out of your own experience as a writer.
Have any of your past students or tutees gone on to write after graduation? Were there very many that you hoped would keep writing?
Is there any cause that you are passionate about personally and how has that influenced your writing?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/16/2018 08:45:10 pm

I know of two former students who went into writing occupations after graduating from college. One writes for an online game company, and one writes for an advertising firm. We don't keep in touch, they just left me thank you messages on LinkedIn. A few years ago, two of my students won first and second place in a national essay contest run by Step Up To Writing. More recently, I helped a tutee write a novel. He entered the first chapter in the San Mateo County Fair writing contest for his age group and won second place. There may be others I do not know about.

I don't have any real passions.

Reply
Mark
6/16/2018 09:21:51 pm

No passions, except for teaching and writing, that's plenty! I am sure the success of some of your students is very gratifying.
While in construction I had the opportunity to train apprentices on the job. I found that quite satisfying. Now There are several teenagers who want to be writers, I mentor them whenever possible.
What is the takeaway, message or moral that you hope people will get from reading "Tribute"? Is there more than one?

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Chris J Knoblaugh
6/16/2018 10:04:55 pm

There are several messages I want the reader to take from the book: don't be afraid to ask for help; try to understand the motives of others; and don't give up.

Reply
Mark
6/17/2018 11:20:27 am

Those are solid messages! Good for everybody at any age!
Who made your book cover? Did you have a firm idea of what you wanted on the cover? It certainly sets the tone for the book.
Evil plays a prominent part in your book, both natural and supernatural. The supernatural good side isn't represented nearly as much. Why is that?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/18/2018 02:24:15 pm

The amazing and talented Matt Forster made my cover. I sent him a synopsis of the book and some images I found which reflected the tone. He took it from there, and send me two different paintings. I chose the one with the two figures in the graveyard.

I tried out sample chapter sections with my students. The ones that resonated with them were the negative sides of the supernatural, so I used that aspect more. Since the entire purpose is to encourage reluctant readers to read, I wanted to use the things that kept their attention.

Reply
Mark
6/18/2018 02:42:19 pm

That makes a lot of sense to orient the book to attract the kids to reading. Achieving literacy for your students is paramount in your situation.
Your descriptions of the evil supernaturals were interesting. Did that all come out of your imagination or did the inspiration come from an external source?
What is the best environment for you to write in? Public or private, noisy or quiet?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/18/2018 03:15:24 pm

Before I write about a topic, I do considerable research. The research for this book involved watching paranormal shows on T.V., reading books about ghosts in the San Jose area, studying the history of San Jose, reading about shapeshifters in various cultural traditions, and learning about different Bay Area belief systems. The gang activity information came from the police trainings we had at school when I first started teaching. Since I taught at a downtown school for a while, I knew the neighborhoods. Last summer, I worked with the San Jose Area Writing Project at San Jose State University. As I drove to the location every day, I went past the park in the story. That gave me some ideas for Saul.

I plan to use a variety of cryptids from various cultural traditions for the series.

I do my best work when I am alone, but alone time is rare for me. Noise doesn't matter one way or the other, but I am not fond of listening to music while trying to write. Teaching middle school has taught me how to tune out chatter and selectively listen.

Reply
Mark
6/18/2018 05:21:01 pm

Good research! It sounds like you were very thorough! Did you learn about the Winchester house also? I was fascinated by it as a boy. Have you visited the Winchester house? What was the visit like?
When my sisters and I were very young, we saw something we thought was a ghost. Or so they tell me, I don't recall the experience, they assure me I was there.
Have you ever seen a ghost or something not of this world or physical plane?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/18/2018 06:38:07 pm

I have not been to the Winchester House. I should go. I have had some experiences, as did my dad and his family. When we lived in Virginia, I enjoyed going to the Civil War battlefields and plantation museums along the James River. I had several experiences then. Next, we moved to Missouri to the United States Medical Center For Federal Prisoners, a hospital facility where many inmates were identified as criminally insane. Our cat refused to go into parts of the yard, bristling and howling at the top of his lungs. It was always cold there, even in the summer. From there, we moved to Sandstone, Minnesota, where one of my classmates froze to death when he tried walking to school. Several of us saw him in the class doorway, but he could not have been there. I've always found ghosts to be more interesting than terrifying.

Reply
Mark
6/18/2018 08:02:10 pm

Those are pretty cool experiences. A lot of Americans, as well as residents of other countries, have had experiences with ghosts, anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 depending on which poll you read. It certainly is a lively topic, pun intended.
When you have a productive writing session, how long does it last on average and how many words do you consider to be a good quantity?

Reply
Chris J Knoblaugh
6/19/2018 10:14:22 am

I write in long intense sessions of six to eight hours in length when first crafting a basic piece. Three of those usually produces 50,000 words. It then sits for a while, and I go back to add subplots and revise. Then it sits for a while. I reread it in tiny chunks, and share it with my CPs.

An hour or two here or there does not work for me. I need the long uninterrupted blocks of time.

Reply
Mark
6/19/2018 10:40:24 am

It must be hard to find the time between work and your tutoring business.
Thank you so much for the sharing with us about your books and writing. I hope a lot of people buy your book, I know I really enjoyed it.
Perhaps we can continue the conversation later.

Reply



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"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again."   A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”