Love Your Antagonist via Loki

So how many of you are going to see the new Thor movie this weekend?

(raises hand)

Did you know that they added extra filming after it was finished, just to add more Loki scenes? There was such an outcry for the character (And Tom Hiddleston) that they added more of him to make the fans happy.

I admit, as much as I like Thor, I LOVED Loki. A good part of it was the actor. But also, the character himself. He is a villain with baggage. He's not evil, just for the sake of being evil. He found out he was adopted and not like everyone else. He was lied to. He lived under the shadow of his brother. And even though he was the antagonist, you felt for him. (And Tom's voice doesn't hurt either.)

So I have a few questions for you. Ready?

1. Is your antagonist sympathetic? Can you see a reason that he/she is bad, or did you just make them bad/evil?

2.  Who are your favorite sympathetic villains. Books. Movies. I don't care.

3. Team Loki or Team Thor. :o)

Here is something to tide you over while you wait for the movie to come out:

Blurbs -- make them work for you

It's that time again. Yep. Blurb time.

While many of you have submerged yourselves in the NaNoWriMo (productive) hole, I've been working on the blurb for my upcoming book, If I Speak True. If you haven't done so yet, writing a blurb is actually a good thing to do during NaNoWriMo, too. It took me a couple of years, but I finally learned that writing the blurb at the beginning of writing a book makes a major difference in knowing which direction the book is going. (Versus having no idea what is actually supposed to happen at all, and writing blind, which can be frustrating.)

So. Here's the universal formula (ish) for writing a blurb (A.K.A. a brief synopsis -- but blurb is less scary of a word than synopsis, right? Ha.)

1) Forget everything detailed you've written and separate yourself from your story. I know, this sounds hard and maybe a little mean, but it's necessary. Yes, it's good, yes it's the best you've ever written (let's be honest, we're proud of our work), but for now, step back a bit and imagine only needing to know a couple of key elements. Then prepare yourself to possibly not use all of those, even.

2) Start your blurb out with the current situation. Is Moe heading to the store to get a cup of Joe when a car falls from the sky, severing his toe? Then start there, using a quick, easy-to-understand summary no longer than a couple of sentences.

3) The issue. Now what? Imagine inserting the word "but" here, then hearing the dun dun dun... because something is about to happen.

Moe heads to the store to get a cup of Joe, when a car falls from the sky severing his toe. BUT.... without his toe, he can't prove he is an alien from Schmoe. If he can't prove he's from Schmoe he can't marry their princess visiting earth, Lady Doe. What will he do? How does he prove this? Where will he go?

Here's where you throw out the problem that gets things rolling.

4) A lot of times the thing the character is set to lose is mentioned here. (Think: stakes.) The more I read, the more I see there aren't always huge stakes, though... life isn't always like that. So use this to work for you, but make sure to pull in the reader and make them go: I need to know what happens after this. Now.

Remember: Make your words count. 

* Anything that stands out or goes with the title/storyline will bring your book back to mind again and again. That's a good thing.

* Don't go all crazy on the adjectives. ("Silly, exuberant, klutzy Moe and his big, swollen, alien toe...")

* Pretend you're watching a commercial for your new book on TV. What would stand out and make you go, I AM SO GOING TO WATCH THAT? Here's an example of an upcoming show I can't wait to see (Notice any key elements that get you anticipating the show's arrival?):


Last, this is the time to show off your writerly voice. Don't let the summary turn into a Ben Stein commercial. Give them a taste of who you are; set them up for what's to come.

Here are three blurbs I really liked -- you can see they're all very different (one is contemporary, one dystopian, and post-apocalyptic).

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham 17, finally confronts her past. Hannah, the closest adult she has to family, disappears. Jonah Griggs, moody stares and all, is back in town. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future. ~ Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. ~ Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? ~ The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Feel free to share blurbs you've enjoyed in the comments!

The Power of Music in Writing

 

I have a confession...I hate writing love/romance/kissing scenes. Well, let me rephrase, it's not that I hate them, it's just that I'm not really any good at them. 

Believe me, I wish it wasn't this way. I read Rachel Harris, Simone Elkeles and Katie McGarry all with total awe, and wonder why can't I do that? Why can't I just create heat in the blink of an eye without struggling with where the guy should place his hand? Or where the girl should move her lips?

This is all a big problem for me because right now I'm editing my YA Historical...wait for it...Romance.

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. When I wrote this book, I skipped over much of the romance by just putting in "write something smexy here." And when I finished the book (except for those scenes) I worried that I wouldn't be able to pull the romance part off.

But then I was driving in the car one day and Ed Sheeran's "Kiss Me" came on the radio. In an instant, I was in the scene with my characters. The lyrics to the song had me actually visualizing how my characters' first kiss would be. I stopped what I was doing, turned around, and drove home. I raced in the door, downloaded the song, and played it full blast, over and over, while I wrote a love scene I never knew I had in me.

Music is a crazy thing. It gets us pumped up or makes us melancholy. A single note can force us to remember heartbreak or pure unadulterated love. Above all things, it makes us FEEL.

As a writer, I've found many things give me inspiration, but nothing is as powerful as music.

What about you? Does music make you a better writer? Is there a song that has inspired a scene in your manuscript or even helped you come up with a new idea? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

PiBoIdMo: How to Catch Picture Book Ideas with Sticky Paper

This month, I’m taking on another kind of writing challenge. In case you didn’t know, November is also time for Tara Lazar’s annual Picture Book Idea Month or PiBoIdMo. The challenge is to generate 30 picture book ideas in 30 days. You don’t have to turn any of the ideas into actual manuscripts or share your ideas with anyone. You simply go to Tara’s blog: and sign up.

She always has an amazing line-up of guest bloggers to share their picture book idea generating tips and tricks. (Have you ever wondered where Jane Yolen gets all of her picture book ideas? She’ll be on Tara’s blog November 13th to share!) Registration for PiBoIdMo runs until November 7th. By registering, you are eligible for really cool prizes, including agent critiques and feedback.

This is my third year participating in PiBoIdMo. Over time, it has turned into more than a month of creativity, but an online creative community through an active Facebook page.

Like NaNoWriMo, PiBoIdMo is a way to turn on the faucet of creativity without judging your ideas. It’s a time to go for it and see what pours out. It’s also a time to keep your eyes and ears open for ideas zinging around the universe and catching them on the sticky paper of your choosing. I sat down with a stack of index cards yesterday, my preferred PiBoIdMo sticky paper, and reflected on things I heard from my kids over the past week in preparation for Halloween. By the end of a 60 minute brainstorming session, I jotted down about eight ideas. Mind you some of them are absolutely, positively blech. But there were three in my pile that made me feel like I could turn them into something worthwhile in December.

So, if you are interested in writing picture books but aren’t really sure where or how to start, consider signing up for PiBoIdMo. Because getting inspired is always a good way to get started. If you write picture books, how do you capture ideas zinging around the universe? Is anyone doing PiBoIdMo and what do you think of it so far?

-- Kellie DuBay Gillis

NaNo Tracker Spreadsheet

NaNoWriMo has begun! How's everyone doing?

I created a tracking spreadsheet, and I shared it on my blog the other day, but I wanted to post it here in case anyone missed it. I think it has some pretty cool features, but I did make it myself, so it's possible that's just me patting myself on the back. Go me! ;)

I set it up to be easily changed with just a few minor adjustments. 

Depending on your schedule, you can select to write daily, Monday through Friday, or only on the weekends, and it will calculate what you need to write on those days to stay on track. You can also adjust the total goal for the month and it will recalculate the amounts based on that. And if you're using a WIP for NaNo instead of starting at zero, you can enter your starting word count and it will factor that into the totals for the month so you can just enter your WIP total each day. 

Plus, it's date driven, so it will highlight the day you should be on and it will let you know your goal for that day. It will also show you if you're on track to meet your monthly goal. :)

Here are some examples to give you an idea of what it will look like as you enter your word count throughout the month. Click the pics to enlarge.

Before you start . . .

About 1/4 of the way through . . .

Halfway point . . .

3/4 of the way there . . .

And you're a winner! :)

So how do you get a copy for yourself? 

You can download it here: http://sdrv.ms/190sFtU 

After you click on the link, you will likely get something like this :

Just click OK and then click the appropriate button to open the file.

Internet Explorer:

Firefox:

Chrome automatically downloads the file and displays it in the bottom left corner of your screen. Just click the button and it will open.

Once the file is open, you may need to enable editing. To do this, simply click the yellow Enable Editing button at the top of the spreadsheet. If you don't see this button, you don't need to do anything--you should be good to go.

Don't forget to save your file when you're done. :) Also, Skydrive automatically converts the file to the newest format (xlsx) when uploaded. If you want the 97-2003 format (xls), leave me your email address in the comments, and I'll send it directly to you. Just FYI, I don't have access to versions of Excel older than 2007, so I'm not sure how making the file 97-2003 compatible will affect the functionality.

The workbook and worksheet are protected to protect the structure and the formulas, but I added a password to this one because I put so much time into it. I'd like to keep my signature on it. I've been over it and tested it several times, but it's still possible I missed something. If you find any issues with it, please let me know and I'll make corrections.

If you want to share it, please do. I just ask that you use this link (http://sdrv.ms/190sFtU) and that you give me credit and link back to my blog.

PC Users: If your computer is telling you it can only be downloaded as read-only, you probably need to save it to your computer, close it, and reopen it before it will let you make changes. If all else fails, leave me your email in the comments and I'll send it directly to you.

Mac Users: Several Mac users have not been able to use the file, either because it won't download or because it's locked. If you can't get it to download, please leave me your email in the comments. I'm happy to send it directly to you. If it's opening in read only, try the instructions found here: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2011-macexcel/office-files-locked-for-editing-in-mixed/d838b0d7-6b26-4206-b310-029c73cf0ba6. If that doesn't work, let me know what it's doing, what type of error messages you're getting, and I'll try to figure it out.

Any questions, please leave them below.

So, who's participating this year? If you want to add me as a buddy, my profile is here. Or leave your username in the comments and I'll track you down.

Good luck, NaNo-ers! :)

The November Mystery Agent Contest starts NOW!

CONTEST CLOSED!! Thanks for pitching! :)

Okay, guys - the time has come! Our Mystery Agent contests starts right now! Are you ready to pitch?

One more time, here's what our MA is looking for:

- YA, NA, and Adult

-science fiction

-fantasy

-steampunk

-contemporary

-action/adventure 
-romance (YA and NA only)

Our MA is particularly interested in projects that are high-concept and those that explore self-identity and character growth.

 And here are the rules:

1) Your pitches must be the length of a Tweet: 140 characters or less. If your pitch is over 140 characters, you will be asked to resubmit! Before you submit your pitch, try copying and pasting it into a new Tweet just to make sure you haven't gone over. (You'll still submit here, though, not on Twitter - it's just a handy way to double-check!)

2) Entries must be for completed manuscripts. No unfinished drafts, please!

3) Entries must be left in the comments section of today's post (please don't email us your entries!). We'll close the contest once we've reached our limit.

4) You can only enter once today (only one project). If you participated or won previous MA contests, you can enter this one as well!

5) Please include NAME, CONTACT INFO, GENRE, and TITLE, followed by your one-line pitch.

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

7) Our MA will award one grand prize of a full manuscript request (query and synopsis included) and she will provide feedback. She will also award five honorable mentions, who will get to send their first 50 (query+synopsis included) and she will provide feedback. 

8) If the rules aren't followed, your entry will be disqualified.

Please format your comment like this:

Name: 

Email or twitter: 

Genre: 

Title: 

Pitch: 

GOOD LUCK!!

A Little Awesome Halloween Reading for You!

Happy Halloween!!! Need an awesome series to read on this fine Halloween night while you are handing out candy to all the Trick or Treaters? Check out Christine Fonseca's Requien series!! The last book in the series, Dominus, just release. Here's the deets!

Time for another fabulous release party. This time, for DOMINUS - the third and final installment in the Requiem series. Here's a little bit about the story:

Sometimes death is the only way to save a life.

Nesy knows who she is now, knows what she's lost. Determined to save Aydan from his fate, she confronts the only one she blames for everything - Azza. But how can she fight the devil when she is nothing more than human? The fate of Celestium, Infernum and humanity rests in Nesy's hands. Can she find the strength to confront demons she's never imagined, face fears she's never voiced, and release the one thing that has held her world together - her love for Aydan?

Some sacrifices should never be made...even for love.

Suggested Reading Order for the Requiem Series:

LACRIMOSA, Book #1
Dies Irae, A Requiem Novella about Mikayel and Azzaziel (included with Lacrimosa)
Mea Culpa, A Requiem Novella about Zanethios (Included with Libera Me)
LIBERA ME, Book #2 
Enigma, A Seer Novella about Lorelei, Tristan, and Ellie (Included with Libera Me)
DOMINUS, Book #3

What questions are you most wondering about with the series???

Spook-tacular River of Bones

Spook-tacular promotion for the release of River of Bones by Angela Townsend! In honor of this amazing release, Clean Teen Publishing will be offering a 24 hour only incentive rebate or gift package to anyone who purchases River of Bones through Amazon. You must purchase River of Bones sometime on 10/30/13 to qualify for this rebate.

More Details:

Purchase River of Bones on Amazon (Kindle Version) on Tuesday, October 30, 2013 and send your proof of purchase (receipt or screen shot of purchase) to: submissions@cleanteenpublishing.com and you can pick from one of these amazing prize packs:

1. A Gift Card of $2.99 to Amazon. (That's right, we will basically reimburse you the purchase price of the book!)

OR

2. Readers choice of any 3 Clean Teen Publishing books (digital). *With this choice you can also choose upcoming releases. We will send ARC's to you as soon as they've been formatted.

OR

3. A CTP bookmark prize pack which will include an assortment of bookmarks and a CTP bracelet that says: Authors are our Rockstars!

This rebate party giveaway is for anyone willing to participate. You can invite your friends. Please remember though that in order to be eligible for your choice of one of the above prizes, you must send a proof of purchase - this can't be a photo of the book on your Kindle (because people can download the sample and make it look like they purchased it), it needs to be a copy of the receipt or a screen shot of the Amazon page where it says thank you for the purchase and you must not return the book after you purchase it. Those who return the book will forfeit their prize.

Happy Halloween!

Guest Post with Tina Moss: Para Beyond the Normal

Halloween always makes me reach for a spooky book, and one supplier of my habit, author Tina Moss, has joined Operation Awesome for a guest post on writing paranormal fiction. Take it away, Tina!

Para Beyond the Normal
By: Tina Moss

Writing paranormal fiction is akin to the delicate and intimate art of...cave-diving. I’ve never actually been cave-diving, mind you, but whenever I sit down at the keyboard to work on a paranormal manuscript, I inevitably picture a cave. Not your “nice” cave either complete with roaring fire, no bugs, comfy sleeping bag, and an unending supply of s’mores. No, not that type. I imagine a big, gaping black hole that I’m about to jump into with--or some days without--safety gear attached.

So, why would any sane rational person decide to write a genre that essentially equates to jumping into a bottomless pit? Well, putting aside the fact that I sometimes question my sanity, and almost never feel rational when it comes to writing, paranormal does something that no other genre can do. It allows you to dive headfirst into a world where anything, absolutely anything, can and often does happen. The only limits are the depths of the author’s imagination. Now, to be fair, fantasy and sci-fi may be able to take the reader on a similar experience, but I consider both in the realm of the paranormal. Whenever we suspend our beliefs of what constitutes as “normal” than we’ve landed in the beyond normal, namely the paranormal.

As we approach Halloween, arguably the Superbowl of the Paranormal, and reflect upon this genre, I’d encourage you to pick up an author you’ve never read before. Nowadays the most challenging aspect of being a paranormal author is encouraging readers to gamble with their hard earned money on a shiny new story...from a name they’ve never heard. We’ve had amazing heavy hitters around for years, names like Jeaniene Frost and Jim Butcher, Kresley Cole and Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh and J. R. Ward, and scores of amazingly talented paranormal and urban fantasy authors. As a small fish in a big pond, it can be hard to break into this incredibly talented market. So, blogs like Operation Awesome, and readers like you, can really make the difference in finding new stars in this field.

Finally, for the newbie paranormal readers out there, don’t be afraid to suspend your belief and take that dive into one of the odd “caves” known as paranormal stories. Whether ghosts or ghouls, vampires or werewolves, witches or psychics, and the scores of mythical and mystical creatures waiting to delight and terrify you, remember all personify our basic human fears and delights. From the immortality of the vampire to the strength of the werewolf to the ghostly desire to see our loved ones again, paranormal may be beyond the normal, but it touches us on a primal level. An author may take you on the wildest abstract ride while still pulling at your heart strings or raising the hairs on your neck, and that’s why paranormal is worth the jump...even without the safety gear.

Thanks, Tina! And if you're dying for a good Halloween read, Tina and co-author Yelena Casale have a new book coming out!

 
Cassie’s working for a tightwad boss at a pretentious NYC diner, dealing with paralyzing pain that doctors can’t diagnose, and trying to hide her hands that glow purple whenever she ...well, whenever.

So, when a mysterious stranger walks out of her dreams and into her life to spout some nonsense about her being a mythical creature, she chalks it up to one more crazy thing to add to her it’s-a-crappy-life list. Yet, when the stranger’s predictions start to come true, she discovers a world that could shake up her humdrum existence.

The book releases on Halloween, October 31st. Add it on Goodreads here! And here's some info on Tina and Yelena:

Tina Moss (on the right in photo) is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and New Adult novels. She lives in NYC with a supportive husband and alpha corgi, though both males hog the bed and refuse to share the covers. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching cheesy horror flicks, traveling, and karate. As a 5'1" Shotokan black belt, she firmly believes that fierce things come in small packages.

Find her at: 

Website
Twitter: @Tina_Moss

Facebook

Instagram

Yelena Casale is an Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance author. When she is not writing, she loves to read, watch TV with her husband (and without), take long walks and cuddle with her cat Bones. She is a second degree black belt/Shotokan karate instructor, and archaeology, history & art enthusiast. 

Website

Twitter: @Yelena_Casale

Facebook

Pinterest

 

Cover Reveal!! Vision by Lisa Amowitz

Lisa is not only an amazing writer but a very talented cover artist as well. And her newest book has another gorgeous cover that she was able to do herself :D Take a peek!!

The light is darker than you think…

When seventeen-year-old Bobby Pendell begins to have blinding migraines followed by frightening hallucinations, he fears there’s something wrong with him. Then murder rocks his sleepy town and the visions that put him on trail of a killer—also make him the prime suspect.

Goodreads 

Author bio:

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot. She is a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children. Lisa is represented by Shannon Hassan of Marsal-Lyon Literary Agency.

BREAKING GLASS, released in July, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first of the Finder series will be released in 2014.

Lisa Amowitz is available for guest appearances, Skype visits, school visits, libraries & interviews. Please contact her for scheduling.

Writerly mascots: having team spirit

Our mascot here at
Operation Awesome

The dictionary defines a mascot as a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as a symbol of an organization such as a sports team. I personally don't believe in "luck". In fact, when my daughter had the opportunity to be the school mascot yesterday, luck was the furthest thing from my mind as I watched her interacting with fellow schoolmates. What I thought of, what I felt, was a whole lot of team spirit. Camaraderie. A group of people coming together to celebrate something, forgetting each others' failings and shortcomings, because the attention was focused on the mascot and celebrating the entire group as a whole.

Wikipedia's definition of mascot continues as, ... colloquially (informally) includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity... and later, ... Costumed mascots are commonplace, and are regularly used as goodwill ambassadors in the community for their team, company, or organization...

Now, this is how I see mascots. As goodwill ambassadors in the community. Our writerly community is huge, and this group and so many more out there prove that just because we're not physically together, we can still celebrate who we are and what we do. We can be mascots for each other. Not as in luck; not as in, symbols of specific things; but by being honest, faithful, helpful representations for one another, pointing to one common goal: helping each other succeed. We can spur each other on, rejoice in achievements, and gather together in groups all over this great big "interweb" to lift each other up. The solitary business of sitting behind a computer and writing doesn't have to be solitary. Be a mascot. Celebrate someone who is one to you. And above all, remember that our differences is what makes us such an awesome community.

Goooo writers! I am honored and proud to be on your team!

You Finished Your First Novel! Now What?

If you just finished your first novel, congratulations! You have done something many people in this world cannot claim. It's a great accomplishment and you should revel in it!

Once your celebrating is done, then the real work begins. What? You thought you were done because you wrote "The End?"  No, sorry, if you want to get that baby published, you've got quite a ways to go.

Today, I wanted to share some of the websites I've found to be a tremendous help in navigating the world of publishing. In sharing these sites with you, I hope it well help your journey through the publishing world be a smooth ride rather than a bumpy disaster.

When I finished my first novel a while ago I began my crash course in Publishing 101. It started with learning how to write a query letter. When I struggled, I looked for examples to follow so I had some sense of what worked. One of the best places to find successful queries is at Writer's Digest. Check out this link for help: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/successful-queries

Along with a query, many agents now request a synopsis as part of the submission process. Author, Susan Dennard has a great post on how to write an all-compassing, streamlined synopsis here: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/04/17/how-to-write-a-1-page-synopsis/

What if you're approached by a small press and don't know anything about them? Preditors and Editors is a great site to help you do research.

How about word count? Many agents and publishers have a certain set of parameters regarding how long your book should be. Literary Agent Jennifer Laughran has a great post about word count here: http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html.

Perhaps you're gearing up to write your next book and it's going to be Middle Grade or Young Adult and you need some advice on writing in these categories. Former agent Mary Kole has an amazing website that details everything from writing action to creating authentic voice. Find her helpful advice here: http://kidlit.com/

One last thing...

Once you've written your first novel, it is critical that you have beta readers and critique partners to help you. They can ferret out where your plot is failing or your pacing is off. Check out CPSeek or writing sites like AgentQuery Connect or AbsoluteWrite to find like-minded writers who can help you polish up that masterpiece you should be so proud of!

Are You NaNoing?

I haven't participated in NaNoWriMo since 2009. And when I did participate, I failed. Big time. But I tried to pants the whole thing and all I accomplished was getting totally stuck.

This year I have a solid outline and no excuses for not getting it done. Except for time, but I can work that out. I don't need sleep, right? ;) Mostly, I'm just hoping it will give me the extra push I need to finish this stupid first draft. I hate drafting. Revisions are my happy place. :)

So, who's participating this year? If you want to add me as a buddy, my profile is here. Or leave your username in the comments and I'll track you down.

Also, if you're participating, you might be interested in this post with my Words Per Day tracking spreadsheet. And I'll be creating a new spreadsheet specifically for NaNo and posting it here on November 2nd, so if you're interested in that, be sure to check back.

Good luck with all your NaNo adventures! :)

November Mystery Agent - Details!

 
Heads up, OA denizens! We've got a brand new Mystery Agent coming your way Friday, November 1st, and if you have a complete manuscript and a Tweet-length pitch at the ready, our MA would love to hear from you!

Specifically, here is what our MA is looking for:

- YA, NA, and Adult

-science fiction

-fantasy

-steampunk

-contemporary

-action/adventure 
-romance (YA and NA only)

Our MA is particularly interested in projects that are high-concept and those that explore self-identity and character growth.

This contest is open to newbies and veterans alike. Whether you've won a Mystery Agent contest or have never entered one before, our MA would love to hear from you.

So polish up those Tweet-length pitches - which, for the uninitiated, is 140-characters - and be ready! We will open the post at 10AM EST on November 1st, and close whenever we reach 50 entries.

We can't wait to see your pitches!

Quiet Kids and Christine Fonseca

I am thrilled to be hosting the fabulous Christine Fonseca, both here and on my own blog today. I love all of Christine's books, but this one is especially of interest to me because my sweet son is an introvert (as is my husband....and as am I lol). This book not only gave me some great insights into my son but into myself and my hubs as well. If you know (or are) an introvert, you definitely need to get this book! And now, I'll let Christine have the floor :)

~~~~

I am so happy to announce the official release of my book, Quiet Kids. This book, in addition to being the book I wish I had read as a child, speaks to introversion in children, pulling on the latest research in the area and providing parents and educators strategies to help support introverted children. As most of you know, my writing career started with my books related to gifted children, and while not all gifted children are introverted, a quiet temperament does dominate that particular subgroup of children. Quiet Kids looks at what it means to be introverted in today's noisy world. 

Here is the description of the book:

Being an introverted child is difficult, especially in an ever-increasingly noisy world. Often viewed as aloof, unmotivated or conceited, introverted children are deeply misunderstood by parents, educators and even their peers. That's where Quiet Kids: Helping Your Introverted Child Succeed in an Extroverted World comes in. Designed to provide parents with a blueprint for not only understanding the nature of introversion, Quiet Kids provides specific strategies to teach their children how to thrive in a world that may not understand them. Presented in an easy-to-read, conversational style, the book uses real-world examples and stories from introverts and parents to show parents and educators how to help children develop resiliency and enhance the positive qualities of being an introvert. With specific strategies to address academic performance, bullying, and resiliency, Quiet Kids is a must read for anyone wishing to enhance the lives of introverted children.

Publisher's Weekly was kind enough to call the book "Extremely useful for educators and parents, this thoughtful text emphasizes the many gifts of quiet kids.”

Quiet Kids can be found in Barnes and Noble stores across the United States, as well as online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart and other retailers world wide. 

As part of the launch of Quiet Kids, I developed a little quiz to help you know if you may have an introvert in the house:

1. My child prefers to spend time alone or reading after school? T/F
2. My child is generally quiet? T/F
3. Teachers often characterize my child as shy? T/F
4. I often worry that my child has very few friends? T/F
5. My children struggles when things are not part of a routine or predictable? T/F

A yes answer to most of these questions may indicate that your child has an introverted temperament. I also have a special giveaway to celebrate the launch:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THANK YOU for the support of this important book. Be sure to check out the events page on my website to see what other fun things I have planned.