Operation Awesome

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

2012-02-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."

Octavia Butler

Writing is hard. If anyone says anything different then I want what they're having. *grins* But, despite the (occasional) hard moments, you write. You make the time to sit at the computer to type those words day after day. You edit, rewrite, query and go through the rainbow of emotions that accompany it.

You smile at requests. You file away the rejections. You shelve manuscripts you love. You write scenes and dialogue on scraps of paper/cereal boxes/text messages. You balance your real life with your fictional ones. You write. You persist. And that is the important thing.

Never give up. Never surrender.

You are a writer.

Stuck in the Muck--Editing Tip

2012-02-14T08:27:00.003-06:00

If you have't noticed, the Tuesday spot on the OA blog has been void of posts as of late. Recently, I've been given a great opportunity for my fantasy novel, which now sticks me in the muck of editing. Once I'm able, I'll share with you all more about the opportunity and let you know the outcome.

This opportunity also includes me revising my novel, including changing the POV from 1st to 3rd. (Sigh). As I've been going though the manuscript, doing other edits as well as changing the POV, I've notice key words bogging down the writing. So after I complete each chapter, I do a find/search function and go though each of these words.

look
pain
that
felt
just
feel
think
thought
was
down
up
back
around
out
had
only
ever
for
about

I was very generous with the use of directional words. Instead of saying "he sat" I would often put "he sat down." The word down is unnecessary and slows down the prose. Same way if I said "he looked up to the sky." The sky IS up, so why would I need to add the directional tag? I don't. "He looked to the sky" is just as effective (and lowers the unnecessary wordage).

Another thing that I did was having everyone looking. He looked. They looked. She looked. She looked at him. He looked at her. You get the idea.

Now, this doesn't mean that you CAN'T use these words. I'm a firm believe that all words have rights. Even was and had deserve to be used, too. It's the OVERUSE of words that give problems. So I do use the occasional "look" or "up" but took out a bunch when I could.

So what words do you find yourself using a lot? If you made a list, what would it be?

Interview with Jill Hathaway, YA Author of SLIDE!!

2012-02-13T05:13:00.000-06:00

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Since Slide is one of my most anticipated reads of 2012, I figured I'd ~~beg~~ ask Jill Hathaway to share her awesomeness on le blog! Luckily, she agreed, and today I'm happy to give you Jill's interview.

Le interview:

On the book

1) Vee's ability both fascinates and terrifies me! Was there ever a moment while working on SLIDE where you freaked yourself out?

I got goosebumps when I wrote the scene where Vee slides into the killer standing over Sophie's bloody corpse.

2) I read on your blog that your ideas usually come to you while driving. How much of SLIDE did you brainstorm in your car?

Hmmm... Maybe about 50%? I commute to work, so I think about stories A LOT while I'm driving. But about half the story just comes to me while I'm writing. I'm definitely a combo plotter/pantser!

3) You've mentioned watching the super awesome TV show Veronica Mars prior to writing SLIDE. Was the book's mystery element a result of this, or was the show part of your research?

It definitely wasn't research. I think writers subconsciously draw on a lot of their experiences or things they've read or seen, and I think a lot of the tone came from things like VERONICA MARS and HEATHERS and other shows/movies/books I've enjoyed.

4) YA is no stranger to paranormal stories, but paranormal mystery is making a name for itself. What appeals to you most about the genre?

I guess I didn't think of the genre while I was writing the story. My first kernel of an idea was a girl somehow finding herself in the head of a killer standing over a dead body, and that naturally led to a mystery. And I needed the paranormal aspect to explain how she got into the killer's head--that's where sliding came in.

On Writing

1) Pantser or plotter?

Definitely a combo. I usually have an endpoint or certain scenes in my mind, but I let myself run wild when I'm drafting. It makes for a lot of revising...

2) Revisions. Love them or hate them?

I guess I'm ambivalent. They can be frustrating, but I know they're necessary to craft the best possible book.

3) How much of SLIDE's first draft made it into the final version?

*laughs* SLIDE was rewritten many times. In fact, the killer changed from the rough draft to the final version. And manymanymany other parts of the story changed, as well. It's enough to make me want to outline, but I find it difficult to do at the beginning of the process.

4) You have an awesome series on your blog called Query Makeover! Since you were so generous in helping other writers with their queries, and since you're repped by the wonderful Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency, I was wondering if you could tell us about your process of nabbing Sarah's attention. Did you query her? If so, was there anything that helped you craft The Best Query Possible?

Sarah fished me out of the slush. The main thing I tried to do in my query is hook the reader, just as you would with the blurb on the back of a book. You have to make the agent want to read more. Same thing with the first five pages, which a lot of agents request now.

5) What's your #1 piece of advice for querying authors?

Make sure your manuscript is in the best shape possible.

On randomness

1) Favorite TV show/movie: Veronica Mars

2) Favorite candy: Anything Reeses

3) You're stranded on an island by yourself. Which book would you read over and over again? THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt

4) If you weren't a writer, you would be... a teacher! Which I am. So... Yeah. :)

A HUGE thanks to the wonderful Jill for stopping by OA today!!! Make sure you pick up your copy of Slide on March 27th, and go follow Jill's blog, her Twitter and Facebook!!

Sharing the Booklove: Dies Irae and Lacrimosa

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-06:00

Check out these pretties...

Christine is over at my blog today guest blogging about writing gothic and thriller subgenres!

Praise for her books:

“Dies Irae is the perfect introduction to Christine Fonseca’s Requiem series. The beauty of the words will tempt you, the tragedy of the story will break you, and the love, woven throughout like music through the trees, will haunt you for days afterward. Dies Irae promises a tale unlike any you’ve read before.”

~Ali Cross, Author of BECOME

"LACRIMOSA reaches out, grabs readers by the heart, and takes them on an emotional journey from the first page to the last. The last novel you'll need to read to understand true sacrifice." - Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION

If you've read Elana J's POSSESSION, it makes her statement all the more impressive, as she's an author whose characters know about true sacrifice.

Do you read fiction with a thriller/gothic bent? What's your all-time fave?

Things That Make Me Go WOW...and Grab a Pen

2012-02-09T07:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, bear with me through the fangirl gushing for a paragraph or two - I promise there is writing related stuff coming :D

Has anyone seen that Sherlock series on PBS (or BBC depending on what side of the pond you live :) It comes on right after Downton Abbey)? Like Downton Abbey, I resisted watching it despite glowing reviews from my friends. And like Downton Abbey, once I saw one episode I was completely hooked and found a way to watch ALL the episodes, seasons 1 and 2. And I'm completely bummed I have to wait until next year (most likely) for season 3.

The show is, simply put, brilliant. There are so many twists and turns - and not just regular twists and turns, but COOL twists and turns. The situations are serious, the dialogue is awesome, and the characters make me laugh and sometimes cry.

When I watch something like this, I sometimes sit back and just think, "Man! I wish I could write like that!" It makes me want to pull out my WIPs and rewrite them, or add to them, or just amp them up in a million different ways. It makes me think harder about the twists I put in my own stories. It makes me try harder to be more original, to surprise my readers more, to make them care more about my characters.

The hubs will sometimes ask me why I'm watching shows like this instead of writing. I do it because of all the reasons above. Sure, it's an enjoyable way to procrastinate :) But it's also a wonderful inspiration and motivation to make my own writing BETTER.

Have you ever watched anything that just made you think - Oooo that makes me want to be BETTER?

I Spy a Series

2012-02-08T13:35:00.001-06:00

Lets take a trip to a wonderful place. A place where adventures are within our fingertips. A place where all you have to do is crack open the cover and you can be anywhere. A place called the bookstore.

Browsing the shelves (and later my own bookcases) I discovered that most of the books are part of a series.

Here are a few examples:

Harry Potter (7 books)
The Mortal Instruments (4 books and counting)
The Hex Hall series (2 books and 1 to go)
Vampire Academy (6 books, 1 spin-off series)
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay
Shiver, Linger, Forever.
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn.
Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath.
The Sookie Stackhouse series (9 books so far)

Why so many? Some books begin life with the best intentions of being a stand alone title. But as the story unfolds, the characters revealed, darker layers and wider narratives open up making it impossible to tell the full saga in 300/400 pages. A sequel (or series) is born.

Some books are plotted with the intentions of being a series, like The Immortals by Alyson Noel.

It doesn't seem to bother readers if there are two, three, or even perhaps seven books in a series. And there's something comforting about settling down to read a book with a character you know. If we enjoy it then we get involved and have to read on. Sometimes we don't. I'm sure there are people who didn't enjoy/couldn't finish some of the books I've mentioned.

But how do we look on this as writers? We're told to write stand alone books where we can. Pitch one book. But why are we told to query our books as stand alone when it seems like every book out there has a larger story arc to tell?

Confusion.

But this doesn't seem to put off agents or publishers from signing books with series potential. So I say write the story you want to write. Stand alone, sequel, trilogy or series. Because it only takes one agent to fall in love with your book. And then one publisher. And if it's the right idea, the right story, your series could be up there with the others.

What do you think?

Query Workshop: Comparative Titles

2012-02-06T04:58:00.000-06:00

So. Queries. Scary stuff, right? *nods*

I've been thinking about them a lot these past couple of days. If you're an unpubbed writer seeking an agent/editor, you know how stressful writing a query can be. Some say it's even more stressful than writing the freakin' manuscript. Well, no worries! I am here today to offer a bit of help. In today's edition of le Query Workshop, I'd like to talk about something that helps agents/editors place your book within the market: comparative titles.

Here are my tips for choosing the best comp titles for your book:

1) Think of your genre

If you write horror novels, chances are you read published books within that genre. You're familiar with its rules and conventions, as well as the authors who employ them. For your query, I think it's best to use at least one comp title within the horror genre, since your book belongs to the same family. But don't use any horror novel just because: stick to comp titles that handle the elements of your book with the same intensity. If it's a slasher novel, think of a pubbed novel with a slasher in it. Then think of how much slashing there is in that pubbed novel. If it matches the amount of slashing in yours, you have a winner.

2) Think of your premise

Another way of choosing comp titles is through your premise. You have your horror novel. Let's say it's about a killer clown who eats zombies. Stephen King's It has a killer clown, although he doesn't eat zombies. In this case, I think you can pitch your book in the following way: "My novel can be described as Stephen King's It meets The Walking Dead." Instead of saying readers of so-and-so novels will enjoy it, pitch it as a mash-up of two premises, but make sure those premises are similar to yours.

3) Think of your audience

Let's say you wrote that horror novel with a killer clown who eats zombies. But the main character's voice isn't uber-serious and creeptastic. It's more on the funny side, despite the horrible things happening to him/her. Your intended readers, who are fans of funny and creepy, won't pick it up if you pitch it as Stephen King's It meets The Walking Dead, will they? In this case, I'd say you have to find: 1) comp titles within the same genre, 2) comp titles with a similar premise, and 3) comp titles aimed at the same audience (depends on the MC's voice/your writing style). For example, I'd pitch your ms as such: "My novel can be described as Stephen King's It meets Zombieland." The former fits the 1st and 2nd requirement, while the latter fits the 3rd. Not only does this help you and your agent/editor market your book, but your target audience will have an easier time discovering your awesomeness!

So. Comp titles. Choose 'em well, folks. Choose 'em well.

Also, if any of you are traumatized with Stephen King's It as much as I am, I apologize. *shudders*

If you have any questions regarding comp titles, or would like to share your awesome wisdom, please leave them in the comments!

Happy Monday, and happy querying! :)

And the winner....

2012-02-04T05:00:00.014-06:00

of Christine Fonseca's DIES IRAE is.....

Marthapao!!!

Send me an email at authormichellemclean (at) yahoo (dot) com with your email address and format preference (pdf, Nook, or Kindle) and I'll get your two copies of DIES IRAE sent over!!

Congrats!! If you'd like more chances to win a copy, head to Christine's blog for deets on her blog tour or you can purchase the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Cover Reveal: BREATHLESS by Cole Gibsen

2012-02-03T10:29:00.002-06:00

My awesome friend, Cole Gibsen, has an exciting month coming up in March. She has not one, but TWO books coming out. Today, at Operation Awesome, we get to share in that excitment by revealing on of those covers to you all. Here is the cover for her upcoming book, BREATHLESS. You can read an excerpt on her publisher's website here.

Obituary-reading emo girl Edith Small is broken - the endresult of forcing herself inside a mold that doesn't fit. All she wants is toconform to her strict sergeant stepfather's rules long enough to make it tograduation day. But a boat accident threatens to unravel the life Edith has worked so hard tokeep. After waking up in a hospital with a lacerated shoulder, Edith fakesamnesia. Because admitting she received her injuries from a blue-haired girlwho breathes underwater is all the reason Sir needs to send Edith on the firstbus to military school.

Safe at home, Edith struggles to put the nightmare behind her. But themysterious creatures that live in the ocean aren't about to let her forget. After meeting Bastin - a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes - on asecluded dock, Edith learns about the war raging undersea to end humanexistence. A war that Edith, unwittingly, has become the key to winning.

In a world where death is an ever-present shadow and motives are as dark as thebottom of the ocean, Edith must decide if her life is worth risking for a lovethat can't survive past the shore.

Release Date: March 27^th, 2012
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-02-02T06:48:00.001-06:00

My wonderful friend and crit partner, Christine Fonseca, is celebrating the release of her novella DIES IRAE. This book launches her amazing Requiem series (LACRIMOSA, the first book in the series, will be out 3/21/12). Here's a teaser:

Some sacrifices should never be made—even for love.

Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. But when he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth as teenagers, following the rules is more difficult than they expected.
Being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia.

Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces, and fighting against his rising emotional, Mikayel must now decide how many rules he is willing to break to save his friends, a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.

So, to help her celebrate, we are giving away not one, but TWO, copies to one lucky commenter. One copy for you, and one to give away to the person of your choice :D (your choice of pdf, Nookbook, or Kindle).

To enter, just leave a comment below. Winner will be announced Saturday. Good luck everyone and congrats Christine!!!

And here's a sneak peek of LACRIMOSA :)

As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the warrior angels called Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.

He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.

Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself.

About Christine Fonseca

School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her debut YA Gothic series, The Requiem Series, including DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA, examines the role of redemption, sacrifice and love. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

DIES IRAE can be found on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

February Mystery Agent CONTEST!!

2012-02-01T04:51:00.010-06:00

The contest is now closed. Thank you all for entering. GOOD LUCK!

Welcome to our February Mystery Agent contest!!! If you haven't read our Mystery Agent's wish list, please go read it NOW.

Without further ado, here are the rules:

1) Entries must be left in the comments section of today's post (do not email us your entries! You won't be entered in the contest if you do so).

2) You must have a completed manuscript that's ready to send upon request.

3) You can only pitch once today (only one project). If you participated in previous MA contests, you may enter this one as well (no worries!).

4) Please include TITLE and GENRE along with your pitch.

5) Your pitch must be one sentence long. The exact word count is up to you, but remember: stick to the point!

6) The contest will close once we receive 50 entries.

7) The winner will receive a FULL manuscript request! Our Mystery Agent may or may not choose runners up as well, but it's totally up to them.

Now go forth, my pitching friends!! Best of luck to all who enter!! :)

February Mystery Agent DETAILS :)

2012-01-30T05:10:00.001-06:00

So. We here at OA are hosting our monthly Mystery Agent contest this Wednesday, February 1st.

*dances all over the place*

In order to get y'all prepped for the contest, I thought I'd give you our Mystery Agent's genre preferences a little earlier. That way, you'll know if our MA will jump at the chance to read your manuscript!

These are the genres our MA is dying to see in ze slush pile:

Picture books

Middle grade fiction

YA fiction

Historical fiction

Literary women's fiction

Smart/funny/snarky literary fiction (think Christopher Moore Chuck Palahniuk)

Narrative nonfiction--heavy on the narrative

And these are the genres our MA *doesn't* want to see:

Paranormal romance

Straight romance:

Not interested in contemporary romance unless it's very literary and quirky. No modern-Harlequin titles, like the whole P.I.-falls-in-love-with-the-woman-who-hired-him angle.
Our Mystery Agent loves historical fiction and would consider a romance with an interesting historical setting.

Genre sci-fi

Genre mystery

High fantasy

There you have it!!! Make sure to stop by this Wednesday so you can have a shot at a full request!!

Happy Monday!

The Idea File

2012-01-28T20:36:00.008-06:00

It's said that ideas are a dime a dozen. I disagree. No one's paying me for them, but my story ideas are gold to me. I treasure my idea file almost much as my novel drafts.

My idea file has a few forms. It includes three partly outlined novels, a few paragraph-length summaries, a line or two each in individual Word docs, one long list of story ideas, a few snippets, a paragraph here or there. A few years ago it had nothing. Then when I finally started writing a novel, I had more novel plots than I could write. Then a few years later, a wrote a picture book. Now, thanks to Tara Lazar's Picture Book Idea Month, I have a couple drafts and a lot more ideas.

Often I review my idea file before a walk or drive so I can turn a premise over in my mind, transforming an idea into a story. Almost everything in that file (well, except a couple make-weights from PiBoIdMo, if I'm honest) seems tantalizingly viable. I just need the time, skill, and creativity to do those ideas justice ... someday.

So a dime a dozen? No way. I insist on the traditional penny-per-thought rate. Unless you have a 20 percent off Groupon, and then a dime will do.

How do you keep track of your ideas? Are you a one-at-a-time writer, or do you have a vault full of SNIs?

And get your pitches ready -- New Mystery Agent contest beginning on Wednesday, February 1!

Need inspiration? Read the i swim for oceans interview with Operation Awesome's Angela J. Townsend, author of AMAROK, a unique, dark, thrilling paranormal coming soon from Spencer Hill Press.

Cover reveal: Updated Covers for Possession & Surrender

2012-01-27T04:57:00.000-06:00

When the fabulous Elana Johnson announced via Twitter that she had a secret to reveal, I dropped my cookies and jumped at the chance to help her reveal it.

You remember these covers, right?:

Gorgeous, right? Well here's what landed in my inbox from Elana...

First, I present the newly-designed cover for the POSSESSION paperback:

I love (and own) the original cover in hardback, but I think the graduated background colour really compliments the the butterfly in the ice. And did you notice the new tagline?

And here is the hardback cover for SURRENDER:

Again, I think the colour of the background makes the bird in the jar pop.

I'm normally a bit on the fence about cover redesigns. I like my books (especially the ones in a series) to compliment each other when they live on my bookshelves (I know, I'm weird *grins*). But I do love these new covers. Plus the cover backgrounds just happen to be two of my favourite covers. :)

What about you? What do you think about the POSSESSION and SURRENDER covers?

Where Do I Send It?

2012-01-26T11:07:00.000-06:00

So you have an unagented short story or novel that you want to submit for publication, but don't know where to look? Here are a few places that currently have submission calls out:

Entangled Publishing - several calls out for anthologies and a couple new lines

Pugalicious Press - looking for historical romance shorts for an anthology

Sourcebooks - they are actively acquiring single-title romances (90k - 100k words) for their Casablanca imprint. They are also seeking YA titles (60k - 90k words) for their Sourcebook Fire imprint

Samhain - They always have calls out and this time they are looking for Horror shorts and novels (12k -100k) and Retro romances

Inkspell Publishing - looking for Fantasy (any sub-genre; urban fantasy, paranormal, YA, historical, etc) (20k - 80k)

Rev-is-ion

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000-06:00

Revisions.

One little word provides HOURS, months of work.

We take our first draft jumble of words, hack them to pieces, rewrite, cut words, add words, tighten sentences, reorder scenes, show not tell, and generally make our story sparkle like a Cullen.

Everyone has their own ways of revising. I'm always curious to see the revision process another writer follows. Why we add, cut, change what we do to tell the best story we can. So when Maggie Stiefvater posted a dissection of a rough chapter of The Scorpio Races, with a description of why she made the changes, I headed over to see what I could learn to help hone my own revision skills.

And now ten other amazing authors have (like Kimberly Derting, Saundra Mitchell, Kiersten White, and Brenna Yovanoff) have done the same. Head on over HERE to check out the links to the posts.

What about you? Any revision tips/tricks to share?

P.S. Don't forget to get those pitches ready for Feb 1st. We have another fabulous Mystery Agent lined up waiting. Details will be posted soon.

And The Golden Globe Book Contest WINNER Is...

2012-01-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

Rebecca Little!!!!

CONGRATS, Rebecca! You just won a preorder of your most anticipated read of 2012:

Please email us your address to operationawesome6@gmail.com!!

And to those who didn't win--don't fret! We've got lots more contests on the way, including our February Mystery Agent!!! Stay tuned for ze details :)

Happy Monday!

Writing Exercise: Status update story starters

2012-01-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

Something occurred to me on facebook yesterday as I was posting a strange experience I'd had at the phlebotomist's office that morning. Facebook status updates (or twitter updates) can be great story starters. Maybe not for that amazing book I'm going to write someday, but definitely as a writing exercise!

Here's how it happened. I posted this little story:

Before the guy drew my blood this morning, he palpated the vein a few times and then muttered, "It's harder to find with gloves on." Just the thing you want to hear from the foreign-sounding phlebotomist before he sticks a needle in your arm.

People I know responded with a mixture of humor and horror at this tidbit, and then it hit me. That wonderful "what if." It wasn't a story IDEA, but just a plain old idea. What if I made that the first sentence in a story? Would it work to draw people in? It had been compelling enough to attract comments on facebook, which is at least some kind of barometer for compelling-ness. :) I decided with a few tweaks, it would be a fun first sentence. It could launch me into a story about a woman getting a routine blood test drawn or a teenager with a chronic illness who spends an inordinate time getting needles stabbed in her arm. Voila. Writing exercise!

Try it with twitter:

"Don't even think of sneaking in that sausage!"

Is it Mom scolding your little brother for trying to feed the dogs at the pound? Actually, the link goes to a news blip about customs agents with adorable beagles putting the smackdown on people trying to smuggle illicit foodstuffs into the U.S. Hee hee. Something about 'illicit foodstuffs' just makes me giggle. The fun thing about this writing exercise it that you can bend the first line into any story you want. That's what makes it a creative exercise.

Go ahead, look at the cinnamon rolls. Mmmm...

"I got up this morning and made cinnamon rolls because I couldn't think of a reason why not to."

What I love about this tweet is the way it shows Claudia's personality. Starting with a voicey statement is always great. As a reader, I'm immediately intrigued. (Remember, if you are borrowing your first line from another writer's status update (I follow a lot of writers at varying stages of their journeys), make sure it just helps you START your writing exercise or story. If you want to get it published, you'll need it to be all your own work, so that first line will have to be changed. (See fabulous writer movie Finding Forrester for the consequences of plagiarism)

Something you might find fun is going through your old status updates to see which, if any, would work as first lines. Since we're writers, we naturally put care into those brief snippet stories we tell our friends through facebook and twitter. You might find that some of your best work has already been started by you. It just needs a little (okay, a LOT of) TLC to blossom into something else.

I can't be the only person who enjoys taking things out of context!

Here are some more of my own facebook status updates, sometimes tweaked a little to be story starters (feel free to use any of them):

There is one girl on Sam's basketball team.

I've had better days.

Heating pad, you are my only friend.

Mmmm, baby likes honey. She's moving around like crazy in my belly.

I had the absolute worst, vivid nightmare last night. Maybe I should lay off the California rolls before bed.

Okay, that's enough of my strange life. Now look at your own facebook and twitter pages and see if you can't find something that could inspire a story. This writing exercise could turn into your next book. Or it could just get you out of a writing funk. Either way, it's a win.

Happy writing!!

And for funsies, in the comments, post your favorite status update, either by you or someone else (give credit where it's due, please).

AWESOME ENDINGS

2012-01-18T11:23:00.000-06:00

We all know how important it is to get the beginning of our books just right. You need to hook the reader. We have to grab them enough to want to read on.

We know the middle shouldn't be saggy. That you need to keep the action moving.

Then there is the end. If you've kept them with your MC for pages then the ending needs to be one that keeps them turning the page.

Here is an awesome tip from author K.M.Weiland to help keep your ending exciting:

What about you? How do you make your endings thrilling?

The Golden Globe Awards... For BOOKS! And A CONTEST!

2012-01-16T06:53:00.000-06:00

So. I love movies. And award shows.

And, of course, books.

Since the Golden Globes were celebrated last night, I figured I'd have a mini-celebration today!

Here's the deal: I'm going to share the category name on this post, and you lovely people will write your nominees in the comments. Easy, right?

The point of this is, well, so I can steal your nominees for my To-Read pile. Shameless, I know.

*sighs*

But alas! A twist! One lucky commenter will win a preorder of their nominated book! All I ask is that you:

1) be a follower

2) share your nominee on this post

3) live on Planet Earth (contest is international)

Okay. Here's the Golden Globe For Books Category:

Most Anticipated Read of 2012

You have until this Sunday, January 22nd to enter. The winner will be announced next Monday, January 23rd! Best of luck to all who enter!

Shannon Messenger's Epic October Surprise!

2012-01-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

Cruising along facebook this morning, I found this...

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/2012/01/behold-shiny-cover.html

Which led me straight to THIS:

Written by the fabulous author, Shannon Messenger!

The goodreads blurb:

Twelve-year-old Sophie has always been different -- she's years ahead of the other kids in school and can read minds. She's always assumed there's some kind of logical explanation for her talents, but when she meets an adorable and mysterious boy, she finds out the shocking truth. She's never felt at home because she, well, ... isn't.

There are secrets buried deep in her memory, secrets about her true identity and why she was hidden among humans, that others desperately want and would even kill for. And she must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Sounds epic, right? Hence the title of this post. This exciting new book comes out October 2, 2012. That's this year! (for those of you who, like me, still write 2011 on their checks)

*happy sigh*

I love it when super nice, hard-working people get their due, and Shannon is both super nice AND hard-working. If you haven't checked out her super-helpful writing blog, I highly recommend it, especially the Shannon Style series.

Now that I'm done fangirling, I want to know what books of 2012 excite you the most!

I'll get you started...

Endlessly (last of the Paranormalcy trilogy by Kiersten White) on July 24, 2012
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger on October 2, 2012
Deadwood by Operation Awesome's own Kelly Andrews in September 2012
Amarok by Operation Awesome's own Angela Townsend on November 20, 2012

What have you been waiting for in 2012?

We Read. We Write. We Read.

2012-01-11T09:54:00.000-06:00

We all know, as writers, that it's important for us to read. Read within our genre. Read outside our genre. Read the back of that cereal box before you put the groceries away. (You never know what inspiration may strike from a box of Cornflakes. Aliens attack and the only weapon strong enough to defeat them is their intolerance to cereal products. It could happen, right? *grins*)

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot."

Stephen King

But there's something about reading that stirs something inside a writer. Whether it be the fantastic craft book you read that helps you solve that plot problem. The wonderful YA book that you connect with. The book that makes you strive to write something that makes others feel what you just experienced in that moment. The book with beautiful, lyrical writing. The imagery. Even the book you couldn't seem to finish can help with your own WIP. What made you stop? How can you avoid that in your own story?

And then there is reading for the pleasure of it. The book that sucks us in, makes us forget about the craft and enjoy the story.

All writers read. We read to learn. We read for pleasure. We read to help us write. We write what we'd like to read. We read.

What are you reading at the moment?

Open Thread: Authors vs. Their Work

2012-01-09T07:15:00.000-06:00

So. I've been thinking a lot about authors and their online platforms these past couple of days. Specifically, the kind of reputation an author has with those who follow their blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts (whether they're hilarious/informative/inspirational/etc). In some cases, we might even buy an author's book because we like their online platform, even if the author writes in a genre we don't typically read (confession: I am SUPER guilty of this and am in no way ashamed of it).

But I'm curious about something else: what happens when things go south? Let's say you discover an author through the blogosphere/Internet, like their perspective on writing/life, and fall head over heels for their books. What if the author does something that disappoints you? Not as a reader, but as a person (i.e. their attitude toward something you take seriously isn't respectful or tactful).

This leads to today's open thread question: does an author's reputation come into play when you're choosing between reading their work or not? Or does content trump reputation?

I'm really looking forward to your thoughts!

Sing your own song

2012-01-06T10:10:00.000-06:00

It's a brand spanking new year!!

I LOVED reading Lindsay's post, The Year to Believe! I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Not just about believing in the process of writing, querying, and finally making it, but also believing in your own voice as a writer.

I've written about this before. It's something I struggle with that, despite my six manuscripts, continues to make me feel like a beginning writer. I obsess over 'getting my voice right' rather than going with my gut. A few members of my family have read my rougher drafts and then later drafts and been disappointed. "Why did you take this out? Why did you add in all these mucky details?" They liked the way it came out at first, raw and flowing. My little sister tells me repeatedly, "Write for yourself."

Write for yourself.

But I'm writing for publication. But I'm writing for a specific market. But I'm trying to get published here!

Write for yourself.

Some of the fun goes out of writing when we try to bend too much to the world. I think of the rule-breakers that have made a mark on the literary world: C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia sure aren't written the way you'd expect middle grade to be written. Nor is Where the Red Fern Grows, which starts out with an old man reminiscing on his childhood. Sure, the rules were different in other decades, but how different really?

Today, the rule-breakers are trend-setters, especially in YA. Twilight didn't follow any rules of plot that I'm familiar with, and yet it reached me on an emotional level from the beginning. I wouldn't call The Hunger Games a rule-follower, either. It set the bar for dystopian societies very high by being its own kind of book.

Agents say, "Write the best story you can."

That is the only rule.

Sometimes when they say that, I hear: "Write a better story than you possibly can," and I get a little depressed. Past rejection has a way of lingering way past its expiration date like little silver ghosts that float around my head and remind me, "not right for my list," "too similar to something else," "no place for this in the market."

It's so hard some days to write with those horrible little poltergeists swarming me from all sides. I wish I had a Patronus spell to cast them back a mile or two, just so I can...

Write for myself.

Expecto Patronum!

Did it work?

Ah, it did work.

The Year to Believe requires that we put our past failures in the past and not allow them to muck up the future we have planned for ourselves and our characters.

Write for yourself.

Believe in your voice.

Happy 2012!

The Year To Believe

2012-01-04T01:00:00.005-06:00

It's 2012. I know that's obvious (since we're four days into it), but the last few days have felt like someone snatched the end of 2011 away like the last cookie from the pack. *sniff*

But it's time to wave goodbye 2011. Time to smile. To focus on a new year of challenges.

I don't go in for resolutions. I used to, but resolutions feel like a huge ball of chaos and expectations that will explode on me at any second. And I usually forget about them by February.

But I'm not going into battle with the year unarmed. I've decided to focus on a word.

This year is the year to believe. Not just for anything I'd like to achieve, but for all of us.

I believe that you'll finish those first drafts. Those revisions.
I believe that you'll have another story idea.
I believe that good things are just around the corner.

Believe in yourself.

Because you are amazing.

And I believe in you.

What are you going to believe in this year?

In Which I Tell You To Bleed On The Page

2012-01-02T06:20:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

*throws confetti in your face*

*dances*

Okay, okay. Enough with the partying. Let's get serious.

*blinks*

Uh... yeah... I don't do serious very well...

So. Let's get sort of serious, shall we?

2012 is going to rock. Because I say so. Because you say so. Our wills are powerful beasts, my friends. This is true whether you've made new year's resolutions or not--either way, there are things you're going to go after this year. There were things you went after last year, right? And there are things you'll go after the year after this one. It never ends. So. With that in mind, I have a proposition for y'all. In 2012, and all the years to follow, I want you to do something: bleed on the page.

This might sound disgusting/gory/justplainwrong to some of you. I apologize for the mental picture. BUT it's not what it sounds like. When I say I want you to bleed on the page, what I mean is, whatever you write (short story/poem/novel), please write it from a place that makes you feel. It can hurt, make you laugh till you cry, or both. Doesn't matter. I want you to sit down and write something that costs you. Something that stirs the deepest parts of your core and never. Lets. Go. Most importantly, I want you to write something that forces you to pour everything that makes you you on that page.

I'm not asking you to seek publication, or to write something suitable for publication. I'm not asking you to follow trends, or write something you think will be a trend in the coming months.

I'm asking you to write for yourself.

Because if you do, I might send this special surprise as a reward:

And you know what they say: NOBODY says "no" to The Skarsgard!!

Okay, okay. I made that up.

See what I mean about not doing serious very well?

*sigh*

Now tell me: do you have any projects ready to be bled on? Or will you start new projects this year?

Bring on 2012!

2012-01-01T10:42:00.002-06:00

It's January 1, 2012, and the new year finds me feeling strangely optimistic. Strange, because this is ME talking, and I'm not known for wearing rose-colored glasses.

Better things are ahead -- for the world, I most urgently hope. When I read year-end news wrap-ups, it's clear that for many worldwide 2011 was a grim year, full of political upheavals and dislocations, economic hardship, and natural disasters. May last year's unrest yield a happier, more peaceful, prosperous year ahead.

And for me, better things are ahead, I think. DEADWOOD, my debut MG novel, is due out from a small press in September, and on Tuesday I start a new job, which may last only a few months but in the meantime will pay a few bills. My family continues to be healthy and happy. I think more good things are coming and I can't wait to see what they'll be.

I'm glad and grateful to have survived 2011, and I'm looking forward to 2012. What are you looking forward to?

You Tell Us....

2011-12-29T09:17:00.002-06:00

What was your favorite book of 2011? Or books...because heaven knows I can't pick just one :D

What to get a writer...

2011-12-22T07:44:00.000-06:00

Wondering what to get that writer on your Christmas list? Here are a few links that might help you out :)

A Writer's Christmas (my own wish list)
Stina Lindenblatt's 12 Days of Christmas for Writers
Dorothy Love's All I Want for Christmas: A Writer's Wish List
Creepy Query Girl's 12 Days of a Writer's Christmas
The Happy Freelancer's A Writer's Christmas List(what to get a writer and what NOT to get a writer)
FrootBat31's A Writer's Wish List

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T01:00:00.002-06:00

Just a short post today, but I wanted to say a huge Happy Holidays to everyone.

Here is a little festive message from the BBC that always makes me smile when I watch it. Enjoy:

P.S. I think my favourite bits are these:

Something about the Twister playing/dancing Cyberman that makes me laugh.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Are you ready for the festivities?

Your WIP = Zombies. For reals.

2011-12-19T05:34:00.000-06:00

So. There's this show I'm obsessed with. Actually, I'm obsessed with a lot of shows. But this post only works with this one:

AMC's The Walking Dead

Many people (writers included) suggest aspiring authors not to watch TV. The quality's terrible. It's filled with cliches/stereotypes/bad dialogue and plotting. As an avid TV watcher, I can safely say that yes, some shows are like that. But guess what? The opposite is also true. It's important to soak in as many stories as you can, especially if you're a writer. Even author Janice Hardy backs me up on this. And since she's a lot wiser and awesome-er than me, you should totally believe her.

Which leads me to The Walking Dead.

Sure, it's got zombies and blood and all that jazz. But the show, and the graphic novels it's based on, are about a group of people who're struggling to find hope in a dying world. They're also struggling to survive. Part of that survival is learning how to leave things behind. More importantly, leaving those we love behind.

What the heck does that have to do with your WIP?

If you won NaNoWriMo, or if you didn't participate but are currently revising a manuscript, you have to think like the characters from The Walking Dead.

Here's a timeline:

Stage One

Before loved one gets infected = Reaching THE END on your first draft = You are so happy it hurts and life is awesomesauce.

Stage Two

Loved one gets infected = You reread your first draft = O_O HOW DO I FIX THIS NOW????????

Stage Three

Loved one turns into a zombie + You don't want to kill them = Edits are going to be daunting + You don't want to start them = *does nothing*

Stage Four

Loved one wants to eat you for dinner + Loved one is no longer the same person after infection, and is lost forever = First draft can't be queried/sent to editors because it will eat your career for dinner + First draft won't be the same after edits, but it will be so much better = Survival instincts kick in.

Stage Five

You off your loved one = You revise your first draft.

My point? In order to go from aspiring to the real deal, you have to know when to follow your heart, and when to follow your head. Revisions are a bit of both. It's up to you to figure out how to proceed from there.

And remember, this is what your first draft looks like to you:

And this is what it really looks like:

Nuff said.

Now tell me: what's the infection/post-drafting experience like for you? Good? Bad? A bit of both?

My middle-grade novel has found a home!

2011-12-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

So finally I have some good news to report here on Operation Awesome!

I sold my MG novel, DEADWOOD PARK, to Pugalicious Press, a new small publisher specializing in MG/YA fantasy and adventure. My book should be out September 2012! I'm so excited to have found the right home for DEADWOOD PARK, and I couldn't have done it without the women of Operation Awesome.

Truthfully, I don't think I would have finished the novel without them. I had written my first novel without any other readers except my husband until I got my agent. When that book didn't sell, I was devastated. Now I know how common that is, how many manuscripts many writers craft before finding one that hits all its marks to reach an agent, editor, and readers, but then, the last thing I felt like doing was finishing the draft of another book when the first one hadn't sold. But I knew I had to keep writing. While on submission, I had a lot of wonderful writer friends, but I was intimidated. I needed something new to find a way to push through.

Despite my reluctance to share work, I joined the talented women of Operation Awesome. I showed them my very raw first pages, and they encouraged me to keep going. It felt worthwhile and achievable, and at the very least, I had to write enough to have something to turn in when my time was up for critiques.

I'm very proud of DEADWOOD PARK, and I'm so happy to have found Pugalicious Press so I can share this story with readers.

So thank you to Operation Awesome and to all the awesome writers, agents, and readers who have supported us. Thanks to all my writer friends on the magical interwebs because now it all starts again as I try to write my next book.

Here's the story:

Twelve-year-old Army brat Martin Cruz hates his rotten new town. He counts the days until his mom returns from Afghanistan to rescue him from his controlling aunt, who barely feeds him and won’t let him play his favorite multiplayer online role-playing game. Then two things change everything. His aunt forces him to join Junior Junior Executives of Tomorrow. And he gets a text message from a tree telling him it’s cursed — and so is he.

It’s not just any tree. It’s the Spirit Tree, the ancient beech the high school football team carves each year to commemorate the home opener. Every year they lose. And Junior Junior Executives of Tomorrow isn’t just any club. If he can find the connection between the two, he can heal the cursed tree and reverse the town's crappy luck. But first the curse turns more sinister. If Martin can’t save the town he despises, he’ll be stuck in Deadwood Park at the mercy of the psycho who cursed it.

We'll Start At The Very Beginning

2011-12-14T04:22:00.001-06:00

"It is the truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Did I get your attention? Then I'll begin.

They say the opening is the most important. It's the one that grabs the reader. The one that makes us want to spend 300+ pages with the hero/heroine. It's also the one that can have us staring at the blank page tearing our hair out.

But how do you get that opening just right? How do you go from an so-so opening to a great one? You know the one I'm talking about, right? The one that makes agents excited enough to read on. That makes them see the potential in you/your MS baby and request your full and then offer representation. The opening that - once published - makes readers buy your book and set up those fan pages dedicated to great quotes.

Sorry, I got a bit carried away there. Back to reality.

His Dark Materials author Phillip Pullman was asked how he wrote great books. His reply was that it's easy; all you have to do is write a brilliant first page. And then a brilliant second page. And then a brilliant third page... And well, you get the idea.

My first line trick? Get the darn first draft out of the way. Once the whole thing is done, I can then go back to focus on the first line during edits. It may be that killer opening line is a sentence or paragraph further down. Time and re-reading (and amazing CP's) can help pull it to the surface.

I wish I had a magic formula to share. If they're are any hard and fast rules then I'm still looking, but there are a few other things that can help:

Choose a few books off your shelf. Read the first lines. See what grabbed you as a reader.

You can also check out these links:

http://writing-novels.suite101.com/article.cfm/more_great_first_lines

Stina Lindenblatt has a few posts on awesome first lines here.

So over to you. Do you have a favourite opening of a novel? How do you work on yours to make it great?

New YA Publisher: Strange Chemistry

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

A while back, I wrote about my submission to the publisher, Angry Robot. They had an open door month a while back, and I was able to climb my way up the slushy ranks to the editors desk. Well, 9+ months later, I am STILL waiting. Just think, if I were pregnant, I could have already scheduled a C-section and gotten the dang thing over with. But since the birth of a book takes a lot longer than the creation of of a human....I just have to deal and wait.

So it goes a lot of times in publishing. Waiting. We've blogged about it a lot. I'm sure you've all experienced the excruciating pain of waiting for an answer. If not with a publisher, with an agent. If not with an agent, waiting in line at the store. IT. NEVER. ENDS!

Ah, hem.

Anyhow, during all of this waiting, I've learned a few things. If you haven't heard by now, Angry Robot is opening a new imprint for YA. It's called Strange Chemistry. You can learn more about them here.

So while you wait for an answer, you can write. Or, if you are feeling petrified to write, at least find something to do besides click on your email refresh. It isn't healthy. I know. Really. I KNOW.

So for your enjoyment, I took it upon myself to put some creativity to use. I browsed the Angry Robot website and instead of lamenting about an answer, I looked over the cover artwork to see what would inspire me to paint. (I'm a face painter, in case any of you don't know that about me.) Using the cover of Andy Remic's book, Vampire Warlords, I came up with a face paint inspired design.

Here is the cover:

Here is my replication. Enjoy. :o)

Magan Vernon's HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN: Book Review/Interview!!

2011-12-12T06:03:00.001-06:00

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?

I've been following YA author Magan Vernon's blog for quite a while now, and let me just say: she sure can entertain. That's why it's no surprise I freakin' l-o-v-e-d her debut novel, How To Date An Alien. Alex Bianchi is not only a fun narrator, but a relatable one. She's self-conscious yet confident. Kind yet badass when the situation calls for it. I particularly love how she reacts to the whole aliens-and-humans policy inside Circe--aliens are forbidden to date humans, and some members of the latter believe themselves to be superior than the former. The novel's tone is light and fun, but scenes where this bias was explored really spoke to me. How mean can people be to those they don't understand? To those they feel threatened by? Alex certainly had a few low points in regards to learning how to deal with this, but as the story goes on, she manages to handle herself like a pro (an awesome moment inside a cafeteria will forever be my favorite scene).

And my other fave part about this book? Ace. A-c-e. He's probably one of the most complicated love interests in YA, and that's why I love him. At times, I was like, "Ooooh, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE, ACE." Then I was like, "Umm... WHAT?" But I never stopped rooting for him. As a victim of prejudice and petty jokes, Ace is guarded. He's dedicated to his work (monitoring blogs/websites to make sure aliens aren't revealing their true identities to humans), and he treats Alex with respect, but at a distance. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, which grows even stronger as the story moves along. And I LOVED how they weren't afraid to tell it like it is to each other (a conversation about guyliner comes to mind...). By the end, I understood why they'd fallen in love, and why they'd done everything they did in order to protect that love.

If you like your scifi with a buttload of laughs, How To Date An Alien is for you, folks.

And now I have a special treat for y'all: an interview with ze author herself, Magan Vernon!!

Check it out:

On the book

1) Tell us about How To Date An Alien's inception. How did this story come to you?

Oh geeze, good question. About two years ago I started really focusing on writing. I wrote a contemporary new adult novel that didn’t get anywhere when I started actually looking at trends. The market was so saturated by vampires at the time that I thought, “You know, I think we need to throw some aliens in the paranormal mix.” Slowly but surely the idea of an alien operations center and a kick-butt heroine came into play and the seed of How to Date an Alien was planted.

2) Your novel is described as a YA sci-fi. What is it about science fiction that appeals to you?

Truth be told, I’m deathly afraid of aliens. I think that is probably why I’m so attracted to the idea. Aliens may frighten me, but they also intrigue me at the same time. I can’t help but get sucked into all of those alien specials on the History channel even though they give me nightmares.

3) You recently blogged about why you went with an indie publisher for How To Date An Alien. What have you enjoyed most about going indie? What's the hardest thing about it?

The thing I love the most would have to be DarkSide publishing. The girls are so supportive and I love how they’ve given me suggestions that have made my story even better than I ever imagined. I also love the freedom. I was able to pick out my own book cover and I had the final say on changes. The hardest thing is the fact that Indie publishers don’t exactly get the same respect as traditionally published. Somehow we got a bad reputation and people will try to knock us down just because we aren’t with a big publisher. But I’m a fighter and I know that fans of this story will agree.

4) Is How To Date An Alien a standalone, or does it have sequels on the way?

There are two sequels (I’m not giving away the titles yet) and then two shorties that will go along with the series. The first one is Ace’s story, which is titled ‘A Very Alien Beginning.’ That should be out in Spring of 2012 and the second book in the series should be out by Summer/Fall of 2012.

On writing

1) Are you a pantser or a plotter?

Pantser, all the way. I actually had no idea where How to Date an Alien was going the entire time and just let the characters tell me.

2) Revisions. Love them or hate them?

I used to hate them, but now that I’m working with DarkSide I actually enjoy them. GP Ching, Karly Kirpatrick, Megg Jensen, and Angela Carlie give the best suggestions and I look forward to my revisions when I get their notes back.

3) How much of How To Date An Alien's first draft made it into the final version?

Funny you should ask. The first chapter was written and re-written at least five different times. Alex’s name actually started out as Sofie White (shortly after she became Italian and Bianchi means white in Italian.) There were a lot of changes along the way and I didn’t even have a name for Ace until Stacey Kade came up with it. About the only thing that made it into the final version from that original draft was an alien operations center and a girl with glasses.

4) What's your #1 piece of advice for aspiring authors?

Never stop loving what you do. If you stop loving the story, then it’s time to move on.

On randomness

1) Favorite TV show/movie: Roswell the TV series and Dogma the movie

2) Favorite candy: Reese’s

3) You're stranded on an island by yourself. Which book would you read over and over again? Ugh this is a hard one! I would probably go with the Bible. Not only for the religious aspect, but there are so many different stories to choose from with so many different interpretations.

4) If you weren't a writer, you would be: I currently work as Claim’s professional for a major insurance company by day and I actually love my job. It’s kind of like people watching on the phone.

Thanks so much to Magan for letting OA be a part of her blog tour!!! Make sure you go follow her blog, her Twitter, and buy your copy of How To Date An Alien over at Amazon!

Be happy with where you are

2011-12-09T20:29:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe it's Friday again (which is why I'm posting in the evening rather than this morning when I was supposed to). :)

December has got to be the fastest month in the history of the calendar. As soon as December 1st arrives, I get this rushing sensation like hanging onto the bar of a convertible jeep on the freeway. Yeah, it's that fast!

After the fast writing marathon of November, December is usually break month for a lot of writers and agents - a time to focus on family and the warmth-inspiring holidays.

To be honest, I've been taking a break from writing for a while now. I haven't really gotten back into it since my accident in June. I'm all better now from that, but the writing splendor I was enjoying daily prior just hasn't returned. Maybe it's because I needed some time to let my survival soak in. My husband told me the guys at the impound lot, or junk yard or wherever they take cars to die, took one look at the non-existent front of the car and asked wide-eyed what happened to the driver. I don't take my survival for granted. My kids and I are still here because of angels. So that's something that has taken a lot of processing.

Now I'm expecting my third child and taking care of two little munchkins who are growing up way too fast - like every day is December 1st. Sometimes there are things in life that just throw you for a loop, make you realize what matters the most. That's what this accident did for me. Lying in bed the next day, unable to move at all without tremendous pain, the concept of my mortality felt really close.

While there was a part of me that thought what a waste all my rough drafts would be if that had happened, it was a very small part. I LOVE writing. But not as much as I love being a wife, a mother, a sister, and a daughter.

I'm not giving up on writing by any means. Now that November is officially over (It's December 9th already!!!), I'm sure I'll get a swift kick in the rear from my awesome CPs and we'll start sharing again. I'm looking forward to that because writing is something that fulfills me, even if it's not THE THING that fulfills me or makes me ME.

To be honest, I'm kind of relieved to have discovered that. It's liberated me from this deep-rooted competitiveness within that made me feel less-than just because I'm nearly 30 and not published. Because of my accident, I'm staring down my high school reunion at the end of this month, just a few Christmas-y weeks away. And I'm excited.

Who cares what I've accomplished? I'm alive and I'm in love with my husband and my kids. I fall for them more every single day. That's who I am.

Writing is just the cherry on top.

We've Got A List... Of Winners

2011-12-07T15:39:00.000-06:00

Just a quick reminder that the December Mystery Agent contest winners have been revealed.

Third place (query critique):

28. Siege of the Heart (historical romance) (Bluestocking)
and
7. Woven (YA paranormal fantasy) (David P. King)

Second place (partial request):

19. Thief of Hearts (historical romance) (Elizabeth Michels)

First place (full request):

43. Wandering Star (YA sci-fi) (Kendall A.)

Please send your materials to me at queryHannah@LizaDawsonAssociates.com and mention that they're from the contest.

You can check out the full post, and an interview with the awesome Hannah Bowman, here.

December Mystery Agent Winners!!!

2011-12-05T07:00:00.046-06:00

That's right! Our agent of awesome has her winners already chosen! First off, let me introduce you to our fabulous December Mystery Agent....

Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates!!!!

Hannah answered a few questions for us so we can get to know her -

OA: Is there anything specific you’re just dying to get your hands on?

HB: I’d really love to find a big, epic space opera (think Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga), a YA high fantasy in the vein of Tamora Pierce, a sweet, funny contemporary romance or women’s fiction, and a quirky YA contemporary in the vein of John Green or Maureen Johnson.

OA: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to queries or submissions?

HB: No pet peeves, really! I just want a query letter that tells a story itself and that’s so vivid that I have to read more.

OA: What is your favorite part of being an agent?
HB: Getting to work with amazing authors. I love doing revisions with clients and watching their books get better.

OA: What book are you currently reading?

HB: Fiction-wise, I’m in the middle of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, which is beautifully written and just envelops you in the fantasy world. I’m also reading Shantung Compound by Langdon Gilkey, a nonfiction book published in the 1960s about Americans in a POW camp in China during World War II, which is a fantastic description of how people interact under pressure (and a great source of character inspiration for writers!).

OA: Do you have any fun client or agency news you’d like to share?

HB: Our agency is always excited about our authors’ successes. Among other things, last month Robyn Carr’s newest romance debuted at #1 on the New York Times mass-market bestseller list, Rob Ziegler’s debut SEED (Night Shade Books) received a starred review from Publishers’ Weekly, and Sarah Prineas’ new middle grade fantasy WINTERLING (HarperChildrens, January) made the Winter 2011-2012 Kids’ Indie Next List. Plus Rachel Neumeier’s THE FLOATING ISLANDS, Jennifer Sattler’s PIG KAHUNA, and Charles Stross’s RULE 34 all made the Kirkus Best Books of 2011 list. And that’s just a sampling!

OA: Any last thoughts for queriers?

HB: The key things for me when I’m reading a query are: 1. Who’s the main character, and why is he or she interesting/appealing?; 2. What’s the plot, and how will it surprise me and take my breath away?; 3. What’s the setting, and what interesting elements of it make it seem real? If I see a compelling, three-dimensional character in a well-realized setting (whether it’s realistic or speculative) with a page-turning story to tell...I’m hooked.

Now - on to our winners!!! Hannah had a wonderful surprise - she picked not 3 winners...but 4!! And included a ton of awesome comments as well. So I'll turn the blog over to her :D

~~

These were a fantastic bunch of pitches! Pitching is really hard, so I'm very impressed, and it made my job much harder. In the end, my decisions were very subjective (so other agents may feel differently), as they were influenced by my own preferences both in story concept and pitch style. I'll try to give you some insight into my thought process, though.

As I read the pitches, I had two basic criteria in mind: 1. concept and 2. structure. By concept, I mean both the concept of the book and hints at interesting setting or worldbuilding that come through in the pitch. By structure, I mean how elegantly the pitch was written and how well it expressed an interesting narrative. A one-sentence pitch is just telling a story in a very short form, and that story is generally expressed by first, the description of a cool concept, and second, a clue as to where the plot goes from there (the structure).

In terms of concept, the things that I found were the most important were hints at worldbuilding (from something as simple as an unusual name or description), and that the elements in the pitch made sense together and shared some logical connection. You want to hint at enough elements of the world that it's clear the concept can carry an entire novel, but you don't want the pitch to feel like a list of cool stuff that doesn't quite cohere into a story.

In terms of structure, I found that the most effective pitches were short and specific. It's very hard to distill a story into a short pitch, but almost universally I found that the longer pitches seemed less clear and exciting. Your pitch doesn't need to contain everything, or even most of everything, in your story, but only the real narrative heart of it. I also generally prefer pitches that either have some kind of reversal or show how the stakes are raised dramatically partway through the story--otherwise the plot seems flat to me. But it's important that the description of the reversal or stakes be specific, or the story doesn't stand out.

Again, this is all very subjective! It's relatively easy to say which pitches worked for me, but harder to explain why. And I was really impressed by all the entries, so it was hard to pick just three winners (I actually cheated and picked four). Congratulations to all of you on your great pitching skills!

Without further ado, the winners:

Third place (query critique):

28. Siege of the Heart (historical romance) (Bluestocking)
and
7. Woven (YA paranormal fantasy) (David P. King)

Second place (partial request):

19. Thief of Hearts (historical romance) (Elizabeth Michels)

First place (full request):

43. Wandering Star (YA sci-fi) (Kendall A.)

Please send your materials to me at queryHannah@LizaDawsonAssociates.com and mention that they're from the contest.

And thanks again, everyone, for participating!

~~

Congrats to the winners!! And a HUGE thank you to Hannah for being our Mystery Agent this month!

If you'd like more information on Hannah and the Liza Dawson agency, check out the links. Thanks again everyone!!

Hannah's blog
Liza Dawson Associates

December Mystery Agent Contest!!

2011-12-01T07:00:00.054-06:00

CONTEST CLOSED!!!
Good luck!

Welcome to 2011's last Mystery Agent Contest!!!

This month our agent is taking ONE SENTENCE PITCHES.

Genres Awesome Mystery Agent would like to see:

Fiction: all kinds of commercial fiction, especially:

science fiction and fantasy (and all subgenres)
high-concept women’s fiction
contemporary and historical romances
cozy mysteries
young adult books, including sci-fi and fantasy

No MG or picture books.

Non-fiction: particularly interested in books on popular mathematics, popular science (especially anything about particle physics), and spirituality, especially church history and philosophy (but not for the Christian market).

We'll accept the first 50 entries (pay no attention to the number of comments you see - when we've reached 50 eligible entries we will close the contest).

The prizes will be: First Place - a FULL manuscript request; Second Place - a partial manuscript request; Third place - a query critique.

What a fun way to end our year!!

And now...Le Rules:

1) Entries must be left in the comment section of today's post. (Please do not email us your entry.)

2) You must have a completed manuscript and be ready to send it upon request.

3) You can only pitch once per contest. If you participated in any of our previous M.A. contests, no worries--you can submit your pitch today, too.

4) Please include TITLE and GENRE along with your pitch.

5) Pitches are to be one sentence and one sentence only. We spent a lot of time during the last contest trying to contact people whose entries weren't eligible so they could fix them. We aren't going to do that this time. Please be sure your pitch is only one sentence long or it will be disqualified.

Good luck everyone!!!

Polish Those Pitches

2011-11-30T14:17:00.000-06:00

Don't forget that tomorrow is our December Mystery Agent contest.

Get those one-sentence pitches ready.

Here's a reminder of the details:

Genres:

Fiction - pretty much any and all commercial fiction, but especially: science fiction and fantasy (and all subgenres), high-concept women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romances, cozy mysteries, and young adult books, including sci-fi and fantasy.

No MG or picture books.

Non-fiction - popular mathematics, popular science, and spirituality, especially church history and philosophy (but not for the Christian market).

The contest will open at 9 am EST and will go till we hit 50 eligible entries.

See you tomorrow.

Heads Up - Mystery Agent Heading Your Way!

2011-11-28T09:23:00.001-06:00

We have another awesome Mystery Agent contest coming up on Thursday Dec 1st!! This time we are looking for ONE SENTENCE PITCHES.

Genres:

Fiction - pretty much any and all commercial fiction, but especially: science fiction and fantasy (and all subgenres), high-concept women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romances, cozy mysteries, and young adult books, including sci-fi and fantasy.

No MG or picture books.

Non-fiction - popular mathematics, popular science, and spirituality, especially church history and philosophy (but not for the Christian market).

So get those one sentence pitches polished up and head over here bright and early Thursday morning! The contest will open at 9 am EST and will go till we hit 50 eligible entries.

See you Thursday!!

Fast Novel-Writing a la Melissa & Joey

2011-11-25T10:45:00.000-06:00

It's Nano month, and even though I'm abstaining because of my serious need to re-outline a previous project, I understand the frenzy of writing that takes place while trying to eek out 50,000 words in 30 days.

It. is. hard.

That's why last night's Melissa & Joey-watching yielded some disbelieving scoffs from me. It's not the latest episode. The hubz and I are catching up on hulu. But basically what happens on the show is that Mel's teenage niece gets in an argument with her English teacher about her writing. He's very critical about her 200-word novel sample, maybe more than any teacher in high school should be. So in order to prove to him that her 200-word sample would extrapolate into a fabulous, life-changing novel, she decides to write it.

Before the end of the quarter (when the grading period ends).

That deadline is in a week and a half.

Not that a fifteen-year-old couldn't write a novel in that length of time! It's possible! It just reminded me of Nano and how difficult it is to keep a solid structure (at least for me) while I'm writing at that pace. Sure enough, our heroine ended up lying on her bed with a cough drop in her hair dreaming about the mess of note-cards and pages taped to her wall in random order while her teacher popped into the nightmare to remind her that she would fail, that she would never be a great writer and she should just give up.

In the show, her little brother, who has a stake in her happiness, helps her organize her thoughts so she can get all those wall-taped pages and note-cards into a massive pile resembling a manuscript.

I thought, How sweet! And then I thought, This is what I need.

I need a little brother to tell me I have a cough drop in my hair and ask me which came first, plot point A or plot point B. Everyone does.

I have a great critique group (see About Us tab above). But we all live in different places. Sometimes I wish I had somebody in my house who could look at my manuscript and point to the things that need to be fixed. Basically, I want someone else to do the really hard work of organizing my brilliant flashes of brilliance.

Sometimes my husband meets this need. I hope in the future, my sons will get in on the fun of telling me what works and doesn't in my middle grade or young adult projects. For now, organization is something I struggle with, especially when I've written something in a month or less.

Who's your little brother? Or how to do you keep the organizational demands of a novel from driving you to cough drops?

Happy Thanksgiving from Operation Awesome!

2011-11-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

May your day be filled with good people, good food, and good books :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guest Post: Before, During, and After the Agent

2011-11-23T03:50:00.000-06:00

We all love writing. We all hope our work will help us secure an agent (and a book deal). But what do you do if you get a book deal before an agent? Today, Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman (long with their fabulous agent, Natalie Lakosil of the Laura Bradford Literary Agency) are here to talk about just that.

Before, During, and After the Agent

In a sane world, you write the book, get an agent who sells the book, and then you’re off to publishing heaven.

Not us. We wrote Sirenz. We shopped our series at Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators conferences. We talked to agents who encouraged us to send the manuscript to them. Or not. Months, conferences and rejections later, still without representation, we started trolling Writer’s Digest for articles like “50 Agents Who Want Your Manuscript.” We sent out queries by letter and email. We waited. We piled up more rejections, filed away unanswered queries.

Not ones to sit patiently and wait, we forged ahead with submissions to editors at conferences alongside the agents. Again we filed rejections, crossed off no responses, and started another round of submissions, dragging out the “Editors Who Want Your Manuscript” articles, and trolling the websites of all publishing houses looking for those who accepted unagented queries. There weren’t many, but we submitted to them, hoping for the best.

About two years into our quest, we received an email from Brian Farrey-Latz at Flux, expressing interest and asking for a conference call. We conferenced, we revised—and were offered a contract! But with talk of our book having series potential and having a pile of individual projects, we knew we needed an agent, so we continued to query—and continued to collect rejections.

That’s where I came in. Nat and Char submitted to me through the infamous slush pile, and, once I got my hands on the full manuscript, I couldn’t put it down. I spent and entire conference longing for just one more break minute to get back to the book!

But it was a book they already had a contract for. I’m inherently wary of on-the-table offers; the last thing I want to do as an agent is sign a client, negotiate a deal, and…never like anything else they write.

So I asked them to send me more. Luckily, these two knocked my socks off with their individual projects as well – so I offered representation, and the rest is history.

Natalie negotiated a sequel to Sirenz and is shopping our individual projects around. We might still collect rejections, but it’s great to have someone in our corner. Although we had the contract, Natalie was able to follow up on foreign rights, and ebook, audio and other media rights—things it would be difficult (if not impossible) for us to do on our own. She’s fielded questions about ARCs and publicity copies, and reviewed Sirens: Back In Fashion before we sent it to Brian. Natalie’s also made suggestions for publicity and themes for future books.

But most of all, having an agent means that with all future projects, she gives them one (or more! ☺) professional reviews to smooth out any rough spots—and we don’t have to spend time researching who the best potential editors are for a manuscript and submitting to them, then following up. (I also field questions or concerns to maintain a good editor/author relationship – they get to let me be the bad guy.)

Lesson learned: even if you’ve sold the first contract, keep shopping for that agent; there’s so much they do that you’re going to need and want (and, to jump in again…so much you can miss or miss out on including in a contract by not having an industry professional – not just any lawyer- look at it! There’s always a chance to revise and better the next contract you do – and an agent can make that happen!).

And NEVER GIVE UP!!!

More about Sirenz:

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when the fashionistas find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes-with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, Lord of the Underworld himself. To make them atone for what they've done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld an individual whose unholy contract is up.

Finding that delicate balance between their fashion addiction and their new part-time job in the eternal hellfire biz turns out to be harder than Meg and Shar expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there's the matter of the fine print in their own contracts...

Sirenz is avaliable here.

Announcement!!

2011-11-21T07:00:00.004-06:00

Publisher's Weekly
Angela Townsend's AMAROK, set in a remote Alaskan town, when a runaway is kidnapped by an evil man and his black wolf, whom she later discovers is a boy enslaved by an ancient shaman; she must find the strength to save herself and the wolf, and in turn discover what love truly means, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, by Jill Corcoran at The Herman Agency (NA).

I'm thrilled to announce that my YA novel, Amarok is being published!!!!! Amarok's story came to me while I was researching one of my favorite time periods, the Ice age. I love Woolly mammoths, Saber-toothed tigers, giant bears, sloths and the megalodons that ruled the sea. I'm also fascinated with early mankind and lost societies and ancient civilizations.

Once I started writing I just couldn't stop! I really fell in love with the characters and the ice age lore. After a few weeks my house was a total mess, and kids thought a homeless person had taken over their mother's office and I nearly drove my critique partners crazy with grammatical questions.

I took breaks from editing and writing to do art for chapter heads. I spent hours studying cave drawings and paint mediums used by early man. I mixed my Celtic knotwork art with cave drawings in vivid colors and reversed them on my computer screen. I loved the result. After endless editing and resizing my artwork I sent it to my agent, Jill Corcoran. She loved the art and was very encouraging about the story. Though all the ups and downs, Jill never gave up on me--not once--even though I tried to give up on myself several times. Thank you Jill!

I've been so blessed to have so much love and support on my writing journey. I would like to thank my family, my critique partners, friends and the awesome women of Operation Awesome! Thank you everyone!

~ Angie

Amarok's release date is tentatively set for November of 2012.

Virtues of Procrastination: a late-in-the-day post

2011-11-18T12:39:00.000-06:00

"Eh. I'll do it tomorrow."

Like all good procrastinators I started reading last night a book I knew I was scheduled to review today. Luckily for me, it was an awesome book and I zoomed through it, intermittently in tears and smiles. Fabulous literary novel!

That book is STRING BRIDGE by Jessica Bell and you can read my review here. <--book giveaway in the comments section.

But since it's Nano month, I want to talk a little bit about procrastination and its role in a writer's life. :) Fitting, right?

Maybe you don't think it's fitting at all. Maybe you're one of those writers who ALWAYS meets her target word count every single day of November. Not me. I write like this:

Day 1: 5k words
Day 2: 500 words
and so on...

I embrace procrastination in my art because, given deadlines, it works for me. Some people invite their muse by writing a little every day even when the words coming out sound like crap. I do this sometimes, too, but the crap-writing phase without fail makes me feel like I'm wasting my time. I do much better under a deadline.

I invite my muse by doing OTHER things. Things that make me want to write. Here's a little list:

doing the dishes
taking a shower
watching a movie with the hubz
watching a favorite TV show
listening to new music
listening to an old mix CD
going for a walk or run
playing with my kids (the middle grade ideas flow from their lips like manna from heaven)
playing Sims 3
reading, reading, reading

In short, procrastination is just living in rebellion of your own ambition. It's putting something else as priority besides your goals. Keeping writing from becoming routine and normal can lead to huge bursts of creativity.

Maybe not the healthiest way to write, but I've always done my best work this way. The world calls it crazy. My mom calls it artistic temperament. To me it's just life.

This isn't an anti-goals post. I still set goals all the time and take a long-view on reaching them. I set deadlines for myself when I think I can possibly meet them, and give myself a break from deadlines when family, church, or my physical health suck me into reality.

But I'm a proud procrastinator. Sure, this post is a little late in the day (it's 10:30am here in Cali). But it's here!

Note: The problem with procrastination comes when you set a series of goals, like, say, Nanowrimo, and then consistently procrastinate writing until November 30th and you've still got 30k words to write.

In the words of the bard...

It's Day 18 of Nanowrimo. How are you all doing?

Midweek Fun

2011-11-16T11:17:00.000-06:00

And now some OA promotion:

Want to know what happens when you get a book deal from a publisher but you don't have an agent? Next Wednesday all will be revealed with a wonderful guest post from Charlotte Bennardo, Natalie Zaman (authors of The Sirenz Series), and their awesome agent, Natalie Lakosil of Bradford Literary.

THE HUNGER GAMES Full-Length Trailer!

2011-11-14T08:38:00.002-06:00

The trailer. Is. Finally. Here.

What do you think? Is it what you hoped it would be or not? Let's discuss in the comments!

November Mystery Agent and Winners Revealed!

2011-11-10T10:23:00.000-06:00

She asked for twitter pitches and the first 500 words of your manuscripts and you guys delivered!

Please welcome twitter-savvy literary agent...

Natalie Lakosil of Bradford Literary!!

Natalie Fischer Lakosil
Bradford Literary Agency

Natalie is an Assistant Agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. After nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011. (pic and bio from her agency website)

And the winner of a full request is:

Kate Larkindale

Name: Kate Larkindale
Title: Chasing the Taillights
Genre: YA Contemporary
Manuscript word count: 87 000

Twitter pitch: Lucy has to explain the accident that killed her parents or she'll lose her mind–if she does, she'll lose the only person who loves her.

First 500 words: The darkness is absolute. I’m not sure if my eyes are open or closed. I strain to push the lids up, but they’re already wide.

Something covers my mouth and nose, making breathing difficult. My lungs burn for air, but I can only suck in tiny mouthfuls through whatever smothers my face.  I turn my head, crying out as a savage bolt of pain shoots through it. Wavy grey lines waft across the blank space before my eyes. I can’t think, can’t make sense of the darkness threatening to drown me.   

Certain now I won’t pass out, I gasp for breath. There’s nothing covering my face. It was the ground my nose and mouth were pressed into.  The ground? Wet. Greasy. Reeking of something that reminds me of… gas?

Reaching out my left hand, I try to find something to hold onto. My fingers scrabble over small objects, pebbles perhaps, that skitter away beneath my touch. I reach further, wrapping my fist around them. Pain prickles my fingertips. Not pebbles. Glass. Small, sharp shards of glass.  

Using my torn hand, I drag myself forward, an inch, maybe two. I can’t move my legs, can’t even feel them. Raising my head, I see light. Not a lot of light, but light. Red light, bright at one end, dull at the other. I know what this is. I do. My heart thumps at the side of my head and I can almost hear the gears of my brain creaking to make sense of this weird red glow.
  
A taillight.  

I let my throbbing head drop as a reward, a surge of relief passing through me at this small achievement. It’s a taillight. But why is it there? What is there? And if that’s there, where am I? The questions whirl dizzying circles around my skull.

My eyes fix on the taillight, broken I realize, staring into it as if hypnotized. That’s why it’s brighter at one end.  

More light. White this time, sweeping in an arc across me. I blink, dazzled by the flood of brightness. All around me I see fragments glinting in the beam, tiny jewels strewn across the road. The yellow line is inches from my nose. Why am I lying in the middle of the road?
  Ghostly music drifts in my direction. A song I know, an oldie, The Beach Boys. It makes no sense here, must be in my head. I try to drag my other arm forward, wanting to raise myself onto my elbows for a better perspective. It won’t move. Pain rocks through my shoulder, my chest and courses up my neck to my still-aching head. The heavy, metallic scent of blood hangs over me. When I glance back down, I see the yellow line is smeared red.  

The slamming of a car door breaks through the dull thumping in my skull, chases the music away for a moment. Footsteps scuff across the gravel, heading away from where I lie.

I would also like to request to see 30 pages from these two:

Lisa Aldin

Title: SLUMBER
Genre: YA dark paranormal

Twitter Pitch: A depressed teenager agrees to switch places with her dream-self, and becomes trapped in her own mind.

First 500 Words:

Chapter One

"What do you want to talk about today, Kate?"

Every session, Dr. Gray starts with this question, but we both know it doesn't matter what I want to talk about. She's driving this therapy train and I'm just a passenger along for the ride.

I shift in the chair that’s the color of pink vomit and glance at the notes scrawled on my arm. Hungover, I can’t pretend to pay attention.

"We can talk about this being my last year of high school," I say, assuming this a relatively harmless topic.

Dr. Gray nods. "How are you feeling about that?"

"I guess how every other senior feels."

"And how's that?"

I answer with a lie, stifling a yawn. “Um. Nervous?’

I haven’t slept in seventy-six days, or maybe it’s been eighty. The number on my wrist written in faded black marker says seventy-six, but as I look at the black digits again, I think I lost track somewhere. According to Dr. Gray, after a certain amount of time, insomnia will start to erode my organs. Without a cure, vital parts of me will switch off, one-by-one, like carnival lights at the end of a season. I don’t know how much time I have.

Hot milk. Counting sheep. Heat pads. Sleeping pills. All failed cures.

“What are you nervous about?” Dr. Gray’s voice sounds muted, like she’s talking to me from behind a thick door. My eye lids grow heavy and I shift my weight again, trying to focus. A cluster of dust dances in the stream of light pouring through the window.

I imagine the rest of the house is as spare as the office, which holds only the pink chair, a rotting desk, and some cardboard boxes full of bubble wrap. Stuff that normal people might leave on the side of the road for trash pickers.

“Kate?”

“What? Oh, sorry.” I rub my eyes. “I don’t know. I’m nervous about everything, I guess.”

After the accident, I slept fine, enough to function anyway. The nightmares began when Dad moved to Florida at the beginning of August, when the sky burned and the grass wilted into crusty, brown blades. Sprinklers around the neighborhood attempted to pump life back into the dying lawns, with little luck. The grass would live when it wanted to live, for a few brief weeks in September before October rolled in to color everything brown again. That was at least three months ago. Ninety days. Worse than I thought.

I pull a black marker from my back pocket and write 90 Days onto my palm.

Dr. Gray leans back, folding her delicate hands. She never writes anything down. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. She says, “Let’s talk about Buck’s room.”

I roll my eyes. “Why did I ever tell you about that?”

“Don’t.” She shakes her head. “Don’t retreat. Have you tried entering his room again?”

Elizabeth Briggs

Title: ALTERNATE
Genre: YA Sci-fi

Pitch: A teen hacker is drawn into a war between parallel universes when she meets an alternate version of herself from another dimension.

First 500:

The fire alarm blared to life right when I got past the proxy server. Just my luck. It took me all lunch to hack into the school’s record system, and now this.

My fingers flew across the keyboard while the alarm pierced my ears without any hint of giving up. Just another drill. Maybe I could finish this before I had to leave. If not, I'd have to start all over again tomorrow. Cracking the system wasn't hard, but it took a long time to make sure no one could trace it back to me.

Mr. Wilson, my calculus teacher, stuck his head inside the door to the computer lab. “Everyone out. Fire drill.”

The other students grabbed their things and rushed out, but I couldn't leave yet. My brother wasn't adjusting well to our latest move, this time to Los Angeles, and now his grades were too low to get on the school’s soccer team. With tryouts next week, there was no way he’d have time to improve them. Normally I wouldn't condone something like changing grades, but it wasn't my brother's fault he couldn't keep up with school.

Plus, breaking in was fun.

A screen popped up asking for the student's name. I was so close now. I just needed a few more minutes.

“Sara, come on,” Mr. Wilson said, waiting for me at the door.

“I'll be just a minute, sir,” I said, giving him my sweetest smile. “I have to save my English essay and print it out. It's due next period.”

Mr. Wilson’s forehead creased, but he nodded. I knew what he saw -- a straight A student who always followed the rules, with an innocent face everyone called “cute.” Teachers loved me.

“Okay, but come out right after. We're all gathering on the football field and you need to be there for the head count.”

“Of course. I'll be right out.”

The door closed behind him, and I leaned over the keyboard and entered my brother's name. Another page loaded and I scanned it, shaking my head. The user interface for the records database was unforgivable. They really needed to hire a better programmer.

I found my brother's transcripts and changed a few of his grades, just enough to get him the C average he needed to get on the team. He still had to study, after all.

The alarm continued its incessant shrieking. The door opened again, probably another teacher about to tell me to get down to the field. “Coming,” I called over my shoulder, as I scrambled to close programs and hide all the evidence of my break-in. I wasn’t really worried about getting caught—I doubted the school’s IT monkeys would even know I was in their system—but I was still careful, just in case.

“Sara Morgan?”

Behind me stood a girl in a long black jacket with straps across the chest. She wore large reflective sunglasses that hid most of her face, and her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.

Thanks so much for the great contest!!

Thank YOU, Natalie!

Q&A With the Awesome Mystery Agent:

Katrina: Now that you're happily married (congrats again!) are you still pining for romantic stories in the query inbox or is something else at the top of your want list?

Natalie: I’m still a sucker for romance, but for me, it can’t be the driving nature of the plot (unless it’s adult romance – then it better be!)

Katrina: Speaking of queries, what makes you cringe in a query letter? Conversely, what catches your eye in a positive way? What was your favorite feature of your favorite query letter, something you still haven't forgotten?

Natalie: I STILL cringe at inappropriate word counts (anything over 100,000) and vampires and werewolves. What catches my attention is a well-written query – to the point, and with a clear, unique hook.

Katrina: An interview with Let the Words Flow tells your favorite TV shows:

Favorite TV shows: Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, House, Bones, CSI: Las Vegas, Law and Order: SVU, Cake Boss, Family Guy, Simpsons, NCIS, Eureka (I love connecting with people on the random shows I like or used to watch.)

Loved this! Since I believe it gives tremendous insight into your soul, I found this very helpful! :) Any additions to the list?

Natalie: Modern Family :)

Katrina: Be totally honest. Did you like Twilight? Harry Potter? The Hunger Games (Team Peeta!)?

Natalie: All of them! And YES team Peeta. ;)

All three series are honestly completely different breeds from each other – Twilight, though yes, everyone knocks…totally had me turning pages because I was COMPLETELY invested in the characters. Harry Potter was unique and fascinating – and again, totally invested in the characters. And Hunger Games was gritty and fresh…and I was 100% invested in the characters.

Hmm, I wonder if I like stories where I’m completely invested in the characters…

Katrina: Please share your exciting agency/client news with us! We love to get excited about upcoming bestsellers.

Natalie: Probably the lamest thing to be stoked about…but I am honestly SO excited we just re-vamped our agency website (www.bradfordlit.com). Otherwise, I have some very exciting projects coming up – including the sequel to SIRENZ by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman, and Jessica Souders’ debut, RENEGADE. On the adult side, I just sold a debut mystery for Monique Domovitch…but what is MOST incredibly amazing about her are her self-published novels – which Costco Canada has just agreed to sell!!

I have such an amazingly fabulous list of clients, it’s a tough bar to match…but I am ALWAYS looking for someone new to meet and exceed that bar!

Add it on goodreads

Wonderful! Thank you so much, Natalie!

And thanks to everyone who entered and re-entered the contest last week! You guys rocked those twitter pitches.

And if you'd like to query Natalie Fischer Lakosil, be sure to check out her...

Blog
Twitter
Agency Website - Bradford Literary PLUS Submission Guidelines
Let the Words Flow Interview
A View From the Top Interview
Teens Writing for Teens Interview
Beyond Words Interview
Mother. Write. (Repeat.) Interview
Casey McCormick's Literary Rambles Spotlight: Natalie Fischer Lakosil
Publisher's Marketplace

As always, check the dates on interviews and contests. Take the most recent info as gospel when submitting work. Happy Nano!

Fear of Failing

2011-11-09T10:51:00.001-06:00

Writing is like a wonderful meal. The anticipation that comes with the starter of the idea. The wonderful main course of writing, creating that story into being. Then, finally, the delicious dessert of editing and polishing until full. But being a writer comes with a side-order of worry.

We worry about plot holes, adverbs, character development, purple prose, and the million other things that go along with writing.

But perhaps the thing that worries us the most is failure. That one word haunts us. Pulls at the edges of every fresh story idea. Every new WIP. Each draft of edits. Every query we send out.

But maybe we shouldn't fear failure. When I read this on Nova Ren Suma's blog, I knew I had to share it with you. Why? I'll let these wonderful words from Sara Zarr explain:

I’m inspired by failure.

Which is a good thing, because right now I’ve got a first draft of a new book in front of me, and it feels like a massive pile of FAIL. (I should note: this is my book.)

This, I know, is a somewhat distorted version of reality. Oh, there’s good work here, the bones of something. And, in places, muscle, flesh, blood.

But it’s far from a success. And that’s exactly where it should be right about now. I’ve been doing this and observing others doing this, or things like this, long enough to know that every book, every painting, every dance, every song, every screenplay, every movie, every craft project lives most of its life as a failure.

The creative process, and the creative life, is mostly full of moments between the idea and the being done, the spark and the blazing fire, the shimmering magic and the finished piece. We’re always living in the gap between our vision of what could be and what might be, and what is.

Even typing that paragraph kind of breaks my heart. I want the writing life to be made of more moments of capturing the vision, and fewer of feeling it slip through my fingers, uncatchable as time.

I need all the reminders I can get that I’m not alone in that gap, that this is the nature of the work, this is what it is: learning to live with a certain degree of failure. (I’m intentionally using the cringe-inducing, scary F word. You know how some social, ethnic, or religious groups have “taken back” certain words, claimed them, and made new meaning? That’s sort of what I’m doing here.)

So, I seek out any place where I can hear other creative people talk about their failures and their fears. Those places include documentaries, interviews, essays, articles, blog posts, and maybe even tweets from fellow writers who, in 140 characters or less, reveal their moments in the gap.

When I hear Bob Fosse say that every time he choreographed a new show, he didn’t know how to move dancers across the stage…

When Anne Lamott writes about the completely confounding process of writing her second novel…

When John Lasseter talks about being fired from Disney before going on to make Toy Story—which, by the way, was a disaster in its first version, as was Toy Story 2, and also p.s. Monsters, Inc. didn’t “find its center for a very long time” and then became the highest grossing animated feature at the time…

When I remember that Steve Jobs was kicked out of Apple… (Steve Jobs! Kicked out! OF APPLE.)

When I see artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude endure a quarter-century of obstacles before they were finally able to install The Gates…

When I read that the masters painted over their own work time and again when they felt their first attempts weren’t worth the canvas…

When I hear demo versions of just-okay songs that became gorgeous favorites…

I’m reminded:

Without risking failure, maybe even running headlong into it, there’s no chance for discovering something new and beautiful. Without wandering off the trail that the rest of the world is trudging on, we don’t know where we can go, what we can do, what’s out there beyond our current vision.

I’m reminded that the point of creating isn’t control.
The point isn’t saving yourself from embarrassment.
The point isn’t preserving an image of yourself dear to you, and/or dear to others, or earning out your advance or gritting your teeth as you check to see if your ranking, wherever, is ticking up.

The point isn’t avoiding failure.

We can’t. It’s inevitable. Those who finish what they start persevere through it, blow gently on those embers, tend to that first love, protect the shimmering magic, in hopes of…

…Insert your hopes here.

Maybe: To enflesh some truth—maybe beautiful truth or maybe not-so-beautiful truth—and the experience of living in this world, or a world in your imagination. To translate vision into whatever the medium of your craft is, for whatever your reasons are. To understand? To be understood? To ask questions well? To explore, maybe. To entertain, to show love, work out your demons. Or—gasp!—to have fun.

Whatever the answer is for you, there’s going to be a lot of failure along the way. In a way, “failure” is just another word for “the journey,” for not being there yet but on the way. It’s the road we walk on to get wherever it is we’re trying to go.

Today, I’m looking at my draft and its large and small failures, and I know: if everyone I admire and respect, everyone whose work has endured for more than five minutes, everyone who has come out with something beautiful, has struggled in this same, frightening gap, I must be on the right track.

New THE HUNGER GAMES Cast Photos: What Do You Think?

2011-11-07T06:32:00.000-06:00

So. There's this movie coming out in March 2012. It's called The Hunger Games.

Maybe you've heard of it.

*winks*

Anyway, Vanity Fair magazine has released brand new pics with the cast!

Le pics:

Now tell me: what do you think? Do they look like the Tributes you imagined? Are the pics getting you pumped up for the movie release?? (confession: Despite a few actors not looking like I thought they would, I. Cannot. Wait.)

Keeping the Little Darlings Busy

2011-11-03T10:35:00.002-05:00

So, I know not all writers have children. But for those of us who do, working on any sort of project, let alone something like Nano, can be a challenge. Here are a few ideas I've picked up over the years for keeping your kidlets (or significant others) busy while you are pounding the keyboard.

1. The Electronic Babysitter

Yeah, yeah, I know....Bad Mommy! But, I've found this one highly effective. Movies and video games can keep my little ones occupied for hours. And it doesn't have to be bad, mind-numbing drivel. There are lots of great, educational games and shows around. But just like the Borg, your kidlets will adapt quickly. You gotta keep throwing fresh, new material at them or they will develop immunity and it will no longer be effective.

2. Find the Coin

When I was growing up, my parents would play this game with us (we called it something different but it probably isn't PC anymore so...we'll just call it Find the Coin) :D I realize now it was a great way to give them a few kid-free moments, but at the time, I just thought it was a fun game. They would hide this huge silver coin my dad had somewhere in the house, and we'd have to go find it. I don't remember if we got a treat for finding it; I just remember how much fun it was to look. And I never suspected that my parents were just trying to keep us occupied for a while :D

3. Skittle Surprise

This one cracks me up and was suggested by my awesome friend Toni Wilson. I don't know that I'd ever do it but it's hilarious. Take your kids in the backyard, open a big bag of Skittles, and let them fly :D It'll take your kids hours to find them all :D

4. Pen Pals

My kids love to do projects with me. So sometimes we'll set up a whole Writer's Corner at the kitchen table. My kids will either get their toy laptops and play their games while I work, or they'll get out pencils and paper and create their own books. They love making up their own stories, drawing pictures to go with their ideas. And I love sharing something that such a big part of me with them :)

What are some things you do to keep your kids occupied when you need to work?

A Guide to Writer Traits

2011-11-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

When drafting a new WIP there are certain things a writer will encounter. We can try to fight them. Pretend they won't happen to us, but the time will come when you are faced with these things:

Your appearance will suffer. You may/will be so engrossed in your WIP that your hair protests. Embrace it. Our presentation may suck, but the words you could write in the time it takes to brush your hair are what counts:

You've marked out your writing time. Everyone knows not to disturb you, but someone will interrupt you in the middle of THE MOST IMPORTANT scene to ask you a question. You'll need a speed answer to preserve your wordage flow:

Your computer will decide to shut down/freeze/go wonky at the most inconvenient moment. You will utter this phrase many, many times:

Or possibly want to do this:

A balanced meal takes time to prepare. Valuable writing time! Sometimes the major food groups will end up looking like this:

We all know that sometimes the brain needs a break. Never underestimate the value of procrastination time:

A writer will find that everything else is exciting while procrastinating:

And don't forget the benefits of a power nap:

And then there is the ultimate writer trait to embrace. You can try to avoid it with carefully thought out writing plans/word count goals/time management, but the words are tricky. The words will hit you when you least expect it. Then comes the time when the words demand you write all night:

Happy writing!

November Mystery Agent Contest!!!!

2011-11-01T05:00:00.009-05:00

--- Contest CLOSED --
Thanks for participating!! Stay tuned for our Mystery Agent's winners. Happy Nano!

Update 11/1/11: Writing a twitter pitch, aka a pitch in 140 characters including spaces, is extremely difficult. But most of you bent over backwards to do it! Kudos to those of you who did it right. Fifteen of you were over the limit, by anywhere from 7 to 180 characters over. This obviously isn't fair to those who followed Rule 5 down there.

You've been disqualified and I'm reopening the contest for anybody who wants to submit or resubmit with the correct type of pitch.

Please check the length of your pitch to see if you're one who is being disqualified. Michelle also sent out emails (or tweets or a blog comment if you don't have an obvious email) to those who were disqualified. If you made a mistake and want to correct it, you're welcome to do so now! :)

I promised our Mystery Agent 50 twitter pitches PLUS first 500 words, so I'd appreciate your help. Thank you!

It's true that NaNoWriMo begins today, but for those of you with a pitch-ready novel under your pillow, something even cooler is going on...

MYSTERY AGENT CONTEST!!

This month's Awesome M.A. has requested a twitter pitch PLUS first 500 words. This has never been done on OA before, so I'm excited to read the entries!

Requested genres include:
Picture book - YA/Teen:

commercial fiction

romance (contemporary and historical)

historical fiction

multi-cultural fiction

paranormal

sci-fi/fantasy in YA or romance only

dark novels

fairy-tale/legend spin-offs

The Rules:

1) Entries must be left in the comment section of today's post. (Please do not email us your entry.)

2) You must have a completed manuscript and be ready to send it upon request.

3) You can only pitch once per contest. So if you participated in any of our previous M.A. contests, no worries--you can submit your pitch today, too.

4) Please include TITLE and GENRE along with your pitch.

5) Your pitch should fit nicely in a twitter box. Please include the first 500 words of your completed manuscript following your twitter-length pitch.

Winner gets a full manuscript request from our Mystery Agent! Good luck!

And Happy NaNoWriMo!!

Past Tense vs. Present Tense: How To Choose Which Works Best

2011-10-31T06:04:00.000-05:00

So. Many of you are gearing up for NaNoWriMo tomorrow, which I think is awesome. I, however, am sitting this NaNo out. I do have a WIP, and I'll continue to work on it throughout November, but I'm taking it a little slow. One reason for this is because I'm editing as I go.

Then there's my other reason: I couldn't decide which tense to write in.

As such, today I'm going to discuss... wait for it... verb tenses!! *dances the Macarena* First, let me share what the Free Merriam-Webster dictionary has to say:

Past Tense

1) a verb tense expressing action or state in or as if in the past

2) a verb tense expressive of elapsed time.

Present Tense

the tense of a verb that expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking and of what is habitual or characteristic or is always necessarily true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the past, and that is sometimes used for future events.

The go-to book I always use when considering tense is The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins chose present tense for her narrative. The story unfolds in real time, and since it's a gladiator-style fight to the death, choosing past tense would've automatically suggested that Katniss survives the competition. For this book, present tense added lots and lots of tension--readers feel like whatever happens to Katniss is actually happening as they read, which makes them feel like they're right there with her, going through the same hardships.

Past tense, however, seems to be the norm. Some writers/readers despise present tense and may believe it's nothing more than a trend. With past tense, I find that I can jump into the story without going, "Oh! It's in past tense." I'm so used to reading it that it doesn't jump out at me. Present tense does, though, since it's rarer for me.

Now. How do you choose which works best for your WIP?

Consider the following:

Who is the narrator?

their goals/advantages/disadvantages

Where is the story set?

time and place

What's the story about?

if your story is in the mystery/horror/thriller/postapocalyptic genres, I think present tense will increase the tension and make readers turn pages faster.
if your story is in any other genre, though, it can still be present tense. You just have to make sure it's the right fit for your narrator and plot.

What kind of ending do you have in mind?

does your narrator die/disappear without a trace?
is your world under threat of destruction, or is it moving along just fine?

Other than that, I only have one more thing to add: go with your gut. You can always switch between tenses as you write, or even after you've finished your first draft. As long as you feel comfortable, and it makes sense for your story, you're good to go.

Now tell me: which tense do you prefer? Which books do you think exemplify them best?

And remember! Tomorrow is our Mystery Agent contest!! Come back with your Twitter pitches and first 500 words!!

Oliver Awesome's Book Corner with Sandra Ulbrich Almazan

2011-10-29T07:00:00.009-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of reading Sandra's novella, Lyon's Legacy. SciFi isn't a genre I read much, though I do enjoy it, so I was very much looking forward to diving into her book. I wasn't disappointed. Here is the blurb:

Sometimes being a geneticist isn’t enough to understand your family....

When scientist-in-training Joanna Lyon learns her rich uncle plans to have their rock legend ancestor, Sean Lyon, cloned, she’s disgusted. Uncle Jack pushed her into music when she was younger, and she hated it. So it’s particularly galling that he wants her to travel through a wormhole to an alternate universe and sample Sean’s DNA. She only agrees to go so she can secretly sabotage the project. But meeting Sean forces her to re-examine her feelings about her family, including her estranged father. Can she protect the unborn clone from her uncle, and will she have to sacrifice her career and new-found love to do so?

What I liked: This book definitely contains a lot of science but it wasn't so bogged down in it that it lost me. Sometimes the technical aspects of SciFi books can get overwhelming, but this had just the right touch of "ooo that's kind of cool" without being so over-the-top technical that it's impossible for anyone without a PhD in Genetics to understand.

Jo is a great character, very real and relatable and I connected with her right off the bat. It was fun to watch her in a situation she didn't want to be in and to watch how it changed her. Her love interest, George, is just lovable and I liked that their romance was very present in the story without overtaking it. It was woven very well into the main storyline. This book just had a little bit of everything; science, time travel, romance, major character growth, a bad guy you want to smack upside the head, heartache, and hope.

I also liked that the story felt complete. Many novellas I've read do not. While this is Book 1 in a series, and there is definitely more to the story, this book does well standing on its own and doesn't feel like it was just cut off in the middle of the book in order to create a series as many novellas I've read do.

What I didn't like: The only thing I didn't really like (and this is very nitpicky) was that one of the characters called the woman who raised him Aunt Grandmother (or various versions of this). It got a little confusing. Every time I saw an instance of this, I found myself wanting to spend some detailed time with his family tree instead of paying attention to the story. However, this was a very minor part of the story and didn't affect my enjoyment of it.

Overall, I loved it :)

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Sandra's book (and I'd highly recommend you do) :) it is available through the links below. I will be posting an interview with Sandra on my blog tomorrow, so everyone be sure to head over!!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Sandra's Blog

Keeping it Real: Holidays in Fiction

2011-10-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Ever noticed how a lot of YA books have a Prom or a Winter Formal or some such thing? It's immediately understood by readers to be a big event, a rite of passage, or at least a social ritual where certain expected things happen. If you want to be different, though, or if you write something other than YA, another easy way to get that reader identity wrapped up in your story is...

Holidays!

Personally, I love reading about holidays in books. For one thing, usually something plot-related happens during the holidays. In a paranormal book, holidays can be particularly exciting if there's some ancient ceremony that has to take place in order to save/destroy the world or bind all faeries to your will... or something.

In contemporary fiction, I love to read about how different people celebrate the holidays so differently. It immediately makes the characters more real to me, because traditions are part of everyone's life. Even if I've never celebrated Rosh Hashanah, I know it's a Jewish holiday and would love to see a character going through the tradition/meaning of it.

Holidays are something we all just understand. We know there are meaningful holidays and those that have lost meaning in our culture and are just for fun... like pinching on St. Patty's day if someone isn't wearing green. There are also holidays from the homeland which people in America may never have heard of... or maybe your father made up a holiday involving a Festivus pole. Your story will be completely unique.

Personal story time: My mother didn't like the spookifyzation of Halloween and the growing danger of trick-or-treating. As a family, we developed our own tradition, which turned into a second Christmas. We called it Santa-Claus-Christmas or Halloween-Christmas. We dressed up, passed out candy canes to trick-or-treaters and told them "Merry Christmas!"

You should have seen their faces.

We watched Christmas classics like Miracle on 34th St. or It's a Wonderful Life. We popped popcorn and ate junk food (a rarity in my healthy household). And best of all, we got one gift each from "Santa."

If I were a character in your book, you could have a heyday with something like this. How did I feel about doing something so different? Well, it was cool. It was something my weird, kooky family did that made us closer even as it made us different. As I got older (teen years), I started to want parties with friends instead of the traditional staying in with my family. But when I left home for college, I missed the family tradition. Halloween became a downer for me, kind of like New Year's Eve (which is the stupidest, shortest holiday in existence). I developed my own personal tradition of crappy things happening to me on Halloween.

Now that I have kids, we've created our own traditions, including dressing up to a theme and decorating pumpkins. I'm not sure what traditions we'll have in the future or how our current ones will change, but the traditions of my past definitely affected my future traditions with my kids. Family time trumps the spookiness.

I have a friend whose family has a traditional prank war on Halloween, which definitely fits the commercial meaning of the holiday and sounds fun, if a bit horrifying. Unleash your imagination. There are endless possibilities for holiday fun/chaos.

Whether your main character reveres and anticipates a holiday or almost completely forgets it, including holidays in your fiction can draw readers into your reality. For fantasy or paranormal, it's an anchoring element. Even if nothing else about your paranormal creature is familiar, if she blows out candles on her birthday, I can relate. I feel anchored.

Halloween is coming up, and I've seen some great spooky scenes in books and TV based around this holiday. Costume parties have provided a golden opportunity for the villain's infiltration, and haunted houses instantly create an atmosphere of confusion and chaos.

Christmas presents are a prime time for characterization through gift-giving. Does he give her a pre-wrapped gift he bought on Christmas Eve? Or is his gift her favorite candy wrapped up in something she collects? Or maybe he's given her a family heirloom/talisman to protect her from the supernatural villain, and she just thinks he's being romantic. Yeah, I've been watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix.

Think of the traditions you've observed in your own life, or the ones you've heard about from co-workers during a one-up-this-awful-holiday-story session.

How do you celebrate the holidays? Or what's the best holiday story you've ever heard?

Let's create a mini-wiki for writers to draw from. :)

P.S. Mystery Agent contest launches November 1st. Be prepared with a twitter-length pitch PLUS the first 500 words of your completed MS. Entries will be capped at 50. Genres include: Picture book-YA/Teen: commercial fiction, romance (contemporary and historical), historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy in YA or romance only, dark novels and fairy-tale/legend spin-offs

NaNaNaNo

2011-10-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for NaNoWriMo. We know the NaNo deal: Thirty days to write 50,000 words.

I've read a few NaNo themed posts. There are some fabulous tips out there for how to approach it. And, if you don't want to NaNo, there are posts waiting. As for me? I don't hate the concept. I love the idea that NaNo pushes you to write. I like that the goal encourages making time write. But will I be doing NaNo? No.

Everything in me wants to say I'll do NaNo every year, but I always seem to be in the middle of a WIP when NaNo rolls round (or editing one). This year is no different (I'm in the writing stage).

So I've got a few links for if you still aren't decided:

Thinking of saying yes to NaNo? Elana Johnson talks about gearing up for NaNo. Ali Cross also has some reasons for NaNo-ing.

Thinking of saying No to NaNo? Check out the annual Dear John letter to NaNoWriMo by Maggie Stiefvater.

What about you? Will you be NaNo-ing this year? Any tips for making the process easier.

The Semicolon

2011-10-25T08:29:00.002-05:00

I had a meeting with my local writing group the other night, and we had a discussion on the use of a semicolon. Now, back in the early days of writing, I had no idea how to use a semicolon. I figured it was just a strong comma. So thinking I was clever, I posted my opening pages to a critique forum. One guy told me that it might be good to proofread before posting for comments.

I thought I had.

I mentioned that I did indeed proofread. He commented that he thought not, considering I'd misused the semicolon 5 times on the first page. (And yes, I did use a lot of them in the early years). So at that point, I researched the proper usage of a semicolon. And considering that all the writers in my local writing group had no idea the proper usage (and one is a copy editor for a newspaper), I thought I'd post the rules of usage on here.

The most common use of a semicolon separates two complete sentences, closely related. Two independent clauses. Two sentences that could stand on their own. So basically, if you can't replace it with a period, you can't use a semicolon. There are some other usages, that I will share, but that is the primary one that I see misused with a lot of writers. Here is a pretty good description, taken from Wikipedia.

And if you still don't believe me, here are a few more links to convince you.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/04/
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Semicolons.html
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/semicolons.aspx

Usage

Semicolons are followed by a lower case letter, unless that letter is the first letter of a proper noun. Modern style guides recommend no space before them, and one space after. Modern style guides also typically recommend placing semicolons outside of ending quotation marks—although this was not always the case. For example, the first edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (1906) recommended placing the semicolon inside ending quotation marks.^[5] Applications of the semicolon in English include:

Between items in a series or listing containing internal punctuation, especially parenthetic commas, where the semicolons function as serial commas:
- She saw three men: Jamie, who came from New Zealand; John, the milkman's son; and George, a gaunt kind of man.
- Several fast food restaurants can be found within the cities: London, England; Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; and Madrid, Spain.
- Examples of familiar sequences are: one, two, and three; a, b, and c; and first, second, and third.
- (Fig. 8; see also plates in Harley 1941, 1950; Schwab 1947).

This is by far the most frequent use currently.^[6]

Between closely related independent clauses not conjoined with a coordinating conjunction
- I went to the basketball court; I was told it was closed for cleaning.
- I told Kate she's running for the hills; I wonder if she knew I was joking.
- Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
- A man chooses; a slave obeys.
- I told John that his shoe was untied; he looked.

Between independent clauses and semi clauses linked with a transitional phrase or a conjunctive adverb
- Everyone knows he is guilty of committing the crime; of course, it will never be proven.^[7]
- It can occur in both melodic and harmonic lines; however, it is subject to certain restraints.
- Of these patients, 6 were not enrolled; thus, the cohort was composed of 141 patients at baseline.

This is the least common use, and is mostly confined to academic texts.^[8]

An Open Letter To Your Haters

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Writer Haters,

You are entitled to think writers are weird.

You are entitled to think writers are boring.

You are entitled to think writers have no knowledge of what goes on outside their heads.

You are entitled to think writers who write for teens and children are immature.

You are entitled to not read writers' stories.

But...

Writers are entitled to think you're weird.

Writers are entitled to think you're boring.

Writers are entitled to think you have no knowledge of what goes on outside your head.

Writers are entitled to think people who make fun of stories for teens and children are immature.

Writers are entitled to write whether you'll read their stories or not.

And remember...

Image here

Just sayin'.

Love,

A Writer :)

What Writers' Husbands Understand

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

1. When I say, "Just give me ten-twenty minutes. I'll be right in," it really means, "I'll be writing for the next several hours because I can't fight the muse and I'll probably need you to drag me to bed at some point."

2. When I say, "I just got feedback from my critique partners," he hears, "You know that movie we were going to watch tonight? Umm, can we postpone it for an hour so I can read what my critique partners thought about that last chapter?"

3. When I say, "I feel so close to the end. I just want to work on it until I can type THE END," he knows he'll come out later and find me playing The Sims3.

4. When I say, "One more round of revisions, and I think I'll be set," he knows I really mean, "I'm down to the last five rounds of revisions, but I may decide to rewrite it completely at the end of the month."

5. When I say, "I'm gonna start querying next week," he hears, "Buckle up, Buster!" and gets ready to join me on yet another writerly roller-coaster.

Here's a shout out to all the spouses of writers out there who continue to be supportive (for the most part) and help us maintain balance when we're crazy. And especially thanks to my husband, without whom I wouldn't even be giving my writing a shot.

Thanks, Bill, for all the weekends you let me sleep in because you knew I had a writing hangover. Our kids appreciate it, too. :)

We all have our muses, but who are the people in your life who balance that out and keep you grounded in the joys of reality? Feel free to give them a shout-out in the comments!

Finding Critique Groups

2011-10-20T07:30:00.001-05:00

With my recent Blog Chain post being on critique groups, I’ve had them on the brain lately. So I thought I’d share some tips on how I found my critique groups and partners.

As with everything, there are many, many ways of going about this. But, this is what worked for me.

1. Google
You really can find just about everything on Google :) When I first set out to look for a group, I had no idea where to begin and lived in a remote area where finding another writer was going to be difficult, if not impossible (or so I thought...but that's another story) :D So I hit the internet. I googled for “online critique groups” and started scrolling.

Going about it this way is going to turn up a lot of results. So choose carefully. In my case, I found a group with an extensive screening process. I had to submit an application of sorts, with a bio and writing samples. I was reassured that this group was legitimate because they were obviously very careful about who they let in. Keep in mind, this was six years ago. Things have changed a bit...there are a lot more legit writer forums, etc out there where you can find crit groups, so googling might not be necessary. If you go this route, I'd definitely be sure to check on the members of groups you find, just to be sure everyone is a good potential crit partner.

I very much enjoyed my time with that group, and learned A LOT. I was a very green writer when I started with them; they showed me the ropes, the rules, helped me get my writing under control. Finding a good group is invaluable.

2. Writers Websites and Forums
This is probably the best way I can think of to find some good crit partners. When I first starting seriously writing, I joined as many writer websites as I could find. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the whole publishing world. I did okay at writing, but I wanted to be better. I found a ton of sites; only a handful were really good, valuable places. Through these sites, a met a few good writing friends. We exchanged some material, and I had my first few critique buddies.

Again, practice caution. Not all sites are there to help writers. Some just want to take advantage. But you can find some really excellent sites. I usually enjoy AbsoluteWrite. They have some excellent information available to writers and I met some really great people there.

But my all time favorite site is QueryTracker.net. I just can’t say enough good things about QT. I joined the site and forum when QT was just getting started, and I was lucky enough to become very close with the members of the site. These people have not only become my critique partners, but are close friends as well.

3. Local Writing Groups
This isn’t something I’ve tried myself as I have such a great online support group and live in a fairly small community. But in larger communities, you should be able to find writer’s groups. Your local library is a great place to start looking. Check the newspapers as well. Being able to meet with your crit partners in person can really be a great experience.

4. National Writers Groups
Organizations like Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators have many different chapters you can join. I know with RWA, there are chapters specialized in the different sub-genres of romance as well as chapters by location. These types of organizations are a great place to find critique groups or partners. Check out the forums…there is usually a thread devoted to people looking for crit buddies.

I truly believe no writer should be without at least one critique buddy. A fresh set of eyes is always a good idea :)

How did you find your crit partners?

What's In A Name?

2011-10-19T08:14:00.000-05:00

Finding the perfect name for your MC can be tricky. You might spend 30, 000 words calling your character something, but realise the name doesn't fit. Then you are back to the drawing board (and using the Find/Replace feature a lot).

I'll admit that I don't spend a lot of time thinking of the perfect name (my characters have told me their names when they show up *phew*). But, sometimes, names need to be period specific. Or have a meaning.

And here are a few helpful links:

5 Tips for Naming Your Character.

Baby Name Generator

What about you? How do you come up with names?

Scary Books: What's Your Fave?

2011-10-17T06:53:00.000-05:00

So. It's October. That means Halloween is right around the corner.

While some of you may be looking for the perfect costume for either yourselves or your loved ones, others are on the hunt for books that make them go like this:

Image here.

Personally, I love horror.

But I also hate it.

I hate how it gives me nightmares, and makes me double check my closet. I hate how I pause whenever I'm about to walk through a dark hallway in my own freakin' house. Yep. I'm a wimp. A big one.

Even so, I still carry on with my love of horror. Sadly, though, I feel like I haven't read enough in this genre. Which leads me to ask y'all for some suggestions for my TBR pile:

What's your favorite horror novel of all time?

Doesn't matter if it's MG/YA/adult, by the way. I'll take on anything as long as it's scary! :)

The Universal Psyche and the Stories We All Know

2011-10-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a fleeting idea for a story, gotten busy with something else, and then seen a suspiciously similar idea pop up somewhere else? On a TV show, movie, or even a published book?

It's eerie. How did they come up with such a similar idea to yours? *gasp* Is someone stalking you?

Every kid I know invented the concept of A Bug's Life before A Bug's Life began. They had to have stolen the idea from some six-year-old kid.

Or have you ever written something you thought was completely unique only to discover that Western Space Dystopian Steampunk was now the over-saturated trend in the marketplace? Darn that Firefly!

But even when there isn't a TV show or movie to revive an old concept, most writers I know have accidentally written something that fits within a trend. Here are some of the things I've seen sink into the universal psyche in the past few years:

vampires
werewolves
Victorian England steam punk with a touch of paranormal
ninjas
genies
mermaids/water elementals
fairy tale retellings
dystopian society where some form of government controls everybody's minutiae
school/orphanage for gifted or troubled kids
witches
superheroes
villains

That's just off the top of my head.

What does it mean? Why do you, Writer A, cut off from Writer B across the sea, think of writing a story about a leprechaun samurai at almost the exact same time? It's not like you both watched a movie about leprechaun samurais recently!

I submit that there is such a thing as a universal psyche that operates on a subliminal level. It offers up the stories we all grew up with and our minds twist them into our own kind of unique. In the creative process, many of us end up in a similar place. That's why there's never just one operating trend at a given time. It's not just vampires. It's vampires and fairies and ninjas. But the trends are still there. We're not copying each other (though some writers confess to writing to a trend), yet we're coming up with similar stories.

The good news for those of you who are facepalming right now: No two stories are exactly the same! Your leprechaun samurai might be as tall as a light pole and preoccupied with treasure, while my leprechaun samurai operates in a microscopic world where demonic amoeba threaten humankind.

The collective psyche is a good thing. Literature and other forms of entertainment are how we continue the generational discussion of life, death, principle, evil, hope, and fear. What Gail Carriger's over-souled vampires offered the world is different from what Stephenie Meyer's stone-faced veggie-vamps did. Both spurred thought and discussion deeper than the very brief description I just gave them.

So if you just found out your book is not the only novel about a grand duchess discovering her mother was a fairy bent on world domination, take heart.

There's no way that other story about a grand duchess's scary fairy mom is anywhere close to yours. Just remember, when querying, to pick out that thing that makes your story truly unique - the thing nobody else thought of. That's what'll get you spotted.

Happy Writing! And Happy Weekend!

Writers Block - by Jackson Pearce :)

2011-10-13T08:03:00.001-05:00

A lot of you have probably seen this before, but I LOVE it LOL And it pretty much sums up my life at the moment so....enjoy :D

The Big Bang Theory Query

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

That moment you finally finish your MS:

And you send off the query:

When a new message shows up in your inbox:

Or the post drops through the door:

The face you make when someone asks you "If you've heard anything yet?"

And you have a "I hate waiting" moment:

Then you get a new idea:

And the waiting isn't so bad, right?:

The Ambiguous "Soon"

2011-10-11T08:52:00.002-05:00

Like most of you, I've been around the rejection block a few times. And, like most of you again, I've waited long periods of time to hear from those rejections. Rejections from agents. Rejections from editors. Rejections from various writing contests. Rejections from publishers. You name it, I've probably been rejected by it. And I'm certain, that most of you can sympathize with me. Rejection is a normal process in the world of publishing.

So it's been seven months since I submitted to a publisher's open door submission. I've waited, and instead of a rejection, my manuscript has slowly ascended to the ranks of the chosen few. Out of nearly 1,000 submissions, mine is one of approximately 24 that made it to the editors desk. I feel great about that accomplishment! However, the waiting tends to drive me a little batty at times.

Sure, I know all the tricks. Write. Do something. But when the publisher posts twitter comments and posts about giving us an answer "very soon", I know-- from my experience--that soon means nothing in the world of publishing. That "soon" was posted over a month ago. And still I wait to know my fate.

A couple of months ago, I also submitted to a twitter contest for Random House UK, for a picture book. They asked if they could take my manuscript to a meeting. "Sure!" I replied. "Next week" has come and gone. A month ago they said that emails were going out "today". Well, "today" has long since come and gone.

(sigh)

It brings me to wonder, is there a secret language only known to editors? Do they have a code that "soon" actually means 3 months? Or does "next week" actually mean give or take a month or two. I have yet to discover the hidden secrets in the editorial lingo. I have learned though, that one should never take an ambiguous "soon" as gold. Things happen. Meetings are pushed back. Things appear on their desks. And as one of many writers, we must learn patience (dang it). Makes me wonder if agents, editors, publishers, are teaching us to wait. Maybe we'll finally get used to it all when we get that contract. For if/when we do, we have to wait for our books too. :o)

Awesome Book Reviews: GETTING CAUGHT by Mandy Hubbard and Cyn Balog

2011-10-10T05:57:00.000-05:00

Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

Peyton Brentwood is pretty, popular, and Harvard-bound. Or so she hopes. Her only distraction from AP classes and entrance exams is the prank war with her ex-best friend, Jess Hill. Peyton is used to getting what she wants, and she’s not about to let a loser like Jess gain the upper hand.

For Jess, the prank war is an outlet, a way to get revenge on the best friend who left her behind. As if Peyton has the guts to do what it takes to win. Please. There is no way in hell Jess is going to lose this one, even if she has to hit Peyton where it hurts.

These two girls are about to discover it’s best to keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.

Review: I loved this book. There. I said it.

Peyton and Jess are two of the most three-dimensional characters I have ever seen in contemporary YA. Their voices just pop right out of the page. Peyton is all about The Plan: get into Harvard. Jess, on the other hand, isn't as hell-bent on college as Peyton. She's the oddball who dyes her hair a different color in the blink of an eye, while Peyton is prim and proper. But despite their blatant differences, both girls have one thing in common: they're hurt. And they choose to hide that pain through mean-spirited pranks.

Honestly, it was really hard to pick a side. Does Peyton deserve to win the prank war? Or does Jess? Sometimes, I did prefer one girl over the other. But it's not so simple. Because both girls are hurt, I could understand both perspectives. There's no clear victim and victimizer. Just a whole lot of gray area. This is what really made me fall for Hubbard and Balog's book--the characters genuinely felt like teen girls who used to be BFFs, but aren't anymore. The authors channel their characters' frustration and lack of communication effortlessly. And they wrote it in a way that feels appropriate for the target audience, but adult readers can appreciate the heart behind it, too.

Also, THE PRANKS. Some were hilarious. Others had me going, "Please don't do it, please don't do it, PLEASE DON'T DO IT." Yeah. I may have gasped a few times... And even though some pranks are just plain evil, the book never strays into After School Special territory. Of course, readers will identify what's right and what's wrong with what Peyton and Jess are doing, but the story's about their struggles as ex-BFFs and high school students.

All in all, Getting Caught is a book to be devoured in one sitting, but it'll stay with you long after you read that last (and ridiculously awesome) page.

Don't forget to buy the Kindle edition of Getting Caught over at Amazon! And a HUGE thanks to the lovely Mandy Hubbard for letting me read it!

October Mystery Agent Revealed: Sara Megibow

2011-10-07T04:44:00.001-05:00

Drumroll, please.

The incredibly talented Mystery Agent for October is...

Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary

(pic and bio from her agency website)

Sara has been with the Nelson Literary Agency since early 2006. Her first responsibilities included reading the query letters, sample pages and full manuscripts that were submitted for representation. In early 2009, she was promoted to Associate Literary Agent and is now actively accepting submissions of her own. From sexy romance to epic fantasy, Sara has loved reading since picking up her first copy ofThe Hobbit. Sara has a B.A. in Women’s Studies and a B.A. in American History from Northwestern University. She lives in sunny Boulder with her beat-boxing husband, adorable son and two fuzzy cats.

Read about Sara's submission notes, clients and sales at Publishers MarketplaceFollow Sara on twitter @SaraMegibow

Sara's TWO winners (and why) in her own words:

Thank you sincerely. What fun! These pitches were so so so good! I had a hard time choosing.

Soooo...

I am going to ask for 50 pages of two submissions:

#31 THE ELITE

#39 HARBINGER

(Note from Katrina: I'll be contacting winners with further instructions.)

As for why - it was tough, but here's my two cents...

#39 Title: HARBINGER
Genre: YA cyberpunk fantasy

With her brother scheduled to become a Golem, a cybernetically enhanced soldier (love the concept!) , 17-year-old Kai will do whatever it takes to save him,(spot on character motivation in under one sentence - great work!) including using the abilities she promised her brother to keep secret--she can see the threads of time and manipulate them.(In this short pitch, the reader gets a spot on sense of what's at stake, what's the character motivation, what's the story. To me, this means that it's a really well-written pitch. The concept is strong although not totally unique and that's the one sticking point I see here. I love that I am 100% clear on the inciting incident - brother is scheduled to be turned into a Golem and that I get the story, the world, the characters. Those things sway my decision and push me over the edge toward ask-for-sample pages.)

#31 Title: THE ELITE
Genre: YA Thriller

Sixteen-year-old Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. (this first sentence is blow me away good. It captures the narrative voice, is totally unique and well written. Absolutely perfect! See how powerful even one sentence can be?) They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Elite and they need Avery as a pawn--or want her dead. (this sentence is a wee bit awkward. Her "newfound family" - I'm assuming that she's been reunited somehow and that's part of the story. The writer does the right thing here by NOT fleshing that out too much and leaving it to mystery. However, the wanted-dead-or-alive hook isn't as well written as the first sentence)

Her only hope is a race across Europe with the two boys the family sent to kidnap her—beautiful, volatile Stellan and darkly intriguing Jack—to decipher the ancient mystery that’s putting her life and the world in danger. (this sentence is clunky and if this had come through the slush pile I probably would have ended up passing on asking for sample pages. The first sentence is soooo good that I'm going to go out on a limb here and accept it anyway, but now we see how tough the slush pile is. I don't need to know what Stellan and Jack look like, and the "her only hope" hook feels generic.)

When I critique queries - this is what the critique looks like - a line by line dissection of the pitch. In our experience, the query letter is an accurate representation of the publish-abilty of a novel and we're very picky. In both of these submissions, the genre and sub-genre are irrelevant - I evaluated all queries equally (I am looking for superior writing and a unique concept, period). For this contest, I read each of the 50 pitches three times before deciding and they were all really good. What elevates something from "really good" to "ask for sample pages"? It's a tough thing to explain and we see some of the thought process here in the critiques. What I can say is that the process works - Jennifer Shaw Wolf came from the slush pile, as did Sherry Thomas and Jamie Ford and Sarah Rees Brennan.

Thanks to everyone for participating! I am very much looking forward to reading THE ELITE and HARBINGER. Feel free to cyber-stalk me on twitter @SaraMegibow or read about my clients/ sales/ personal tastes at: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow/

Thank you so much, Sara! It's nice to get a glimpse into the decision process and to know how thorough you were in reading every pitch. It bears saying again: You rock!

Fun questions/answers from Ms. Megibow:

Katrina: As far as dream clients go, pick three authors, dead or alive, you would have loved to represent.

Sara: Ooooo - so hard to choose! I love to read, so I'm constantly buying books and falling in love with new authors!

Kody Keplinger - author of THE DUFF - one of my all-time favorite Young Adult reads.

NK Jemisin - author of THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS - an absolutely brilliant debut epic fantasy novel that I recommend to everyone.

Megan Hart - because I love her style on twitter and her funny posts convinced me to buy NAKED which I absolutely loved!

Amparo: Which of your favorite TV characters (teen or not) would make a great YA protagonist?

Sara: uh - last time I owned a TV was the year that Friends debuted. No kidding - no TV for a long time. Next question?

Katrina: What are you seeing too much of in the old query inbox this week?

Sara: Young teens who learn they have a magical power that will save the world and Greek goddesses. However, these would be compelling to me too if done really well.

Katrina: If you could take bribes from prospective clients, what would be on your wish list? (purely hypothetical, of course)

Sara: Coffee of course...Or a trip to Hawai'i to take my son snorkeling.

Katrina: And, of course, please share any agency/client news. We love to get excited about up-and-coming bestsellers!

Sara: I just love the words "bestseller" and "client" in the same sentence. *smiles*

Do you love contemporary, fun, funny, romantic young adult novels? Try CATCHING JORDAN by debut author Miranda Kenneally (www.mirandakenneally.com) - it's about a girl who is captain and quarterback of her high school football team when her position (and potential college scholarship) are threatened by a new player...a player who is also really hot. We're enjoying great early buzz on this book and ridiculously amazing reviews!

Or, do you prefer deliciously sexy, contemporary, hot, compelling romance novels? Pre-order CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren (www.roniloren.com) about a social worker from a difficult past who chooses to trust a former lover. CRASH INTO YOU is the lead title in January's Writers Digest magazine and has already earned this review: ""Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME.

And, for the epic fantasy readers out there - THE FALLEN QUEEN by Jane Kindred just hit pre-order status tonight. Woo hoo! Jane is online atwww.janekindred.com and her novel is incredible - stuffed full of Russian mythology and beautiful writing (as well as love, lust, epic battles and magic). It's about the heiress to the throne of Heaven, deposed in a celestial coup, who is hidden on earth by a pair of nefarious demons.

Happy reading!!!

THANK YOU, Sara!! Congratulations to the winners! And another thanks to all those who entered. I can understand why Sara had a tough time choosing. Stay tuned because there will be a November contest on the first of next month.

A few of the books/authors repped by the Nelson Literary Agency:

Sara's Other Interviews:

Anita Laydon Miller's Blog

Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Jairus Reddy Blog

Literary Rambles: Agent Spotlight

YA Highway

WriteOnCon Live Chat 2010

Chiseled in Rock

Not an Editor

On WeBook

For even more, I highly suggest checking out Casey McCormick's blog, Literary Rambles for the Agent Spotlight. She's more thorough than I could ever hope to be!