YAtopia

World Read Aloud Day

2012-03-07T14:40:00.001-05:00

World Read Aloud Day is a way to celebrate literacy and draw attention to the 793 MILLION Earth citizens who cannot read or write. It's "about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people."

To celebrate World Read Aloud Day, Sharon, Leigh and Sarah read short excerpts for you!

Three accents. Three awesome book excerpts. One great cause!

Here's the link if this doesn't embed for you.

Agentopia: Gemma Cooper

2012-03-06T06:57:00.047-05:00

Welcome to the first of our new monthly feature: Agentopia. For more information and to see other Agentopia posts, click here.

Many thanks to Gemma Cooper, an agent brave enough to be our first Agentopia ~~guinea pig~~ participant!

BIO

Gemma Cooper is a literary agent at Bright Literary Agency, which is a division of Bright Group International, a global children’s content agency with offices in London and New York. (Bright Literary Agency blog can be found here.)

Gemma represents children’s authors and author/illustrators – everything from picture books to YA. She joined BLA in November 2011 to grow the fiction portfolio and is particularly looking for MG and YA. Her key focus is development of new authors, and using her editorial experience, she enjoys helping authors make their manuscripts shine.

When she is not working (which is almost never), she writes scary MG books and is represented by Joanna Volpe at Nancy Coffey Literary. Gemma drives a bright pink car and lives in a c1800’s old rectory, which would be described by an estate agent as ‘needing extensive renovation.’(Follow her on Twitter)

WISHLIST

For both MG and YA, I am obsessed with strong voice. I’ve found recently that this has meant I’ve struggled with third person POV. However, I have just taken on a client with a MG boy third person POV, but it was so well done it felt like first.

YA

Boy voice YA – it’s my favorite thing in YA and so hard to do well.
Contemporary or issues books – I’m seeing a lot of urban fantasy, so I’d love a nice juicy contemporary.
A thriller or something fast paced with lots of action.
A crime novel or some sort of heist.
A younger tween friendship based novel – think Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

I would like to see some of the paranormal elements that work so well in YA filtered down into MG.
An amazing literary novel with great voice and perhaps a slight magical or mystical element.
I love Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, so I’d love to see some funny space stories.
Author/illustrators writing MG or chapter books would get my immediate attention!

HOW TO QUERY

No paper submissions please!

Please email the first three chapters plus a synopsis (1-4 pages max, ideally). Please send these as .doc or .pdf attachments and add a short cover letter to your email.

All submissions to be sent to literarysubmissions@brightgroupinternational.com

I read and respond to all submissions personally, so it can take between 2-6 weeks for you to hear from me.

What I've Learned So Far

2012-03-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

First of all, I apologize for posting this a day late. We had inventory at the store I work at and we've all been running around making sure it would go smoothly.

Anyway...

Negative reviews are something all authors, especially new authors, fret over. We've all read those obnoxiously scathing GoodReads reviews and I'm sure we've all felt terrified over possibly having one of those users write a review for our books. If not, then I commend you for having a thick skin.

The thing about negative reviews, though, is they're inevitable and, if they're well-written, they can be extremely useful. As a writer, I'm continuously growing and learning what works and what doesn't. In these past few months I've seen incredible growth, if I may say so, which makes me happier beyond belief. And part of this new and improved me is, surprisingly, due to some less flattering reviews of my work. So, here are a couple of things I've learned and what I'm doing to fix those issues:

-I gloss over bits of information or action scenes --> Instead of censoring my writing to avoid being too descriptive, I've been working on writing more than I have to so I have a more expansive scene to work with later. It's easier to improve something when there's more to work with, I think. Then again, I've been told my descriptions are spot-on and wonderful, so I suppose this point could be one of opinion.

-My characters drink a lot of water --> In an effort to make mundane activities a little more apparent in stories (I mean, really, why don't more characters have to go to the bathroom??), I made the mistake of repeating certain actions. I didn't mean to, of course, but things like getting a glass of water were apparently too frequent. So, I've been making sure I include less of that and keeping tally of how many times it occurs so I can go back and remove some instances.

---------------------------------

Now, here are a few things I've learned from positive reviews:

-I have a sense of humor. --> I had no idea I could successfully write humor. I like to think I can be pretty funny in real life, but I've aways wondered if my humor came through in my stories. It's nice to know that it does and that I'm not the only one chuckling.

-My use of alternating POVs worked --> I had never written from two POVs before Hunted, so I was worried I wouldn't pull it off, but this is one thing people have consistently pointed out as a positive feature of the book. Yay, me! :-)

-My werewolves are believable --> One of the goals I had for Hunted was to make my werewolves not only believable, but very grounded in reality. I didn't want them to be a sort of mystical occurrence or a scientific mishap. I knew they had to be in between those things and I'm glad to know people are responding well to the realism I've tried to bring to my wolves.

---------------------------------

So, all in all, while I don't like reading negative reviews on my work, I like to view them as constructive criticism and take away as much as I can from them. It's important for writers to use people's opinions to help point out their weaknesses and show them how they can improve. Sometimes we need an outside viewer to open our eyes to our areas in need of improvement, even if that viewer can be a bit harsh.

Besides, you can always go read a glowing review to make you feel better afterwards, haha! :-D

Cringe-Worthy Comments

2012-03-01T06:00:00.006-05:00

Nope, I don’t mean blog comments. :) I’m talking about “real life” comments people make when they find out I’ve written a book. Everyone has been kind and supportive--they really have. So why do I break into a sweat and fight the urge to run anytime someone approaches and says, “I heard you wrote a book!” Aside from a bit of natural shyness, I think it’s because people have four standard responses to hearing my news, and each of them makes me inwardly cringe for different reasons.

1) “Ooh, what’s it about?”

For some reason I feel extremely stupid talking about my book to people outside of the YA world. Here’s how it usually goes: First I tell them it’s a teen novel, a love story, kind of “girly.” They pause and blink, then smile and nod. My sweat mustache prickles to life as they wait for me to continue. So I tell them it’s about angels and demons and the main character is both angel and demon…and that’s when their heads cock to the side and they go, “Ah, wow, that sounds…interesting.” I feel bad for dashing their hopes that I’ve written something scholarly and literary. And then I feel the need to defend my story by blurting out something ridiculous like, “Well, I’ve been told the kissing scenes are well-written.” *cringe*

2) “Don’t forget about us when you’re rich and famous!”

Ah, the misconceptions of being published. Again I must disappoint acquaintances by admitting I sold my book and rights to an impressive publishing house for a handful of beans. For me, the dream has never been the mansion on the hill. My story has brought me joy, and the dream is to share that joy with others. People don’t realize that the chances of an average author striking it rich are slim to none. And if I were to miraculously become “rich and famous,” please find me and punch me in the face if I forget about you.

3) “When will it be made into a movie?”

Whoa there, buddy. I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. I don’t even know if my book will be on sale inside bookstores, yet, much less on the big screen. Let's not get our hopes up. Besides, the thought of someone taking creative liberties with my baby is still a little scary.

4) “You’re going to be the next J.K. Rowling/Stephen King/Stephenie Meyer!”

No. Just, no. I’m not. And I’m not trying to be humble here. I’m a huge dreamer, but they are the elite--publishing royalty--and I am a peasant. A happy peasant.

In all seriousness, I appreciate the love and support I've received, despite the awkwardness I experience when it comes to verbalizing. People's enthusiasm is adorable.

Are there any standard responses you receive when people find out you're a writer/author?

Hugs, Wendy :)

A novel description competition

2012-02-29T05:01:00.000-05:00

Over at my personal blog, Down Under Wonderings, is a novel description competition. All you have to do is come up with a creative comparison to describe a book.

Examples:

Blood Song is a YA version of The Game of Thrones.
Across the Universe is a YA 1984 set in space.
The Selection by Kiera Cass is being called The Bachelor meets Hunger Games.

Up for grabs is a $30 B&N evoucher and a copy of Blood Song - one prize per winner (so at least two winners). You don't need to follow this blog or promote to enter - but it would be nice if you did.

So head on over to my blog for a chance to win!

WRITING WHAT YOU KNOW by Jolene B. Perry

2012-02-27T16:11:00.005-05:00

“Write what you know” has always made me cringe.

Because, really, isn’t one of the beautiful things about writing is that you get to write what you DON’T know? What you’d like to experience? Or just write a story you really want to tell?

The idea for Night Sky came when I was wondering what happens to the guy who’s in love with his best friend, doesn’t tell her for too long, and then doesn’t get her.

This is the jumping off point for my book.

I had to find a love interest for this guy. Someone interesting, complex, who would challenge him more than the friend ever could.

I tossed around ideas for a while, and as I was writing, just as he noticed her, I thought – hey, I could make her a part native Alaskan girl (I had this particular girl in mind who is a million kinds of awesome) and then I almost didn’t do it because it felt TOO easy.

I knew immediately what she’d be like. A history for her practically created itself as I started writing their meeting. I took problems from several people (as well as cases from my prosecutor husband who has always had an Alaskan village assignment) and it just fell together – because it was all so familiar.

And that’s when it hit me – THIS is when writing about a culture I know well, that other people might NOT know well, is going to help this character come alive.

And so Sky, with her need for honesty, her love of totems and drums, and a past she doesn’t like to talk about, came to life. And I think she turned into probably the sexiest character I’ve ever written.

All because I used what I already knew.

And for those who care – here is their first meeting:

***

I slow down through the stoplights, and there’s a girl by the side of the road walking in a scandalously short jean skirt, flip-flops, five layers of tanks in different colors and long, black hair. Wow.

I’m stopped at the light next to her, and she’s staring at her phone, looking lost.

“You need a lift?” I offer. How brave am I?

“I don’t think so.” She glances at her phone chuckling while shaking her head.

“You look lost, and I live just around the corner so…”

Her head snaps up. All I see is her huge brown eyes. She looks exotic, maybe half Indian with a beautiful straight nose and high cheekbones only girls from the reservations seem to have. The car door opens and just like that, she gets in. She doesn’t even pull down her skirt, which is barely covering…

I can’t believe this girl is in my car. Well, Dad’s car. But still…

“Green light.” She points as her eyebrows go up.

“Right.” I hit the gas and the car jumps out from underneath me. Okay, take a deep breath. Don’t make an ass out of yourself.

“Whoa, warn a girl, will ya?” She smiles. “I never do this sort of thing…so promise you’re not going to cut me into a million pieces and scatter my body across the desert.”

“I promise.” I smile back. “And that was a rather specific request.”

She shrugs. “You can never be too careful.”

“Then why are you riding in a car with a total stranger?”

“Good point,” she admits with a grimace.

“I don’t scatter bodies across the desert anyway, too far for me to drive.” I wait for her reaction.

“And…where would you put the body?” She looks around. “Only one seat and I’m sure I wouldn’t fit in the trunk.”

I glance up and down her lean frame.

“That was not an invitation to check me out.” Her lips pull into a scowl, but there’s too much tease in her eyes for me to take her seriously.

“Sorry.” Only, I’m not really sorry. This is better than any distraction I could have dreamed up tonight.

***

So, how do you use your life experiences in your writing – and more than that, do you wonder, like me, how much of the author’s experiences end up in their books?

You can find Jolene on the web at her blog HERE, and her books, including Night Sky, on goodreads, HERE.

Twitter: Please stop this

2012-02-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, guys, I know I talk about Twitter a lot. I can’t help it, it’s done so many good things for me and I want it to be as helpful for you as it was for me. Usually I keep this conversation positive: How-to, tips & tricks, etc. But today, I want to talk about things people do on Twitter that piss me off.

This picture is only tangentially relevant

No seriously, if you do these things, you need to stop. You’re probably losing more followers than you will ever gain.

1) #ff (Follow Friday) everyone you follow (or lots of people). Your followers really don’t need to see you tweet everyone you follow. They could go to your following list if they want that.

Also, it’s annoying. And insincere.

2) Start a self-promotional tweet with “Worth the RT?” Worse: Start every self-promotional tweet this way. For me, this is an automatic unfollow and you should feel lucky that we’re not in the same room because I really want to slap you.

If it is worth a RT, people will RT it without you asking.

Note: This is not for those tweets where you really need a lot of people to see it for less-than-selfish reasons. Like if you’re looking for a person who does a specific thing and/or is in a specific area. (Like my tweet that said “I’m looking for book bloggers, writers, etc who live near Orlando, please RT.”)

3) You have your own Twitter account and you manage another (for a business, your book, etc). Stop tweeting the same thing from both accounts at the exact same time. I know TweetDeck makes it ridiculously easy. You know what else is ridiculously easy? Eating pizza every day for every meal. That doesn’t mean I should do it.

I follow two accounts. I want two separate streams of posts. For an example of how to do it well, check out @bookgirl96 and her company @kmspr

4) Vague passive-aggressive tweets that are obviously about someone specific. This doesn’t piss me off so much as make me worry it’s about me. Please stop.

5) Tweet the same tweets over and over again. Don’t think we notice? We do. (Especially if they are self-promoting or you think they’re super clever.)

One self-pubbed author, whose twitter I enjoyed otherwise, would post the same exact one-line pitch for her book every day with a link. For months. It was like Chinese water torture. I recently unfollowed her. I will never see anything she has to say about her next book.

6) Post only self-promotional tweets. I will keep saying this until everyone gets it: Twitter is a conversation. Would you walk up to a crowd of people trading publishing jokes and pictures of Ryan Gosling and say “buy my book” every three minutes? No? Crazy, right?

I know our readers have some Twitter Pet Peeves. Go ahead, let it all out in the comments below!

(Yeah, I also have a problem with softening my angry posts with lolcats.)

MY HEART BE DAMNED COVER REVEAL!!

2012-02-23T04:47:00.002-05:00

It's here!! It's here!! The day is here!!

I'm so excited. So, so excited. I don't want to keep you all waiting, so without further ado..

MY HEART BE DAMNED

Release date: 15th July 2012.c

Add to Goodreads

If you're a Hunter, there are only three things you must know about the Damned. The Damned can't lie, can't live without a body, and can't leave you alone.

Amerie Carter has the blood of a Hunter, unfortunately. She is one of a rare line of women who, upon her sixteenth birthday, will come into extraordinary powers used to hunt the Damned; escaped souls from Hell who take up residence in human bodies. It's supposed to be her sweet sixteen, but Amerie has never dreaded a day more, and her worst fears are confirmed as the celebration turns tragic when her mother is killed.

Grief-stricken, Amerie vows to never hunt a day in her life. She's determined to hide behind normalcy, attending school, hanging out with her friends and working an after-school job at The Hut. All Amerie wants is to be left alone. But try telling the Damned that. The harder Amerie tries to ignore her powers, the more the Damned come looking for her.

When an attack leaves one of Amerie's friends in the hospital, and endangers the lives of her fellow students, she knows she has no choice: Hunt or Be Hunted. Thankfully, the gorgeous, secretive, and so-off-limits Marshall offers to train Amerie to take out her supernatural enemies. But training with Marshall means leading lying to her friends, her family, and confronting the mysterious circumstances surrounding her mother’s death.

Amerie soon discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide, Marshall’s secrets might kill her before the Damned get the chance.

So, what do you think? Let me know!

Word Lover

2012-02-20T07:15:00.000-05:00

I love words. With.A.Passion.

In my Professional Writing class at university, on the very first day, my lecturer posed a question to us about how language had changed over the centuries and did we agree that the simpler dialogue that had developed was better.

First to answer (cause I suffer from know-it-all-itis), I said the change was horrible because I didn't want to lose the rich culture of literature from years gone by.

I should now add that Professional Writing looked at communication from a business perspective and was basically a PR subject.

Well, my lecture, who I adored because she was a columnist in the local paper, shot me down and said simpler was better. Supposedly the average person has a reading age of a twelve year old and I had to write to that.

I was crestfallen at the thought of dumbing down my writing. My idea was to save endangered words, not stomp them into extinction.

But from a business writing perspective, she was right. And since I started as a journalist many years ago and moved into public relations, I have tailored my writing for my audience - simplifying it when I've needed to.

However, in my fiction realm I try to use a wider variety of words to keep the prose rich and warm. So here are some of my favourites that I love to use, but try not to over-use:

Snavel
Perch
Snare
Myriad
Sporadically (thank you Clueless)
Exasperated
Blurt
Scouring
Scooch
emanates

So, what are some of your favourite words?

Teentopia: Maria

2012-02-18T01:08:00.001-05:00

For February's Teentopia, I interviewed 19-year-old college student Maria on video!

Here's the link in case the video doesn't embed properly for you.

If you have any questions for Maria, leave them in the comments below!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T11:27:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to pop in to say...

Check out Valentine's Day posts from YAtopians:

Did you write a post about this day? Leave your link in the comments so we can spread the love!

Neglecting That Which We Love

2012-02-13T10:31:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest bits of advice you hear from authors, editors, and agents alike is to write every day. Set aside 30 minutes, an hour, however much you can spare, and just write. Which is a good plan. Even if what you pump out in that time frame is garbage, that's what later editing/revision is for.

Every day, sit your butt down and write.

But what happens when you don't? What if something comes up—the holidays, a family emergency, broken hands, whatever—and suddenly that daily writing isn't happening? When you finally sit back down to get back to it, is it hard? Is it like retraining yourself all over again to keep to your routine?

I've been a terrible writer so far this new year. (And a terrible reader, but that's another story.) I've written, sure, but I haven't kept anywhere near to writing every day like I ought to be. Or even writing every week. I certainly don't have excuses. I've just been tired and haven't had the motivation for it. It's frustrating.

(Funny thing—when I'm depressed, I can't write but I want to draw. But I'm okay, I can't draw to save my life, but I can write. Go figure.)

It's a funk I have to drag myself out of because, well, otherwise nothing gets done. And if nothing gets done, it depresses a writer further, doesn't it? Blank manuscripts and missed (even self-imposed) deadlines and word count goals. Getting back into your writing habits when you've been neglecting them for a few weeks or months or years is hard, but of course it's doable. We had to train ourselves to do it in the first place, after all.

Have any of you slipped out of your routine before or neglected your writing? If so, how did you get back into the groove?

Twaddle for the 8th - The Sweet Sound of Inspiration

2012-02-08T01:00:00.003-05:00

When I’m first drafting there are a few things I need.

1. A baby sitter.

2. An endless supply of coffee.

3. Access to the Internet.

4. Pen and paper.

5. And most importantly…MUSIC!

For me, music is the single most important must have for the all-consuming inspiration that is needed for the first draft. And I don’t find music to go along with a scene. I do it the other way around. I listen to random music until the music gives me the scene. You see, I know what I want the scene to do, but the music shows me the way it plays out.

Once the piece of music speaks to me, it becomes part of my manuscript. I’ll play it over and over until the scene is complete. Then I’ll listen to that song for weeks afterwards, reliving the emotion of the scene it inspired and keeping my head firmly rooted in the story while I move onto the next section and the next song. By the end of a book, I’ll have approximately one song per chapter, which are so ingrained in me that sometimes, listening to the music leaves me bawling crying or laughing out loud as I relive each word.

The side effect of this dependency is that I play the songs so frequently that a) my husband ends up despising my playlist and turns it off in favor of SAD FM as soon as he sits into my car, and b) my kids (including my four year old twins) will end up with word perfect renditions of songs that you’d never imagine coming out of a small child’s mouth. It makes this momma proud.

I’m always on the look out for new music, but for my last two books my old faithfuls have been:

Elbow, Electric President, Moby, Coldplay, Radiohead, Dido, Lisa Mitchel, Radical Face, and Vast.

Have a listen to these. Both of these songs inspired scenes in Carrier 2. Close your eyes and see the music instead of listening to the music...if you know what I mean. We'd both see very different things, but I'm sure the tone and mood would be similar.

You’ve heard two songs that have really spoken to me, now I’d like to hear of the songs that really inspired you. If you have links please post them. I’d love to have a listen.

All the very best and talk soon.

Leigh

Inspiration: Yay or Nay?

2012-02-04T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'm currently taking a creative writing class and on the first day, my instructor and a few other students said they believe inspiration gets writers nowhere and means very little, but that discipline is everything and that's what helps writers get published and whatnot. I sat there, shaking my head, and mentally argued with this belief.

Now, I'm not saying they're wrong just because I don't agree with them, but I do find it odd they don't believe in inspiration. I mean, where do they get their ideas from? Even if an idea pops into their head, the subsequent writing they accomplish from that idea will ultimately be inspired by that very idea, right? To me, inspiration is everything and I look for it everywhere. If I'm not inspired, then I'm not motivated or passionate about a piece of work. If I'm not inspired, I have nothing to work with. Whether you write a story based on a line of dialogue you overheard or an image that forms in your head, you're inspired by something and that something will indeed take you far. I do agree that discipline is important, but I don't think it's any more important than inspiration. They really do go hand-in-hand as equals.

What say you, my fellow readers and writers? Do you think inspiration means very little in the writing process?

Critiques, ebooks and $50 Barnes and Noble voucher!

2012-02-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

I launched my author website The Weird Writing World of S.M.Johnston, also known as smjohnston.com, and to celebrate I'm having a HUGE giveaway. My fellow YAtopians pitched in with prizes too (aren't they so lovely):

Up for grabs is:

a $50 Barnes and Noble e-gift card.
A query critique from YAtopian and kNight Romance author Chanelle Gray.
A chapter/first ten pages critique from YAtopian and Entangled author Kelley York.
An ebook copy of Angelfall courtesy of YAtopian and member of YA Rebels. Sarah Nicolas.
An ebook copy (preorder) of Sweet Evil courtesty of YAtopian and Crescent Moon author Kelley Vitollo.
Sweet Evil bookmarks courtesy of YAtopian and HarperCollins author Wendy Higgins.
A copy of Carrier of the Mark courtesy of YAtopian and HarpCollins author Leigh Fallon.

So head on over to my blog for the competition details and to see the amazing new website layout.

Originality

2012-02-01T06:00:00.033-05:00

Three years ago I hadn’t read much YA. I’d read a couple about vampires and werewolves, which I enjoyed, but when it came time to brainstorm my own book I tried to venture down a different paranormal path. I thought I was being so original. I mean, nobody sets out to be a copy cat, do they?

I hadn’t read any angel/demon books at that point. Little did I know there were many, many writers who had similar ideas at the same time as me, and before me. After I finished my first draft and thought about querying, I saw the cover for Hush, Hush on Amazon. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but…I cried. It was such an incredible freaking cover. And very clearly about fallen angels. Someone had beaten me to it. Since then I’ve lost count of the number of angel books, but I’ve also stopped beating myself up about it. Because while there are similarities in themes and motifs in many of those novels, the premises and outlooks on angels differ.

So, how do we writers make our stories stand out in a market with hundreds of thousands of books? No, seriously, how? I’d love to know. :) What about names? Well, we can make-up names to ensure originality, which often annoys people. I tried to use a standard name (Anna) and have since come across countless books with MCs named Anna. I thought my love interest’s name was unique (Kaidan) until I recently heard that the boy in Cinder is named Kai.

*kicks wall repeatedly*

Let’s face it. It’s hard to be original. Even in my creative writing classes we were taught that there are only so many story types and plots. (You can read more about that here.)

Just like stories, we as people have things in common, as well as ways we are different, but no two people or books are exactly the same. Have you ever met somebody who reminded you so much of someone else you knew? In physcial appearance or mannerisms? But those two people had never even met? We don’t stop liking somebody just because we see a similarity between them and someone else. We’re each individuals with distinct personalities and beliefs and writing styles.We tend to focus on what’s special about each other, and I think it should be the same for books.

All we can do is write the story that’s bursting from our heart. If we think too much about how other writers have done it or what readers will think of it, then it’s no longer “ours.” Glaring similarities can (and should) be tweaked when possible, but at the heart of it we writers must be true to ourselves. I’m willing to forgive similarities between plots of books if I can get lost in the emotion and realness of the characters. It needs to have heart, and that can't be forced. Nobody likes a fake, so don’t try too hard. Just be yourself.

Hugs, Wendy :)

Jodi Meadows Query Critique Winner

2012-01-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

Before announcing the winner, I want to remind you that Jodi's book Incarnate came out today! I'm running to B&N right after work to grab my copy :-)


This is what you should look for at the bookstore today ;-)

The winner, as chosen by Random.org, is:

Some Screaming Fan Girl!

Her answer to what she would want to be reincarnated as is... interesting:

I would like to be reincarnated as a sloth. Why? Just to see how fast the world moves for them. Or if they as bloodthirsty as we believe...

Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Jodi for stopping by! The winner will be emailed shortly.

Entangled Pitch Contest Winners

2012-01-30T01:15:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad I didn't have to judge this contest because there were some great submissions. Remember, if you didn't get chosen as a winner, you're invited to submit a query using the link below! Without further ado, here's the message from Entangled:

Thanks so much for hosting us, YAtopia! There were some really amazing pitches here, and I hope we see a sale from our requests.

All requests are for full manuscripts. Please send them as an RTF attachment to your e-mail, and include your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Also, make sure your subject includes the title of your work and “Requested Material.” Don’t forget to mention YAtopia in your cover letter.

If your pitch was not chosen, and you think we’ve made a mistake, we encourage you to submit a query and sample pages according to our submission guidelines here: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/submission-information/

Stacy Abrams (stacy at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Light Sister, Dark Sister – SC Langgle

Last Wish – Kelly Daniels

First Time – Alicia Caldwell

That Succs – Larissa Hardesty

Heather Howland (heather at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Minotaur – Alexandra Singer

Triangles – Kimberly Miller

The ACADA Chronicles – Sarah J. Schmitt

Adrien-Luc Sanders (adrien-luc at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Serious Game 2.0 – Loralie Hall

Queen’s Rebellion – M.E. Applegate

Josh Vogt (josh at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

The Second Sign – E. Arroyo

Steel Horizon – Gwen Cole

Kerry Vail (kerry at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Witch Weigh – Caroline Mickelson

Libby Murphy (libby at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Awaken – Shelley Watters

Kerri-Leigh Grady (kerri-leigh at entangledpublishing dot com) requests:

Just Desserts – Tricia Quinnies

Writing Therapy

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Obviously I love writing. I've always loved writing. Ever since I was little I've used writing as a form of therapy. In my teen years it was poetry. I can't tell you how many broken hearts, unrequited loves, BFF fights, or parent issues I have worked through with poetry. I even have a few old journals to prove it.

The older I got, the less poetry I wrote. Still, when something major happened, I still pulled out my journal and a pen. When my dad died, that's what I did. I listened to his favorite song over and over and I wrote a poem for him. I shared some things we'd never talked about in real life and it helped.

When I started writing books, things changed a little bit. I was writing mostly to tell my characters' stories. I mean, I used little things here or there that I'd seen or dealt with, but that's all.

And then I got an idea for a book. I didn't even realize how much that book would come to mean to me. The more I wrote, the more I realized that part of it was my story. Not all of it and though the situation was different, in some ways, it was still mine.

An amazing thing happened, because it helped me too. Helped when I didn't realize I needed it. It was a way for me to get out the feelings I'd held in. A way for me to share an experience. A way for me to work through emotions I didn't realize I still had.

In other words, it was therapy.

Amazing the things reading and writing can do.

Has a book ever felt like a form of therapy for you?

My Giveaway ends tomorrow!

2012-01-26T10:45:00.002-05:00

Because I love you fellow YAtopians so much, I don't want you to miss out on one of five chances to win any 2012 debut release of your choice. Head on over to my blog for a chance to win and it's so simple and easy and it ends tomorrow.

Ready...

Set...

GO!!!

Entangled Pitch Contest!

2012-01-25T00:23:00.003-05:00

This contest is now closed! Thanks so much for your participation. Winners will be announced within a week!

This is GO TIME, writers! We will have eight editors (three senior editors!) from Entangled Publishing taking pitches here today only.

Pieces can be for any age-range, any genre, and lengths from 10k to 120k words.

"Entangled is a boutique publisher of romance fiction. We pride ourselves on quality stories and commercial covers, and our innovative business model offers our authors the best of indie and traditional publishing. To find out more, see our website. And don't forget to look through our current open submission calls.

Any level of heat works as long as a romance is central to the story, and the plot is intimately entwined with the building romance. Stories must end HFN or HEA."

Before posting your pitch, you may want to check out the Imprint Guidelines on their website.You can also check out each editor's full bio on our original pitch announcement post.

To enter the contest, leave the following in the comments of this post. Entries will be accepted from now until midnight EST tonight.

Title
Author
Genre/Sub-genre
Audience/Age
Word Count

[Two-line pitch]

[First 100 words]

You do not have to indicate which editor you are pitching to; all the editors will read all of the entries. Each editor will choose at least one winner, from whom they will request the full manuscript.* Winners will be announced within a week - keep an eye out on the blog here and on our Twitter account for the announcement.

You can post up to two different pitches, but each pitch must be written in a separate comment.

*Editors reserve the right to not choose a winner, based on quality and quantity of submissions.

The Challenges of Being a Writer and an Extrovert

2012-01-24T09:16:00.001-05:00

We all know the stereotype of the lone writer, laboring away at his opus in a dark corner, shunning all human contact. While it’s not completely accurate for most of us, this stereotype exists for a reason: Many writers are introverted. An unscientific poll of my Twitter writer-friends revealed that 92% of those who responded consider themselves introverts – and these are people who choose to interact on social media daily.

I am so far away from that “I,” I honestly cannot imagine what it’s like. I can academically know that introverts prefer less social activity, but I will never truly understand it. Just as introverts can never truly understand my rampant need for human interaction, how I feed off the energy of others working around me, how I only take pleasure in knowing or enjoying something if I can share and discuss it with others.

Introverts “recharge” by quietly drinking tea at home and I “recharge” by surrounding myself with and talking to as many people as I can manage.

My ideal writing situation is sitting at a table in a public place with 2-4 other writers tapping their keys along with me. As you can imagine, my extroverted tendencies present some serious challenges to my writing:

I CANNOT stand to sit at home alone. I fidget. I’m easily distracted. My blood pressure literally rises. I call friends for dinner, lunch, watching a movie, anything. It’s like the opposite of social anxiety.
I’m a joiner and belong to a lot of groups. I also like to organize so I end up organizing a lot of groups. Bye bye free time.
I want to accept every social invitation that comes my way. And since I (by design) have a lot of friends, there are no days without social invitations. Every day I am not at a social event, it’s a conscious hard-made decision.
But the biggest challenge about being an extrovert is: The rest of you are not! I want to meet you in person, have coffee and talk about books. I want you to meet me at the library and sit in a group while all of us write, feeding off each other’s creative energy. Like, every day.

Twitter is a great middle of the road for us, but it’s not nearly the same. It’s like when you’re craving chocolate and all you have is a tootsie roll.

I just wanted to leave you with some tips about how I handle being an extroverted writer, for the handful of us out there. And let me know how you handle it, too!

Join a local writers group or three. Yeah, that two hours a week is the upper limit for a lot of introverts and is barely an appetizer for us, but it is much better than nothing. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find someone to have in-person writing sessions with.
Put a strictly-defined limit on your socializing. Depending on the week, I’ll tell myself that I can only plan/accept social invitations three or four nights that week. Something else pops up that I really want to go to? OK, I can go – if I write for no less than an hour before I leave.
Don’t limit your working partners to writers. There are other people – like web designers, students, graphic artists, programmers – who also have quiet work they can do from anywhere. Having one of them working next to me is just as effective as a writer.
Fake it. If you can’t find anyone to write with you, go to a crowded starbucks, mall food court or café. For me, it’s not as good as working “with” other people, but it does help ease my anti-social anxiety.
If ^ that's not possible (because, for example, you're a night owl and all these places are closed when you're writing), try writing with the TV & music on. It sounds crazy, I know, but it helps me sometimes.
Remember: the time is going to come for a conference or for you to promote your book. You may envy the introverts while writing, but your preferences for human interaction are really going to help you shine when those opportunities arise.

--

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to pitch EIGHT editors from Entangled Publishing!

Interview with Author Jodi Meadows - plus Query Critique!

2012-01-22T00:46:00.000-05:00

Today I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jodi Meadows, author of Incarnate, which releases next week!

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut.
*A Kippy is a cat.

See the bottom of this post to read more about Incarnate and to learn how to win a query critique from Jodi!

You're very active in the blogging/tweeting world. Any tips for other authors out there?
Sure! Best tip: only do it if it's fun for you. Social media can take a lot of time, and if you're not having fun with it . . . no one else will either. (But don't let it be TOO fun. Remember: your job is to write books.)

Pantser or plotter?
Both. Sort of in the middle. I used to write organically all the way. With INCARNATE, I tried plotting beforehand. This was incredibly useful and I've embraced it for all my projects since. But I still leave room for new and unplanned things, because sometimes they turn out to be everyone's favorite parts. (See: masquerade scene.)

You're represented by Lauren MacLeod; can you tell us how that came about?
I got Lauren the old fashioned way. I admired her agentness on Twitter, queried her, and then sent her manuscripts until she said yes.

What's the first thing you did when you found out (ERIN) INCARNATE was going to be published?
Stunned silence. I have not spoken a word since. (Kidding.)

You used to read submissions for a literary agency; how do you think this has affected your writing and path to publication?
It definitely gave me a perspective few authors get. I understand a lot better why agents and editors say no, even to good projects. (No love.) I understand why they may take on flawed projects. (Intense love.) It also gave me a good idea of just how many people out there are writing books (a surprisingly large number!) and how many of those books are similar to the latest big hit (ditto).

If you had a past life, what do you think you would have been?
When I was a kid, my sister and I used to pretend we were princesses in past lives. These, of course, were princesses that never existed. As children, we weren't so into the idea of research.

What would you like to be incarnated as?
A unicorn! Or a ferret! Or a cat. Or -- no, definitely not a book character. Never mind.

You collected unicorns as a child, right? Any plans to include them in a story?
I did! I was easy to shop for on Christmas and birthdays. And one day they'll make it into a story of mine.

You've said you wanted to be an astronaut (like on Star Trek) when you were little. If you did serve on the Enterprise, where would you like to go first?
If I actually served on the Enterprise, I'm afraid I'd be a red shirt. You know, the character who comes on for that episode and everyone seems to like . . . and dies by act three.

Rapid Fire:
Favorite color? Blue.
Favorite mythological creature? Unicorn.
Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate.
Kirk or Picard? Picard -- he's who I grew up with.

I just wanted to say thanks to Jodi for stopping by YAtopia! Read more about Incarnate below and find out how you can win a query critique from Jodi!

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

--

As a former literary agency submissions-reader, Jodi knows a lot about what works in a query. Though she no longer does her fantastic "Query Project" posts on her blog, she is giving away one (private) query critique (up to 400 words) to one lucky commenter!

How to enter: This one's easy. Just make sure you follow YAtopia via GFC or email and leave a comment below saying what you would want to be reincarnated as before 11:59 PM Eastern January 30th. The winner will be chosen by random.org. Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!

Spreading the word is not required, but greatly appreciated. You know how it is... Karma :-)

Betaing yourself up

2012-01-20T01:39:00.009-05:00

Most aspiring writers have heard of the term Beta editor or Beta Reader - someone who you send your draft MS to go through and provide feedback on.
But why is it so important to have them?

Perspective. A good Beta reader will give you a perspective on the flaws in your manuscript. It's easy to be so in love with your characters and your plot that you don't see what's missing from your MS - or what's in there doesn't need to be.

Listen to the feedback and learn from your writing buddy.

Another benefit of this is preparing you for the editorial process if you do get an agent and/or a publisher. I haven't heard of an author that has been traditionally published who hasn't made some changes under the guidance of their agent or editor.

You need thick skin in the publishing game and getting constructive feedback from people you can help you get used to your precious process being picked to pieces.
So why should you be a Beta editor?

Well, for starters, if you're asking someone to read for you, then you should offer to return the favour.

But it also can help make you a better writer. I've been doing a fair bit of Beta reading lately for some writer friends and I've noticed two things.
Firstly, I see things that I'm missing in my work. It makes me want to aim higher with my writing.
Then, sometimes I see what's missing from my friends manuscripts. When I see missing character development or plot holes, it makes me think about my work and if I've done the same thing.
Giving and receiving feedback makes you a better writer. To find out more about being a good Beta reader here and ways to connect with other writers here. And tell us about your Beta reading experiences in the comments.

Teentopia: Taylor and Amanda

2012-01-18T06:09:00.006-05:00

For the first Teentopia, we have two incredibly intelligent sisters answering our questions and indulging in our curiosity!

Meet Amanda:

I’m 15, in 10th grade, and homeschooled. I am a Christian; I walk with Christ. Art, of many different forms in general, is a huge interest of mine. I’m also looking into going into the field of medicine, but still debating.

And introducing Taylor:

I’m a high school senior with various interests and passions. I tend to love anything relating to the arts or the human mind. My purpose is to live like Christ, glorifying God and serving others.

What are some of your favorite recently-read books?

Amanda: Some of my favorite recently read books would be: The Hunger Games trilogy, The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Pendragon Series, The Outsiders, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Taylor: Definitely on my top list of recent books would be Mockingjay (the last book in the Hunger Games series), Book of a Thousand Days, The Shunning, and The Confession (sequel to The Shunning).

How do you find out about and choose books that aren't assigned in school?

Amanda: I usually find out about new books and book series by word of mouth; from friends and relatives. I also learn about or becoming interested in reading new books through seeing movies made off of books and books written by an author I like though.

Taylor: I ask for recommendations from my friends and family, or I just discuss good books with them. Sometimes I even get into conversations about books with people I just met or barely know. Good books make for good discussions, and when someone’s description of a book they love captivates me, I have to go out and read it for myself.

On a related note, do you read reviews before you decide to read a book? Where?

Amanda: No, I actually don’t really end up reading any reviews until after I read a book, ironically. When I do read reviews though, I usually read them through school related websites.

Taylor: About 20% of the time I will read reviews about a book before I read the book myself. I only read reviews if I’m seriously debating on whether or not I want to read a particular book. Everyone’s view is biased, so when I have my mind set on reading a book, I will read it no matter what I’ve heard about it. Most of the time I just skip the reviews; I don’t want another’s view of the book to affect the way I will perceive it. Nevertheless, whenever I do happen to read the reviews of a book, I type the name of the book and the word “reviews” into Google. I don’t remember any particular sites I’ve used the most for reviews, but I do know that I’ve used Amazon a few times.

Do you read author's blogs/facebooks/twitters? If yes: before you read their book or after - and what kind of content do you like to see?

Amanda: I don’t recall having ever read an author’s facebook or twitter, and I don’t read many authors’ blogs, but I have read a couple blogs for some of the authors I really like. I usually read their blog after I’ve read their book or books however. What I usually like to see on an author’s blog kind of varies. I like to read about updates on books, inspirations for writing certain works, their personal interests or random activities; things like that.

Taylor: I’ve read an author’s blogs a few times, but I don’t do it often. If a series is really, really good, I’ll read some of its author’s blogs on the book’s website or on blogspot.com. So far, the only two authors whose blogs I have read are DJ Machale (Author of the Pendragon series), and JK Rowling. What I’d like to see in their blogs are any current books they are working on, if any plans are being made for a movie in the future (I was dying to know about this with the Pendragon series), and things about their lifestyle, perspective, and surrounding influences and how those things have shaped the book(s) that they have written.

What kind of covers draw your attention?

Amanda: Vivid or creative covers really draw my attention. Since I’m really into Art, neat pictures or graphic designs catch my attention pretty quickly.

Taylor: I have a tendency to be drawn to covers that portray depth and meaning, because those are the types of stories I like to read. Anything from a simple cover of a girl with a conflicted expression to a complex cover of a confusing maze of graphic artistry can draw me in – it just all depends on if I feel depth from the cover. It can be a confusing scene that I want to figure out, or a sad person whose story I want to hear, or a cool design that shows creative sophistication. Whatever it is, it has to make me want to get lost in its story; it has to move me in some way. That being said, a book’s cover doesn’t even have to have illustrations for me to be drawn in – I’m often drawn by the title of the book itself. I think the title of a book is just as important, if not more, than the illustration. Oftentimes, the title is what gives me the most sense of depth and meaning, which, in turn, draws my attention.

Do you feel like YA books accurately represent teen culture? How so? Is there anything (themes, character types, genres, time periods, etc) you'd like to see more of in YA books?

Amanda: I feel that YA books do a pretty good job at representing teen culture. There is a good variety to their books, and a lot of them do seem targeted towards teen audiences. I’m not sure I’d say there is anything I’d like to see more of in YA books.

Taylor: Sadly, yes. I say “sadly” because I feel that a majority of YA books focus on drama, sex, relationships, and image. From what I’ve seen of the teen culture, and what I’ve experienced myself, most teens seem to focus on these four things. I like books that have these things, yet send out morals as well, such as the fact that these things are not all there is to life. However, a lot of books I’ve read seem to have excessive drama without meaning, sex for entertainment, and characters that, even by the end of the book, think that having a boyfriend or girlfriend is the most important thing in life. Can’t we have more books that focus on these things but also show meaning and morals and depth too?

I would like more Christian books, or at least books with Christian themes like loving others, forgiving others, and using your own suffering to help those around you. In other words, I want more wholesome books that you can gain beneficial morals from. I’d also like to see more books about teens struggling with mental disorders. I’ve read one about a guy with autism, but I have yet to read about a teen struggling with an anxiety disorder (like me). Basically, I’d love to see any books about the outcasts, or people that aren’t the norm. We already have enough books a

Anything you want to see less of?

Amanda: Personally, I would like to see fewer books that primarily consist of teenage high school relationship drama. I just feel like I see and read so many books like that, and it begins to get a bit boring after a while. Not that books like that can’t be great, I would just like something new is all.

Taylor: YES. Please, let’s cut down on the drama, relationships, sex, and image obsession. I understand if they are added to progress an idea or theme in the book, but when they are added solely for entertainment purposes, I cannot stand it! I need to see the meaning!

How do you read books? (paper, e-reader, phone, audio, etc)

Amanda: I like to read actual paper books. I like the feeling of being able to sit or lay down and open my book up. I don’t really read books on the computer or anything unless I’m required to. I have enjoyed listening to some books on tape, but I still prefer paper books.

Taylor: I read paper books, and have tried a few audio ones too. I don’t read electronic books because they just don’t have the same feeling – I can’t flip the pages with my hands, use my special bookmarks, and make notes on it. I can’t even drop the electronic “book” without it being damaged (yes, I’m clumsy)! I prefer paper books all the way, and I prefer them over audio too because I like imagining the voices myself and reading at my own pace.

What do you think about all the YA books that have recently been made into movies?

Amanda: Most of the books that are made into movies are ones that I really like coincidentally. I personally always find the books better then the movies.

Taylor: For most of the ones I’ve seen and read, I think that the movies have done a pretty good job at portraying the original books. Of course, I still think that a lot of the movies cannot compare to the books (such as the Harry Potter series). When something is so good and masterfully written, the movie can only become second best no matter how hard it tries to fully capture its predecessor. As for the selection of books that are made into movies, though I’m not too fond of all of them (Twilight, for example, is decent), what I like is that when a book seems to have a huge fan base, companies strive to create a movie out of it. I like this because it makes a lot of people happy. I know the excitement of finding out that your favorite book will soon be a motion picture; it’s quite an amazing feeling.

What book have you read that you think deserves more attention?

Amanda: Definitely the Pendragon Series. It’s one of my all time favorite series and an amazing read. I don’t hear about a lot of people that have read the series though.

Taylor: I think The Shunning and the two books that follow it deserve more attention, quite simply because… they’re just so good! Not only do the books portray a unique perspective and story (they delve into the Amish life, telling of a girl adopted into an Amish family, who struggles with her heritage and seeks answers in the “outside world”). The characters in the story are as dynamic as can be, with flaws, regrets, failures, successes, dreams, quirks, and beautiful characteristics of all kind. The relationship between the main character and her adoptive parents, as well as the various friendships throughout the story, are realistic yet uplifting. Even though the series hugely reflects Christian values, I would recommend it to anybody. It is informative of a culture, it shows a variety of different perspectives, it delves into complex relationships, and it masterfully portrays the struggle of self-discovery and acceptance.

What novel are you most looking forward to in 2012?

Amanda: Surprisingly, I haven’t currently heard about many books coming out in 2012 that I’m too interested in.

Taylor: At the moment, I can’t think of any books coming out in 2012 that I’m most looking forward to, but I do know of some that have already come out that I’m dying to read. First, I can’t wait to read The Reckoning, which is the third book of The Shunning. Also, I’m really looking forward to reading the Game of Thrones series, which was recommended to me by a friend, and the I Am Number Four series, because I enjoyed the movie.

Do you use any book-specific sites to keep track of what you've read?

Amanda: No actually, I’ve never really used any kind of site like that.

Taylor: No I don’t, though that is a really good idea. I’ve always wanted to start keeping track of what I’ve read through a book site, so I plan on doing that soon.

What's the most important element to you: characters, plot, writing style?

Amanda: I honestly think all three of those are incredibly important in a book, but if I had to choose one, I would have to pick the characters. Just one insanely amazing character can make you fall in love with a book.

Taylor: That is a tough question. What usually makes me get into a story the most is when I fall in love with its characters. However, the plot is also incredibly important – it paces the events and shows the story’s purpose. But writing style… I would have to argue that the writing style is the most important out of all of these. I believe that your writing style determines all other things. The ability to organize a good plot is dependent on writing style. The ability to create lovable characters with depth is likewise dependent on writing style. You need to know how to write in a way that will captivate the reader and make him or her feel what you want them to feel from the story. You need to find your own unique voice – one that no other author has. That voice can only be shown through your unique writing style.

I'd like to thank Amanda and Taylor for being my guinea pigs on this new monthly Teentopia feature! Also, the girls said that they will be able to stop by this week and answer your questions, so please leave your questions for them in the comments!

Don't forget: Come back on January 25th to pitch EIGHT editors from Entangled Publishing. Young Adult or Adult; Novels and novellas! Details here.

On Needing One Another

2012-01-16T15:23:00.003-05:00

You know what I'm thankful for? Every single one of you. (No, this isn't a late Thanksgiving post haha). But do you know why I'm thankful for you? Because I need you. Yeah, that's right. I need you.

I need my online friends to provide a reprieve away from the stresses of my offline world.

I need authors to write books that take me away from everything for a while. Make me so immersed in their world that I don't ever want to leave. Make me fall in love with fictional characters so badly that I want them to be real.

I need reviewers to write reviews so I can check out a book before I spend my hard earned (and not nearly enough!) money on it.

I need bloggers and blog readers to provide an interaction that I can either join in with or watch, but both give me a sense of belonging.

I need my agent - who talks me down off the ledge when I'm having a panic.

I need my editor who helps make my work better and wants to see it do well as much as I do.

And when I didn't have an agent/editor, I needed to want one because it made the quest to publishment that much realer.

Get where I'm going with this? We all need each other. Right? Reviewers love to read. You can't read without authors writing. Authors love to write. You can't write without an audience to write for. Editors love to aquire books and agents love to represent books, but you can't do this without authors querying/subbing to you.

What I need most of all, though, out of everything up there (well maybe not more than my agent - she rocks!) is for everyone to respect each other. Stop bickering. Stop writing personal things about one another on public networks. Stop writing unhelpful, scathing reviews and expecting authors to appreciate them. Can we all just hug now?

2011 and all its changes

2012-01-12T10:20:00.003-05:00

So we've reached our awesome one-year anniversary on YAtopia. We haven't lost any members, blown anything up, or created a max exodus from the internet. Unfortunately, we also haven't taken over the world or cured the common cold...so I guess that about breaks us even.

All of us YAtopians had a busy, busy year. Between book deals, agents, new group blogs, etc, plus—getting to take all of you on our journeys with us. I read more books last year than I had in the five years put together before that. My total was 50, which is really small beans compared to what some people read (150?! Geeeeez). I'm keeping my goal the same for this year, because I came really close to not reaching it in 2011 and I don't want it to become something I stress about.

But, within those 50 books, I found and fell in love with some amazing stories, characters, and authors. Sean Olin, Isaac Marion, Hannah Moskowitz, Maggie Stiefvater... I will be a loyal fan of theirs and read anything they release, because they're amazing.

2011, I also made a big leap into contemporary fiction. I read some paranormal, not much dystopian, but a lot of contemporary—namely, thrillers and horror. Which is a pretty big change for me.

(At the end of 2011 and into 2012, I'm slowly, very slowly, starting to draw again. Which is both frustrating because I'm so out of practice, but happy because I've missed putting my characters down onto paper in the form of pictures.)

All in all, 2011 contained a lot of changes, new things, and surprising things for me. What new stuff did you encounter in 2011? New authors/series you fell in love with? A new type of book you tried and loved (or didn't love)? Even non-book related. Did you get into any new music, movies, hobbies?

Last but not least, I hope everyone is getting their submissions and pitches ready for the session with eight Entangled Publishing editors on January 25th. See this post for more details. The date is creeping up fast, so hurry!

When life throws you pomegranates

2012-01-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

Huh? Pomegranates? Yip, pomegranates. You see, on those days when the lemons hit the fan, and the blades slicing through the peel are spewing bitter juice into broken skin and sensitive eyes, the first thing to cross your mind is, I guess it’s time to make lemonade. Well actually, that’s not true. The first thing to cross your mind will be, OUCH!, followed closely by, Who the hell did that? But before you start squeezing the crap out of sour lemons and adding tones of sugar in an attempt to make them palatable, take a closer look. Sometimes the lemons are in fact pomegranates.

Pomegranates are quite big, so they really hurt when they’re pelted at you. They’re an odd fruit. I find the seeds exceptionally irritating and the pith leaves a disgusting aftertaste, but if you scoop away the flesh from the bitter pith, and juice it to remove the horrible seeds, you are left with the sweetest and most uniquely beautiful, rich elixir There’s no need to add sugar, it’s sweet enough on it’s own. It’s also a fantastic antioxidant. Yup, it will help rid your body of all those nasty toxins that get under your skin and fester. What might surprise you is the amount of goodness these pomegranates can hold, and the pleasant effect they can have on your general wellbeing. The pith and seeds will be rotting in the composter while the benefits of the sweet bits are still working their magic.

So remember the next time the world throws you lemons, pause and take a closer look. With any luck, that fruit that just smashed off your head and hurt like hell, might actually be a pomegranate.

I hope 2012 is treating you well.

All the best and talk soon.

Leigh

Pitch Contest Update!

2012-01-07T02:32:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to throw up a quick update to let y'all know that we have added two (and a half?) more editors to our pitch contest with Entangled Publishing. This means, on January 25th, you'll have the chance to pitch six editors in one shot!

Check the original post for contest details, and make sure to scroll to the bottom for the two additional editors' profiles.

2012 Goals. I Have Some. Do you?

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, my dear YATopians, 2012 is upon us and, quite frankly, I don't know what to think about it. Where did 2011 go? I mean, really. Time is always disappearing from me, always slipping right through my fingers. On one hand, I'm really sad to see the past year leave us because so many wonderful things happened. But on the other, I'm excited to see what the new year has to offer.

So, in order to keep my spirits and enthusiasm high, here are a few of my 2012 goals:

1. Finish another novel. I've been struggling for the past few months to get anything done, so overcoming my writer's block is the number one priority.

2. Get in shape. <-- This is mostly because A) I'd like to feel healthier, haha and B) because I'm going to be doing a lot of walking while in New York for the Book Expo.

3. Promote Hunted some more. In fact, right now, I'm hosting a giveaway for a signed ARC of it! Yay!

4. Go out more. I'm the introverts of all introverts, but it's time for me to put myself out there and try new things.

5. Be a better blogger. Since Hunted's release, I've fallen behind in my reading/reviewing and I love sharing my thoughts on amazing books, so I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule.

6. Get an agent, or at least start querying. But I need to complete Goal #1 first.

Well, those are my goals. What are yours?

2011 Wrap-Up, Anniversary, and 2012 Changes

2012-01-01T00:01:00.009-05:00

Greetings, YAtopians! And welcome to our One-Year Anniversary post! It’s hard to believe that a year’s gone by since the eight of us came together (thanks to Kelley Vitollo). At that time we were eight unpublished, mostly unrepresented writers full of hope and aspirations. Leigh Fallon and I both had “secret” contracts with HarperTeen at that point but were sworn to silence. None of us had any idea what 2011 would hold. It turned out to be quite eventful for our lot. Here are some of our contributors’ highlights:

Kelley York’s YA thriller, HUSHED, was picked up by Entangled Publishing and became available December 6^th. Reviews for her debut have been amazing!

Kelley Vitollo obtained representation with literary agent Ethan Ellenberg. Her YA contemporary romance is currently on sub, and I have very high hopes for her in 2012. J She also joined a new contemp blog called For the Love of Contemporary. I’ve got to brag on my bestie here for a minute. Kelley completed two YA novels in 2011, along with a collab novel, another novel completely rewritten, and two adult novellas!

Sarah Nicolas became an intern for Entangled Publishing, and she won a spot as a YA Rebel contributor. She’s rocking the cyber world, and I think she’s one to keep an eye on in 2012. I’m expecting huge stuff from this awesome girl!

Sharon Johnston’s short story, GROWTH, was published in THE BASICS OF LIFE. She took 2^nd place in the Australian Literary Review’s YA short story competition, and has been invited to write alongside Michael White for THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHESTER LEWIS anthology.

D.J. DeSmyter’s YA paranormal romance, HUNTED, was picked up by Pendrell Publishing and became available August 9^th.

Leigh Fallon’s YA paranormal romance, CARRIER OF THE MARK, was a BEA Buzz Book, and became available October 4^th, followed by releases in Italy, Poland, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand with deals signed for further releases in Turkey and Brazil in 2012. She signed a contract for the 2^nd in the series, which will be available late 2012/early 2013. Leigh joined the Supernatural Underground blog, and signed to be part of a compilation of dark retellings of Mother Goose stories for 2012.

Chanelle Gray accepted representation with literary agent Victoria Marini in January, and sold her novel MY HEART BE DAMNED to Mitchell & Morris Publishers (kNight Romance imprint) in September, to be published October 2012.

Wendy Higgins’s urban fantasy romance, SWEET EVIL, was revealed for publication on May 1^st, 2012. I (sorry, it’s weird to talk about myself in 3^rd person) also completed two novels this year - the sequel to SWEET EVIL and a separate, stand alone book.

YAtopia has been a lucky charm for the eight of us this year! We can’t wait to see what treasures 2012 holds. We’d love to hear about your 2011 successes and your hopes for the New Year!

2012 Changes/New Posting Schedule:

Due to the craziness of life, but our desire to stay together, we’ve decided to each post once a month instead of twice. There might be contests and special features to look out for between posts, but otherwise here is our new schedule:

Date - Blogger

1^st - Wendy Higgins

4^th - D.J. DeSmyter

8^th - Leigh Fallon

12^th - Kelley York

16^th - Chanelle Gray

20^th - Sharon Johnston

24^th - Sarah Nicolas

28^th - Kelley Vitollo

Please join us on January 25th for a chance to pitch to editors from Entangled Publishing!
Thank you for your support this first year! We love you!

Hugs, Wendy

New Years Resolutions

2011-12-29T15:21:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. We all make them and then we give up after about a month.

But even though we all have the normal 'eat healthy, go to the gym more, quit smoking' type resolutions that look good on paper but actually, you don't have the time to go to the gym, or you really fancy that cupcake after a stressful day, and that cigarette is the only thing keeping you from quitting your job, so how about your writing/reading resolutions?

Let's make some of those!

For example, some of mine would be...

1) Stop using the word 'just'.
2) Try to write a romance with no paranormal twist.
3) Try to write that story I'm too scared to write.
4) Think of better chapter titles.
5) Read more contemporary titles.
6) Move from 75 books read to 85.
7) Buy a bigger bookshelf!!

So there's mine. What're yours?

And don't forget about the pitch to Entangled editors coming up on the 25th January!

What about the teens?

2011-12-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

I think we all know: The YA online writers community is kinda huge and amazing. It's awesome to see so many people excited about the same things I'm excited about.

We talk a lot about how YA isn't just for teens. We discuss how incredible it is to be an adult and still read YA. Authors, book bloggers, agents & editors talk about what we want to see in YA books, what we're tired of seeing. But sometimes I think: maybe we take it too far.

I think maybe we're so focused on what we (people who are not teens) like and what we want to see, we lose focus on the teens - our target audience. YAtopian Wendy and I were discussing this a few weeks ago and she said, "Sometimes we forget who the YA target audience REALLY is, and that we need to stay in touch with the youth and the fads they're living, etc."

With that in mind, I will be launching a new monthly feature here at YAtopia called Teentopia, where I will interview average* teen readers about books, reading, trends, etc. I'm trying to make these interviewees as diverse as possible, so please let me know if you know any teens who would be interested!

The first interview will be up in January, so keep an eye out!

*I know there are some teen book bloggers - but these voracious readers are also kind of an exception. Personally, I'm most interested in hearing from casual readers, ones who have no idea what "voice" means and know nothing about how the publishing industry works.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T00:17:00.001-05:00

Hi, everyone! DJ here. Most of us are busy celebrating the holidays, so I'm not going to post anything meaningful today. Instead...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

To those who may not be celebrating, I hope you're all having a great time and are spending your time laughing, smiling, and loving. Here's to a great new year!

Pitch Contest!

2011-12-22T01:31:00.002-05:00

UPDATE 1/9/12: Due to interest in this pitch contest, we now have eight editors taking pitches, three of them senior editors. As a result, we will be taking pitches for pieces of any age-range, any genre, any length - as long as romance is central to the story.

Have a shorter piece you'd love to have published, but not quite sure where to submit it? Or maybe you also write romance? (A lot of YA writers do!)

You are in luck! On January 25th, four editors from Entangled Publishing (sound familiar? They're our very own Kelley York's publisher!) will be right here taking your pitches for the following lines:

Flirt (10k-15k words, strong romantic elements, most genres)
Ever After (20k-40k words, strong romantic elements, most genres)
Lori Wilde's...Indulgence (50k-60k words)

You have one month to get your pitch and novel or novella in tip-top shape. Pitches will be accepted in comments on January 25th, as soon as the blog post goes live until midnight EST. To participate, have a two-line pitch and the first 100 words of your story ready to post as a comment. Be sure to read the line descriptions linked above. Each editor will choose at least one winner, from whom they will request the full manuscript.*

Read below to learn more about Entangled and each editor's taste.

Entangled is a boutique publisher of romance fiction. We pride ourselves on quality stories and commercial covers, and our innovative business model offers our authors the best of indie and traditional publishing. To find out more, see our website. And don't forget to look through our current open submission calls.

Any level of heat works as long as a romance is central to the story, and the plot is intimately entwined with the building romance. Stories must end HFN or HEA.

Adrien-Luc Sanders, Senior Editor

His current interests run towards sci-fi, contemporary, and urban fantasy—the darker, the better—with a love for gritty dystopian, cyberpunk, steampunk, supernatural, and that rare cross-genre gem. He likes stories falling into that gray area of the battle between good and evil, with strong antiheros and believable villains, or heroes who face temptation and corruption and don’t always get away unscathed, though he can also be won over by quirkiness, sweetness, and humor, with a love of oddball characters and whimsy. He’s also interested in stories that portray people of color and LGBT people as mainstream characters whose cultural, ethnic, sexual, and gender diversity are enhancements to their character rather than the primary focus of the story. Adrien-Luc was interviewed here recently.

Libby Murphy, Associate Editor

Libby would like to see submissions for adults and young adults written with a killer voice, and she especially loves quirky characters and plots. She loves sci-fi with aliens, robots, and high tech; urban fantasy and time travel; contemporary romance; women’s fiction with a strong romantic element; and suspense and mysteries. She craves humor, anti-heroes, and underdogs, and strong, capable heroines are a must. For Indulgences, she's looking specificaly for the following: Best friends, best friend’s younger sister, millionaire playboy, athletes, relationship because of a bet, arranged marriages, bad boys, revenge plots, reunions, adventure (Indiana Jones meets Bridget Jones!), romantic comedy, forbidden love, geeks (hero or heroine), and military heroes. I’m not likely to request sheiks or royalty, but if the royalty is the heroine, that’s definitely more likely. I’m a huge sucker for snarky heroines, funny heroes, and heroes who are the strong, silent type. Libby was interviewed here recently.
Libby is especially interested in Flirts and Ever Afters that fit the following:
Scientists or inventor-types who walk the line between good and bad (like Batman)
Paranormals with a villain hero/heroine who is redeemed by the end
Disaster or apocalyptic events in which people find love, despite everything falling apart around them (can be sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary featuring a natural disaster, for example)
Quirky contemporaries or paranormals—humor is a must!
Sci-fi, especially if it has a Tron, I, Robot, or a Terminator type setting
Thrillers set in a small town
Zombie hunters :)
Romantic Comedy (would love to see a trilogy about a group of girlfriends finding love)

Kerry Vail, Associate Editor

Kerry loves the whole spectrum of speculative fiction, from hard scifi to space opera to sociological. She loves dystopian futures and alternate histories, especially when combined with a compelling voice and an unusual twist. She also enjoys urban fantasy, high fantasy, and paranormal thrillers, and gravitates toward strong female leads who are intelligent and can save themselves and fall in love. She is open to stories of love in any of its many forms and any heat level.

Kerri-Leigh Grady, Associate Editor

She loves paranormal romance and UF worlds that aren’t complicated by numerous mythical beasties, smart romantic comedy, dark comedy, romantic thrillers/suspense/horror, dystopian romance including steampunk, reunions, BFFs falling in love, marriage of convenience, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, supernatural elements, clever monster elements, multi-cultural characters, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure, and general hilarity. She’s open to F/M, F/F, and M/M pairings in all heat levels. For Indulgences, she's looking specifically for the following: reunions, BFFs, marriage of convenience, ugly duckling, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, road trip, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure and suspense, forbidden love, fish out of water, and smart romantic comedy. I’d love to find a military hero where the romantic conflict rings true and is related to the challenges of being a mil-girlfriend or milspouse.

*Editors reserve the right to not choose a winner, based on quality and quantity of submissions.

--

UPDATE 1/6/12: So... when some of the other Entangled Editors saw we were hosting this pitch contest, they got a little jealous... at least that's the story I'm going to tell! Long story short, we will have two more editors taking your pitches on January 25th!

Josh Vogt, Associate Editor

Josh Vogt has a passion for reading and writing speculative fiction. He’s seen all sides of the publishing industry, works as a freelance copywriter and editor, and is currently signed with a literary agent to get his novels published. He brings to the team his love for books, plus a desire to help aspiring authors in their quest for publication success. Find him on Twitter at @JRVogt.

Wishlist: Josh is interested in all types of fantasy and science fiction, from urban fantasy to steampunk to space opera to epic and YA fantasy. He loves stories that suck him in without warning and compel him to keep reading thanks to fascinating characters, great dialogue, twisting plots, and powerful worldbuilding.

Lewis Pollack, Associate Editor

A student of philosophy, psychology, and the sciences, Lewis Pollak has an appreciation for both characters with complex motivations and stories that are thought-provoking. Find him on Twitter at @LewisPollak.

Lewis loves books that take readers to new worlds, whether they are alien landscapes, alternate histories, or contemporaries with a twist. He also enjoys books that strike a balance between serious and humorous moments. While partial to all sorts of speculative fiction from high fantasy and urban fantasy (but not Keith Urban fantasies) to science fiction and paranormal, interesting characters with genuine emotions and snappy retorts usually win him over regardless of genre.

--

Update 1/9/12: Two more senior editors have heard about this contest and would like to hear your pitches! Bonus: both of these editors are looking for YA!

Stacy C. Abrams, Senior Editor

Stacy Abrams started in the publishing industry in 2002, most recently leaving a seven-year stint at Bloomsbury Publishing’s children’s division to join the Entangled team. Stacy has edited such award-winning and high-caliber YA authors as Jessica Warman, Tracy Deebs, Alex Scarrow, and Michelle Rowen, among many others, and her books have earned starred reviews from all the major review journals. In addition to editing, she has been a freelance copy editor for several major New York publishing houses. She earned her Bachelor’s in English at Northwestern University and currently resides in New York City with her husband and too-cute puppy. Find her on Twitter at@StacyAbramsEdit.

Stacy loves working on contemporary teen stories, even if they have a supernatural bend. Some of her favorite projects she’s edited have been Jessica Warman’s Between (contemporary ghost/murder mystery story), Tracy Deebs’s Tempest series (mermaid paranormal romance), and Loretta Ellsworth’s In a Heartbeat (dual narratives from the POV of an organ donor and recipient). She’d love to see more psychological thrillers, unique paranormal creatures, time travel, gritty across-the-tracks romances, or a historical set in the twentieth century. In the adult genre, Stacy loves light contemporary romances, ripped-from-the-headlines thrillers, friendship stories, and suspense. She doesn’t tend to lean toward vampires, zombies, adult historicals, or high-heat levels—though if any one were done in just the right way, she wouldn’t say no!

Heather Howland, Senior Editor

Award-winning young adult author Heather Howland began editing in the legal, industrial, and technical sectors eight years ago while working as a Production Manager. She has since honed her fiction editing skills as a freelancer and as the former acquisitions editor of a small romance publisher. Heather regularly hosts craft chats and teaches editing workshops for various organizations, and is an agented YA and adult romance author. She holds a BS in creative writing and psychology, which she channels into her love of dark, romantic fiction. Find her on Twitter at @HeatherHowland.

Heather loves all subgenres of YA, especially darker, twisting plots with a literary voice, and contemporary YA reminiscent of Stephanie Perkins and Jennifer Echols. In adult romance, she enjoys Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Lora Leigh-style contemporary, accessible sci-fi, quirky fantasy, and unique paranormal series that present fresh takes on familiar tropes such as best friends to lovers, love triangles, heroes falling for their best friend's forbidden little sister, and tight-knit groups (Navy SEAL teams, fire departments, roommates, brothers, etc.). While she’ll look at anything with a fantastic voice, Heather generally avoids cozies, urban fantasy, historical, hard sci-fi, high fantasy, shifters, zombies, and Plain Jane heroines.

Entangled Book Winners

2011-12-21T01:10:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month we had an interview with Entangled Publishing publicist Stacey O'Neale. She's giving away an e-copy of the YA paranormal, TOUCH, by Jus Accardo and the YA thriller, HUSHED, by Kelley York to one lucky commenter on that post.

Without further ado...

The winner of TOUCH is...

Marisol Gaddi!

(your TBR pile just got one book longer)

And the winner of HUSHED is...

christine!

(yay for geek girl stories!)

Congrats! We will contact you soon to arrange delivery of your book!

My Birthday CONTEST

2011-12-20T16:07:00.004-05:00

It's common knowledge that I have one of the worst birthdays ever! LOL. As an adult, I get it. As a kid, it was no fun being born the day after Christmas. Everyone is so tired, wiped out and busy after the holiday and getting ready for New Years that the last thing they're thinking about is a birthday.

SO, this year, I'm celebrating by giving books to YOU for my birthday!! That's right. My birthday, but YOU can win.

I'm going to give TWO winners, each a copy of one of my favorite reads of the year. You can either win....

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

OR....

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Both these books were made of awesome!! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and be a YAtopia follower to enter. I will give an extra point of you follow my personal blog HERE, but it's not mandatory. Just let me know in the comment if you follow me too. Contest is open through my birthday on December 26th.

Ready... set... comment :)

Oh, and please add your email address to your comment :)

American Horror Story anyone?

2011-12-15T14:55:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's not strictly writing or reading related, but sometimes we all need a break from that, don't we? And what better way to take a break than discussing my new favourite TV show.

There are ways to tie in this TV show with writing and reading. For example, the writers of this show are very talented. They know how to throw twists at you. How to get readers to practically salivate with need for the next episode. To sit there and be simultaneously shocked and enthralled with what's happening. To unfold the larger picture bit by bit.

I have to say, this show fascinates me. For me, it's the love/hate feeling I have towards the characters. Ben, the father. He's a cheating douche. He has some seriously messed up desires, and yet you can tell he genuinely loves his family. Violet is an angsty teenager but I wouldn't know what to do in her position either. And Tate. Tate, Tate, Tate. He's one sick, messed up individual, and yet...I love him.

If there was a book like this, I'd be all over it. The twists, the relationship between characters, the morbid scenes and creepy ghosts. Love, love, love.

So have you been watching? Do you love it too? I'd love to get a conversation going about it in the comments!

Blog Tour: SAVING ELIZABETH by Amy Machelle

2011-12-13T06:00:00.037-05:00

Wendy here! :) I am pleased to introduce everyone to Amy Machelle! This is the first stop on her blog tour for her debut novel, Saving Elizabeth, which is being published tomorrow, December 14th! I met Amy on inkpop.com, and she couldn’t be sweeter. While uploaded to inkpop, Saving Elizabeth was a huge hit with readers on the site, so I was not surprised to hear she’d been picked-up for publication. I was stoked to be able to read an advanced copy of her novel for this tour stop!

Blaming God for the death of her father, sixteen year old Elizabeth Bridges denounces her faith and vows never to utter His name again. She tries to distance herself from anything spiritual, but the events that occur after an unwanted move make that difficult.
First, the dreams come – dreams of evil creatures, and rendezvous with the gorgeous stranger she thinks her mind created to escape her miserable life. But her first day at Glacier High proves there’s more to it than that.
Elizabeth meets Riel, the boy from her dreams, and he knows more about her than is humanly possible. He says she possesses a coveted gift that all of Hell is clamoring to seize. The monsters she dreams of are real, and they’re battling for her soul. Soon, Elizabeth is thrust into a spiritual realm where she doesn’t know friend from foe. She battles demons in the storage closets of her high school, with Riel, her only protection.
Will Elizabeth be able to trust Riel and help him save what matters most, or will they both join forces with darkness and turn their backs forever on the only One who can offer them the love and peace they so deeply desire?

Review:

Saving Elizabeth is a fast-paced, quick read told from dual perspectives: Elizabeth and Riel. Both characters are struggling with their own internal issues, and it’s interesting to be inside both their minds since Riel knows about Elizabeth’s struggles, while she is unaware of his.

I love our main character, Elizabeth--my heart goes out to her when her mom starts moving on with life before Elizabeth is ready, and I can feel her pain. Then there’s Riel’s storyline, which captured me even more. His fight against his own desires versus what he knows is right will keep you riveted. My friends know I’m a sucker for literary bad boys. So why, you ask, did I fall so incredibly hard for Riel, the ultimate good boy? Don’t get me wrong - Riel’s no wimp; he can fight. He’s strong and honorable and passionate. *sigh* Riel is simply num-nums. Is it wrong to want to gobble a pure soul to bits? The whole time I was reading I could feel his need so clearly. (I’m trying really hard not to get carried away and give spoilers here. There’s so much I want to say, but I can’t!)

Besides making me swoon over Riel, one of the things Amy Machelle does especially well are the creepy enemy scenes. The dark souls fighting to take Elizabeth are straight-up scary. They have this demonic smoke that oozes from their mouths - eeek! Amy’s writing could take me from laughter to tears to chills in a snap.

Saving Elizabeth is a sweet, soulful, and engaging read. I was flipping pages so fast to see how it would end, and I love that I couldn’t predict it. The overall story is one of love, hope, healing, and faith. If this sounds like it’s for you, I urge you to check it out!

Interview:

Like our YAtopians, Leigh, Kelley V, Sharon, and myself, you were on the HarperCollins YA writers' community inkpop prior to being published. How did you find that experience and how did it help you as a writer?

Oh, wow. I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful inkpop was when Saving Elizabeth first started to take shape. It was truly an amazing experience. I had completed half of the novel, and was prematurely searching for publishing options when I ran across authonomy, inkpop’s sister site. I uploaded a couple of chapters of Saving Elizabeth, but quickly realized the site wasn’t for me. While there, I noticed some of authonomy’s members also had their work posted on inkpop. Since Saving Elizabeth is a YA manuscript, and inkpop is geared toward authors of YA literature, I thought I’d give it a shot. I uploaded what I had written so far, and it was a perfect fit. I couldn’t believe how welcoming the community was. Right from the start, they seemed to genuinely care about my story and its characters as much as I did. They offered words of praise and encouragement, but also pointed out areas that could be better. I received comments that included everything from grammar help, to identification of plot holes and weaknesses in characters. I had never written much of anything before, so you can imagine how helpful this was. Saving Elizabeth definitely wouldn’t be where it is today without wonderful inkies.

Tell us a little about your journey to publication as a first-time author.

After Saving Elizabeth received a gold star on inkpop in March of 2010, I edited my manuscript according to the review and got to work querying agents and publishing companies that accepted unsolicited queries. I’d take a break in querying when the rejection letters got me down, but I never left it for too long. For a year, the rejection letters slowly trickled in. During the summer of 2011, when searching for more agents to query, I ran across Tell-Tale Publishing Group’s website. They were a newly formed small press publishing company building their list of authors, and best of all, they accepted unsolicited queries. It sounded like Saving Elizabeth was the type of manuscript they might be interested in, so I gave them a shot and was thrilled to hear back from Patricia Lazarus shortly after. She is the editor of Tell-Tale’s young adult imprint, and she expressed her interest in Saving Elizabeth. One thing sort of led to another, and as they say, the rest is history.

Is Saving Elizabeth a stand-alone novel or the first in an expected series?

There will definitely be a sequel. Elizabeth isn’t quite finished with her story yet. Even though she’s come such a long way, she’s still got some growing to do.

I found it to be a gutsy and exciting move to have God and Lucifer as "characters" in the novel. What made you decide to write a faith-based YA fantasy?

My husband is a youth pastor, and the Twilight craze hit his youth group pretty hard, so much so that the girls started to bring their copies of Twilight to church. They were seriously reading it during church services. I couldn’t imagine what in the world would have them so captivated, so I bought all of the books and read them for myself. I finished the entire series in two weeks, and decided to search our local Christian bookstores for young adult fiction that would capture them like Twilight, but reinforce much of what my husband was teaching them during youth group. I came up empty handed. There just weren’t any faith based paranormal romances out there. The Christian book stores weren’t offering young adults much in the way of fiction at all. As a matter of fact, their young adult sections were minute in comparison to their adult sections. That’s when I made it my mission to write something that would appeal to the younger generation.

In what format is Saving Elizabeth available for purchase?

December 14^th is the e book release. You’ll be able to purchase it from Amazon and Barnes & Noble for Kindles and Nooks. You’ll also be able to purchase it in pdf format from Tell-Tale Publishing Group’s website (<--also check out the site for a sneak peek at the first two chapters!). The print release is yet to be announced.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Pink or Black? Black, but I think the two look fabulous together, especially in polka-dot form. :o)

Coffee or Tea? I’m ashamed to say I’m addicted to both. I seriously need a caffeine intervention.

Heels or Flats? Flats

Electric or Acoustic? Acoustic

Whipped Cream or Cool Whip? Cool Whip

* * * I want to wish Amy the best of luck on Saving Elizabeth and future writing endeavors! Here are a few ways you can support her...

Check out Amy's website.
Follow Amy's blog.
Follow Amy on Twitter.
Friend Amy's author page on Facebook.
Like Saving Elizabeth on Facebook.
Add Saving Elizabeth to your Goodreads shelf.

The BIG Apocalypsie Giveaway!!

2011-12-11T14:18:00.003-05:00

Hey lovely followers! I'm holding a giveaway of any 2012 debut YA book over at my blog! That includes my own book 'My Heart Be Damned' and Wendy's book 'Sweet Evil'. There's not much to do to enter, and you can earn extra entries! Hope to see you there!!

Change Write Now

2011-12-10T02:29:00.000-05:00

Wait a second! *Looks around suspiciously* This doesn't look like Tuesday! Everybody's too happy for it to be a Tuesday. Where am I?

Oh yeah, Wendy and I traded days for this week! Because she asked me to help her out and I said 'yes.' Because that's what YAtopians do for each other.

You know what else YAtopians do for each other? Support each other in their New Year's Resolutions! (Ahh, yeah... I'm riding that segue like Paul Blart.)

Last week, fellow YA Rebel Corrine Jackson and I started talking about how we wanted to start living healthier lifestyles, about how this sedentary writer thing had made our waists a little bigger and our endurance a little lower. Writers - especially those of us with "real" jobs - tend to let our health slide in the rush to fit everything else in to our hectic lives. So we decided it was time. Time to ...

Change Write Now!

We came up with a game designed to help writers develop new good habits, while ditching some of the bad. It's not necessarily about losing weight, it's about developing a healthier lifestyle - with a little friendly competition and a lot of peer support thrown in.

It's about making your health a priority.

The game starts on January 1st and we will be competing alongside randomly assigned teammates through March 6th. Points are awarded for things like eating healthy, drinking enough water, getting a good night's sleep, checking in with your teammates, exercising, ditching bad habits and adopting new good habits. To sweeten the deal, we already have at least one editor on board, donating prizes for the winners!

With 60 people already signed up in the first three days, I guess we aren't the only ones who need a little push towards a healthier lifestyle. That's why I wanted to invite all of you to join us! You can find more information - and the sign up form - on Cory's blog here.

I'm working on building a website, but it's not *quite* ready for public viewing yet. Watch this space for updates - I'll post a link as soon as we launch it.

I hope you'll join us in our search for a healthier 2012!

Top five Noob mistakes

2011-12-08T05:38:00.001-05:00

A lot of people want to be a published writer, but very few people make it. There's a lot more to writing than just having a great idea and getting the words out of your brain and onto paper (or into a computer as the case may be).

I get to read a lot of aspiring writers' pieces of work and I regularly see the same mistakes, which are often a sign of poor research. Just like anything else, if you want to be good at it you need to study it and work at it. I'm not saying you have to go to uni, but you should at a minimum be researching online, or trying to make it to conferences. (WriteOnCon is free and it's online so there's no excuse!)

But here's the top five newbie writer mistakes I see:

Dialogue

As a former journalist, I had correct dialogue formatted burnt into my frontal lobe by my uni lecturer editor.

"I can't believe how often people dialogue wrong." She said. WRONG!
"I know. It's crazy," he replied. Right!

When you're using a verb for talking after the speech, it's still the same sentence so it needs a comma, not a full stop (period for those of you in the US) and if it's not a person's name then it's lower case for the next word.

Telling

I think when everyone starts out, we do a bit of telling. Especially if we're writing in a hurry. But we need to look for opportunities to use showing instead.

Bob's hair is brown and he doesn't brush it. Telling!

I resist the urge to reach out and sweep the clumps of unbrushed hair from Bob's eyes. Showing!

Mary Sue

Hello Mary Sue, how do you do? Still perfect? Still beautiful, but denying it. Still having "everything coming up Milhouse" for you?

If the character has no depth and flaws, then they will be uninteresting, uninspiring and flat.

Rushing queries

I've just finished this MS and it's the total bomb - time to query!

Stop it! You should revise yourself, get multiple Beta editors to have a squiz, workshop your query letter too - then maybe you'll be ready to query.

Writing to trends

If you write to something is hot now, remember, by the time you finish writing it the trend is probably on the decline and the chances of you getting picked up are low.

In saying that, you should also try to write the story that is in your heart. Listen to your muse. But always try to come up with a unique concept as the last thing you want is to be rejected because it's too similar to something on an agent's list or something on the bookshelves already.

Not listening to advice

I think by nature, most people who have a desire to write also have a personality that LOVES affirmation. That can make it hard for us to listen to constructive criticism *raises hand* and means that we can ignore advice because our pride is hurt, rather than looking at it constructively.

I've learnt to mill over advice for a couple of days if it doesn't ring true to me at first as it might be my ego getting in the way.

So, that's the top five things I've noticed with writing noobs. How about you? Got any stories from when you were a noob, or anything you've noticed. Let's share the wisdom.

Today is the release date of Kelley's Hushed!!

2011-12-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

One of our awesome Yatopians has a book birthday today. Kelley York, author of Hushed is freaking out right now, and rightly so. Release day is a big dollop of excitement mixed with a side of fear. But fear not, Kelley, Hushed is fantastic. CHECK IT OUT, GUYS!

You can buy the awesome Hushed at Barnes & Noble and Amazon! Go get your copy now.

Congrats, Kelley!

Degree or Not to Degree

2011-12-03T14:13:00.001-05:00

Maggie Stiefvater, author extraordinaire, wrote a blog post today about creative writing degrees and the necessity of them in order to get published. Like all of her posts on writing, it's an interesting and great read, so if you'd like to read it you can find it HERE.

I have wanted to be a writer for quite some time. I may not have wanted to pursue it since the age of five, but as soon as I hit my teens it became a passion. This resulted in my desire to study writing and go to college for a creative writing degree. I figured if I'm going to pay money and spend another four years in school, I might as well study something I love and want to excel in. But do I think people need writing degrees to get published? No. I mean, look at me, I'm a published author and haven't even finished college! :-) What I do think is that people who wish to be writers should learn as much as they can about the written word and all the rules that go along with writing. You don't need to follow the rules (I think it's a requirement that authors break grammar rules, haha), but if you know them you can choose which ones you like and which ones you don't.

Now, as I move into my second semester of my sophomore year, I'm becoming less and less enthused by the idea of pursuing a creative writing degree. I don't want to have to worry about fulfilling my Social Sciences credits or about turning in that composition for Spanish. I certainly don't want to keep spending money on textbooks that are outrageously priced. I understand and appreciate the "need" to have a college degree, but at the same time I feel like degrees are lessening in value more and more.

What I want is to work at the bookstore more and interact with readers and aspiring writers. I want to read and read and read, and only stop to eat or go to the bathroom. I want to take photos and observe the world through both my camera lens and my own eyes, and take these observations and throw them in a story.

All I want to do is write and love what I write.

*Clarification: I whole-heartedly believe in the importance of having and receiving an education. Knowledge is one of the most important things in our world and it is invaluable. What I meant to say with this post is that for me, seeking a creative writing degree may not be what I actually want/need anymore. I'm actually looking into photography, journalism, and even web-design/marketing as possible routes :-) *

Entangled Publishing Publicist Interview & Giveaway!

2011-12-01T05:52:00.022-05:00

Blogger, writer, book reviewer, website owner and now a publicist with Entangled Publishing Stacey O'Neale knows the book industry from multiple angles. So let's get to know the woman who is a well recognized face on Twitter and in the Blogisphere.

I first found you on Twitter and have enjoyed reading your blog and The YA Fantasy Guide. Would you tell us a bit about the YAFG?

Thanks! :-)

The YAFG is a website dedicated to books within the YA fantasy genre. The site features recommendations/reviews by category, author and literary agent interviews, articles for aspiring writers, and monthly contests/giveaways.

How did you get into this?

Two people actually inspired the YAFG. The first one was Simon Lipskar from Writer's House. I had a chance to attend a literary agent panel that included Simon. In case you don't know who he is - he's one of the best and most respected literary agents in the business. The panel was discussing writing platforms and someone in the audience had asked if a writer should have a blog and what amount of traffic would be impressive to an agent. Every agent said 5,000 hits per month then Simon said 10,000. Everyone laughed but I remember thinking that I wanted to create an online presence that would even impress someone like him.

A few weeks later, a friend was telling me that she was re-reading Twilight for the 5th time and I looked at her like she was insane. I couldn't understand why she would continue to read the same series when there are so many other books in that genre worth reading. I ended up running down a list of other vampire books that I thought she might like and that got my wheels turning. When I went online that night, I looked for a YA fantasy site that broke down books by favorite characters (faeries, mermaids, etc.) or subgenres (paranormal, urban, steampunk, etc.) and I couldn't find anything. That's pretty much when the YAFG was born.

In case you're wondering, the YAFG gets anywhere from 20,000-30,000 hits per month. If I ever meet Simon again I'll thank him. :-)

What are some of your favourite YA books/series and why?

LOL, how much time do you have?

It's easier for me to tell you authors I love versus books. Anyone who follows me on twitter knows that I love Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Melissa Marr. I'd buy an encyclopedia if one of those ladies wrote it. From Holly, I love the Tithe series and the Curse Workers series. Holly is a master world builder and probably my favorite writer period. From Cassie, I favor the Infernal Devices series a smidge over her Mortal Instruments series because I have a fetish for steampunk. Cassie's great for creating characters that can make you laugh, and two pages later, make you cry. I love Melissa's Wicked Lovely series. The world she created is so dark and sexy. It gets to a point where you don't even know who you're cheering for because each character is so multifaceted.

I also love to discover new blood and help them promote great new books. I was blown away by Tahereh Mafi when I read Shatter Me a few months ago. A few of the YA fantasy book/authors coming out of Entangled have really impressed me including Touch by Jus Accardo, Hushed by Kelley York, and Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout. Now that I think about it, I actually wrote an article about some of my favorite debuts from the beginning of 2011.

What gives you inspiration for posts?

I attend a ton of conferences and have taken a ton of writing courses. I've also had the opportunity to talk to some fantastic people within the publishing world like successful authors, editors, publicists, literary agents, etc. Usually, the inspiration comes from something I learned that I think might help someone else or something someone told me that helped them during their road to publication. Other times, the inspiration comes from something currently going on in the publishing world or a request from someone online. The post, "How to Get a Blogger to Review Your Book" was a request from a follower on twitter.

You are currently working on a novel that sounds like you'll soon be querying. Would you share with us your writing process?

I'm very organized. I'm not a writer who can just sit down and go without a plan. When I do that I get lost. I always spend weeks writing a detailed outline of each chapter before I start the actual writing process. I try to write everyday even if it's only one page. I prefer to write during the day and usually with some music playing in the background.

In terms of the book I'm writing now, I'm in the middle of revisions. I had the novel professional edited and they came back with a really good suggestion, but it has caused a major rewrite of my first six chapters. Ugh, but that's writing. Most people rewrite their novel several times before it's ready for a publisher to consider.

You are now a publicist with Entangled Publishing, who are publishing our very own YAtopian - Kelley York. What made you decide to apply for the position?

I'm actually Kelley's publicist. :-)

Two Reasons:

#1 - Liz Pelletier and the rest of the EP Staff

I've known of Liz for years because I'm a member of Savvy Authors. When I heard about Entangled Publishing I knew I wanted in. The quality of people involved in EP is extraordinary. The level of talent here has the ability to change the game as we know it. I believe we will remake the e-pub model.

#2 - The EP Authors

Before I started with EP, I had a chance to get a few of the ARC's on Netgalley and I was blown away. Our authors are really talented and it's just getting better and better. I'm like a little kid when I find out that I've been assigned another author. I can't wait to get started with them.

What does a typical day for a publishing publicist entail?

Lots and lots and lots of emails. Most of my time is spent organizing book tours so I spend a tremendous amount of time talking to bloggers which l love because bloggers rock! Think about it - people who love books so much that they create a blog to talk about them. What's not to love about that?

Juggling three jobs within the publishing industry is a tough task. What's your secret to success?

HAHA! Answer - Determination. I'm very competitive and I want to be a successful writer as much as I want to see the writers I represent on the bestsellers list. I love publishing and I feel so blessed that I'm able to make a career out of something I'm so passionate about.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Mermaids or Griffins - Mermaids
Steampunk or SciFi - Steampunk (this one is hard to answer because I also really love SciFi)
Cinema or DVD - Cinema
eBook, hardback or paperback - eBook
Pink or Blue - Blue

Stacey is giving away an e-copy of the YA paranormal, TOUCH, by Jus Accardo and the YA thriller, HUSHED, by Kelley York. Just comment on the post with what type of stories you’d like to see come out of Entangled, or want Entangled release are you hanging out for. The winner will be drawn at random. Make sure you leave your name and email adress as well so we can let you know if you've won. Entries close December 8.

Must Reads

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

We just had Thanksgiving and it got me thinking about books and being thankful. If you're visiting this blog, you're obviously a book lover. Books give us SO much. I honestly can't imagine my life without reading. But there are books that are good and books that are incredible. Books that can be life-changing. Books that no matter how many times you've read them, they never get old. You can get something new from them with each read.

That's what I'm curious about today. What are your MUST READS? The fiction book that you think ALL YA readers should read (or adult book)?

Also, if you had to pick one book you're thankful for. A book that pulled you out of a hard time, that changed your life, helped you find your love of reading or writing. Whatever the reason may be, what is the one book you're thankful for?

The Chemistry of Strange Fiction: Interview with Amanda Rutter

2011-11-24T05:37:00.072-05:00

Last week, YA readers rejoiced at the announcement that Angry Robot is starting a sister imprint for lovers of teen fiction called Strange Chemistry. Launching in September 2012, Strange Chemistry will release five titles, and then a new book each month after that.

Taking the helm of this speculative fiction venture is editor and blogger Amanda Rutter. She took some time with me to talk about what readers can expect from Strange Chemistry and where she sees YA heading in the future.

Sharon: Would you tell us a bit about how the new imprint came into being?

Amanda: Well… Over the last two years, Angry Robot has become more and more recognized for producing very high quality SFF novels – and Marc Gascoigne (being the head honcho and all-round Robot Overlord) started to think about how to achieve world domination in this particular market! In actuality, he saw the massive impact that YA fiction has had, and the superb novels that are being published in this arena already, and figured that it would be a brilliant direction for Angry Robot to move into. He had discussions and meetings with various important people, who agreed that YA was a natural progression for the company, and the result is Strange Chemistry.

Sharon: What type of book submissions are you hoping to come over your desk?

Amanda: The very best in Science Fiction& Fantasy YA, of course! In all seriousness, I am hoping for novels that showcase strong protagonists (both male and female) and explore the issues and themes that concern teens. I would like to see more science fiction oriented submissions. I think we’ve seen a healthy mix of fantasy, horror, dystopia and romance within YA, but where are all the robots and spaceships? If I could introduce more teens, via YA science fiction novels, to fantastic adult authors such as Peter F Hamilton and Alastair Reynolds, I would be more than happy.

Sharon: Strange Chemistry is currently only open to submissions via an agent. Will Strange Chemistry have an 'Open Door Month' like Angry Robots?

Amanda: I hope so! I am in discussions with Marc and Lee about what form their Open Door Month will take in 2012, and whether the YA will be directly included in that or whether we’ll do it completely separately. After the wonderful success of the AR Open Door Month, it really appeals to me to reach out to all those unagented YA authors who potentially have brilliant novels that we can publish.

Sharon: Do you have any books already in the works for the Strange Chemistry imprint?

Amanda: I’m afraid I can’t reveal too much at this stage, thanks to discussions going on behind the scenes and contracts being negotiated, but I can say that I have read some WONDERFUL manuscripts and I’m so excited about bringing more information about these first few titles to you as soon as I am able! The quality has been amazing so far.

Strange Chemistry Editor: Amanda Rutter

Sharon: Tell us a bit about your background and how that helped you land this gig?

Amanda: As the press release for Strange Chemistry mentioned, I have been a blogger for a few years now (on my personal blog Floor to Ceiling Books; on Tor.com as a contributor to the Malazan re-read; and on Fantasy Literature as a guest reviewer). I also took on a freelance editing gig with Morrigan Books, and was one of the organizers of the Genre for Japan appeal. Basically, I took every opportunity to be a part of the brilliant SFF community, since fantasy and science fiction have always been an interest of mine. During that period, I have had contact a number of times with Marc and Lee – for instance, Angry Robot was one of the first publishers to commit auction lots to Genre for Japan. Interestingly, I do believe it was a negative review of an Angry Robot book that first brought me to their attention, which just goes to show that negative reviews can be useful! I think the real clincher in the role being offered to me was the opportunity I took to become a reader for the AR Open Door Month. I spent a great deal of my own time reading through over half of the 994 submitted manuscripts, and I believe this demonstrated my passion and commitment. It doesn’t hurt that I am a massive advocate of YA novels! In the SFF field, I fear that the role of YA novels is still not entirely understood, and so I welcome the chance to make real connections between those who read SFF and those who read YA. It will be fantastic to see younger readers of Strange Chemistry novels move onto adult SFF novels!

Sharon: You're well known in the blogging community, are you going to feature blogging as part of Strange Chemistry?

Amanda: Definitely! I have already published a post to the Strange Chemistry website, detailing how the imprint was named. In the future, I have plans to blog about the process of picking submitted novels and details about the day-to-day job of being an editor. I will also be showcasing interviews and reviews with Strange Chemistry authors through the website. Most of all, I will be looking to connect with YA bloggers and readers, and inviting them to contribute to the Strange Chemistry website. I want it to be fully interactive!

Sharon: Is there anything else readers and authors need to know about Strange Chemistry?

Amanda: Basically, Strange Chemistry aims to bring the YA market fantastic books through a variety of exciting mediums. We are embracing the eBook revolution, we are recognizing that bloggers have voices that should be heard in the championing of excellent books, and we are intending to introduce more people to the progressiveness of YA fiction.

Sharon: Where do you see the YA publishing industry heading over the next few years?

Amanda: I see it as a time of great excitement and turbulence. The increasing numbers of people who are using eReaders makes this a fascinating period in the publishing industry. In terms of YA specifically, I believe there will be more award recognition for sterling works (after the success of such authors as Patrick Ness); I think even more adult publishers will look to move into the YA market; and I think there will be an ever-increasing adult readership. Personally, I’m hoping for another massive series (like Twilight or The Hunger Games) to make a splash and lead the YA market in a new direction – it would be even better if Strange Chemistry were to publish it!

Sharon: What creatures and themes would you like to see more of in YA writing?

Amanda: I’m more of a themes person than a creature person. Themes can embrace various different settings, situations and characters, and allow great freedom in publishing. We’ve seen a lot of novels carrying themes such as eternal love, survival, and growing into adult roles – I would love to see now themes such as optimism and hope for the future. The world has become such a dangerous and depressing place that I think YA fiction should provide some escapism. Not to the point of ignoring the fact it is happening, but allowing teens to see that there might be a way out.

I would also like to see fairytales embraced as a means of telling a story. Authors such as Charles de Lint and Robert Holdstock have used this to great effect (in fact, Charles de Lint has also written some novels in the YA arena as well), and I would like to see more of this.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Cats or dogs CATS!

Ghosts or Aliens ALIENS!

E-book, hard back or paperback PAPERBACK!

Salad or veggies SALAD!

Unicorns or centaurs CENTAURS!

You can subscribe via email or follow them on Twitter to keep up to date on Strange Chemistry's news.

Don't Give Up - Unless That's What You Want

2011-11-22T18:23:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's the stress of the holidays, but I've seen a lot of writers talking about calling it quits lately. Maybe I shouldn't be so upset by this, seeing as how they're my competition and all, but I can't help myself.

If you want to give up because you genuinely don't enjoy writing any more? OK. That's a good reason to quit. If you want to be an author only because you want to make money, PLEASE go ahead and quit.

But if it's because you got another rejection, heard a published author complain about how hard the industry is, got a bad critique?

If writing is what you truly want to do, if you get a kick out of creating characters you love and putting them through the worst crap possible before they get to their happy (or not) ending, if you know your life wouldn't be the same without writing, if you have something that needs said - Don't Quit.

Yeah, it's hard. Yeah, we have to suffer quite a bit of rejection before we get a yes. Yeah, not everyone will like everything we write. Sometimes we won't even like what we write. Maybe you need to take a break, but (again: if it's something you truly want to do) don't pack it in all together.

What would our literary world be like if JK Rowling had decided it was too hard? If Shakespeare had buckled to peer pressure and locked his writing away? If Jane Austen believed them when they told her a woman shouldn't write? Aren't you glad they didn't quit? You'll soon be glad that you didn't either.

Have you been thinking about quitting? How do you handle it when you think "maybe it's not worth it?"

Some changes on the horizon...

2011-11-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

If you haven't already, we'd love it if you'd head over to Chanelle's post from last week and chime in!

In a little more than a month, YAtopia will be celebrating its one year anniversary. We've had a ton of posts, pitch sessions, interviews, and a couple of guest posts, all of which were absolutely awesome. And, to celebrate our anniversary, we'd like to switch some things up a bit. Which is why we'd love your opinion to know what all of you would like to see more (or less!) of.

In other news, Happy Thanksgiving this week to those who celebrate! And those who don't, well, never hurts to be thankful for things every day of the year, right?

To wrap thing ups, have a few quick reviews of some stuff I've been reading:

This is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

Review: First of all, like many others when I first saw this cover, I was expecting horror. Even when I read the blurb, I expected horror. But after reading through some of the GR reviews, I was able to go into this book knowing what to really expect.

I loved the artwork. It reminded me of the 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' books I loved as a kid. Eerie and beautifully done inkwork-looking art.

The story itself was short and I got through it in less than two hours. I wasn't sure what I would think of it, but...yeah, I cried. Three or four times, even. My heart broke for Conor and his mom. It's hard to explain everything I loved without spoiling the entire book, but even for as short as it was (125 pages in the ebook version for $10), it was well worth it.

This is going on my top fave reads of 2011 list.

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Review: Exciting and unique, TOUCH definitely stands out among all the other paranormal romance out there in young adult land. Kale was such a charming and adorable love interest, and I even had a soft-spot for Alex. While there wasn't exactly a love-triangle going on, I thought the way Dez reacted to both boys was spot-on and didn't leave me wanting to strangle her for being indecisive. She knew what she wanted, but sometimes fell back into old habits. Something I think so many teens have done.

Dez was a fun, kick-ass narrator. She was determined and brave, but not without her faults. It was refreshing to have a female lead who wasn't either a.) so down on herself despite the fact all the guys are all over her, or b.) gorgeous and well aware of it. Dez was confident, but aware of her flaws. She knows her strengths and how to flaunt them..

Jus' writing is lovely and flows well, and the humor is always giggle-worthy. Kale really was the highlight out of all the characters, what with his clueless remarks about the world and everything in it. I just wanted to give him a hug. (Despite this, though, I thought all the characters were well-formed and a lot of fun. I hope one particular character whose name I can't say gets more page-time next book.)

I haven't been into a lot of paranormal lately, but this was an exception I'm glad I got to read.

Writing Prompt

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today, instead of talking about myself or my own writing, I'd like to focus on YOU, our lovely followers! Below you'll find an image and lyrics from a song, which are meant to jumpstart your creativity and inspire you to write something short, like a poem or the beginning paragraph of a new story. You don't have to tie the image and the song together, nor do you really have to use these items for inspiration. All I care about is that you write something :-).

Leave your writings in the comments, but please keep them short so we don't overflow the comment section. Good luck and I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Image:

please do not repost image

Lyric:

Take me back to those summer days when the sun shined down on your golden face and I won't forget the way you smiled at me. Just take me back to those summer days when we got so lost in that summer gaze and I never believed in love... ~ Summer Days by Breanne Duren

Where I ask what YOU want

2011-11-17T13:08:00.003-05:00

As the readers of this blog, YOU are the most important voices. Not us as the bloggers, but you the readers. So what I would like is for you guys to answer the following questions in the comments. This blog is for you guys and I want to make sure you're getting the most out of this blog as possible. Here goes!!

1) What is your favourite kind of post to read about on YAtopia?

2) Your least favourite?

3) What could we do that's more helpful?

4) Anything you'd like more of?

5) Is the layout and scheduling good for you? Too many posts, not enough?

6) What first drew you here?

7) If we were to hold a Giveaway, what kind would you like and what prizes should we offer?

That's it guys! You don't have to answer all, but whatever you can answer will be amazing. Thanks!

Books I am DYING to read

2011-11-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

There are a ton of books coming out soon that I can't wait to read. So many I had trouble narrowing it down for this blog post. Just keep in mind there are more... so many more. LOL. Here are a few that I really, REALLY can't wait for.

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

Super excited for this. I'm curious about the long distance relationship. About the blog and controversy and about the characters. Plus, I really like the cover and love boy POV.
Release date Dec 27

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Want. Want, want, want, want. Love books that take place in a night. Love the graffiti aspect. Sounds really unique.

Releases February, 14

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.

Love the cover. Love the synopsis. Sounds super fun.

Releases December, 1

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life...and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Sarah Ockler. Awesome writing. Enough said.

Releases January, 3

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

Curious about the connection to the boy. Like the road trip and bringing the sisters ashes. Sounds like the kind of emotional read I love.

Releases Nov 22

Don't Spoil the Fun

2011-11-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ack! Dont' tell me!!!

I wonder if you're like me. I wonder if you hate any spoiler, no matter how teeny-tiny. Or if you're one of those people who starts by reading the last line of the book. *GASP* The very idea makes me want to scream, "Noooo!"

I don't read back covers/pitches/blurbs/reviews before beginning a book. Nope, nope! They give too much away. Part of the fun of reading a story for me is discovering things as the characters discover them. For example, in Bree Despain's The Dark Divine, I had no idea what, if any, paranormal creature we were dealing with at first. There was a delicious mystery shrouding everything, and I loved that!

Oh, no.

My fellow blogger and bestie, Kelley Vitollo, will often sell me on a story and then send an excited message saying something like, "The guy is a jerk at first, but he's actually really sweet, and --" "Noooo!" LOL - I have to cover my eyes and type, "Don't tell me anymore!" She, on the other hand, will get so into a book I've recommended that she'll send me messages begging for information. "Do they get together? Oh please tell me there's a HEA!" I'm so mean; I won't tell her anything. :)

For those who don't know, it's called a SPOILER ALERT. I've seen so many accidental spoilers online lately. We forget sometimes that many of our conversations are very public, especially on Twitter and Goodreads. I urge you not to talk specifics openly - send each other an email or direct message, or just put a little (*spoiler alert*) message before discussing.

This picture is a spoiler!

My apologies to those who haven't read or seen Marley and Me, but this was too funny.

So, which one are you? Do you love surprises or are you one of those pesky people who enjoys it more if you don't have to worry about the outcome? :-) Happy reading and discussing, everyone!

Hugs, Wendy

Fast moving YA relationships

2011-11-10T02:50:00.001-05:00

I want to tell you a story. Let me know if you've heard this one before:

There's a girl - a little bit shy, a little bit nerdy, the type of girl that the guy at school look over. Then along comes this new guy, who is instantly popular. He's bad-arse, has a tattoo and seems to be more mature than the "boys" at school.

Shy girl is infatuated, but bad-arse boy is cold and aloof towards her. He rebuffs her attempts to strike up conversations, and leaves her feeling confused cause she knows she's got the hots for him. Then suddenly he admits he likes her and they start going out - and kissing...a lot. Shy girl knows that he's "the one" and hates it when he doesn't turn up to school, only wants to be with him, ditching her friends.

Does it sound cliche? One minute he's giving her the cold should and the next minute they're making out. Shy nerdy girl gets the popular jock and falls hard and fast.

I've been reading a lot of reviews lately and the biggest complaint I've been reading is fast moving relationships, how a guy and girl fall for each other so fast. Now I'm all for making stories realistic, but my beef with these reviewers is a lot of relationships do move fast for teenagers. Girls are scratching into desk's the latest guys that they "love", wishing these guys would notice them. Not all teenage girls are like this, but a lot of them are.

When I went through high school a lot of couples would become couples because they kissed at a party, and then they start going out. Others do form relationships though friendship, dating and taking it slow. New guys or gals are particularly exciting to teenagers as they've got this X-Factor about them.

If authors have a fast moving relationship in their stories, for me they are depicting a stage of life that a lot of teenagers go through. Admittedly, relationship and dating dynamics change in the "real world" and that could be why reviewers who are in this "real world" judge fast-moving relationships harshly, or because they think writers have an obligation to get girls to tackle relationships in a more mature and responsible way.

Looking at a show like GLEE, plenty of kids hook up quickly on the show without that developing friendship. But if a paranormal element is thrown in, people will criticise it for moving too quickly.

Think about your high school (or if you're no longer in high school, think back to when you were) and the relationships in them.

Was there relationships that seemed to pop up out of nowhere? Did you ever kiss a guy or girl before being in an official relationship with them or after only being going out after a short amount of time? Where there girls that were just SO in love with their boyfriend?

AND - tell us your favourite literary couple.

Share them with us, cause I've already shared mine with you. That cliched story at the top of this blog, that's how I met my husband.

Dare to NaNoWriMo

2011-11-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand, who's doing NaNoWriMo?

No, seriously, raise your hands. But... you know, virtually. In the comments - and don't forget to leave your username. Because YAtopians connecting on the NaNo site is a beautiful thing! And trying to write a novel in a month that's only 30 days long and has a major holiday weekend? Not crazy at all, promise.

I've participated in NaNoWriMo for three years, but not this year. Not because I don't want to, but because I'm moving and starting a new job and I'm really not a sleepless vampire like some people like to think.

I wanted to talk about NaNo not only because I want y'all to connect and become NaNo buddies and cheer each other on - but also because I'm kinda cranky about some things I've been seeing online written by some people: the NaNoNaySayers, if you will.

These people will say you shouldn't do NaNo because there's no way you can pump out 50k words of quality material in a month - so why bother? Or even worse, they'll look down their nose at you and say you should do it to "exercise your creative muscles" and then on December - throw that shit away and never look at it again! The worst part is they say these things with a "I'm better than you because I don't try to stretch my limits or do anything out of my comfort zone" kinda air.

So I'm going to give you some NaNoWriMo advice: Don't listen to any NaNoWriMo advice!

If you're intrigued by the idea of writing 50k words in 30 days (or 22 days! go ahead and start now, it's totally do-able), dare to do it!

If you like pumping out your first draft very quickly and editing later, dare to do it!

If you've done NaNo before and loved it, but are having second thoughts because your favorite professional author/agent/editor has said the event is for untalented amateurs? Accept that they can be wrong every now and then and dare to do it!

If you like the discipline of NaNo, but like to write slower, finely crafting every sentence as you go and maybe would like to set a different goal like "write for two hours every day in November," dare to do it!

Bottom line: If you want to do something, do it. Simple as that. Don't let anyone tell you that you "shouldn't" or "can't" or that what you write is "crap." Don't you dare give up because some person with a keyboard who doesn't even know you has said not to.

Tuesday Twaddle - Hijacked...again.

2011-11-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Yep, you've guessed it. I've hijacked the Tuesday Twaddle this week for a few announcements.

Firstly, did you see the gorgeous cover of Wendy Higgins's, Sweet Evil? I mean... holy hotness. Check this baby out.

Kai has got the smolder down. NOM NOM. Now that you've drooled over the smolder, go check out Wendy's blog for more info on this beauty.

And speaking of covers I got my Hardback Italian edition of Carrier of the Mark yesterday. It's so pretty, it needs some blog time. So here it is.

Carrier of the Mark came out in first edition Trade Paperback in the US. I have to admit, I was happy with that decision. As a debut, you expose yourself to a much larger audience by having your book come out in Trade Paper, as it's more affordable, people will take a chance on the unknown author. But (and you know how I love a good but) seeing Carrier in Hardback, and how gosh darn beautiful it is, makes me a little sad that you guys in the US won't get such prettiness. *sigh* I didn't expect to feel this way about a hardcover...it's hard to explain. It's like a coming of age thing...a realization that your book is out there, forever, on shelves, in different languages, and it feels good.

Anyhow, enough of blubbering. *wipes eyes*

Talk to you in two weeks for an actual Tuesday Twaddle.

All the best and talk soon.

Leigh

Conducting author interviews

2011-11-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Did everyone have an awesome Halloween? I did. I carved my pumpkin in the shape of John Lennon's self-portrait.

With my book's blog tour coming up at the end of November and going on through December, I've been introduced to the world of writing guest posts and answering interview questions. After doing so many, I've developed one good piece of advice for anyone performing author interviews:

Do your homework and be creative.

An author doing ten, fifteen interviews in a row will grow weary when every interview feels like a mirror of the rest. The same questions crop up again and again. Personally, my eyes start to cross and my brain hurts from trying to come up with ten different ways to answer the same question, until I'm eyeing the unanswered interviews still waiting in my inbox like this:

To be fair, I expected some of my questions to be the same because I'm doing them for a blog tour. These are blogs doing me an immense favor by giving me a spotlight on their blog for a day, so not all of them might have a chance to read my book beforehand. Still, it's really exciting when I get questions I know are meant specifically for me.

(Obviously, some questions are going to get repeated. 'Who are you, what's your book about?' That goes without saying.)

When conducting an interview, you can make an author's life a lot more enjoyable by really doing your homework. Obviously, it helps to have read their book(s) so you can tailor specific questions on characters/plot. It also helps to read the author's bio and learn a little about them, where they come from, and what their hobbies are. One of the most amazing questions I've gotten to answer was the result of the interviewer reading my bio and plucking info out of it to ask me questions and they were brilliant.

Most of all, be creative. Give your interview something fun and flavorful that no one will find from an interview anywhere else.

Once Upon a Time....

2011-11-05T00:00:00.006-04:00

"Once upon a time" -- these four words are words we've all heard and read thousands and thousands of times. We've come to know little girls who get eaten by wolves, a stepsister who loses a glass slipper, and a mermaid who trades her voice for a chance at human love. Growing up, my favorite was "The Little Mermaid" because A) I was obsessed with marine animals (dolphin power!) and B) I really liked the love story. It may not give the greatest message to girls, but the mermaid's struggle is tragically beautiful.

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, fairy tales are making a comback. Then again, they've never really gone away, have they? There's an innocence to these stories that speak to us as children and even more so as teens and adults. Sure, they're fantastical, but there's always something we can identify with. And I think it's this universal-ness that has made them so timeless and popular

What fairy tale is your favorite? What do you think of all the recent adaptations/interpretations? I'm really loving ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and Jackson Pearce's retellings. Are any of you writing retellings? If so, have you faced any problems in making a tale your own?

NaNoWriMo anyone?

2011-11-03T17:08:00.002-04:00

Anyone participating this year? I wanted to, but I'm trying to slow down with my writing. I can get out a novel within a month anyway, which tends to mean that I rush through it all and have loads of things I need to add, edit, change during revisions.

But that doesn't mean that's everyone's problem! So, are you participating and what's your username? Put them in the comments and add each other so we can all support and rally and cheer!

A quick reminder, though...

Agents have been tweeting, blogging and discussing about their influx of submissions come January. If you're writing a novel in a month, you're going to need more than December to edit, so take your time and really make sure your story is the best it can be before querying. That means no January queries unless it is perfeeeeect.

I wish you all luck and I hope you're all winners :)

The Tuesday Twaddle is back!

2011-11-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

I've been frantically busy these past few weeks and my YAtopian friends have been flying the flag for me in my absence. Apologies if you've missed your fortnightly dose of Twaddle, but fret not my lovelies, I'm here with twaddle...and lots of it.

Today's twaddle is on promotion.

Firstly, let me say. I hate promoting me and my book. I don't think any author actually enjoys flogging their wares to anyone who will listen, but alas, it comes with the job description. For the last few weeks I've been working the PR and marketing trail, doing guest posts on blogs, gazillions of interviews, live chats, radio interviews, magazine interviews, and of course my fingers are surgically attached to my keyboard with a direct link to Twitter and Facebook, the two lifelines for the debut author.

Don't get me wrong, it's fun doing these things, and the people you meet along the way are awesome, but it sucks up writing time, and writers by nature are usually solitary animals, happy to while away their time tapping out a new idea on their computer or immersed in a great book.

Self promotion is a necessary part of the writing process, and it's one that is accepted in the writing / reading community. In general, bloggers and readers alike, open their welcoming arms to debuts and are happy to listen to the stories, and help promote new titles. There's a whole community and a thriving business built up around doing just that, and it works as long as writers don't go overboard and talk about nothing but themselves and their 'literary masterpieces', which I think most authors do beautifully, creating a balance with promotion and entertainment.

But I've recently read a few posts, by authors from higher up the food chain, about self promotion, and how they don't really approve of it. And they kind of got by back up. You see there are authors out there that don't really have to self promote. They have full backing of their publisher, and huge marketing budgets to put their book everywhere, on TV, on the radio, in newspapers and magazines, and in the hands of all the right people with the connections to get it noticed. They come out with a huge hoohaw, fantastic blurbs, sparkly confetti, the works. The release is usually followed by book tour in several cities, with high profile events and conference appearances. It's all amazing, I hope that someday I'll have all that too, but in the meantime, I have to make best use of the resources I have, which is you guys, the readers, the bloggers, my friends, my time, and ultimately...my sanity.

So to the authors with all the sparkly confetti in your hair... you are awesome, I aspire to be just like you, but have sympathy for the authors who have no other option but to self promote, please try to remember there are many of us who don't get the confetti. So until I do, I'm going to be emptying my hole puncher all around me creating my own confetti, because this is my time to shine, and we only get a small window of opportunity. And to all the other authors out there without the the sparkly confetti, I'll save some of my hole puncher confetti for you...you deserve it too.

Talk soon guys.

Leigh

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T10:38:00.002-04:00

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween. Thanks for being a part of YAtopia. We appreciate all the comments, visits, and followers.

What are your plans for the night?

I shall be taking two little girl vampires out to sour the neighborhood for candy!

Writing Surprises

2011-10-29T17:51:00.001-04:00

Have you ever sort of surprised yourself while writing? I don't mean an unexpected twist in the plot, necessarily, but there are definitely those kinds of surprises along the way. One major surprise for me was the insipriation to write something supernatural/paranormal AT ALL! I was always a contemporary reader and writer. I loved chick lit - stories about real life situations that managed to show the humor in all our downfalls and blunders. My whole life I tended to write funny stories, emotional stories, and dramatic girl stories, but they were always realistic. Until my idea for Sweet Evil came along.

Writing supernatural elements was extremely difficult for me, and it still is. I'll go back during revisions and find all the places where I need to expand on the abilities of my main character. I just forget. It's still surprising to me that I'm in this genre, and while I'm enjoying it far more than expected, I do hope to write a contemp someday.

Is there anything about your writing journey which has come as a surprise to you? Anything you've steered toward or away from unexpectedly?

Hugs, Wendy :)

A reader's journey with the publishing industry

2011-10-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

My journey as a reader started with my parents, as is the case with a lot of people. More specifically, it started with my Dad. He used to gather my sister and I up onto the bed, pull out this book we loved that was filled with fables and folklore and read to us while we listened in ore. That's when I fell in love with the written word.

My favourite story he used to read to me was Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. I loved the ending, how the rabbit managed to outsmart the fox. "Please don't throw me in the briar patch."

Then as I got older I craved more. In primary school (middle grade) I would get a list of books from the book fair and buy whatever I could. One that stuck in my mind is FIFTH GRADE CAN REALLY KILL YOU. It's also when I started reading ghost stories and good old Twistaplots. But I was finding them ultimately unsatisfying, so I started on books for teens (there was no 'YA' at that stage). I remember on called THE TEN CUPCAKE ROMANCE that was about a girl who swears off boys, but dates one for research for a book she's writing. But it still wasn't filling the void.

I moved onto Stephen King (oh the sleepless nights over IT), Virgina Andrews and a bunch of trashy novels from the adult section. I still would try the stories for teens, but they were very short and not always satisfying. At about fifteen I became obsessed with David Eddings and fell in love with one of his characters Sparhawk. High fantasy, such as The Keltiad series, consumed me.

Unfortunately then I left home and went to uni, which meant I was poor and away from my mother's large high fantasy and horror collection. My reading consisted of text books. Luckily in my second year of university I switched courses and got to read short stories and plays as part of my study. But my reading habits had been lost. But my writing habits started. I wrote short stories and play. I wouldn't share them, until I met my first Alpha reader "She-who-must-not-be-named" (she's very shy). She loved my writing and encouraged me to do more.

But I read for my own son, like my father read to me. And when he got old enough to start reading on his own, I started reading his books too. Goosebumps, Deltra Quest and then, Harry Potter. My love of books was reborn. And I noticed something else too. The quality of books that my son was getting to read was far higher then anything that I had gotten when I was his age. The publishing industry had matured to produce engaging adventures that could be loved by all ages. I had tried penning a middle grade book, but it didn't work (it still sits on my computer hoping to become a YA novel eventually).

I keep reading with my son, and my daydreams started running wild. This is when my first YA novel idea hit me. I had no idea it was a YA novel as I hadn't read any and my son was still reading MG books.

I wanted to start reading more as I knew it would help make me a better writer. The first YA I read was the Twilight series, then The Host. I was hooked on YA and paranormal then. My book collection rapidly expanded, being filled with YA titles and adult authors such as Charlaine Harris.

Sometimes I wish that I had the range and depth of books to read as a teenager as the current teens do now. But I still wouldn't swap Sparhawk for the world.

So - what are your favourite childhood books? How have books impacted on your life.

Visual Inspiration

2011-10-25T16:44:00.001-04:00

Hey YAtopians! Sorry for the late post today - life caught up with me and I thought it was Monday most of the day :-)

As writers, our craft centers around words and the way they fit together, but I think most of us take a lot of inspiration from other mediums. Many writers use music to help them develop a scene or an atmosphere. I, on the other hand, have very poor auditory processing and am a highly visual person, so I use a lot of visual cues for inspiration. Google Image search is my BFF. Also, I get to play around on Tumblr and convince myself I'm working. :-)

I especially like bookish pictures and pictures of cool places. Here are some of my favorite inspiring images I've found on Tumblr:


Such great imagery


At this point, I don't care what the rest of the house looks like

Put a mattress on the floor and I'd call this "home."

I like to think of this one as the "book nook."

apparently I like castles

I just want to lay in the grass and drink in the sky

Isle of Skye. One day I will go here

This is what I tell people when they say I am "too busy."

What are some of your non-word inspirations? Do you listen to music? Stare at the stars?

Ooo, eerie

2011-10-24T00:01:00.004-04:00

When I first started writing--as in, seriously writing with the intent of completing a book--I had a number of failed attempts. Likely because I was attempting fantasy and, frankly, I'm really effing lazy and couldn't be bothered with all the world-building involved. I grew up reading primarily fantasy (HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones, and the ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES by Patricia C. Wrede, for instance) so I couldn't understand why I wasn't able to write in the genre I was familiar with as a kid.

My second thought was that I'd love to write horror. Except I find it very hard to place into words things I think are frightening. This might be partly to do with the fact books aren't really don't frighten me in the way movies do, likely because I'm such a visual person. There are exceptions (though I'm drawing a blank while trying to think of one, uh).

(When I was younger, this wasn't so much the case. I remember reading THE LANCASTER WITCH by Carol H. Behrman, and THE DOLLHOUSE MURDERS by Betty Ren Wright, both of which scared the hell out of me. I can't remember now why, but I'd be curious to reread those books all these years later and see if I can figure it out.)

(This thing? Also scares the crap out of me. It's the breathing. Every time Wife and I get to this part of the game with the Iron Maidens and Regenerators, I have to give the controller to her.)

My point being, every genre is so unique in its own right, and every genre requires a certain knack for an author to pull off what they want their readers to feel. In regards to horror, I personally think it's a difficult genre to get right.

I think this is because fear can be so subjective. Not everyone is afraid of what's under the bed, while others aren't afraid of the slasher sneaking into their house in the middle of the night. I'm no horror-writing expert, since my works tend to lean toward thriller-esque, but some suggestions I can toss out there as a reader:

1. Don't be afraid of bad endings. Especially in horror, happy endings aren't necessary. In fact, I grow bored with authors I know will always deliver me a happy ending even in this genre. How am I supposed to be afraid and suspenseful if I know there's no real chance of things ending poorly? (My favorite horror endings are the ones that appear to be hopeful, until the last page/few seconds. Think Dawn of the Dead.)

2. During suspenseful scenes, cut the purple prose and long sentences. These are emotionally-heavy scenes. Make us feel that. Stay away from describing anything that doesn't build on the suspense. Use all your senses: smell, sight, hearing, touch. When people are afraid, their senses become hyper-aware because they're trying to sense danger.

3. Don't over-explain. One nitpick I have about so many of the Americanization of foreign horrors movies is America's need to explain everything. Why do we need the back story and plotted out details of everything's motive? Why can't something be evil for the sake of being evil? There's nothing wrong with leaving the 'why' and 'how' to reader speculation. Again, fear of the unknown.

4. It's all about atmosphere. Weather and setting are important in horror. I remember watching Pulse and thinking that the movie was perfect because of the dark, gritty nature of every scene. It was dreary and depressing, which fit with the mood of the story.

5. Study what makes you scared. Pick out your favorite horror books and movies, and study them. I recommend this for everything (especially fight scenes, which I talked about ages ago). Pick out what exactly it is that scares you in a particular scene and try to put it into words, as practice for your own writing.

Maybe we have some horror pros out there reading who can offer advice, too, and what helps them when writing something scary. For the rest of you, what are you guys afraid of?

For me, it's stories of Shadow people, and zombies. I have zombie nightmares a lot.

Happy Halloween, y'all. ;)

And if you haven't already, there are only 7 more days to sign up for the I LOVE DARK YA blogfest. It's a low-commitment fest, so come join us and help spread the word!

Tips for Post-Release Authors

2011-10-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Everything about having your book released is crazy--whether you're editing, waiting for your cover, organizing blog tours, or refreshing your GoodReads page. You might think that once your book comes out, everything will smooth out.

Well, it doesn't. Not quite. Encouraging, right? :-)

Fear not, fellow authors, for I have some tips to help keep you focused post-release! Huzzah!

-------------------------

1. Read a few reviews if you want, but then stop once you've read enough. I made the mistake of checking GoodReads the day of my signing and stumbled across a low star-rating and a negative review. Not fun.

1.5. Don't Google Your Name + Book Title + Review.

2. Stay on top of mailing things out. Many authors, myself included, run contests/giveaways leading up to the Big Day. In my case, though, I got behind in mailing prizes out, which I feel incredibly bad about. But with everything going on (aka launch party), I simply got swamped and then a week later, school started. Awesome.

3. Don't think about all the things you want to change in your book. I actually haven't read Hunted since it came out besides the prologue, which I use for readings, because I don't want to see all the sentences I could've written better or the dialogue I could've made smoother. It's hard not to see the inevitable flaws, but instead of thinking about those, think about how proud you are of yourself and how awesomesauce it is that you're a published author. It's much more fun than beating yourself up about the little things.

4. Keep writing. And, most importantly, don't worry about what will be published next. Just write and have fun.

5. Enjoy life. You managed to get a book published, now try something new while working on your next project. New experiences = new material for stories. New experiences = fun.

What to include in YA novels?

2011-10-20T15:06:00.002-04:00

Simple answer to that: EVERYTHING!!

I've seen a lot of questions around the internet recently on new writers, or even people new to YA, asking what is deemed acceptable to write about in YA.

So in simple terms, if it happens to teens, you can write about it.

There's a lot of controversial topics out there. Teenage pregnancy, sex scenes, swearing, abuse, kidnap, drinking, drugs, smoking! It happens, so it can happen in your book too.

Of course, there will be editors and agents who have preferences. But if you feel that your book needs for your characters to have sex, or to get into a relationship with an older person then write it. Write what the book needs, not what you feel the market needs. And when you decide that you want to find an agent and get it published, look for the agents you know represent topics like yours. Research into books and find out who the agent was.

Trust me, there really isn't much you can't put in YA. There's even YA erotica that's on the up and up. Don't be afraid to write your story. Seriously, don't. Just write what you want to write, read up on the books that'll be your competition, that'll be in your genre and have fun!

And to finish this post, here are a list of books I personally know of that deal with the topics above:

Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott

Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

Stolen - Lucy Christopher

Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Forget You - Jennifer Echols

The Duff - Kody Keplinger

Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers

Forbidden - Tabithua Samuza

Guest post by Mandy Hubbard

2011-10-17T00:55:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Wow! So many amazing pitches. Y’all worked hard! (I grew up on a farm, so I’m allowed to say Y’all.)

Anyway, I wanted to drop in and announce the winners, but before I do, please note that there were SO many really good ones that it was hard to choose just one. If I did not select your pitch, please do still consider querying me via my normal submission guidelines. I would be happy to consider your work that way if you are not the winner. Many times projects just sound more intriguing in a full length query where you have the luxury of a few more sentences. J

Also, sometimes I do pass on projects, not because the pitch isn’t good, but because it would conflict with something on my list—for instance, I already represent an Angels/Demons book. I can’t take another one on, so if that was in your pitch, I’m sorry to say that I couldn’t choose it as a winner.

In any case, these were my “top pitches”

Jen Corkill’s pitch: 17 year old Amelia Holloway prepares for her debut in Victorian society while a vampire killer with aspirations prepares for her, whether she's willing or not

Comments: I have never even requested a vampire manuscript. But I LOVE the Victorian Era, so it caught my eye.

Heather Smith’s pitch: Fourteen-year-old Sarah Whitman has never wanted the life or marriage her parents have planned for her, wanting instead to be a sea captain in 18th century Hansa. When her parents are murdered, Sarah becomes a captive aboard the most dangerous pirate ship of the decade and must escape before her captain kills her when she becomes a woman on her sixteenth birthday.

Comments: I am a *HUGE* fan of THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE, and this sounds like it could have some overlap with that book.

Ryan Kereke’s pitch: A failed ballerina joins the circus and falls for a knife-thrower with a troubled past.

Comments: It was one of the shortest pitches in the competition, but it packs some punch. Plus, I secretly wish I was a ballerina. So there’s that.

Linsey Miller’s pitch: Adalmund Port will do anything to save her country—she’s gone to war, been an assassin, and sacrificed her arm for the princess. Now, her country needs her to work with a masked and misguided revolutionary in a neighboring country to stop a war, but at this point she’d rather take another arrow to the arm if it meant he’d stop talking.

Comments: Man, those last four words totally got me! It’s so dark and serious, and then that bit of humor at the end cemented it for me. Plus, there’s something insanely interesting about the idea that she’d sacrificed her arm for the princess. A one-armed MC? Intriguing!

Joy Given’s Pitch: Seventeen-year-old April Somerfield is a shy, self-loathing misfit who would blend in with the wallpaper, if only the wallpaper were a little less attractive. When she discovers the family curse that made her who she is, April must decide if becoming beautiful on the outside is worth giving up the truly beautiful person she would otherwise become.

Comments: Again, the humorous snark here “If only the wallpaper were a little less attractive” really got me. Then with the curse and internal conflict, you sealed the deal. Really well done.

Gillian Speace’s pitch: Ten-year-old Gideon, one of eight rambunctious siblings, describes the funny-yet-spooky events that unfold when a mysterious Ninth Child shows up, claiming to be part of the family. Gideon quickly realizes that the Ninth Child is determined to be included--even if that means taking someone's place.

Comments: There’s something super psychologically creepy about that last line. I totally want to read this.

So, who is the official winner? It’s so hard to choose, but I’m going to go with Linsey Miller’s pitch—I am really hoping that unexpected humor shines through! Linsey, please send your full manuscript to: mandy.hubbard.queries@gmail.com, with a full-length pitch pasted into the first page of the document.

For the other “top pitches” I am still very eager to see more of your work—please do send your full-length query with the customary 5 pages pasted in so that I can further consider your material.

And of course, to everyone, please do query me, even if I did not select your pitch!

Thanks so much,

Mandy Hubbard

www.MandyHubbard.com

dragoslayer

Giveaway over at Chanelle's Blog!

2011-10-16T09:45:00.003-04:00

So it's not really a contest more than a giveaway, and it's super easy to join in. All you have to do is be a follower? Simple, right? And I think most of you are anyway. And there are THREE chances to win a book of your choosing. Any book you've wanted but couldn't justify buying? Or just haven't gotten around to buying yet.

Deadline is the 22nd, so don't delay, JOIN TODAY!!

Writer's Doubt - Free Hugs

2011-10-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

Is anyone else out there feeling a bit "ick" lately? Have the rejections, reviews, writer's block, insecurities, and eternal waiting gotten you down? Well, you're not alone. Being a writer, contracted or not, has its down times. Too often we doubt ours skills and our stories. It's hard to know when to scrap an idea and start over, or when to stick with it until it works. There's no exact recipe for success. It's a subjective game, and we have to go by what feels right and what doesn't.

To the outside world we appear mental. I definitely feel like they're right at times. That's why it's so important to lean on our writer friends. Only other writers and artists can truly understand the doubt that goes along with the creative mind, and trying to make a living from it.

Man Hug *pat, pat*

One-Sided Hug

So, today, I offer the only thing I can. Words and hugs. Cyber hugs, but hugs all the same. Let's not beat ourselves up. Let's lift one another up. Because we're not alone. Thanks for your support!

Hugs, Wendy

Vampires are rising from the dead...again - reviving paranormal

2011-10-13T07:04:00.002-04:00

For a long time now I've been hearing - NO VAMPIRE STORIES, which was killing me. I LOVE vampire stories AND I have my own concept twist on vampire and werewolf relationships that I want to write some day. But after Twilight the market got saturated and agents were saying vampire stories are too hard to sell.

But when I saw Holly Black announce on Twitter that she had signed a deal for a vampire novel my response was a fist pump worthy "YES!" (read about it here). Holly Black is one of my favourite authors and for someone with her credibility being prepared to write about bloodsuckers means there's hope that a few more new novels dedicated to the sexist of the undead will emerge.

But while I love vampires, I know more creatures are needed to ensure the genre has a pulse on the bookshelves. I've researched a lot of mythology and there are some great creatures that I would love to see feature more prominently in books:

Gargoyles: Oh how I love Goliath from the The Gargoyles cartoon series. I've actually included a gargoyle in one of my works in progress. They are strong and tough, yet extremely vulnerable at the same time.
Centaurs: They are manly and a horse! Plus they have a natural aloofness that just makes you want to get inside their heads. Strong and silent and intriguing.
Imps: I want to see the mischief, the fun, not just the dark side of the fae world.
Pegasus: Yes unicorns rock, but the winged mythical horses could add a whole new dimension to travel for a MC.

So that's my top four under represented creatures. What creatures would you like to read about?

NOTE: For those of you hanging out for the results of the pitch contest with Mandy Hubbard, please note she is working her way through the HUGE number of entries. Once Mandy has decided the ones she wants to see, she will have a guest blog post to announce them.

Reviewer or Author?

2011-10-11T01:39:00.000-04:00

It's no surprise that many aspiring authors start blogging and, naturally, reviewing books. For the most part, authors like books and enjoy writing about them - so book reviewing is a natural progression. It seems like lately, though, the industry is telling these people to make a choice: Do you want to be a reviewer or an author? Because you can't have both.

Agents & editors are less inclined to take you on as a client/author if you have publicly criticized books they have represented/worked on.

Perhaps it is time to admit my obsession with book-related lolcats?

And I get that. I totally do; that's not what this post is about. This post is about the authors who know this, but seem to want to have it both ways. It's about aspiring authors who post one or two book reviews every week - and they are all given five star ratings.

I'm sorry; I don't know how to say this more delicately. I'm not buying it. There's no way you love every book you read. If you post one or more 4-5 star reviews per week and NO reviews with lesser ratings, I don't read your reviews - even if I subscribe to your blog. If you don't have a single negative thing to say about any book you read, I don't trust your (public) opinion.

Over the last few weeks, a few aspiring authors have asked me advice on this very topic. I say there are two options if you want to keep readers' respect:

1) Review under a pseudonym. This way, you can be completely honest in your reviews. Yes, it may be difficult maintaining two online personas and there's a good chance you've built a following that you don't want to lose. But at least you'll be able to say what you feel about a book without feeling like you're compromising your opinion in fear of burning an industry bridge. Also, readers will be able to trust that when you say you love a book, you truly mean it.

2) Only do book recommendations, not reviews. I've seen authors like Veronica Roth (who I totally adore; full disclosure) and Roni Loren do this. They only post when they truly enjoy a book and want to share it with their readers. It happens rarely enough that I still believe them when they recommend a book. Yeah, there are a lot of books they read that they don't recommend; I like to think of these as "pocket vetoes." I don't know what they are, but I don't worry about it too much.

Of course, there are other options. You can continue to post all honest opinions and risk burning bridges. Or you can continue to post those weekly+ five-star-reviews that I totally ignore. But I think the two I outlined above are the most viable for aspiring authors who wish to review books.

What do y'all think?

DJ's Advice for Aspiring Authors

2011-10-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

One thing I've noticed about the writing community is that we're all happy to share our advice and insight on the publishing world. I have learned so much thanks to other authors and I wouldn't trade any of their knowledge or advice for anything. (Well, I might trade it for a chance to meet Stephenie Meyer...) So, I would like to share my own words of wisdom with all of you and I hope you add your two cents in the comments. :-)

1. Write because you love it. Sure, I wanted to be published, but most of all I wanted to write about creatures of the night and awesome kissing scenes. Writing shouldn't be about money or movie deals or becoming the next JK Rowling. It should be about your passion for creating art out of words.

2. Be open to other publishing routes. I'm with Pendrell Publishing, a smaller house based in California and I love working with them. Hunted couldn't have found a better home. I know some people are determined to be published by one of the Big Five (is it five? I can't remember, haha), and while this is a great aspiration, there are other options. Don't be too hellbent on one destination, because you might miss out on something great.

3. Write, write, write, and write some more. Even if a story will never see the light of day because its awfulness will sparkle in the sun and blind people, just keep writing. This is how you learn and grow.

4. Read, read, read, and read some more. :-) Study how your favorite author develops their characters, how they make the setting believable, how they show and not tell.

5. Live life to its fullest. The world has so much to offer and you'll become a better writer and person by going out and doing fun, strange, and exciting things. The more experiences you gain, the more you'll be able to put into your characters. Plus, no one really wants to spend their whole life in front of a computer writing. :-)

Carrier of the Mark is OUT NOW!

2011-10-06T16:01:00.002-04:00

Oh precious blog followers...

Guess what is officially in stores as of Tuesday???

That's right.

CARRIER OF THE MARK!

You guys have to go get it. Seriously. It's made of win. Check out my own review of it here and it's Goodreads page here.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go get it!

Oh and when you read it, come back here and let us know what you think :D

Finding Your Passion

2011-10-03T10:32:00.004-04:00

I read THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER last week. Let me just say the book is made of awesome. I don't remember the last time I read a book this good. I loved it so much, I told a bunch of my friends about it. I plead the book's case and three people ended up buying it, devouring it, and loving it. I was fielding text messages, Tweets, and FB messages, a lot of which consisted of "OMG!" LOL. It was awesome. So much fun to talk about a book we all loved so much.

Then Saturday rolled around. I ended up in a couple hours long Tweet-fest on books with a couple different friends there. We were sharing some of our favorite adult series with each other, favorite characters, and which books were our favs. It was so fun to see which book they would mention. Which characters we all loved. Which boys made us swoon. I ended up with a list of new books to buy too.

Sunday was a writing day for me. I'm super close to finishing my WIP and when I get close, I get in the zone. I become obsessive about my book and don't want to walk away from it at all until it's done. I wrote for three hours at Starbucks. Came home and wrote in between all my household chores too. I was GIDDY over what I'd written. Even more in love with my characters. And PROUD. It's not finished and will need work, but I'm proud of the story I created. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

It's then I realized how very lucky I am. I know what my passion is. Books. And it's incredible because there are so many ways I can be passionate about them: reading, writing, talking about them. What an awesome, awesome thing it is to know what you love. To feel such a fire for something and to be able to DO it. I know what I love and I'm able to spend a whole Sunday LIVING it. I'm able to talk for hours about how different books affect me.

Amazing, how much words on a page can change your life. How you can live and breathe them and share them with the world. I'm so very lucky.

What is YOUR passion? If it's books, are you like me were you become obsessive about talking about them? Are stories and characters a kind of high for you? And because I love talking books, what's the last book you read that you just HAD to talk about?

Winners of Wendy's Giveaway!

2011-10-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

And the proud new owners of two dystopians are...

Zoey Talbon - Blood Red Road

A.J. - Delirium

Congratulations!!! :) I put all the names in a cup and my five-year-old daughter drew. She thought it was super fun. I'll be in contact soon.

~~~~~

As for our topic about scary books for this haunting season, a couple of you mentioned The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. Oh, my. Kelley Vitollo began it this week, and pretty much cyber-tackled me to make me read it. I just finished it last night, and I'm still reeling from it. Spooky? Yes. Suspenseful? Yes. Sexy? Incredibly. It's been a while since a book gripped my attention so thoroughly. I usually hate when first books leave off on a cliffhanger. It makes me not want to continue onto the sequel. But this ending, even with unanswered questions, left me strangely satisfied and squealing for the second book. If you're searching for something that will make you hear creepy noises during the night, look no further. Read it!!!

Dark YA Blogfest Signups!

2011-10-01T00:01:00.007-04:00

I LOVE DARK YA BLOGFEST SIGN UPS

Meet your hosts: Kelley York, Heather McCorkle, Christa Desir, and E.R. King.

We are so excited to be hosting this month-long blogfest in November for lovers of dark YA books. The rules are fairly simple. You only need to post on Wednesday of each week. We ask that you try to participate in each week’s activity, but you don’t have to if it doesn’t work for your schedule.

RULES:

1. Put the I LOVE DARK YA badge on your sidebar or at the top of each of the posts you do for the fest. Make sure you link it back to the YAtopia linky sign-up.
2. Visit blogs of your hosts and other participants if you can. Interact. Make some friends. It’ll be more fun!
3. Your blog post needs to be up on Wednesday. You can post early if you want, but people will be hopping on Wednesdays.

The themes for this blogfest:

WEEK ONE...
November 2nd: Blog about your favorite dark YA book(s).

WEEK TWO...
November 9th: Write a 500-word or less flash fiction piece inspired by this picture—

WEEK THREE...
November 16th: Music and Movie Fun—Take a dark YA book and build a soundtrack for it or cast characters for a movie version.

WEEK FOUR...
November 23rd: #YASAVES—Blog about how a dark YA book made an impact in your life.

WEEK FIVE...
November 30th: Waiting on Wednesday—What dark YA book are you most looking forward to?

On the final day of the blogfest, your hosts will each being doing a giveaway on their blogs. Any of the I LOVE DARK YA blogfest participants may enter. Sign-ups will remain open for the entire month of October. Thanks for joining in the fun!

Note: If you'd like to help spread the word for the blogfest, please link to this post! The signup form won't be available anywhere else.

EDIT: Sorry, guys. The old linky list went screwy on me. I had to make a new one and manually move all the entries. Keep entering, we still have a few days to go!!

Pitch contest with agent Mandy Hubbard

2011-09-29T01:13:00.003-04:00

It's competition time! Rockin agent Mandy Hubbard has stopped by YAtopia for a pitch contest. Here's the rules:

Post your two sentence pitch in the comments section of the blog along with:

Your name
Email
Title
Genre
Word count
Link to where you've shared the competition (any social media platform is fine).

Your entry must be YA or MG.
Entries close midnight 5 October.
You must be a YAtopia blog follower.

There is no limit to how many entries you can put in (as long as they're for different MS).

The Prizes: ANYONE who manages to capture Mandy's interest will recieve a full MS request!

Find out more about Mandy as an agent visit her website: www.mandyhubbard.com or by following her on Twitter @Mandyhubbard. You can also read an interview with Mandy on Down Under Wonderings.

Good Luck!

Banned Books Week - Beyond the Choir

2011-09-27T04:35:00.000-04:00

First of all, how come no one told me Banned Books Week started on my birthday this year?! It's one of my favorite Weeks (with a capital W), but it snuck up on me this time around.

Every time someone tries to ban a book in any capacity, the book community rallies and speaks out in support of the book and the author - and that's an amazing thing.

But I feel - a lot of the time - the real damage has already been done. And the beautiful defense of these wonderful, misrepresented books and justified outrage against the major news network that carried the story is akin to the choir all preaching to each other simultaneously - making a lot of noise that no one outside the church hears.

It's one thing when someone publicly speaks out against a book because it contains certain subject matter, leaving room for people to make their own judgements about whether or not they want to read it (or let their children read it).

But what about the times when someone - someone who many people will listen to - completely misrepresents a book? Like when a certain Missouri "educator" tells parents that Speak encourages teens to go to parties, get drunk and have sex. Or when church leadership, in the ultimate display of irony, tries to ban Fahrenheit 451 because they claim it endorses destroying religious texts. Or when a conservative teacher tries to wipe out the incredible messages in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by only talking about the (very accurately-depicted) language and a TEENAGE BOY's internal monologue about masturbation.

The media love these people. There's nothing that sells papers/commercials faster than a scandal and a threat to your children. Thousands of people declaring how YA lit with heavier themes has saved their lives? That doesn't get people to "tune in after this message from our sponsors."

My point is: parents and other decision-makers, listen to these deluded people and will forever think these books are horrible because they will never hear the impassioned (and more accurate) defenses of these life-affirming books. For all the wonderful #yasaves and #gayinya and #speakloudly discussions, most of the people seeing those discussions already support the cause, already think book banners are full of it.

So my question is, how do we reach these people? And on the same scale the book banners do? How do we let the parents and other decision-makers - who may have not read a novel since graduating high school, skim only the first three pages of the newspaper, don't follow any #yasaves fans on twitter, and trust everything the nightly news tells them at face value - know that reading a so-called "dark" book will actually make you or your child a better person? How do we stop preaching to the choir, reach beyond the participation of the congregation, and get our message out to everybody else?

***

Also, just wanted to throw in a mention that I'm giving away six books on my blog this week, including some by our very own DJ, Leigh and Kelley York! EVEN MORE, my sister and I are giving away two books by Lisa McMann at the YA Rebels.

Giveaways abound!

2011-09-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the late post, guys.

Thanks to the dreaded Day Job, my brain's a bit zapped as far as blog topics. Instead, I thought I'd share a few links because--largely thanks to Banned Books Week--there are a ton of great giveaways going on.

Yesterday, Wendy offered up a copy of DELIRIUM and BLOOD RED ROAD...hard covers, no less! (I've been itching to read Blood Red Road, to be honest.

Jolene is giving away a copy of TWENTY BOY SUMMER in honor of Banned Books Week.

From Jenni Merritt, also in honor of BBW, you can win $15 toward the Book Depository!

Sarah Nicolas is celebrating her birthday...by giving away books. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH!) Books you could win include our very own DJ's HUNTED, Leigh's CARRIER OF THE MARK, and my own HUSHED.

Lastly, Jus Accardo is offering a signed ARC copy of her book, TOUCH. This is pretty neat, because the ARC cover is entirely different from the cover that will be on the actual book...so it's sort of like a collector's item? ;)

I've extended my own ARC giveaway of HUSHED for this week, since I'm still getting in entries and want everyone to have a chance. I'll let it run until Friday and announce a winner on Saturday.

Any giveaways y'all want to share?