GotYA

Cover Love!

2011-08-24T01:10:00.001-07:00

A new edition of Cover Love!
We start with:
Blood Red Road by Moira Young

(US, UK, Dutch)
I really like the US cover, especially the font but the UK cover is something you can't walk past without looking. It's definitely eye-catching.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

(US, UK, German)
I really like the German cover but from what I've heard about ASHES the US cover might fit better because the book is pretty scary.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

(Australia, US, Spanish)

I first noticed this book because of the Australian cover. It's pretty striking but I really like the US cover too.

What do you think?

Monday's Muse Music

2011-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of you love music and use it as inspiration when writing. I went to a 10 Years concert a couple weeks ago and I can not get FIX ME out of my head. It's like every YA character's anthem.

Also Avenged Sevenfold's song SO FAR AWAY is truely touching. It's a rock ballat about loosing someone you love. In this band's case it was their drummer, The Rev.

Check them out! And don't forget to shout out what your muse music is!

Happy Writing!
--Annie

Cover reveal The Other Life!

2011-08-08T02:49:00.000-07:00

The moment I’ve been anticipating for months has finally come!!

I can share the cover of The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker (aka Me) with you!

Here it is:

And here’s the blurb from goodreads:

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

I couldn't be happier! Isn't the bleeding butterfly deliciously creepy??

Cover Revamps: Do They Turn Your Head?

2011-08-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

I was in Barnes and Nobel the other day and noticed a few books have gotten a cover makeover. I know this is probably a marketing tool to get the novel to appeal to a broader audience and increase book sales. Hell, I even picked up a couple books with new covers. I've always wondered how publishing companies choose which book they're going to invest more money in to revamp. Anyone have any ideas? Is it something they decide to do when the hardback goes paper?

Anyway here are some books I've noticed with a new face-lift:

Peeta, Gale and Katniss!

2011-07-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Entertainment Weekly posted the first look at Gale and Peeta for the upcoming March movie. EW also posted an interview with the two guys! I can't wait for this movie! Katniss was revealed a few months back. So Here they are, what do you think? Are they like you pictured?

Cover Love!

2011-07-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

It's time for cover love!

Let's start with Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

(US, UK, Australia)

(Portuguese, Croatian)

I think Cynthia Hand really won the cover lottery. All the covers are beautiful. But I think my favorite is the UK version. I find it interesting that the Croatian publisher added wings to the US version. Maybe they wanted to show the reader what the book's about?

Next: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

(US, German)

Both publishers us the red/black color scheme. What I really love about the German version is how creepy it is!

(US, French, Spanish)

(UK, German)

Most foreign publishers used some variation of the US cover, sometimes using different colors, sometimes different fonts. I like the black of the French version better than the light blue of the US version. It's more eyecatching. I'm not so cure about the "face-covers", especially the UK girl looks very young.

What are your favorites?

Twitter Do's and Don'ts - Guest Post from Melanie Kramer-Santiago

2011-07-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Mel was nice enough to let me cross post this from her visually stunning new blog, YA for the YAt Heart. Like Mel, I'm still tripping a little bit over my own feet when it comes to Twitter, but as we learn the ins and outs, there are a few things we've noticed and talked about with fellow writers.

And heeerrrreeee they are!

No, no, no! This is not about you, Weiner!

(Take it away, Mel!)
I am still very new to Twitter. And in trying to figure out how to appropriately and effectively utilize it, I asked a group of fellow writer friends/Twitterers to share with me some of the things about Twitter, Twitterers, and tweeting that annoy the living poop out of them. In other words, I wanted to know what the etiquette to being a good Twitterer consists of and what NOT to do. These are some of the things that came up in our discussion (in no particular order):

1. Follow Fridays aka #FF. Apparently people find this VERY annoying. I myself had not done it simply because I didn't know how to or what it was. But now that I know, and have learned how many people feel about it, I will not be doing it. For a hilarious post on the #FF hashtag that explains what #FF was supposed to be vs. what it's become read this.

2. Multiple tweets--Posting your tweet 10, 15, 20+ times in a day fills up people's Twitter feeds (had to figure out what a Twitter "feed" was--yes, I'm that clueless) and that can be extremely irritating. We get that you want to reach as many people as possible about your AMAZING giveaway/contest, or an INSPIRING post on your blog, or even some FANTASTIC news about your book coming out, but tweeting the same tweet 437 times in a day on multiple days and you are looking to actually lose your audience/fellow followers.

3. Pimping your book and contributing nothing else to the Twitter world or to those following you was another thing mentioned as annoying. Apparently some authors have been known to do this and it is really uncool and uninteresting. Twitter is about making connections with other people who are in the same field/business or share the same interest. Develop and nurture those relationships first and THEN promote your stuff like crazy (but DON'T multiple tweet!). They will care more about your book if they care about you first. (Plus you may find more people retweeting your promotional tweets. WIN!)

4. People who think they look cool because they have 1000 followers and only follow 100. Honestly, you pretty much look the opposite of cool 'cause what this says to people is that there are many people who think you are worth following, but to you there are so few. I understand there can be certain reasons for it, but to most people it just looks really...unbalanced.

5. And to go along with #4 is people who follow you and then UNfollow you after you follow them back. Apparently this has even been done by some "big name" people to others who swear they were respectful followers (not harassing them or filling up their feed) and would only comment now and then or RT them for something that was said that was truly meaningful to them. SO NOT COOL. I understand that sometimes people need to clean out some of the followers that are the afore mentioned things or people who only follow for the purpose of advertisement of a product, but come on people. That is a snobby thing to do (if it's intentional, of course ;-))

6. There is a 140 character limit for a reason, people! To keep things short and tight in your message. People find it extremely irritating when Twitteres write a novel in a string of 500 posts. We're not talking the occasional continued post to finish a sentence or an important point, but do it often enough and you will find yourself UNfollowed.

7. Another one that several people mentioned as VERY annoying is when people go on regular political rants. Just because you have a platform for your fiction dystopian 7 book series, it doesn't give you the platform to spew political rhetoric at your fans. They are following you for your writing and your stories, not your personal political views.

8. Cliques on Twitter. Okay. So, we know cliques kind of exist everywhere. And just because you're on the internet doesn't mean people won't recognize when you are being "cliquish". Apparently, there are many published authors in the industry who will ONLY respond to other published authors on Twitter and ignore comments made by fans or other writers who are working towards the goal of becoming published. It just makes you come off looking like a snob. If you're only interested in other authors being interested in your work and not the other people who are fans and dedicated followers and buyers of your books, then go ahead. Remain in your small circle of Twitter peeps. But would it really hurt to reach out to others once in a while? Not saying you have to respond to every person who tweets you (surely impossible for some), but once in a while just respond to some of your followers to let them know that you know they exist and that you appreciate them following you. There are many authors who are absolutely wonderful about responding to RT@tweets and thanking people who retweet one of their tweets, but there are others who seem to think their poop don't stink and that if you're not published you're a nobody. NOT. COOL.

So there you have it. Some tips for you on What NOT to do on Twitter. I mean, you can do whatever you want, but these are some suggestions on ways to avoid loosing followers. BTW, a friend of mine pointed out this really cool link that allows you to see who you are following that is not following you back. In case you wanted to know ;-)

Anything you can add? Anything I didn't mention that annoys the living poop out of you?

Cover Love!

2011-06-22T01:29:00.001-07:00

After a short hiatus (I was on deadline for the sequel to THE OTHER LIFE), Cover love is back!

Let's start with INFINITE DAYS by Rebecca Maizel

(US, UK, Spanish)

I love the blue eyes on the US cover and the tear trailing over her face. It's the most striking of the five versions in my opinion. I think the UK cover could use some color.

(Dutch, German)

What I love about the Dutch cover is the bat next to the couple! In today's YA books vampires are rarely associated with bats anymore. The German cover is beautifully creepy and I love the title (The Night is yours)!

Next: NIGHTSHADE + WOLFSBANE by Andrea Cremer

These covers aren't international. Penguin redesigned the covers for Cremer's series and I want to show you the old and new cover design.

(Old version/new design)

(Old design/ new design)

I haven't read the books yet, so I don't know if the new cover design fits the books better. I think the old versions are beautiful and striking, so I'm wondering why Penguin would change the design.

Do you think the redesign was the right decision? Do you know why the covers were changed?

DIVERGENT FACTION OF THE WEEK - DAUNTLESS

2011-06-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Dauntless do crazy things like jumping off trains. Because that's a good idea I guess.

Despite the fact that the official Facebook app that puts you in your house/clan...FACTION (there's the word I'm looking for - it's Friday...) says I'm DAUNTLESS, there's no way I would ever in a million years jump off a train for any reason at all. That train stops somewhere and that's when my rear is getting off. On the ground.

See, I'm deathly afraid of heights. This week was the perfect week for the DAUNTLESS challenge because over the weekend I went to Cedar Point (amusement park). I was going to be all DAUNTLESS and ride a roller coaster that I had never ridden before due to my fear of heights. I've been on the tamest of the tame, but I was ready to go just for regular tame. My daughter, however, had other ideas. Like me, she's not dauntless and I stayed with my feet planted solidly on the ground next to hers while my husband and son rode the coasters.

My seven-year-old son is DAUNTLESS though. He had no qualms about riding the big boys - any he was tall enough to get on. The biggest so far was the Magnum XL 200. Here it is for your DAUNTLESS viewing pleasure:

Guest Post by Katherine Easer Author of Vicious Little Darlings

2011-06-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

DISCOVERING SARAH

by Katherine Easer

Before I began writing Vicious Little Darlings, I thought I had a pretty good idea of who my narrator was. Her name was Sarah Weaver, and she was a brown-eyed, raven-haired seventeen-year-old from California. I knew Sarah’s religious beliefs, past experiences, fears, weaknesses, and talents. I even knew her thoughts on Justin Timberlake. Feeling fairly prepared, I began to write.

Thirty pages into my first draft, I realized I didn’t know Sarah at all. The pages were lifeless; her voice was flat. Sarah said what I wanted her to say, and she did what the plot required her to do, but she didn’t feel like a real person. She existed solely in the left hemisphere of my brain—though I didn’t know that at the time—and hadn’t yet come to life. I threw away my pages and spent the rest of the day trying to get to know her. Frantic brainstorming ensued. I interviewed Sarah, free wrote, drank a lot of coffee, free wrote some more. Still, she eluded me. Maybe what I needed was to relax, I thought, and to let my mind wander. I ran a bath. I lit candles and waited for inspiration to strike. Nothing happened. Frustrated, I decided to sit at my desk and try writing again, but three dull paragraphs and an hour later, I was exhausted. It was midnight, and I needed sleep.

When my head hit the pillow, a strange and magical thing occurred. I heard a voice in my head. It was a voice I didn’t recognize, but I knew that it belonged to Sarah. Though I had heard about this kind of thing from other writers, I’d never experienced it firsthand. My subconscious was now engaged, and Sarah, in her own words, was telling me about her life. She was sassy, snarky, and a little bit angry, and she wouldn’t stop talking. I turned on the light and wrote down everything she said.

Writing didn’t exactly become easy after that, but it became easier. I realized that it was when I stopped trying to define, control, judge, or even think about Sarah that she sprang to life. I learned that I didn’t have to force the writing; I just had to let go and trust my narrator. And when I did that, interesting things began to happen. --Katherine Easer

Katherine Easer is the author of Vicious Little Darlings. You can visit her at: http://www.katherineeaser.com/

THANK YOU Katherine for a brilliant guest post. Those are exactly the kinds of stories readers want to know. I wish you much success on the books release!

Be Sure and check out Katherine's novel VICIOUS LITTLE DARLINGS (Hits shelves June 21st 2011). It's one of my favorite novels this year! Put this one down on your to be read list IMMEDIATELY. You can read my review ->HERE<- and see how I gushed away about it even before I knew how awesome the author was. ;)

Divergent Faction Challenge. Accio Sorting Hat!

2011-06-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

LAST WEEK I MISSED CANDOR.

Let me be honest with you. I always do pretty well with candor. (See what I did there?)

But online, can you really put your candor out there? There's been way too much talk about this already, and it's come down to this: If you're an aspiring author, do as your Mama always told you...If you don't have something nice to say...

Keep your big trap shut!

Moving on to ERUDITE.

Even though the official Harry Potter online sorting hat put me in Ravenclaw, I have little use for this house...I mean faction. Sure, smart people are necessary. Where would we be without Thomas Edison, or Albert Einstein?

That's usin' your noggin.

But let's be honest, we all know how awkward braniacs without any social skills can be. Being in Erudite, or Ravenclaw--either/or--would be a bit like living with Sheldon Cooper.

You love me, Jamie.

I do. :)

AMITY CALAMITY? - Week Two of the DIVERGENT FACTION CHALLENGE

2011-05-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

AMITY was NOT a CALAMITY! My AMITY week was successful in many ways.

1. I didn't anger/alienate/enrage/or otherwise terrorize any of my coworkers.

Happy co-worker Dan can attest to that.

2. My husband, who I refer to using many different names--Hot Air Blair, Dr. InvinciBlair, and several other NSFW names at times--has been hobbling around all week with a swollen knee. I've been the ULTRA wife to him. Getting him ice packs (okay, bags of frozen peas), serving him his dinner, all kinds of '50's wife things that I never did before. Plus! I haven't called him any names this week! (out loud)

WHOA there June! This week has made me want to bust a cap in someone too.

3. Instead of repeating myself over and over and over and over in the morning and at night for my son to get dressed, brush his teeth, comb his hair, in ever increasing decibels until every kid in the neighborhood can hear me (and has dressed, brushed and combed before my kid), I've turned it into a game. I've played Simon says in the morning to make getting ready for school fun, and turned brushing teeth into a race against the clock. My kid is now down to 10 second tooth brushing. Yeah, I know, that's probably not a good thing, but hey - he's brushing!

See! Look how good he does! (This is NOT my son's mouth.)

I haven't worn red or yellow this week...unless you count the pizza sauce I got on my shirt Wednesday.

Overall - Amity success!

Tenacious Tuesday

2011-05-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

te·na·cious/təˈnāSHəs/Adjective

1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "a tenacious grip".

2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "a tenacious legend".

Ride that query train! RIDE!

How do you get your novel published? You hold on for dear life and send it out. You get rejections. You send it out again. And again. And again.

Kathryn Stockett's The Help was turned down by 60 agents before finding its champion. Ms. Stockett knows how it feels to start keeping the news of more rejections from family and friends. She even started lying to her husband! But she didn't give up, and now she has a best seller!

Here's what another best selling author, Janet Evanovich has to say about having tenacity:

Q. What if I send my book to a lot of agents and none of them wants to represent me?

JANET: If being a writer is important to you, keep at it, keep improving, and don't give up. I wrote three books that were never published. I sent the first one out to everybody. I went through every agent and publisher in New York, twice. The only positive letter that I got back was from an agent, but it was written in purple crayon on a bar napkin, so I didn't follow up on it. Then, presto, ten years later I was a published author.

If Ms. Evanovich can go ten years, have three unpublished books, and query every agent in NYC twice - I think we can all hang on and keep going without tossing aside our dreams of one day being a best selling author.

Those are only two examples of authors with enough tenacity to keep pushing beyond the rejection and coming out the other side with a best selling book in hand. Take inspiration from these ladies and don't give up!

Spring Carnival Winner!

2011-05-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Congrats to our Spring Blog Carnival Winner:

Tiffany Drew

Tiffany's book has already been ordered. Hope you love it Tiffany!

Thanks to all who entered and welcome new followers!

How'd I do? Divergent Challenge Week One: Abnegation

2011-05-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

As part of our own GotYA gal, Debra Driza's DIVERGENT CHALLENGE, authored by one-time GotYA gal, Veronica Roth (wow that's a mouthful), I'll be taking on the weekly faction challenges and posting right here on GotYA!

Got it?!?

WEEK ONE: ABNEGATION

According to the Divergent fansite, Abnegation means:

1. To refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject, renounce.
2. To relinquish, give up

Relinquish your home to De CAT!

As a mom of two who works full time and does this thing called writing books, there's a lot of sacrifice in my life. Sleep being number one on the list. But giving things up to do something you love, like writing, doesn't seem like abnegation to me. So, that won't count.

I've gone to work without makeup this week! But not as a thought-out contribution to this challenge, more like a my-eyes-are-itchy-stupid-oak-trees-are-killing-me kind of thing. So, that won't count either.

EVIL OAK TREE OF ITCHY EYES

I read 50 pages of Ramona and Her Mother last night that my 3rd grade daughter put off and put off and put off until she had to have it read by today for a book report. But, I'm a mom--it's my job. So, that doesn't count.

It's what we do.

Guess that means I can't count cooking, doing dishes and washing clothes either.

I'm striking out here people.

Maybe I should fast next week to make up for my big FAIL this week. Of course, I would lose weight that way, so that probably wouldn't count either.

I suck at this. I give up.

WEEK ONE: FAIL

I'm not sure what's going on here--but it's funny as heck!

Cover Love!

2011-05-11T00:44:00.001-07:00

It's time for cover love!

First up:
XVI by Julia Karr

(US, German)

The author revealed her German cover yesterday and I'm totally in love with it. It's nothing like the US cover, though both are rather striking.

Next up:

The Iron King by Julia Kagawa

(US, German)

Again an awesome German cover (by my German pub Heyne!). I love the colors and those eyes and eyelashes. Just wow! But the US cover is pretty awesome, too!

Next up:

The Hollow by Jessica Verday.

(US hardcover, US paperback, UK, German)

I'm not so sure about the US hardcover. It's a bit unsettling. I definitely prefer the paperback version. The German cover is my favorite though.

What do you think?

Ohioana Book Festival 2011 Recap

2011-05-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Festival Details click Here!

This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to attend the Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Ohioana is a completely free gathering for lovers of books and showcases central Ohio's local authors. There was so much to do and to be honest with you it was just as good if not better than some of the conferences I've attended and actually paid for.

I can't even begin to rattle off all the individual seminars, because there was just so many. One of the main things I wanted to share with you guys is I met the Regional Advisor for the local chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.

Click HERE to visit their national site!

There is a ton of advantages available to members of SCBWI. If you are serious about getting published in the children's market this is the professional society for you. They have annual conferences, local monthly meetings and networking opportunities. A great place to meet other people with the same interest as you.

The second thing I wanted to share with you all is the great books I discovered by authors right in my back yard. A couple of them I had reviewed their novels on READING, WRITING & WAITING, so it's always nice to put faces with books.

Erin McCahan, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

Erin McCahan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but moved to Columbus, Ohio when she was nearly five. She spent her best collegiate years at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and Capital University in Columbus, where she still lives.

Here Comes the Bride — If She Can Pass Chemistry.

Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.

Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants — and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?

Author Website

Goodreads

I met Erin McCahan yesterday. She was super nice and remembered my book review!

Linda Gerber, Trance

Linda Gerber learned out of necessity to write on the go while living the expat life in Japan, where she served as the Regional Advisor for the Tokyo chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the best-selling author of novels for teens and tweens. Her books have landed on such notable lists as the ALA Popular Paperbacks, Women’s Sports Foundation recommended reads, and Literacy Lab recommended reads. Her latest book, Trance, is a Junior Library Guild selection. Gerber currently lives and writes in Dublin, Ohio, blissfully ignoring her husband, four kids, and one very naughty puppy.

Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop it not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear; it's up to her to save Jake from near-certain death.

Author Website

Gooreads

It was really cool to meet Linda because her blog actually quotes my review! That's proof that authors do read reviews guys! My review of Linda's book TRANCE.

Lisa Klein, Cate of the Lost Colony

A writer of historical fiction for young adults, Lisa Klein is a native of Peoria, Illinois. She received her BA from Marquette and her PhD in literature from Indiana University. Klein was an assistant professor of English at The Ohio State University for eight years, where her special discipline was Shakespeare and Renaissance culture. Klein lives in Columbus.

Lady Catherine is one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite court maidens-until her forbidden romance with Sir Walter Ralegh is discovered. In a bitter twist of irony, the jealous queen banishes Cate to Ralegh's colony of Roanoke, in the New World. Ralegh pledges to come for Cate, but as the months stretch out, Cate begins to doubt his promise and his love. Instead it is Manteo, a Croatoan Indian, whom the colonists-and Cate-increasingly turn to. Yet just as Cate's longings for England and Ralegh fade and she discovers a new love in Manteo, Ralegh will finally set sail for the New World. Seamlessly weaving together fact with fiction, Lisa Klein's newest historical drama is an engrossing tale of adventure and forbidden love-kindled by one of the most famous mysteries in American history: the fate of the settlers at Roanoke, who disappeared without a trace forty years before the Pilgrims would set foot in Plymouth.

I had seen this book on several blogs and even discussed it with a girl in my critique group, but I had no idea the author was local! Can't wait to read this one. YA needs more historicals!

Website

Goodreads

Kristina McBride, The Tension of Opposites

Kristina McBride, a former high-school English teacher and yearbook advisor, wrote The Tension of Opposites in response to the safe return of a child who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend’s house. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. This is her first novel.

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? Ho...moreIt’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

“Tense! The constant push and pull of friendship, pain, love, and jealousy is beautifully drawn. A definite must read.” – Jay Asher, author of the New York Times bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why

Author Website

Goodreads

I'm really excited to read this one! Reminds me of the Elizabeth Smart story.

Happy Reading!!!

ANNIE

Flashback Fridays: The Devastating Southern Storms

2011-05-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

For this week's Flashback Friday, I wanted to reflect on the local and world events

of the last ten days, predominantly the devastating storms in the South. And holy moly, what an insane ten days it has been. I mean, the Royal Wedding and Osama Bin Laden's death all in one weekend coming on the tail end of the second worst tornado system in American History.

It all began a week ago on Tuesday evening. While perusing Facebook posts, I saw where a local Atlanta station, WSBTV, had posted a very ominous weather report for Wednesday night. On a rating scale, conditions are likely for tornado activity at 2 and 3--they were predicting levels of 8 and 11. I'd already heard of devastating storms hitting Arkansas, so the threat seemed very plausible.

Wednesday at my school was supposed to be a fun day for the Seniors--slide show, talent show, picnic, and then a Powder Puff game where the girls of the schools don football jerseys and the guys play the cheerleaders.

All that came to a screeching halt at about 8:15 when we were ordered to get into the hallways(especially my class since we're in a mobile unit). In my ten years of teaching, I've practiced tornado drills each and every year. However, I've never actually been involved in an actual tornado until Wednesday. And I knew it was bad when administration told us teachers we were to take cover with our students instead of patrolling the hallways. The worst was hearing the reports crackling over the walkie talkies of tornadoes touching down close to us. After almost an hour packed into the hallways, we were ushered to the talent show. But in the middle of it, we got word that they were sending us home early at 11:30. On the drive back home, the damage was already very visible with uprooted trees and broken limbs. But the worst was yet to come.

Around eight that evening, I packed up my two dogs and headed to my grandmother's who lives five minutes from me. We huddled in her living room, glued to the news reports--ready at any moment to head to the interior hallway since she didn't have a basement. Over and over, the piercing tornado siren rang through the night, but fortunately, the storm went directly to the north of us.

The entire night reminded me of the book, Night of the Twisters, that my 4th grade teacher read aloud to us. It was made into a 1996 movie with Devon Sawa from Final Destination and John Schnieder from The Dukes of Hazard.

I teach an hour away from home this year in Walker County(which was featured in Water for Elephants...the farmhouse is owned by a teacher at my school). And while my home county had very minimal storm damage, the county where I teach was hit hard. We ended up missing school on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, and then we've been on a 2-hr delay all week to allow extra time for those still without power. However, compared to Walker's next door county, they were lucky. Ringgold, Georgia, which is in Catoosa County, was basically leveled. Businesses, the schools, houses--all wiped away. Seven deaths were reported in that county, which brought the death total in Georgia to fifteen.

However, nothing in Georgia could compare the utter devastation and destruction in Alabama. Over two hundred dead. The college town of Tuscaloosa wiped out. The images I've seen on television and in person are horrifying and almost unbelievable.

Ways you can help

You can head over to Help Write Now, an online auction from writers, agents, and editors to bid on items where all proceeds go to help storm victims.

The Salvation Army & The Red Cross are already on the ground and helping delivering food, shelter, and helping with clean up.

The Passionate Penny Pincher has a link for care packages for children impacted by the storm.

Querying love

2011-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy querying.

I know to some that sounds crazy, but I do. I get that itch to send out queries fairly regularly when I'm working on a book. I just finished my third, which is on its way to betas, and I'm itching to hit send five times on that query. And right now...my query sucks.

I enjoy getting e-mails from agents, even though the pattern has been mostly rejections. I squee when I have a request. And I sigh when I get a rejection.

But there is something edgy about the process. I can't explain it, but it may be that deep-down part of me that knows the right agent for me is out there and when the stars align, I'll have an offer.

Now, I don't want to be misunderstood here. I've been depressed and upset and felt like quitting too many times to count. There have been times when I wanted nothing to do with writing. Times when I wanted to chuck it all and never type another word. Those times are very real, but have passed for me. I figure they will come back again. Even after an agent, and a book deal or five book deals. I may be eighty years old wanting to burn it all one day. But one thing has remained constant for me. My writing buddies who tell me to keep going. I hope you have that in your life.

Good luck on your path!

Contest Winner!!!

2011-05-03T07:07:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!!

So, so sorry that I'm a few days late on the contest posting. Not only have things been crazy with the storm damage(nothing in my county, but the county I teach in missed 3 days of school), but my laptop died on Wednesday night.

Anyway, without further adieu, the winner of Across the Universe, Identical, and Dead Tossed Waves is

GINA!!!!!!!

Gina, if you will email me(kra79 at comcast dot net) your address, I will get the books out to you ASAP. Thanks to everyone for participating!!

20 Awesome YA Book Trailers

2011-05-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

A good book trailer to me is like watching a trailer for a movie. It gets me hooked into the story and makes me excited about it. I love book trailers. Maybe that's because I'm a very visual person *shrug*, who knows, but I think there are others out there like me because more books are coming out with trailers as a part of promotional campaign. Here's a few awesome book trailers I want to share with you all. Some are so well done. I can tell the author/publisher spent some major time to make them so kick ass. While you're here watch a few. Who knows, one may catch your eye.

1. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

2. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

3. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

4. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

5. Matched by Ally Condie

6. ANGELFIRE by Courtney Allison Moulton

7. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

8. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

10. INTERTWINED by Gena Showalter

11. Torment by Lauren Kate

12. The Chemical Garden Trilogy - Wither Trailer

13. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

14. Lure by Stephaine Jenkins

15. Across the Universe

16. The Replacement

17. The Eternal Ones

18. Beautiful Creatures

19. Paranormalcy

20. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Any you guys want to share??

Spring Carnival Blog Hop!

2011-05-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to GOT YA's stop on the Hop! Please be sure to check out our most awesome hosts!!
Candace’s Book Blog http://www.candacesbookblog//, Reading Angel http://www.readingangel.com/, Pure Imagination http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/, and The Book Swarm http://www.bookswarm.blogspot.com/)

What's up for Grabs!

One book of choice from book depository ($14.00 limit). If book depository ships to you, you're eligible!

How To Enter:
1. Follow us via GFC
2. Comment with your email address!

Contest Ends May 8th at 11:59pm. We will contact you if you win!

Good Luck!!

Thursday's funnies

2011-04-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm bringing you a little humor that may be thought inducing. Some of these have been blogged about lately.

A little something to show your age:

A little something to think about. Should our YA writing be "safe"?

Will these be a thing of the past?

And finally, who doesn't want this? Gotta have the kitteh love!!

Cover Love!

2011-04-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday, so that means...Cover Love!

Let's start with Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

(US, Italian, German)

A book about a fight between hell and heaven. I really like the font and the intricate patterns of the German cover, but there's nothing "hellish" about it. No hint that hell fights heaven - except for the tagline that means "between heaven and hell" in English. I like the flames on the Italian cover but the girl doesn't resemble Frannie. I don't really have a favorite though.

Next: Tithe by Holly Black

(US, UK?, UK?, Polish)

I really like the second cover because it shows how the main character looks. Her black eyes are creepy! I'm not sure about the Polish cover but I like that they tried to show other creatures that appear in the book.

Next: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

(US hardcover, US paperback, UK, German)

Okay, what can I say? Maybe: WOW. They are all beautiful. My favorite: The US paperback with the sleeping girl and the ivy surrounding her. Gorgeous!

What are your favorites?

Bad Blurb Tuesday: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stones

2011-04-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Bad Blurb Tuesday—where we make good books sound bad and love every minute of it!

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is one of the most well-known and loved children’s books EVER WRITTEN. Surely there’s no way to make this story sound silly, right? HA! Read my bad blurb below before you decide:

Harry Potter goes from almost-normal-boy-who-lives-in-a-cupboard-under-his-mean-aunt-and-uncle’s-stairs to prospective wizard in a few beats of an owl’s wing. And he’s no ordinary wizard—Harry’s the only wizard ever to have survived a fight with the terrifying You Know Who.

You and Harry have got to get back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts—where you’ll be enchanted by booger-flavored jelly beans, frizzy-haired brainiacs, and big, big dogs, watch Harry try to get his hands on some sorcerer’s stones, and find the true definition of “two-faced” lurking under a turban.

Um, no. Just no. Besides the fact that I totally included spoilers in the last line, I’m still cackling over “sorcerer’s stones.” When writing a blurb/query, make sure to pick up on any unintentional double meanings, because trust me—there are plenty of people with warped brains like mine out there, and they WILL notice. And snicker.

Also, the turban line could come across as slightly racist. Huge fail.

Finally—know what to concentrate on in your query/blurb, and what not to mention. Example--while you might love a good booger-flavored jelly bean, they are probably not the way to an agent’s or editor’s heart.

Now, let’s see what the talented folks at Arthur A. Levine books used as front jacket copy on the hard cover version:

Harry Potter has never been star of a Quidditch game, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility. All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives announcing that Harry has been chosen to attend Hogwarts, an elite school for the training of wizards and witches…

Ahhh, now THAT’S more like it. The very first line manages to capture what’s especially intriguing/mysterious about Hogwarts—and doesn’t focus on the random like my blurb did.

(On the other hand—do I get bonus points for A Very Potter Musical shout-out? No? Boo!)

Hope you enjoyed this installment of Bad Blurb Tuesday, and I’ll leave you with this:

Flashback Friday: Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery & CONTEST

2011-04-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

For this week's Flashback Friday, I'm looking back to some of my earliest writing--those Middle School and High School days when I suffered from "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery syndrome." Basically, it meant I read something and then mimicked it...sometimes with embarrassing consequences.

(1). Exhibit A: Sweet Valley Family Saga

I gotta say I was a huge Sweet Valley Twins and High fan growing up. And when the epic Sweet Valley Saga came out, the stories of the twins family heritage from the late 1800's on up to when their parents, Alice and Ted Wakefield, married, I was hooked.

It was after rereading the books in Middle School that the imitation bug hit me, and I did my own epic family saga story with five generations. As you guessed it, there were blinding similarities--probably enough to get Francine Pascal's attorney after me! :)

(2). Exhibit B: RL Stine's The Cheerleaders 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Evil

I was addicted to RL Stine's Fear Street books in 7th and 8th grade. Because of that reason, I wrote a cheerleader mystery myself. I will say that I actually branched out this time and didn't totally copy, er, imitate the Cheerleader Evil with the fact it wasn't all about an other worldly force possessing cheerleaders. It was actually a pretty decent serial killer type book with cheerleaders from different high schools being targeted and murdered while one girl tries to find the killer.

I wrote it on one of those old MS Dos computers. Remember those days before Microsoft Windows? Good times. I ended up losing the story with a computer crash, or I might totally reread and resurrect that bad boy, lol.

*************************CONTEST TIME!!!!*********************************

I want to give away some books with themes and plots I've managed NOT to imitate yet!

(1). Identical by Ellen Hopkins: I totally admire and covet Ellen's ability to write in verse. The images she weaves with her words is fabulous.

(2). Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan: I've managed not to integrate zombies, so I'll defer to Carrie Ryan's awesome ability to use the scary undead.

(3). Across the Universe by Beth Revis: I haven't been there, done that on Sci-Fi, and since Beth does it so well, along with creating a great in-space murder mystery, I'll leave it to her.

So, how do you win? All you gotta do is (1). Be a Follower & (2). Leave a Comment with one of your Imitation stories, ideas, novels....or a comment will suffice! lOL

Easey Peasy, right?

The Contest will run until next Thursday, and Contest Winners will be announced on Friday!!!

Cover Love!

2011-04-20T03:53:00.000-07:00

It's time for Cover Love!

We start with Wings by Aprilynne Pike.

(US, UK, German)

(French, Portuguese, Polish)

I love the German cover. The colors are great and the spidery wings look kind of creepy!

The French cover reminds me of Adult Urban Fantasy book covers. And Wings is tame, so the cover promises something that isn't there. ;)

I really like how most of the covers show wings in some form on their cover.

Next: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

(US, UK, Greek, Serbian)

(Chinese, Russian, Danish, German)

I really like how on the Danish cover it looks like the girl's hair is on fire. She looks so fierce!

I think it's great that so many publishers decided to have a Mockingjay on the cover. After all it's an important motif of the book. The Russian cover doesn't really reflect the content of the book. It reminds me of a romance cover and despite the whole Katniss/Gale/Peeta debate, The Hunger Games series isn't really a romance.

I don't have a favorite.

What are your favorites?

LURE WINNERS!!

2011-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

The 5 winners for a copy of Stephanie Jenkins' LURE are:

Raven
Josin
Dyndi
Deb
Shannon

Please email me at jamie.blair@facebook.com with your email address and I will send it to you!!

Flashback Friday: The Five Things I Wished I'd Know About the Writing Business

2011-04-08T06:13:00.001-07:00

For this week's Flashback Friday(yes, it's really back!), I'm joining forces with my buds over at the group blog Paper Hangover(you should totally follow them btw. They're some AMAZING ladies of YA literature!) They're doing their Friday Five today on the five things they wish they'd known before they began in the writing game.

And since I'm movie analogy nerd--er, fan, I wanted to take my flashback approach like Mary Catherine Gallagher would....well, not quite since I won't be interpreting popular made for TV movies, but you get the gist.

(1). Fasten Your Seat Belts, It's Going to be a Bumpy Ride--All About Eve

I got 3 words for you....Ignorance is bliss! I knew nada, zilch, zippo about the writing business when I first started. Agents? Query Letters? Say what? I had no idea what I was going to be getting into when I took the writing plunge. It will be three years ago this summer that I began my first serious novel(I've written my whole life--short stories, bad Danielle Steelesque ripoffs, etc). It was/is an adult Literary Fiction with Christian symbolism. When I look back on writing it, I remember it as one of the happiest times of my life. It was a freeing, exhilarating, and manically creative time. But I had no idea the full quality and quantity of the bumpy road of publication that lay before me. The very road that would make writing the next novels not quite so carefree and much more angst ridden.

(2). They May Take Our Lives, But They'll Never Take Our Freedom!!---Braveheart No one could have prepared me for how soul sucking, life-altering and ball-busting the writing business is. Until you've queried and put yourself out there for rejection, you have no idea how hard it can be. There were/are days I wanted to walk away. To forget I'd ever written anything and to vow to never write again. But then that fiery passion, the one that sometimes was only a few flickering embers, would burn within me. And I would vow that no matter what, I would see a book to being agented and/or published. Nothing would take away my dream!!!!

(3 ) You're Going to Need a Bigger Boat--Jaws Another thing I wish I had understood or comprehended was that the industry was much bigger and much more complicated than I could have ever imagined. You had to get an agent. Then they had to put you on submission. One editor didn't control your publishing destiny--it could be a whole team of people. And just like in Jaws, it was going to take a LOT to succeed and keep my little boat safe in the shark infested waters

(4). Just Keep Swimming Total words to live by then and now. I like the to think of this as a just keep on writing mantra. Write, write, write. Rinse, wash, repeat. If you don't succeed with the first book, keep on writing. Write because you love it, not because you want to be published.

(5). May the Force Be With You--Star Wars I think this is a pretty simple mantra to stick by. Keep your faith--whether it's faith in a spiritual being to see you through the bumpy road or faith in yourself as a creative being with a story to tell. Surround yourself with positive forces--critique buddies, family, friends, pets. You will need to draw on their strength. They will ride the emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows with you.

Cover Love!

2011-04-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

A new edition of cover love! Today we start with a book that isn't even out yet. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini will be published May 31st.

(US, UK, Spanish, German)

This is a paranormal romance with a Greek twist. The US and the Spanish cover make me think of Greece, of its many islands and the Mediterranean Sea, though the book isn't even set in Greece as far as I know. What I love about the US cover is the cloudy sky because it adds a foreboding touch. The UK cover puts the focus on the starcrossed lovers and the lightning shows that their love won't be easy. I like the color scheme of the German cover and the small figures from Greek mythology at the bottom.

My favorite: US cover

Next: Before I die by Jenny Downham

(US, UK hardcover, UK paperback)

(German, French, Turkish)

(Croatian, Bulgarian, Finnish, Swedish)

I haven't read the book yet but from what I've heard it's really sad which you could probably guess from the title and the summary if you read it. A sixteen year old girl wants to experience life before she dies and there are only a few months left for her to do that. I love the UK paperback. I can't even say why. Maybe because it shows hope and a touch of sadness at the same time. The mood of the covers in the middle is much lighter than in the others. They aren't as bittersweet as the UK hardcover or paperback for example. From the last four covers the Finnish version is my favorite. I like how the red shoes stick out. Nice image.

So what are your favorite covers? Do you think the Before I die covers do justice to the book?

Bad Blurb Tuesday - LURE

2011-04-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Bad Blurb Tuesday, where we attempt to write ~~the worlds suckiest~~ a back cover blurb in mere minutes to show you just how ~~easy it is to muddle it all up~~ difficult it is to convey the core of a book in only few paragraphs.

Since we're fast approaching our ONE YEAR anniversary here at GotYA, I thought I'd take you back in time to the days before GotYA when a handful of YA writers who met on Absolute Write's Old People Writing for Teens thread thought they'd get together and start a blog.

One fellow blogger back in the old days was Stephanie Jenkins. Steph recently took a giant leap and published her YA book, Lure, on Amazon. (No fair cheating - don't clink the Lure link until you read my crappy blurb- k?) Below, I'll attempt to write a blurb for Lure - AND GIVE AWAY 5 LURE E-BOOKS!

Here's my attempt at a blurb for LURE:

Charlotte Brewer is in over her head--literally--when she hears a song calling to her from the ocean and almost drowns. Now all she has to do is stop disappearing into the water, and maybe dead men will stop washing up on the beach. Throw in a siren and a war between the gods, and Charlotte has more than just the cute Summer Boy, Wyatt, to distract her from her sucky job serving up fish to the tourists in Gloucester.

And here's Steph's from Amazon:

Charlotte Brewer is sure she’s crazy when she hears singing drifting from the ocean—normal people don’t have arias playing on repeat in their head. When she gets wasted at a party and investigates the ethereal tune, she almost drowns. Charlotte comes to with an overwhelming thirst for salt water, a new desire to eat fish, and a heartbeat of only seven beats a minute. She wakes up by the sea almost every day and dead men wash up hours later.

But then Charlotte meets Lorelei, a siren. Lorelei reveals she saved her from drowning with the “Siren’s Kiss”—a curse that made Charlotte a soulless immortal. Her role as a siren is simple: guide the souls of the dead at sea. Too bad taking care of the dead means being stuck in the middle of a war between a fertility goddess and the sirens . . . and losing her soul. If Charlotte wants to regain her mortality, she must find love with a mortal. And if she fails to secure it, she risks becoming a puppet to the gods.

AHHH, yes....much much better!

NOW A CONTEST!!!!

Spread the love for Stephanie Jenkins @stephniejenkins LURE on Twitter or your blog and let us know in the comments! Winner will be picked at random* next Tuesday!

*Co-worker Dan will pick a number and I'll count the comments to find the winner! Co-worker Dan is helpful like that.

Writing/Reading YA: Obsessed Since 2007

2011-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there have been times when I didn't leave my house in like a day or two, simply because I was absorbed in writing or reading. My husband thinks I've become completely mental, because I really only become a full-fledged writing/reading book nerd back in 2007. Before I became a writing hermit, I was a shopper, a mover, an always on the goer, now all my free time and energy is put into the literary world. My husband, poor guy, can't fathom this "unnatural" obsession with "imaginary" people, and to be honest, before I became addicted I couldn't either.

I was such a bad kid in school. I liked to skip class (missed 32 days my senior year. Yeah, I know. Shhhhhh Don't tell. That's our secret.) I copied my homework, and I NEVER read a full book. I was a cliff notes kind of girl when I couldn't get one of the smart people to just tell me what the book was about.Yes, I was one of those annoying people who would say things like, "Why read? I'll just wait for the movie to come out." *gasp* The horror. I know.

What caused the change you might ask. Well, I have nieces that are teens (No I'm not that old, my parents are and so are my siblings. I was an oopise baby.) and we pal around a lot. When I took my niece, Kim, to buy her 14th Birthday present in 2007 I nearly fell over at the mall when she told me she wanted a book. I was like, "OMG WHY?!?!?! I'm offering to buy you clothes and you want a book. Who are you? You can't be related to me!" But she rolled her eyes and dragged me into Waldons Bookstore. I followed with no clue my life was about to forever change.

She looked around, while I was bored out of my skull, until she found the book she wanted. ECLIPSE. It was expensive, near thirty bucks if I remember correctly, and thick.

2006 (Near the time of the Story)
Standing: Kim, Annie, Tasha
Bottom: Alicia

Needless to say, because I love her, I bought it for her. On the way home she was telling me about the story and about how YA books are for teenagers. I didn't even know books had subsections. LOL She told me about all the books she already had at home and I showed a little interest just to appease her. When we got to her house she shoved four books in my hands and made me promise to read them. I'm pretty sure I crossed my fingers behind my back when I told her I would.

That same night my husband and I was going out to a comedy club with a group of friends. While I waited on everyone to come over, I picked up one of the books that had stared at me from my coffee table for the past twenty minutes. It was MARKED by PC Cast. Before I knew it was 20 pages in and my friends had arrived. I asked my husband if I could take the book, and he was like WTF, why? I didn't realize that was the start of an obsession. One that is still going strong in 2011 with the YA genre.

From then on, I've read every YA book I could get my hands on, and after I went through a couple hundred I had the urge to try my own hand at writing. I'll be honest my first novels were practice ones. I surprised myself that I even finished the things. LOL But now, after three years of solid learning about the publishing world, my writing is finally coming together. It clicks now a little more. I kinda feel like I might have a small clue of what I'm doing now. But I didn't get to this point on my own. When I got serious about writing I started with finding other people who wrote YA for their guidance, and then, I moved on to find an actual critique group that I meet with twice a month (FICTION FLURRY) here in Ohio.

My point is, if you are new to the YA world. Welcome. The people in this genre are super cool. Most are warm and welcoming and are very supportive of each other. Whether your a reader or a writer, YA can inspire you. Hell, look at me. It made me a die hard reader and it inspired me to try and contribute my own stories to share with readers.

I wanna hear from you guys! What is it about YA that hooked you? How long have you been addicted? Shout out we'd love to hear from you.

Happy Read and Writing!

For YA Book Reviews: Reading, Writing and Waiting

Bad Blurb Tuesday: Some Girls Are

2011-03-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

*NEWSFLASH* Before I get to the blurb, just a head's up. You've probably heard it already, but there's an auction for disaster relief in Japan going on at Write Hope featuring all writing-related items, like ARCS and critiques. I'm offering a full manuscript critique, followed by a full manuscript read by my agent, Taylor Martindale. That package will be up for bids on Thursday, so please, check it out if you're interested!

And now back to our regularly scheduled blurby badness.

It’s Bad Blurb Tuesday! This is where we create a seriously awful blurb for a well known YA book to prove that, yes, bad blurbs/pitches/queries can make even the most awesome stories sound lame. It’s actually one of my superpowers. And here I asked for the ability to make chocolate chip cookies out of broccoli. Oh well—can’t win ‘em all.

This week, I decided to pick one of my all-time favorite contemporary YA novels: Courtney Summer’s Some Girls Are.

Here’s my blurb:

Some Girls Are mean. Regina, the main character, sure is. She was mean to her ex-best friend and this one guy—which is a bummer, because she kind of likes him now—and a bunch of other people too. Now her current friends are being mean to her, both in person and on Facebook. Basically, it’s one big circle of meanness.

Seriously, doesn’t that profound gem make you want to jump out of your chair and speed to your nearest bookstore? Doesn't it scream 2011 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults (one of the book's numerous awards)?

No, you say?

Luckily, the clever folks at St. Martin’s Griffin came up with something MUCH better. Here’s the real blurb:

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is har--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be

So, what do you think? Will St. Martin’s be offering me a job as their jacket-copy writer anytime soon? Also, think you can do better in the bad blurb department? Go for it, and leave your version in the comments!

Going Indie: What Do You Think?

2011-03-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

In today's sucky economy money is tight everywhere. Every industry has cut back, limiting the amount of money they spend on things. The literary world is no exception to this. A lot of agents are even putting in their query rejection letters that the economy has a direct impact based on rejections.

To combat this problem a ton of writers are going indie. What is indie you ask. An indie writer is someone who self publishes their writing or goes small press. In the past this has been, well, to put it lightly, looked down upon. But not anymore. There are several wildly popular authors out there who have gone the self publishing track. One YA indie author that has generated a lot of buzz lately is Amanda Hockings, 26. She has taken the indie publishing world by storm and showed a lot of us that is is possible to make it on your own. Here is a snip from a blog post on Amanda Hockings on Bookish by Maggie Galehouse:

She published her first two books on April 15, 2010. Since then, she has sold 900,000 copies (gulp!) of more than 9 different books.

Her novella and three of her novels are 99 cents in e-book. The other 5 go for $2.99.

Her novels are also available in paperback, for $8.99 or $9.99.

Now, let's take a moment to digest all this and do some math. Even if every single book sold went for 99 cents, and remembering that she earns 70 cents on every dollar of sales, by my estimation she has pulled in close to $620,000 already.

In her blog, Hocking says she's had an agent since last August. Even if she paid her agent $100,000 a year, she has still earned more than half a million.

You can check out Amanda Hockings on all the major online book seller sites, like Amazon, or you can check out her awesome blog, where she just announced her traditional publishing deal with St. Martians Press.

Another great indie writer is J.L. Bryan. He has several titles out now and an amazing website showcasing all of his works.

Several of my writing friends are going indie, and it's not because they aren't talented writers, because they totally are. Some of the best stories I've read over the past couple years are by unpublished authors whose manuscripts, for whatever reason, doesn't fit into the publishing houses budget plans. These are novels they have slaved on for years. For that reason, I cheer them on on their indie journey. There are a ton of unpublished gems out there and I am excited to watch their journey.

What do you guys think about going indie? Thinking about it? Done it? Shout out and Share! :)

Visit my blog for YA Reviews: Reading, Writing and Waiting

Friday Funnies

2011-03-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

So, excuses are like.....er, well. BUT, I promise that the Flashback Fridays segment is coming back with some homage to the classics like Anne of Green Gables & Pride and Prejudice as well as other hot topics in the industry.

You'll also want to check back in April when we celebrate our ONE Year Anniversary at GotYA!! Some giveaways are coming your way!!

In lieu of an actual post, I give you something to smile about this Friday. I know a

lot of areas are suffering through snow drifts, and I've got to s

urvive one more week before Spring Break. Help me!

Cover Love!

2011-03-23T05:29:00.001-07:00

A new edition of Cover Love!

Let's start with The Maze Runner by James Dashner:

(US, UK, Greek)

(German, Portuguese)

From all the above the US and the Greek are my favorites. I like that the Greek cover shows the stormy sky. I don't like the German cover so much because it doesn't show the maze.

Next: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

(US, UK, German hardcover and paperback)

(Portuguese, Finnish, French)

My favorite is the UK cover. I love how fierce Katsa looks on it. I also like the German paperback with the glowing flowers and the US. Not sure about the Finnish and French though.

Next: The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

(US/UK, French, Spanish, Italian)

How can you possibily top the US cover? It's gorgeous and that dress? Stunning.

Most countries chose to have the US cover for their books, maybe the French, Spanish and Italian pubs should have done the same.

I haven't read The Luxe yet, so I'm not sure what's up with the thorns in the Spanish cover. Maybe one of you can explain it to me in the comments?

So what do you say? Have you any favorites? Are there any books you'd like to see in one of my next cover love posts?

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

2011-03-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Just a little something to brighten your St. Patrick's Day!

Cover Love!

2011-03-16T04:38:00.001-07:00

It's time for cover love!

Let's start with A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.

(From left to right: US, German, Spanish)

I think the US cover is great because it shows that the book is a historical YA but what it doesn't show is that there are paranormal aspects as well. That's what the Spanish cover conveys better. I like how the S of Spence glows and the unusual necklace around the girl's neck. The colors of the German cover are lovely but I wish it was a bit darker.

(Indonesian, French, Dutch)
I'm not sure about the French cover. Normally I'm all for dark covers but this one just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Next: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

(US, German, Czech)

I guess everyone has seen the US cover with the red apple before. It's eyecatching but I'm not sure if I actually like it. I think I prefer the German version, though it has a historical touch.

(Russian, Indonesian, Thai)

The Russian as well as the Czech cover remind me of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I really like the Thai version. Sorry that it's so small!

Next: Percy Jackson -The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

(US?, UK, Dutch)
This is MG, so the feel of the cover is a bit different. All of the Percy Jackson covers fit the plot but my favorite is the UK version.

(German, German, Indonesian)

Often, the German covers are really lovely but I'm not sure what to think about the first one. It's kind of funny I guess, so that might be good for Middle Graders but on the other hand I feel that it's a bit uninspired. The second German version is much better imo.

So what are your favorite covers of the above?

Bad Blurb Tuesday!

2011-03-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

To kick off a new weekly segment, Bad Blurb Tuesdays, let’s take a look at my off-the-cuff try at a jacket-copy blurb for Thirteen Reason’s Why. Then we’ll make fun of it and I’ll cry a little (not really) before revealing Jay Asher’s real blurb.

FIRST though, you all do know about Thirteen Reason’s Why being made into a movie staring Selena Gomez, right? RIGHT?!?!

I'm not a witch. I only play one on tv.

Ignoring the fact that I watch more episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place than can possibly be healthy for one human being,* I love Selena and can’t wait for this movie. Oh! Oh! Logan Lerman might be up for the part of Clay (or so the MTV article says) and that makes me insanely happy!**

Okay, back to business, this is my attempt at smooshing all of the wonderfulness that is 13RW into a few paragraphs:

Clay Jensen finds a box on his porch filled with tapes. When he plays the first one, Hannah Baker's voice comes out of the speaker like the ghost of a dead girl. Because she is--a dead girl.

Hannah committed suicide before Clay found the courage to tell her he had a crush on her. Now, here she is, telling him he's one of thirteen people--thirteen reasons why she killed herself.

So, what do you think? Let's tear it down.

Clay Jensen finds a box on his porch filled with tapes. So??? When he plays the first one, Hannah Baker's voice comes out of the speaker like the ghost of a dead girl. Because she is--a dead girl. Oh, this is one of those ghost books - the girl comes back and he tells her he loves her, she confesses that she always loved him too, but they can't be together...because she's dead. I get it.

Hannah committed suicide before Clay found the courage to tell her he had a crush on her. Now, here she is So she's one of those corporeal ghosts that people can see..., telling him he's one of thirteen people--thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Wait. What?

You are so dumb, Jamie. I'm trying not to eye roll.

I can't believe the people at Razorbill refused to use my blurb on the back of the book! For sure it's better than this one, right? RIGHT?!?

The Real Blurb from Jay’s MySpace page:

The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you. (from Cassette 1: Side A)

Hannah Baker records the defining moments of the past few years of her life onto seven audiotapes. Thirteen stories involving several people at her school. She packs the tapes into a shoebox and mails them to the first person on the list. Then, she goes home to take her life.

Two weeks later, Clay Jensen comes home from school to find a box with no return address leaning against his front door. Inside are seven audiotapes, their sides labeled 1 through 13 in blue nail polish. He has no idea what’s on the tapes, which is kind of exciting…until he presses play.

With Hannah’s voice as his narrator, Clay spends the rest of the night wandering through town, visiting places mentioned on the tapes, unearthing the thirteen reasons why Hannah chose to kill herself.

And one reason belongs to him.

Fine. This one's better. Like 10 million times better. It's got a hook, it's clear and compelling. Heck, I'm going to read it again when I get home today.

Have you read our interview with Jay from a LONG time ago pre-GotYA when we were still Old People Writing for Teens? If not, check it out HERE.

*Disclaimer - I have a 7 year old and an 8 year old. I'm allowed to watch Disney. ALL. THE. TIME. I think it's required of me, in fact.

**See above. It applies to Percy Jackson movies too.

Flashback Fridays: Movies that Shaped Our Generation

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

They're the movies we grew up with--the ones that have stood the test of time. They've bridged the generational gap to be appreciated by new audiences, and whenever we find them on television, we're instantly transported back to another time and place. So, let's take a look at a sampling of some of those movies.

First Stop...the 80's: Even if you didn't sport poofy, Aquanet sprayed Jersey hair, wear stirrup pants with Coke shirts, or check the time on your Swatch watch, you probably still appreciate the majesty of 80's teen flicks, especially those of John Hughes who gave us Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, Uncle Buck, & Some Kind of Wonderful. Who didn't squeal when Jake Ryan showed up at the wedding to sweep Samantha off her feet, or who hasn't felt the angst of poor Duckie who loves a girl who only sees him as a friend? Not to mention who wouldn't love to runaway for the day and take over a city like Ferris Bueller.

Want a literary look at your favorite John Hughes's movies? Then check out the following.

In Don't You Forget About Me, twenty contributors pen essays on everything from late infatuations with Ferris Bueller, many, erm, biological factors of Weird Science, to ultimate fangirl/boy experiences with Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.

Or there's You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried that complies interviews with twenty actors as well as the directors and producers behind the Brat Pack's memorable movies like The Breakfast Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. As Gora, the author, puts it, "These films changed the way young people related to everything from class distinction to friendship, from love and sex to fashion and music."

Did you know that Brat Pack member Ally Sheedy has ties to the literary world herself? Not only is her mom literary agent Charlotte Sheedy of Sterling Lord Literistic, but at twelve years old, Ally penned the NY Times best seller, She Was Nice to Mice. She's also written a book of poetry called Yesterday I Saw the Sun

Hopping Over to Hogwarts With Harry:

Not since the late 70's Star Wars Trilogy premiers have opening days grossed such megabucks, but also brought a book series to life for so many people. What else but a love of a great series would get you to venture out to Midnight Showings, thus keeping you out late in lines that often wrap around a theater. Midnight showings are more than just a film experience considerng you can find people dressed as anyone from Harry to Hermoine even Dobby. But it's not just in midnight showings that Harry Potter has the ability to unite families; it can happen at anytime of the day or year. Just like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have grown up before our very eyes, many moviegoers have gone from children to teens in the span of the decade long movie series.

Mania of Mean Girls:No list of movies that defined a generation would be complete withoutMean Girls. Why? Because it brought the term "mean girl" as well as "Queen Bee" into the pop culture lexicon. It can also been seen in books like the Clique series, Some Girls Are, Blair in Gossip Girl, and Dominque in Jumped.

And while the film took a satirical look at the mean girl experience, one cannot discredit and downplay the seriousness of the subject matter, especially in light of the suicide's of teen girls who were bullied to death.

If you want some nonfiction based reading on the "mean girl" culture, then click on the following book covers.

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery:And just like snarky MC's have defined a lot of YA literature, the millennium brought us snark movies to parody the high school experience captured in so many films and books. One of the best is Not Another Teen Movie, which highlights 80's films like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, along with 90's movies like Cruel Intentions, She's All That, American Pie, 10 Things I Hate About You, Varsity Blues, & Can't Hardly Wait. And you also need to check out the soundtrack because it's awesome and features some great updated 80's cover songs.

PS. If you're ever worried about contemporary cliche's in your novel, you should check this one out!

And yes, no collection of movies that shaped a generation would be complete without a look at Twilight. Yep, that's right. We went there. After all, the Twilight series is a phenomenon around the globe, and it got a lot of reluctant readers reading. Like Harry Potter, its fan base bridges the generation gap.

Must see Twilight Sites:
TWITARDED: an absolutely HILARIOUS parody site that goes behind the movies and books for full on RPatz and KStew obsession.

The HillyWood Show: the Hindi sisters, Hannah and Hilary, are actors, directors, and producers in this show that not only parodies Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, but also Dark Knight, Sweeney Todd, and Star Wars. You seriously have to check them out...the New Moon parody is amazing!

Twilight Moms: This site caters to the older Twilight fans. And the forums have all sorts of book and movie conversations going on. They also get press access to do interviews with the cast members. And a really cool thing about this site is they try to give donations to charity.

Joss who??

2011-03-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Popular culture (commonly known as pop culture) is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st century. Heavily influenced by mass media, this collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of the society.

Today, I blogged about where I've been for the past decade.

I'm pop un cultured.

I read Kathleen Peacock's blog and I laugh, because I totally get her humor, but the references to TV, music, movies and other stuff that I'm sure is way cool, leave me biting my lip and muttering, "I don't get it."

I want to get it. I totally want to get it. How can I be one of the cool people on Twitter (no, this is not a #YA Mafia post) if I don't know the code? The lingo? The You Tube vids to post? HOW???

How will an agent or editor ever love me if I can't toss an off the cuff Buffy quote into my email? Who the heck is Angel?

I'm DOOMED!

Or am I?

Lovely YA Community, tell us here at GotYA, are you a pop culture pro, or will I be seeing you at the nerd table in the cafeteria too?

Cover Love!

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

In today's Cover Love post I want to spread the love for a few awesome covers of 2011 debut authors. It was sooo hard to choose only ten for this list because there are so many amazing covers!

Here's my top ten (in no particular order):

So Shelly by Ty Roth
This is one of the books that I'd buy even if I wasn't interested in the actual plot, just because I want it on my shelf. Pure cover lust, I admit it. But fortunately I want to read it just as much as I want to look at it.
What I Love: It's haunting and I love the way the girl holds her dress up and how she walks towards the water. I can't help but wonder if the end of the dock will stop her or if she'll just walk on and drown in the water.

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Rose petals anyone? Roses aren't even my favorite flower and yet I love this cover. What's not to love about it? It shows a girl that's dressed in rose petals and her rose dress is falling apart! Also those little four words on the cover: Love, death, destiny and danger. Can't resist them. I love me some danger, death and love (umm, that might have sounded creepy...).

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Did I ever mention that I love creepy covers? I do. And this on is creepy in a beautifully haunting way. The way the branches look like veins on her skin? Wonderfully creepy. Dark and mysterious, two other things I can't get enough of.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
This book was on my to-read list before I saw the cover (like most of the others, so I'm not a total cover addict) but I have to admit that I wasn't sure about it. I don't read that much contemporary and I don't play any instruments (the mc plays the violin) but after seeing the cover I have to get my hands on it.
Why I love it? One word: PINK. Uhh, yeah, pink is a color I can't get enough of. And the way the girl throws her head back and the way her hair fans out = beautiful.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
I seem to have a strange love for book covers with girls who stare at a lake with their back turned to me. I love the cover and the way the girl and her beautiful dress are fading, kind of melting into her surroundings.

Anna dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Another cover my creepy radar detected. Love that it's mainly held in black and white with a few blood-red highlights. This book cover promises the reader a good scare and nothing's better than a book that gives you chills and makes you afraid of the dark.

This book has been on my to read list forever and of course I discovered it because of its cover. Now this one is a bit different from most of my other choices. It's not as creepy, not as dark or haunting as the others, but those lips covered with sugar? Beautiful. And the title is pink and so are the lips. PINK ftw.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

This is a serious case of title love in my case but the cover is just as awesome. It keeps me wondering: Is the guys trying to pull her down or is he trying to save her from drowning? I've decided it's the latter without having read the book. Why? Because his grip around her waist is possessive in a lover kind of way and because this book screams sexual tension at me, and if he wanted to kill her that wouldn't be sexy at all, imo.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

A cover that gives us hints about the plot in a beautiful way. Like the bird in the cage symbolizing the MC's life in a golden cage. I absolutely love the dress.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

I've had my eyes on this one for a while and today Victoria revealed the final cover. Love the swirls and how the girl stands behind the veil. The font is beautiful too.

So tell me what are your favorite covers of 2011?

Interview with Kirsten Hubbard and a Like Mandarin ARC Giveaway!

2011-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

So, I have a confession to make. When I nabbed an ARC of Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin, I was a little worried. Don’t get me wrong—I’d been dying to read the book for over a year. But during that wait, I met Kirsten several times, and she’s like this unbelievably awesome person. Almost as crucial: we totally color-coordinated at ALA.

What if I read Like Mandarin and it just wasn’t for me? What would I say?

Um, yeah…RIDICULOUS worry. Why? Because Like Mandarin is freaking amazing, that’s why. This book really blew me away with its lush setting, its timeless feel, and its intricate portrayal of two very different female characters and their unexpected relationship—all of it showcased by Kirsten’s lyrical prose.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself by reading my interview with Kirsten below, and then entering to win an ARC of Like Mandarin.

Which character are you more like, Grace or Mandarin?

You know, I’m not much like either one of them! I’ve always read a ton, like Grace, but I’m definitely not the shy, wallflower type. I’ve always been more outspoken, like Mandarin (often to a fault) – but that’s really where our similarities end. They’re more the types of girls I was fascinated with, especially Mandarin.

Setting plays a huge, awesome role in Like Mandarin. What made you choose Wyoming?

The Wyoming badlands are in my blood, even though they’re as far as possible from the Southern California suburbs where I was born and raised. My mother grew up in small-town Wyoming, and we used to visit my grandparents there in the summertime. Everything about that setting fascinates me; I’ve felt it as strongly as I’ve ever felt any sense of place.

Did you ever compete in a beauty pageant, or have any friends who did?

Nope. I think I was first intrigued by pageants after reading The Baby-Sitters Club #15: Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn as a kid (no, seriously!) and I’m sure my twin sister and I threw together a couple pretend pageants. But I never participated in a real one, nor did my friends. They weren’t really on the radar where I grew up. I do vividly remember JonBenet Ramsey’s murder, and seeing her woman-child face on the cover of every magazine in the supermarket was both fascinating and repellant – which I think describes child beauty pageants well.

Mandarin does some pretty crazy things in the book. What’s the nuttiest thing you ever did in high school?

Every night of the Ventura County Fair, they’d set off fireworks over the beach beside the fairgrounds. The summer before junior year of high school, a friend and I stripped to our underwear and drove into the freezing ocean. There was nobody around, but it was one of those epic, unforgettable teenage moments, where we felt like we were in a movie, with our wet skin changing colors under the lights. It really was cold though.

Like Mandarin has such a lovely, classic feel to it—which books/authors inspired you?

Thank you! I didn’t read much YA the first time I wrote Like Mandarin (version 1.0) about four years ago, though I’ve more than made up for it in since. My favorite books are a total hodgepodge, though they tend to be literary, and in most cases I cry at least once. So, from LM’s early days: Watership Down by Richard Adams, Atonement by Ian McEwan, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, everything by Louis Sachar and Roald Dahl.

If you had run away from home in high school, which five personal items would have been in your backpack? (besides clothes)

I graduated from high school in 2001. It doesn't seem like that long ago, and yet, I didn’t have a laptop, cell phone or digital camera back then, which are the first things I’d bring now! So, realistically...

1) Watership Down (my favorite book in high school)

2) A big, fat hardcover sketch journal and pens

3) my gray-blue Jansport backpack with the leopard-print fabric I sewed on the pocket

4) Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (a tossup between that and Siamese Dream, but Mellon Collie was a 2-disc set!)

5) my stuffed lamb, for sentimental reasons

Do you have any advice for YA writers attempting to get published?

My two favorite pieces of advice are:

Give readers what they want, not what they expect. In other words, never stop surprising them – in a good way. Satisfy them – unexpectedly. Don’t be predictable – but don’t alienate your readers, either. Give them the ending they want – even when they had no idea they wanted it.

Write that next book. Too often writers cling to their first project, revising it so much they aren’t seeing it anymore, waiting while they endure the query-go-round instead of writing. The best remedy for rejection, the best time warp for long waits, the best thing ever, period, is getting excited about a new project.

Which YA Highway member do you love the most? HA—KIDDING! How about: must-have writing snack food?

LOL.

My two standbys are Tazo chai tea, and Trident Tropical Twist gum. Neither one’s really a snack, though. I eat a whole lot of Peanut Butter Puffins. And those light Laughing Cow cheese triangles. Not together. Though maybe I’m missing out?

(Debra's note: Mmmmm, Peanut Butter Puffins! But where is the chocolate???)

Thanks so much for the interview, Kirsten!

Now, want to win my ARC of Like Mandarin? (Pssst: you do, you do, you TOTALLY do). All you have to do is leave a comment, telling us the nuttiest thing YOU ever did in high school. Entries close Monday at noon, PST.

And if you don’t win? Don’t worry. Check out Like Mandarin at Goodreads, then order your copy at Amazon or Indiebound, just in time for its March release!

Cover Love!

2011-02-23T04:40:00.000-08:00

It's time for more cover love!

Let's start with something wicked...

(From left to right: US, German, Spanish)

What I like about all three covers is that they use shades of purple. My favorite is the US version. The flower and the way it's frozen is simply gorgeous!

(French, Indonesian)

I don't like those covers. I just don't think the French cover reflects the plot of Wicked Lovely. Somehow it reminds me a bit of the cover of UGLY by Scott Westerfeld. The Indonesian cover looks too young.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

(US, Dutch, Catalan)

I love the font and its color and the mysterious atmosphere of the US cover. I don't think the Dutch and Catalan covers can keep up with the US original. The Catalan cover in particular is too dull. The dark yellow of the title just doesn't do it.

(German, Bulgarian, French)
I like the German cover, especially the green of the girl's eyes and of the title. But I must admit that when I first saw it on the shelf in my local bookshop I thought it was a werewolf book because I mistook the raven for a little wolf. I'm meh about the French and Bulgarian cover, not sure I would have picked up the book with one of those covers.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

(US, Turkish, German, Bulgarian)

The US cover is gorgeous. I mean, come on, I'm a girl so I can't resist a nice chest! That's why I'm a bit sad that the Turkish cover shows the back of the guy. I wonder why they did it...maybe a naked chest is considered too revealing in Turkey?

Usually, I'm a fan of German covers, but this time: not so much. The cover looks like it belongs to a Middle Grade fantasy book. Don't misunderstand me. I like Middle Grade fantasy books, but the fact remains that City of Bones isn't a Middle Grade fantasy book.

I must admit that I kind of like the Bulgarian cover.

(Polish, Czech)
Not very fond of the Polish cover. Looks uninspired and the guy looks too young. But it's nothing, absolutely nothing in comparison to the Czech cover.

Okay, seriously, Czech pub what happened here? I mean that guy on the cover looks like he's wearing a wig. And what the heck is that thingy in the front? The cover reminds me of a really bad c-movie poster for an even worse horror shocker.

Interview with GotYA Girl and Debut YA Author Debra Driza

2011-02-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

First off, the winner of the ARC of Cindy Pon's FURY OF THE PHOENIX is *drumroll* Kathryn Packer Roberts! Please email Deb at - houndrat (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Debra Driza, my fellow GotYA girl and agent sister, recently snagged a three-book deal from Katherine Tegen/Harper Collins after writing sample scenes based off of a proposal. It was both my honor and pleasure to have the opportunity to interview Debra on her debut series and the road to a unique and awesome achievement.

What was the first thing out of your mouth when you found out you were going to be published?

Um…would you believe “EGADS, I’m quite excited! I shall run and tell my husband now!”? No? Yeah, me either. I don’t remember exactly, but it was probably more alone the lines of “Holy FREAKING CRAP!” followed up by a phone call to hubs “OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!”

Your book deal happened a little backwards. Not everyone gets the incredible opportunity to write a novel after they already know it will be published. Can you talk a little about how you got signed on?

Sure! A couple months after letting her I know I was interested, HC Editor Claudia Gabel contacted me with a proposal for a YA series and asked if I’d be interested in writing sample scenes. After reading the proposal and really, really loving it, I agreed. In essence, I was “trying out” for the role of writer. Wow, that sounds really weird when you say it out loud.
Anyway, Claudia ended up loving my scenes, and after getting approval, offered me the opportunity to write the books.

According to your PM announcement, your deal is for a YA scifi-thriller. Were you ever planning on writing something in that genre before this opportunity came along?

You know, I never thought of myself as a sci-fi writer before, so my gut reaction was to say “heck no!” But after pondering this question a bit, I realized that some of my writing already has sci-fi-esque elements. And I could definitely have seen myself writing a thriller.
Honestly, the one genre of YA that would probably have made me break out in hives? Historical. (And I graduated with a BA in History—go figure).

How does it feel toiling away on a project that already has a pre-made plot? Does it still feel like your own?

So glad you asked this question! I wondered about that when I first agreed to write the scenes—would it be weird, writing based on someone else’s premise? It’s crazy, though. Once I started writing, it felt my own story, just as much as something that totally originated from me. And the characters, well—they totally feel like my babies. You have to realize, I only got about two lines per each one in the proposal—the rest was up to me. I actually think it was my take on the main character that helped me get the offer.
The way I see it? I’m getting paid to have an amazing editor walk me through the process of writing an amazing story. How the heck can you beat that?

Now that you have general release period, does having a deadline make you feel pressured?

No, not really. I’m one of those people who does better under pressure. When I have no deadlines, I sometimes tend to, um, goof around a bit more than I should. (cough, Twitter, cough cough) So deadlines are my friend. Also, I tend to first draft pretty quickly, so that probably helps alleviate pressure. (Hopefully I didn’t just curse myself by saying I first draft quickly. I totally did, didn’t I? EEEEK!)

Can you tell us when more information, such as a synopsis of the book, will be released?

Probably late summer/early fall—YAYYYYYYYYYY!

Name some YA writers that inspire you, and why.

Courtney Summers, for her no-holds-barred voice and ability to make me empathize with even the most flawed characters.
John Green, because, well, he’s John Green! So freaking funny---and so real online.
Jandy Nelson---for writing a book that melded both Amazing Voice and Amazing Prose and for showing me, yes, you can have humor and deep emotional stakes, all in one book.
On a more personal level, I’m pretty much inspired on a daily basis by all the YA writers out there, for keeping at it and not giving up. There’s such a positive energy in being surrounded by that kind of determination, it’s unreal. And those of you I critique and beta with, the ones who keep growing as writers and push me to do the same, who give a never-ending supply of cheers and hugs? YOU are beyond inspiring.

Can you tell us a bit about the kind of kid you were back in high school?

You know, that’s such a tough one to answer, since I feel like I went through so many changes in high school. I went through a random shy spell freshman year and tried to cover it up (yes, me—SHY—I know, right?), which I think probably came across as snobbery to some. I was always a good student, so a few people probably pegged me as a nerd (though at my school, academic achievement was a positive thing). I was a swimmer for 12 years, so maybe others thought of me as a jock. Overall, though, I think the word that best describes me back then is GOOFY (shocking, right?)—especially around those people who really knew me. I don’t feel like I really became comfortable in my own skin—or owned my inner-random in public—until senior year.

What was your favorite childhood snack?

Oh, boy…will my kids read this? Because I was a TOTAL sugaraholic as a kid. Horrible. I’d probably have to go with those pink and white iced animal cookies, or Grandma’s Vanilla Sandwich Cookies. I was seriously the kid at school who gave away all her healthy food at lunch, and then went and bought extra crap from the snack bar. (Sorry, Mom---*waves*)

Thanks so much, Debra! And for our readers, Debra's first book in her scifi-thriller trilogy will be released late 2012. Check back here for future updates, as well as Debra's website: www.houndrat.com.

Interview with Cindy Pon and Fury of the Phoenix ARC Giveaway!

2011-02-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

At ALA this year, I was lucky enough to grab an ARC written by one of my favorite writerly-type people: Cindy Pon. Fury of the Phoenix is the AWESOME sequel to Cindy’s critically acclaimed debut novel, Silver Phoenix, and guess what? I’m giving it away so I can share its awesomeness with you! Not only that, but Cindy generously agreed to throw in a paperback copy of Silver Phoenix! Details on how to win are at the end of this post, but first, please read my interview with Cindy, who is honestly one of the most upbeat and inspirational Young Adult writers I’ve ever met. When you’re around Cindy—whether in person or online—you can’t help but smile.

Here’s the Fury of the Phoenix blurb:

Cindy Pon’s debut novel Silver Phoenix was called “fluid and exhilarating” in a starred review from Booklist, and Meg Cabot called it “an addictive gem.” In this companion novel, seventeen-year-old Ai Ling—her powers stronger than ever—stows away aboard a cargo ship in order to protect devastatingly handsome Chen Yong during his quest to locate his father. Masquerading as brother and sister, Ai Ling and Chen Yong face demonic predators on the ocean voyage, but their biggest threat comes from the kingdom of the dead. Part supernatural page-turner, part love story, and altogether stirring, Fury of the Phoenix further heralds the arrival of Cindy Pon as a stellar author of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? Trust me: it is!

Now for the interview:

Can you tell us how writing a sequel is different than writing a first novel? Is it easier, more challenging, just different?

Honestly, writing Fury was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm not quite sure how I did it or how I survived it. hah! Not only is there the challenge of working under deadline, there is the added stress of meeting expectations. What if you suffer the sequel slump and your second novel is horrible? My initial drafts were difficult to send to my editor--Silver Phoenix was so much more polished as I worked on it for two years versus four months. But in the end, with my editor's guidance, I was able to write a sequel I'm very proud of.

Which character in your books resembles you the most, if any? Do you inject personality traits of people you know in real life into your characters, or are do they all just kind of come to you organically?

Ai Ling is like me in that she enjoys a good meal and she is a brush artist. This really allowed me to paint the world from her view through my own eyes. Li Rong is my male alter ego. =)

I love how you take one of the villains from Silver Phoenix and really unravel his story in Fury. Did you plan this while writing Phoenix?

I love Zhong Ye's storyline and I really enjoyed writing from his point of view--it was the first time I did with a male narrator, and I found him a lot easier to understand and write than I did Ai Ling for Fury. And no, I didn't plan it while writing my debut. Silver Phoenix was meant to stand alone, so I didn't go on sub assuming editors would buy a sequel. I'm so glad mine did, however.

How would you describe the main differences between Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix?

I would say that Silver Phoenix was a very epic journey, and this one is much more personal. The conflicts are mainly internal.

Is writing romance something you particularly enjoy?

Are you saying my books are romantic? haha! I don't think it's a strong suit. I really had to work on my sexual tension and romance in Fury with much prodding on my editor's part. But in the end, I did enjoy it quite a lot. I would find it very challenging to write actual love scenes though.

Now for the random!

What’s the origin of what has to be your favorite expression: BOOTAY SHAKE!?

I have no idea! I just thought it was a fun and funny way to express my encouragement. My own bootay ain't all that. ha!

Your novels make it pretty obvious that you’re a foodie. What’s your favorite restaurant in San Diego? Your favorite dish?

Oh. Really tough. Depends on my mood. But I always love the taiwanese places like Tea Station and also am a huge fan of Extraordinary Desserts. I love mapo tofu. My mother's recipe is in the Silver Phoenix paperback under extras!

One of the things I really admire about you is the way you manage to stay upbeat and positive, no matter what happens. Can you let us in on your secret?

I know you've seen me sad, angsty and emo. haha! But really, this business is SO tough and you need to have a thick skin and be able to roll with it. Also to allow yourself sadness, frustration, disappointment, and then be able to make yourself move on. Lingering in a negative place never helps in your own endeavors. So I guess that's what I try to do!

How excited are you to be doing a picture book using your own Chinese brush paintings?

I am very excited! And also very scared. haha! I know if anyone can help mentor me, it'll be my editor, Virginia.

Favorite writing snack:

Tough. But I always do like to have an espresso drink of some kind or a chai latte on hand.

Thanks so much for having me, debra!! /bootay shake!

And thank you, Cindy—we love you here! =D

Now, for the ARC contest. We know Cindy’s favorite expression is bootay shake—what’s yours? Leave it in the comment section for a chance to win the Fury of the Phoenix ARC AND a paperback copy of Silver Phoenix (with recipes? YUM!) Entries close on Monday, February 21^stat noon PST. Also--follow our blog if you don't already--you MUST be a blog follower to win! The winner will be chosen by either random number generator or my son…because I am also random.

GOOD LUCK, and check back in soon for an ARC Giveaway of Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin!

Cover Love!

2011-02-09T08:14:00.001-08:00

Yes, that's right. More cover love!!!

I've read and loved all of the books I'm showing you today.
So let's get started with Evernight by Claudia Gray. The first in a series. The fourth book 'Afterlife' will be published this March.
And here are the covers:

(Left to right: US, German, Spanish, French)

I have the US cover on my shelf. I'm not a huge fan of red, so I'm not so sure about it, but I really love the font. It's intricate and just gorgeous. I prefer the color scheme of the German cover, though I can't say that I love it. The cover I like least is the French, though the blood running from the girl's lips is nicely creepy!

Favorite cover: Hm... don't really have one.

xxx

Next: The Agency- A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee. A wonderful Victorian murder mystery with a kickass heroine.

(left to right: US, UK, German, French)

I have the UK cover but I wish I had the German version. It's elegant and just beautiful. I also like the US cover, though it can't top the German. The French? I don't think it shows that the book is a historical mystery. Just looking at the cover it could be anything.

Favorite cover: German

xxx

I've showed you the UK, US, German and Hungarian cover of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, but I discovered so many beautiful versions of this book that I simply had to feature it in another cover love post. Here it is:

(Left to right: Dutch, Italian, Lithuanian, Estonian)

I love all of the above. You simply can't walk past the Italian cover. It's eyecatching and shows that Thirteen Reasons Why might deal with some serious topics. The Dutch cover conveys a certain sense of sadness and forlornness. Beautiful! The Estonian and Lithuanian can't quite keep up with the other two, but I like them.

Favorite cover: Dutch

Now three slightly...extravagant versions of Thirteen Reasons Why:

(Polish, Korean, Czech)

Well...they're not my cup of tea. The Korean version looks like it might be about fashion and the Polish reminds me of...hm... maybe MG action with a boy protagonist. Not sure.

And the Czech cover? Umm...what the heck happened there?

So tell me what are your favorites? Oh and I'm open for suggestions: Are there any books you'd like to see in the next cover love posts?

Where does censorship begin?

2011-02-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

censorship |ˈsensərˌ sh ip|noun
the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts
from the Merriam-Webster dictionary

I was watching American Idol with a friend the other night, something I'd never really watched until this year, and we got into the discussion about how many people didn't win, but went on to have better careers than the winners. This led to a comment from my friend, "When that guy came out of the closet, it hurt his career." To which I replied, "It shouldn't matter what the sexual preference is, it's about performance." This led to a few more comments to which I replied, "You're homophobic." She countered, "No, I'm just prejudiced."

Now, I have to give her credit for realizing what she is and admitting to it. I don't have to agree with her beliefs and she doesn't have to agree with mine, but the topic changed and she made the statement, "I wouldn't want a Muslim or homosexual teaching my kids." To which I replied, "What if the teacher worships the fairies in the backyard?" "Not them either." Whoa. Really? There are people who actually feel this way? Unfortunately, I was a coward and didn't ask this Bible-belt Christian how she would feel about a Jew teaching her children. I just didn't want to find out.

This discussion led to a discussion among a group of friends about "sensitive" subjects in books. I got railed about having the "token homosexual" characters to sell books. First of all, they aren't token characters, it's who they are. Am I happy that the guy I had picked out in my wip to be the LI is more than likely gay? No, I was half in love with him myself. But I found a better LI for her in the long run.

So this discussion, which began very benignly over American Idol winners eventually morphed into a discussion about "questionable books". Some of these women said they wouldn't let their teens read certain books with openly gay characters or other things that they disagree with AND would ask the library to remove them, thereby, pushing their views on others. After reading Deb's post about the Bitch Media list, I was reminded of this conversation. This is one of the places where censorship begins.

Where will it end?

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too. ~Voltaire

Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. ~Alfred Whitney Griswold, New York Times, 24 February 1959

Cover Love!

2011-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

The GotYA decided to make the Cover Love post a monthly feature (YAY). So here I am again!
There are so many amazing and sometimes strange covers; they deserve more attention!

First up are the covers of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Uglies describes a future world in which a compulsory operation at sixteen wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty.

(From left to right: UK(?),US, Indonesian)

(From left to right: Thai, Portuguese, German)

I think the German, UK and Indonesian covers reflect the plot of Uglies best. The US cover with the girl behind the leaves could have been for The Hunger Games as well. It doesn't exactly give a hint about the plot. I like if the cover reflects the book somehow.

The Thai cover? Not exactly sure what it shows. I don't think that it would appeal to teens, but maybe I'm wrong?

My favorite cover: Indonesian.

xxx

Next: The covers of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.

Set in a near future America, the book takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity.

(from left to right: US hardcover, paperback, UK, French)

If you've read the book you know that the butterfly is mentioned throughout the book (it's too spoilery to say why), so it makes sense to have it on the cover. That's why I really like the US hardcover with the butterfly on the girl's hand, but I'm not really fond of the French cover. It's a bit boring in my opinion. I think the paperback version with the puzzle pieces is the one that reflects the book best.

My favorite: US paperback

xxx

Next: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan:

(from left to right: US, UK, German, French)

There's one thing all of the above covers have in common: they are deliciously creepy and that reflects the mood of the book perfectly. I have the UK cover on my shelf and I really like it, but I prefer the German cover because it's the creepiest (I loooove creepy!).

xxx

Next: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White:

(UK/US, Russian)
I absolutely love the US/UK Paranormalcy cover. The atmosphere of it is mysterious and the dress of the girl is gorgoeus. But that's not the reason why I included Paranormalcy in my post. Maybe you remember my last cover love post and the Bulgarian cover of Hex Hall that I presented in it?

I want to show at least one strange/funny cover in each post and this time my decision fell on the Russian cover of Paranormalcy. As Kiersten mentioned on Twitter when she revealed the Russian version, there is nobody in the book who has pointy ears...So who's that girl? And is it only me or does the man's throat in the front scream "romance" or "erotica"?

Bitch Media: Does Wishy Washy Equal Censorship?

2011-02-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

Some of you might have noticed a controversy within the YA community today. It started with what sounded like an exciting concept, a list of the Top 100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader, compiled by Bitch Media.

You could go read the list here. Except, well, it’s not the original list. And therein lies the controversy.

Soon after the list was published, a commenter complained about Sisters Red’s (by Jackson Pearce) appearance on the list. “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott and “Tender Morsels” by Margo Lanagan quickly followed. That’s to be expected though, right? Of course not everyone is going to agree about what constitutes great “feminist” literature. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

It’s Bitch Media’s response that gets kind of...peculiar. Instead of opening up discussion about the books, or better yet, DEFENDING the reasons why the books made their list in the first place, Bitch Media started removing books from the list. Not only that, but the person commenting on Bitch Media’s behalf indicated she hadn’t even read the books in question. Here are the reasons stated for removing the books:

“We've decided to remove these books from the list -- Sisters Red because of the victim-blaming scene that was discussed earlier in this post, Tender Morsels because of the way that the book validates (by failing to critique or discuss) characters who use rape as an act of vengeance, and Living Dead Girl because of its triggering nature.”

Well, you can probably imagine what followed. Several other authors—including Scott Westerfeld, Maureen Johnson, Justine Larbalestier, and Diana Peterfreund---took offense to this action, and ultimately asked to have their books removed from the list as well, some claiming censorship on the part of Bitch Media.

Personally, I feel like putting books on a list and then removing them based on commenter opinion strips the entire list of its value. Read the books first. Discuss them. Decide at that point if you think they’re appropriate. Do not carelessly toss books on the list, only to waffle later at the first sign of dissent. Also, as Scott points out, where is the logic in removing one potentially "triggering" book while leaving behind scores of others, including his own Uglies or Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls?

And while some of my other writer friends might disagree, I absolutely believe this smacks of censorship. The list-makers are trying to “protect” readers from potentially objectionable material. If that’s not a form of censorship, well, I’m not sure what is.

Please, tell us your thoughts on this matter. Do you agree or disagree with removing the books in question, and if you disagree, do you think it’s censorship?

Character Traits: How Do You Come Up With Them?

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Let's face it. We writers spend more time with fictional people than real ones. They become real. Friends. In our minds they are living, breathing people with actual flaws, or at least they should have flaws because no one is perfect. Even Edward Cullen has creepy stalkerish tendencies.

So my question is how do you as a writer come up with your character traits? Where do you draw the most inspiration? Is it while watching a television show? Where you see the people weekly and learn traits that you love and kind of use that as a spring board or maybe you've made a character based on an actual person you know.

Music helps me a lot. Sometimes the lyrics of a song will call out to me and will let me inside someone else's head for a little while--gives me ideas on how my character may feel about a particular thing. Internal thoughts and feelings is, what I think, a building block to creating external characteristics. So I build a playlist. They tend to be a dark songs because my stories are not all puppies and rainbows.

I also read. A LOT. Reading is studying. When you find a book you like, study the characters. What makes you love them? Take that information and figure out how develop your a character people will love and want to read about.

Anyone else want to share about their character development process?

Reading, Writing and Waiting

Flashback Fridays: The Challenger Disaster and Teachers Who Inspired You

2011-01-28T05:30:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays where the old and new collide on everything from books to movies to first loves to favorite vacations. This week we're taking a look at a dark day in American history: The Challenger Explosion.

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Challenger Explosion. Even though I was only six, I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. The main reason is because chicken pox had struck my 1st grade class, and I was one of its last victims. That cold January morning I was home lounging on the couch in our den. The television was on to the shuttle launch. I was particularly interested since one of the astronauts, Christa Mcauliff, shared my name...just a different spelling. Just as my mom went to grab me a Popsicle, history was forever altered.

In later years, Christa and I would share more than just a name--we would share a profession. For many years, Christa had been an 8th grade History teacher in New Hampshire. When President Reagan announced the Teacher in Space Program, Christa applied and won out over 11,000 applicants. She was going to keep a journal of her experience as well as teaching a live class. On that fateful morning, her students sat in an auditorium anxiously watching a live feed of the launch. I can only imagine the horror and shock that morning as they watched their teacher's life come to a fiery end. Not only did she leave behind grieving students, but she also left a nine year old son and six year old daughter.

Christa's influence is still felt in the space program. There are countless awards and scholarships given in her name as well as monuments honoring her sacrifice.

Here are some great quotes from Christa McAuliffe that transcend the space program into the writing game.

"Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can."

"What are we doing here? We're reaching for the stars."

"May your future be limited only by your dreams!"

The question posed today is:

Who is a memorable teacher that influenced your life and/or your writing?

For me, it would be my 8th grade language arts teacher, Mrs. Gwen Lancaster. She was the first person to really read and enjoy my creative writing outside my family, and she greatly encouraged me to write. I won the Young Author's Fair while I was in her class, and I'll never forget the way that shiny blue ribbon felt in my hands.

As far as my teaching, I was greatly influenced by 5th and 6th grade Science and Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Pat Lemeska. When I think about teacher's who taught outside the box, she is one of the only ones who comes to mind. Who else would have dressed up at Halloween to read The Raven while also giving us a "spook house" of peeled grapes for eyes and cold spaghetti for intestines. Seriously, Mrs. Lemeska was like Mr. Keating in Dead Poet's Society. She found new and exciting ways to learn. She also went to a summer internship at NASA between my 5th and 6th grade years.

5 things About Building A Blog Platform

2011-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

You see the word "Platform" everywhere in the writing community. It's everywhere you turn. And let's face it, you're curious about it or else you wouldn't be reading this right now. Here are five things I've learned about building a platform since I started the journey to become published.

1. There are mixed thoughts about the absolute need for a platform by an unknown writer. Many agents only look at the platform (in most cases a blog) when they are genuinely interested in the story that was submitted to them. So, first things first. Perfect the writing and story before spending oodles of time building a blog, because the writing will speak for itself regardless if you have a blog or not.

2. It's really hard to gain followers on your blog if you are only talking about yourself and your unpublished work. So until you are a published author (or even an agented writer) hold off on filling your blog with JUST your own work. Do some book reviews in the genre you read. This will allow you to get to know others, and gain blog followers with common goals and tastes as yourself, thus creating that "built-in" audience publishers like to see when thinking about buying your book.

3. It won't hurt to tie in a well written blog at the bottom of your queries to agents, as long as your blog focuses on writing. I once heard an agent say (yes this was from a conference) she checks out all blogs on the queries she's even remotely interested in. She also went on state that if the writing is dark, or high fantasy, she gets turned off if the blog has a ton of kitties or babies on it. So the lesson there is to match your blog with your writing style. I'm not saying turn your blog into a goth dream or anything, but maybe just limit the cutesy pictures if it doesn't match your writing style.

4. Should you pay someone to overhaul your blog and buy a domain name? No. At least, I don't think it's necessary. But if you want to do it just for the fun of it, then I say go for it, because having a blog that you can be proud of is pretty fun. I just made the leap myself to a professional blog makeover (second one on the link). I was hovering around 430 followers so I thought why not. I'm on there a ton doing posts and just wanted something pretty to look at. Lame, I know. But my old blog design didn't stop publishers from sending me advanced reader copies (ARCs), so don't feel like it's a necessary step.

5. Be yourself. I know this is something you've heard since you were a baby still in diapers, but it's true. People will like you. Let your personality come through, whether it be in your novel, blog post, or a simple comment.

Reading, Writing and Waiting

Flashback Friday

2011-01-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays where the old and new collide on everything from books to movies to first loves to favorite vacations. This week we're taking a look at *cues the clip from White Christmas*

SNOW!!!!!

So it's been an interesting week of what I like to call Snowpacalpse 2011! It's certainly not one I would have foreseen when I packed up my two dogs and went to stay with my grandmother. Sure, they were predicting snow and ice. I'd made the trusty grocery run, not to mention the school system I teach in(think extreme mountain roads, curves, etc) had already called off school for Monday and Tuesday.

But what no one really could foresee would be how the temperatures would not get above freezing all week, and we'd be STUCK! *flails hands and runs around the room* Yep, that's right. I've been snowbound since Sunday night until I chipped out of the ice today.

Yeah, the South just doesn't quite do snow well. I think this picture sums it up pretty well!!

And they're really not joking about us having so few plows!

Or this guy who made an ice rink out of one end of Peachtree Street in Atlanta

But I digress.

This week on Flashback Friday we want to hear about your Snow Day memories. Can you remember as a child what it felt like when you would hear your county had called off school for the day? Oh, I can....in fact, I still feel that way! I just wonder if my teachers hoped, prayed and did snow dances quite like I do....

What about the Blizzard of 93'? Oh yeah, I have not so fond memories of it. Try a massive oak tree falling over a power line and knocking out the power. At the time, we didn't have a fireplace, so we were forced to refugee to local National Guard Armory. Desert Storm vehicles came to pick us up, and we spent the night on cots in a mass room of people. It really made you feel homeless. But the epic of embarrassment to my uptight 8th grade self occurred when we made it to the armory and stepped out of the Desert Storm vehicles. That's when a local news crew shoved a camera and a mic in our faces. Let's just say I was NOT camera best in my two layers of clothes, no makeup, and unwashed air. Not how you want to be caught at that age!! When the snow finally melted and we went back to school, some people in homeroom were like, "Hey, didn't I see you on television?" I played dumb and said, "I have no idea what your talking about!!

So tell us your favorite snow day memories, or tell us how you've been surviving Snowpacalypse 2011!!!

Manuscript Blues

2011-01-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have the manuscript blues? If you have any of the symptoms below, our product may be right for you. If not, let us know what we can add to our questionnaire.

Have you ever felt like destroying your manuscript? Revisions kicking your butt? One agent wants this changed, another wants that changed before you can resubmit? Perhaps an editor is interested, but needs you to add more romance and tone down the language before they make a decision? A beta told you it sucks and your character is too egotistical? Or maybe it's something you've unsuccessfully queried for a year, and you look at that thing and think, "What the hell do I do with it?" Or perhaps, like me, you decide to take that YA with a romantic arc and turn it into a MG without the romantic tension and can't. find. the. voice?

If you've ever felt like this, there is a solution:

.

..

...

....

.....

FIRE. Yes, you heard right, fire. I'm talking about a revolution. Think back to the bra burnings in the sixties. I'm sure you've read about it in history books. It changed things. So take that manuscript outside, clear a spot, get something to burn it in, lots of water for safety and light it up. And watch it burn, baby, burn. Bar-be-que that sucker. It will feel really good. Liberating.

Do not burn anything that is not your own writing, it's rude to burn something someone else has written. Burning manuscripts may pollute the environment and cause global warming. Make sure you have a copy of that manuscript saved in several places before burning the hard copy. Keep all body parts and clothing away from the fire at all times. Keep out of the reach of children. Be sure to vlog and take pictures for history's sake. And at all times, have fun. Burning may not be for everyone. There is an inherent risk every time you are around fire.If you experience smoke inhalation see your doctor. Remember this is just a suggestion for fun and is in no way intended to diagnose or treat any writer's block. Children under the age of eighteen must burn with a parent's supervision. If there is anything else this disclaimer missed, well, you can't sue me if you screw up, after all, that's what those disclaimers are for anyway, avoiding responsibility :)

Cover love!

2011-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

I can stare at covers for hours and I'm guilty of buying books just because I couldn't resist the beautiful cover. I love to spend hours on the internet looking for the different covers of a book. It's fascinating to see how different covers of the same book look in different countries.

The Hunger Games covers. (Left to right: US, German, Russian).

I really like the German cover, especially the blood drops on the leaves. The Russian cover looks like it belongs to a romance novel, so I don't think it's a good fit for the book.

13 Reasons Why covers. (Left to right: US, UK, German, Hungarian)

I don't really have a favorite, but I'm not very fond of the German cover. The title can be translated as "Dead Girls don't lie".

Shiver covers. (Left to right: US, UK, German, French).

I've got the UK cover on my shelf. I'm not 100% sure which of the covers is my favorite. I think I prefer the German cover. The title means "After the summer" and I really love the little howing wolf on the cover.

The Replacement (left to right: US, UK, German)

The US cover is one of the best covers of 2010. It's creepy and dark in a perfect way. I love it. The UK cover stands no chance against it. I think it was a good choice of the German publisher to use a variation of the US cover.

Hex Hall covers. (Left to right. US, UK, German, Bulgarian)

My absolute favorite is the US cover. The Bulgarian cover? Umm, what happened there? It doesn't really look like a cover for a YA book, rather like the cover for a X-rated movie...

What do you think? What are your favorite covers?

Monday Guest Blogging Post: Helene Boudreau of Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

2011-01-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

Today on GotYA's Monday Guest Blogging segment, we have the lovely and talented, Helene Boudreau. She penned the ultra cool Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings!!

Cake and Books!

Probably two of my favourite things!

So it’s no wonder I was such a happy camper when one of my best pallies, Kathi of Sugar Honey Tea Cakes, offered to make a cake for my recent book launch of Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings.

Cake and books all in one place! Heaven…

Kathi had made me a cupcake bouquet for my birthday once, which is just the tip of the icing of her immense talent so I was REALLY looking forward to seeing what she’d come up with for my book launch.

The cake was to be a surprise (and what a sweet surprise it was) but afterward, Kathi shared her Cakerator secrets with me and guess what? I’ve come to realise that cake and books, and the creation of both, actually have a lot in common.

Her process for developing and executing her cake ideas are very similar to the way I write novels.

Observe…

Kathi begins her cakes with a list of ideas:

Kathi’s ideas are well organized and coherent.

I begin my books with a list of ideas:

My ideas are rambly, incoherent and written on the back of grocery lists. Apparently we needed hotdogs and a zebra shirt that day.

Kathi outlines her idea in a beautifully detailed sketch:

I also outline my book idea, but in a 9-step process, which I describe HERE.

And I get my 8 year-old to draw me a beautifully detailed sketch (of the setting of the book in this case).

Finally, Kathi applies her keen Cakerator skills:

And she works her magic to transform her initial idea into a work of art.

I look at my initial notes:

And can’t read my own handwriting, then I stare at my outline and wonder what the heck was I thinking. Then I start writing, and writing, and writing…

And, unlike Kathi, I’m not above using child labour to meet my deadlines.

(Okay. I guess this is where our cake-making and novel-writing paths diverge a bit…)

Kathi adds amazingly nuanced details, bringing the cake to life:

While I complete my 912th revision, hopefully adding amazingly nuanced details, bringing my book to life. (Well…that’s the plan anyway…)

So, there you have it!

Cake and books. Books and cake. It’s like they were made for one another.

Hélène Boudreau is the author of Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings. She’s never spotted a real mermaid in the wild but the writer in her thinks they are just as plausible as seahorses, flying fish and electric eels.

In a fun promotion, Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky is offering signed Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings bookplates with proof of purchase. More info HERE.

*You can find Hélène on Twitter, Facebook and on her Website.

Book Review: Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

2011-01-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on… but are some questions better left unanswered?

Are you longing for a good mystery wrapped up in heart wrenching emotion with a main character you want to reach out and hug and a couple of hot guys?

Of course you are!

You need to read Fall For Anything, Courtney Summer's new release as soon as possible!

After Some Girls Are, I was itching for another Courtney Summer's book. Fall For Anything proves once again that Summers is a shining star in the contemporary YA genre. It's gripping, emotional and just like Courtney's past two books, Cracked Up To Be and Some Girls Are, it sticks with you after the last page.

I will admit, the back cover blurb did me no favors because it made me distrust of one of the characters before he was ever introduced. BUT, it didn't take away from the plot, the fabulous writing that is trademark Summer's style, and how I felt about the story in the end.

Eddie is different from Parker and Regina, Summer's past two main characters. She's broken, vulnerable and desperate for answers to why her dad committed suicide. But don't let her vulnerability fool you, she's no weak character hiding under her covers crying. Eddie searches doggedly for the reason her dad would take his life, to the point of putting her trust and faith into someone she shouldn't.

Milo is more than a best friend, and he's as dedicated to putting her back together as she is to figuring out what happened the night her father died. Every girl needs a Milo in her life.

Possibly my favorite book of Summer's three - but that's a difficult distinction to make because Some Girls Are has been on my overall YA favorites list since the week it released... we'll call it a tie!

More than worth the read! Highly suggested by this GotYA member.