NaNoWriMo & Blogging

NaNoWriMo is about to start, and I'm pretty excited! I have my novel all plotted out and I can't wait to get at it. Because I'll be juggling three writing projects throughout November, I've decided to let my blog take a back-seat.

That doesn't mean I won't be posting, but I may not post quite as often, perhaps just a couple times a week, depending on my progress. I have some personal obligations too, so I don't want to stretch myself too thin.

I hope that you'll stick it out with me as I take a bit of a blogging break! Don't forget, if you're taking part in NaNoWriMo-add me as buddy so we can cheer each other on!

Review: 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market

2011 Children's Writer's And Illustrator's Market
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
Source: Purchased

I haven't bought a copy of the Writer's Market since the late 90's, back before there was a wealth of information online. I've never purchased the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. I really appreciate the concentrated focus, and I feel that this book is a must-look for any YA writer.

Must-own? I'm not sure. I think it would depend on what you're trying to get out of it. The Market comes with a free 1 year subscription to the online edition (which is always going to be more up to date than the book) so if you're at the querying stage, I think it would be helpful to have that info.

Being that I'm also a member of SCBWI, there's a lot of the same information provided through the membership-so I don't think that I'd buy this book just for the market information. The best part of the book are the articles & information. There are articles for everyone, not just YA authors. I really enjoyed the interviews with first time authors.

Even if you're nowhere near the querying stage,  I think that it's worth checking out a copy of the Market out of the library to learn about the industry.

Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness-Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little Brown
Publication Date: 10/12/10
Source: Purchased
Series Website

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems. 
(Amazon)

I've lived south of the Mason-Dixon line most of my life, but it's only been within the last year and a half that I've lived in what I consider the "real" south. My home is bordered by battlegrounds, and Civil War history is serious business in town. In a lot of ways, the location has inspired me (two of my three WiPs are set in and around the area of Virginia in which I live) but in other ways I've found it frustrating.

So, it's no surprise that I was instantly swept up into Beautiful Creatures and couldn't wait for Beautiful Darkness to come out. So much so, that when I wasn't able to snag an ARC at ALA, I decided that I would just do the old fashioned thing and wait for it to come out. I'm glad I did, because it was a book worth waiting for.

That's not to say that this is an easy book to get through at times. Lena was positively infuriating at times. Without giving away too much, she is redeemed, but I really felt like pitching her off a cliff in the first portion of the book. Ethan spends more time in the Caster world in this book than in the previous, so some of the Gatlin charm I loved so much in the first book was missing in this book-but that's not a criticism. The Caster world is so richly drawn that you never want to leave.

I love the cast of characters, but Amma has to be my favorite. She'll give you a tongue lashing that will leave your ears ringing for weeks, but her sharp edges are really kind of dull. She's a ferocious mama bear to Ethan, and I just love her character. I was also thrilled that Ridley is featured more in Beautiful Darkness more than she was in the previous book, because I adore her snarky charm.

I could go on and on, but I'll summarize and say that I really feel this series is for everyone. Teens will love it, but adults will too. My mother loves the series, and I chose Beautiful Creatures as one of my YA Gateway books, because I feel it has a really wide appeal. Lastly, a superficial note-how beautiful are the covers for these books? Beautiful Darkness has the same gorgeous hand-lettering that the Beautiful Creatures cover has, but this cover is so, so soft. I couldn't stop touching it!

On My Wish list October 23rd

On My Wish list is a weekly feature ran by Book Chick City. To learn more about this meme, get the details here.

Dust-Joan Frances Turner

What happens between death and life can change a girl. Jessie is a zombie. And this is her story...

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. After she was buried, she awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Now Jessie's part of a gang. They fight, hunt, and dance together as one-something humans can never understand. There are darkplaces humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into zombie gangs. But when a mysterious illness threatens the existence of both zombies and humans, Jessie must choose between looking away or staring down the madness-and hanging on to everything she now knows as life...

(B&N)

I saw this book featured on an all Zombie table at Joseph-Beth. It has a beautiful cover and looks so, so good. I hope I get this one soon!

 Threads and Flames-Esther Friesner

Publication Date: November 25th

It's 1910, and thirteen-year-old Raisa has just traveled alone from a  small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. It's overwhelming, awe-inspiring, and even dangerous, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. She finds work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists. Raisa makes friends and even dare she admit it? She falls in love. But then 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. One of the city's most harrowing tragedies unfolds, and Raisa's life is forever changed. . . .

One hundred years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, this moving young adult novel gives life to the tragedy and hope of this trans formative event in American history. 

(Amazon)

I saw this one at ALA and was immediately taken by the cover, then when I picked it up and saw what it was about, I immediately added it to my wish list. I've been fascinated by The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire since I was a teenager and saw a documentary about it. Can't wait to read it!

Nekropolis-Tim Waggoner

Meet Matt Richter. Private Eye. Zombie. Meet Matt Richter. Private Eye. Zombie. His mean streets are the city of the dead, the shadowy realm known as Nekropolis. This place has always been ruled by the vampire lords. Now they're planning to destroy the city. Over his dead body. More pulp than Pulp Fiction, more butt-kicking than Buffy, Nekropolis is the first in a deathly new series.

(Amazon)

This one sounds great. There's a second book in this series already, so I'll probably snap them up at the same time!

 What's on your wish list this week?

Lure Contest Winner

Congratulations to:

Savannah

who won a copy of Lure by Deborah Kerbel! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Rot & Ruin-Jonathan Maberry
Publisher: S&S Children's Books
Publication Date: September, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author Website

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human. 
(Amazon)


It's no secret I'm a huge fan of most things zombie. But reading Rot & Ruin made one point clear for me. I don't necessarily love the zombie tales because of zombies themselves, but how the zombies affect society and the people left behind. I've been into zombies for awhile, but I really got into the genre this past winter, so since then I've read a lot of zombie-lit. I have to say Rot & Ruin is the best so far, and in my opinion, the most far-reaching. You don't have to be a zombie fan to love this book.

 When we meet Benny, he's sort of a brat. He's trying to find a job so his rations aren't cut, and he isn't liking, or he's not cut out for anything he's tried out for. He ends up working with his older brother, and Benny and Tom's relationship is terse at the beginning of the book. Benny has certain opinions of his brother, and they're not very kind.

This is by no means a small book, it's over 450 pages, but it goes by quickly. The action is in more so in the second part of the book, but that doesn't mean the first part is uninteresting. I really enjoyed learning about the society that formed in the wake of First Night-the night that zombies took over. The world building in this book is something to aspire to.

Rot & Ruin is not always an easy book to read. You can't help but love Benny, Tom and Benny's friends. They don't have an easy life, and you wish that things would be easy for them. The villains in this book are not so much the zombies, but the horrible humans that bring new meaning to the words plunder & pillage.

Rot & Ruin is a great book for the reluctant boy reader in your life, but that's not to say girls wouldn't enjoy it. There is gore, but it's not without purpose. I was thrilled when I saw on Goodreads that apparently Rot & Ruin is the first book in a series. I will definitely be reading further books in this series and by Mr. Maberry. I pressed Rot & Ruin into my husband's hands and demanded that he start reading it immediately. I can't wait to hear what he thinks about it!

Preparing My Manuscript for Critique

I'm to the point with Positive Tension where I'm editing my third draft. It's been about a month since I finished my second draft. I read my manuscript twice between when I printed out my second draft and when I started editing the third. The process is kind of mind-numbing. I have to make sure I get in all the notes that I've made on my hard copy, and often, I have to flip forward and make notes in other chapters when I discover plot holes or other issues.

I don't think I could do this if I wasn't working on other projects. Right now I'm editing Positive Tension, writing the first draft of The Spectery and plotting out my Nanowriomo novel so when November 1st comes, I can get started straight away. It's actually worked out, because when I get sick of one project, I can flip to the next. This round of editing is the hardest, because I'm not only looking for story issues, but grammar style issues as well. It's taking me on average, about forty minutes per chapter to edit.

It's hard work, but I'm glad tha I'm closer to handing my work over to others to read! I decided to publish a few copies of the book with Lulu.com. Lulu is great, it's inexpensive and easy to use. I simply downloaded their template and have been copying my edits from my main Scrivener document into it. I like the idea of having my name on a book, even if it's one I've published myself, that alone is a great satisfaction. Lulu has the option to keep your document private, which is another plus.

I also have a practical reason for going with Lulu-it's a heck of a lot easier to read a manuscript in book form than in a binder of printed pages. It'll be easier for my betas to read, and I'm also including notes for what I'm looking for in the critique (at least for my betas, I'll probably remove that for the next draft, which will be for a critique partner) and I included a few blank pages at the start of the book for notes.

Do you have any tips for preparing manuscripts for critiques?

Review: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Suite Scarlett-Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Point
Publication Date: 2008
Source: Paperback Swap
Author Website

The Hopewell Hotel, 75 years ago a stylish Upper East Side haunt, has fallen on hard times. Its proprietors, the Martin family, have let the last remaining employee go, and now it’s up to the four children, Spencer, Lola, Scarlett, and Marlene, to keep things afloat. Enter one Mrs. Amy Amberson, a flamboyant, mysterious guest, back in New York after a long absence, with some clandestine motives. Mrs. Amberson is to occupy the Empire Suite, just today entrusted to Scarlett as a “present” on her fifteenth birthday (a family tradition), for the entire summer, and keeping her happy will test Scarlett’s ingenious mettle. What follows is some utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue. Beneath the silvered surface, Johnson delivers a complex sibling relationship. 
(Amazon)

When you read one of Maureen Johnson's books, you know you're in for something out of the ordinary. You have to suspend your thoughts of "why?" "how?" and just go with the flow. 


That said, Suite Scarlett is a delight. Scarlett's family is a little eccentric. Her older sister is dating a dull rich boy, her older brother is an actor who likes to see how far he can push his physical stunts, and her little sister is a grumpy cancer survivor. Her parents own the Hopewell, a hotel that's seen better times.

We meet Scarlett right as she turns fifteen, and her whole world changes. As soon as she starts taking care of the Empire Suite, eccentric Amy Amberson moves in. I was expecting something very different from Mrs. Amberson's character, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting some tarty actress with some eccentricities, but Mrs. Amberson is more than that. She's generous, kooky, weird and a wee bit flighty. She manages to get involved with Spencer's production of Hamlet and things spiral into wackiness from there.

Scarlett meets Eric through the production, and I don't know, maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I just thought it was weird that an eighteen year old boy wants to date a girl that just turned fifteen. It seemed a bit weird to me, but hey, it's New York. People do things differently there, right?

 I really enjoyed Suite Scarlett and I added the sequel, Scarlett Fever to my wish list, as I can't wait to see what's going on at the Hopewell now!

.5

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This was a good week. I got some of my most highly anticipated books of the year! Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, which my mother also pre-ordered months ago! Further proof that you're never too old to read YA, folks.

I also got Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen, and Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, which I'm currently reading and it is awesome. 

That's it for my mailbox, what's in yours?

Review: Lure by Deborah Kerbel

Lure-Deborah Kerbel
Publisher: Dundurn
Publication Date: October, 2010
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Author Website

A Victorian garden, a fishing lure, and a ghost named John .
Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, he's in love with an older girl who's completely out of his league.
When Max discovers a local library rumored to be haunted by ghosts, he's immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for over a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery? 
(Amazon)

Lure is a little gem. Looking for a shorter book to read that still packs a punch? Lure is your book. Most readers will finish it within a couple hours. I really liked the historic element in Lure, as the basis for the story is real paranormal activity which took place at the author's local library.


Lure is told in dual narrative, every other chapter is either  from John's perspective in the 1880's, or Max's, which takes place in modern day. Both of their lives are pretty ordinary, Max is adjusting to life in his new town, and he's not happy. He feels like a ghost because none of the kids give him the time of day. He meets the lovely Caroline when her dog takes off after a fright. He helps her corral him, and is drawn into the history of hauntings at the library.

John's childhood isn't all that happy. His father is a miserable monster, but his mother tries her best. His father think he's weak because he has an interest in learning and books. When his older, brutish cousin comes to visit each summer, John feels even more inadequate as his cousin is more like the son that his father would have wanted.

I enjoyed that we meet both boys at a period of transition in their lives. This is perhaps what attracts John to Max, and why he seeks out his help. The ghost story is spooky, but not terrifying. You know that the ghost is John, and we know he's not a poltergeist but a ghost looking for help. Still, there are a couple scary moments in the book, but it wouldn't be too much for younger readers to handle.

I think Lure is a great book, especially to read at this spooky time of the year. The ghost story would appeal to all readers, and fans of historical fiction will enjoy it as well!

I'm giving away a copy of Lure! This contest is open to US/Canada only, and will run through October 22nd. Just fill out the form below to enter!

Organizing Inspiration

Before I started writing my latest novel, I started gathering photos. Tumblr and We Heart It are the best places to look. Once I realized that I could turn it all into a slideshow thanks to Iphoto, I quickly went to it, and added the Stars song "I Died So I Could Haunt You" to it, as that's the song that inspired me to write the novel in the first place.

Now that I'm a quarter of the way through the first draft, I've started watching the slideshow whenever I feel blocked. I uploaded it so you can see. You can see it better if you make it full screen.

I then take my favorite inspiration photos and place them on a cork board above my desk. I have one for each of my novels that I'm either in the planning stage or writing. I also have a fourth cork board for inspirational photos and quotes.

How do you organize your inspiration?

Review: Jane by April Linder

Jane-April Linder
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: October 11th
Source: Around the World Tours

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers. 
(Amazon)


I read Jane Eyre many moons ago as a required reading for a literature course. I remember enjoying it, but I have to be honest and say that I didn't remember enough about it for me to influence my review of Jane about whether it was faithful to the original.

That said, Jane was a delight. There's romance, intrigue, horrible family members, yet Jane herself keeps an even keel. If I was in her shoes, I'd have a hard time not feeling sorry for myself, but Jane trudges on. She can seem a bit of a cold fish at times, but not so much so that I didn't feel empathy for her as a character. It's her lack of interest in pop culture and music that gets her the job at Nico Rathburn's estate. From their first meeting, they're intrigued by each other, and the mutual interest grows from there.

If this hadn't been a retelling, I would remark that the romance seemed a little weird to me. Nico isn't a bad guy, he has a good heart, but I just felt that he and Jane weren't really right for each other. They're in love with the idea of being love, so much that when a truth is revealed about Nico's past, it turns Jane's world on edge. Her relationship with Nico is much like any fan's relationship with their idol. You never really know everything about them.

Overall, I enjoyed Jane. It is nearly impossible to put down. You'll be hard pressed not to get swept up in Jane and Nico's romance, even if it does seem a bit unrealistic.

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren. I got two books this week.

From Around the World Tours:

Jane by April Linder

And I won Losing Faith by Denise Jordan from Confessions of a Bookaholic.

That's it for my mailbox, what about yours?

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight-Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: September 7th
Source: Gift from my husband
Author Website

Descended from dragons, the draki's ability to appear human protects them from hunters. Jacinda lives with her pride in the Cascades, but she chafes under her special status as the only fire-breather in hundreds of years. Recklessly breaking the “no-fly” rule, she attracts hunters; mercifully, one hunter, a beautiful boy who looks upon her with wonder, lets her escape. After this, the pride intends to hobble her rebelliousness, and Jacinda is forced to flee. But while twin sister Tamra, who never manifested and was shunned, is happy with the move, Jacinda feels only anguish within Nevada's desert climate. Then she meets Will and, despite recognizing him as the same draki hunter, feels herself come alive. Jordan's compelling addition to the supernatural star-crossed lovers theme is equal parts taut suspense and sensuous romance, with visceral writing and believable relationships among characters, particularly among Jacinda's family. 
(Amazon)

I had mixed feelings about Firelight. On the one hand, the book is fast-paced and features dragon mythology-which is not something you see every day. On the other hand, I had some issues with the characters.

Let's get the bad out of the way first. Jacinda was likable, but she was one of the few characters that was. Her mother and sister had me spitting nails. Maybe it's because I'm at the point in my life where I'm considering how I'll react as a parent, but I felt Jacinda's mother was really selfish. I understood her good intentions, but she had little regard for Jacinda's feelings. She might have well just said, "I want you to be normal. You'll be happy when you're normal!" I hate that in any book I read, but especially YA fiction. Jacinda's sister is vapid and selfish. She only cared about her sister when it looked like she'd screw things up for her.

Onto the boys: Will and Cassian felt like creepers to me (Cassian more than Will), so I wasn't invested in the love story at all. I also couldn't help but feel like Catherine and Brooklyn came right out of Mean Girls.

What I did love about Firelight was the action, and the draki mythology and the action. It's is a page turner from the first chapter. I wanted to know what happens to Jacinda. I just want the poor girl to catch a break. She's strong willed and figuring out what she wants from life. Should she let her draki die and become a human like her family desires? Is she wrong to deny who she is? It's fascinating to ride along as she figures it all out.

The ending is cliffhanger, but I will be reading the sequel when it comes out-because Jacinda is a character I want to know more about.