Shooting Stars

The Final Countdown (to win my book)

2011-12-23T09:40:00.003-07:00

So, wanna win SHIFTING? You have until midnight!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Shifting (my book) Preview

2011-12-19T22:40:00.001-07:00

So a lot of you know I've written a book. And maybe some of you don't.

Well, if you're curious about it--my book (SHIFTING)--and want to see if you might like it, follow this link.

You can take a peek at the first two chapters and see what you think! Here's the Amazon link . . . you know . . . just in case. ;D

Enjoy!

Writer On the Side

2011-12-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Mom in the middle. That's me. Writer on the side, but Mom in the middle, where it really counts.

Don't get me wrong. I love writing. LOVE it! In fact, I recently sold two books to my publisher, Walker Books, and I am so excited for the world to read them!

But for me, being a mom is my number one priority. Because when I write a book, I have all the tries I need to get it "just right." But with kids? If I mess up, I can't go back and fix something by tweaking a scene, or changing the ending. With kids, every single day matters.

I had this epiphany a while back. Childhood is fleeting! It goes by so quickly. Time seems to be speeding up on me and before I know it my kids will be grown and I'll be all alone wondering where time went.

Therefore, my kids come before my writing. Always. I don't think I could instill morals and values into my writing if I didn't first live them in my daily life. So in essence, the fact that I have children, these tiny beings whom I love with all my heart and soul, is what gives me the overwhelming emotional power to write stories that touch other people.

So here are a few things that I have learned along the way:

--Always put your kids first because if they are happy and content, so are you. And if you are happy and content, then you can write beautiful stories.

--Put pieces of what you learn from your kids into your writing--they teach unconditional love, after all, and isn't that what makes life worth living? And books worth reading?

--Revel in the fact that you are lucky enough to be blessed with kids, because the people who dearly want children but can't have them wish more than ANYTHING (even more than you wish you were published, or you wish you were on the NY Times bestseller list) that they were in your shoes.

--Be content with what you have. Want what you already own/have accomplished, and you'll find joy in life. Don't look at other people's grass and marvel at how green it looks from where you are. I guarantee you that they will have grubs at one time or another!

I guarantee you that when you're on your deathbed you won't think, Man, I wish I wrote one more book. But you might think, Man, I wish I spent more time with my kids.

So, what have you learned from life?

Mom or Author?

2011-12-07T06:39:00.001-07:00

How about both? Of those two things, being a mom is my top priority. That is why, sadly, I haven't blogged since October. Life got tough for a little while. And now it is back to normal (which means only slightly insane). In lieu of that, I decided to do a few blog posts over the next few weeks about how to achieve your goals as a writer while also being the mom (or dad) that your kids deserve. Because they deserve the best. And so do you! (Check out this amazing article, "What We Wish We Knew Then.")

I am the proud mother of four small kids, and they take up a whole lot of my time. All of my time, actually, between the hours of seven a.m. and 8 p.m. So how do I write and yet raise a healthy, balanced family (because even my husband needs some raising)?

It is all about time. You ABSOLUTELY have to manage your time. Make every single moment count and don't waste a single second on useless stuff like . . . watching television. Or playing bejeweled. Or (cringe) Solitaire (guilty). Or, dare I say, Facebook and Twitter.

Here are a few totally random time-saving tips:

1. Learn to chop vegetables like a pro. I am not kidding! Do you know how fast I can make a salad now that I can chop a carrot in less than 30 seconds? A bell pepper in 60 seconds? When I can whip up a healthy meal in minutes, I have time to spare for other things.

2. Be organized! Everything should have a place, and never put something down! Put it away. (Or be like me and follow your kids from room to room picking up their toys--or make them do it.)

3. Make your kids accountable for their own messes--especially their bedrooms. In my house? NO TV until kids are dressed (the older ones do it by themselves), bedrooms are spotless, and beds are made. If they clean up after themselves, that makes a lot less for me to do.

4. Have a set bedtime for your kids and enforce it every single day. As soon as all kids are in bed, focus on writing.

5. Every evening put a load or two of laundry in to wash/dry so that it is ready to fold first thing in the morning. Do this every day!

And then, when the kids are in bed, it just so happens that the house is more-or-less clean, the laundry is folded and (if I'm really on the ball) put away, the husband is happily watching television, and you are free to do whatever you want (which is write novels in my case).

Now, tell me what you do to make writing possible (even if you don't have kids because you're all probably just as busy as me).

The Amazing Marlene Stringer

2011-12-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

This past October I had the pleasure of meeting my agent, the incredible Marlene Stringer (in the photo, holding someones adorable baby).

Here's what she's like in person:

She is absolutely bursting with energy.

She wears sassy skinny-leg pants.

She's incredibly sweet.

She knows the book business--both the legal side and the creative side.

She's quite possibly the best agent around.

Here's what she's looking for:

Mystery

Thriller

Contemporary & Urban Fantasy

Romance

Women’s Fiction

Historical Fiction

Science Fiction

Young Adult/Teen

Middle Grade Fiction

Our agency represents select non-fiction, including parenting, history, music, sports and popular science. If your manuscript falls between categories, or you are not sure of the category, query and we’ll let you know if we’d like to take a look.

She's temporarily closed to queries until the new year, so start polishing them up to send on January 1st. And good luck!

Writer's Block

2011-10-27T06:21:00.002-06:00

A lot of people have asked me lately if I have any tips to help beat writer's block. Because, seriously, being trapped in your own writing, with a tiny view of the story ahead, is miserable! Sort of like being all dressed up with nowhere to go. Or being stuck in a fortress with the most amazing forest just around the corner . . . and you can almost see it! So here are a few tips.

First of all, if you're not clear on your vision, how are you going to write it? And I'm NOT talking about the ending of the story. Just the next three, five, ten pages. No more. Because if you can decide where your story needs to go in the next few pages, then you can sit down and write it. Baby steps people!

Another tip that works for me: get your ipod, download music that fits your story, and then go on a nice long walk. Even if it's on the treadmill. If you're like me, the story will start to flow.

Also, maybe you just need a little break to give your story time to grow, ferment, germinate. I thoroughly believe writing is like cheese. The longer it has to sit and ripen, the stronger it becomes.

Spend time every day on the computer. WRITING, mind you, not playing on facebook or bejeweled blitz. Even if all you're writing is blog posts. Or character bios. Just get in the habit.

Lastly, if all else fails, just write the darn story! Force it out, one-thousand words a day. Don't worry about typos, plot, prose, because all of those can be fixed. That's the beauty of writing--you can change anything and everything. It just has to be written first.

Now, if you still need some inspiration, go here and here. Best of writing luck!

Drawing My Way Out of a Paper Bag::By Angela Felstead

2011-10-19T05:06:00.000-06:00

Before we get to Angela's post let me give you guys a little info. For those of you who already know her, Angela is married to my cousin. That's right--I, Bethany Wiggins, am Angela Felsted's cousin! She has a book coming out--a book of poetry.

Second, Angela (author of My Poetry Place blog) is an incredible musician. When she told me she would do a guest post on my blog and I could pick the subject, I was thrilled! I asked her about the creativity difference between writing and making music.

Lastly, Angela's book is on sale for pre-order here (go ten rows down). And here is an amazing video she made.

Drawing My Way Out of a Paper Bag

by Angela Felsted

First off, anyone who has read The Little Prince is likely familiar with this picture. It represents the difference between how adults and children see things, because where a grown up may see nothing more than a rumpled hat, the child sees an elephant inside a boa constrictor.

Since I am artistically challenged, I draw my elephants in a different way entirely. Poems are my sketches; music is my paint, and the emotions I convey are determined by my color palette.

In the first year of my marriage, whenever I got angry with my husband, I’d practice on the main floor and tear into the Walton Viola Concerto until music reverberated off the hard wood floor.

“Are you imagining ripping my head off?” hubby would ask, more conscious of the aggression in my playing than I was.

“Of course not,” I’d lie.

His eyes would go wide, and he’d get this frightened look on his face, like he was a little boy and I was his mother about to scold him.

Later, when I was calm, he confided that it scared him when I express my anger through playing the viola. I didn’t have to speak or voice my feelings when I put them into music. The sounds and notes I produced screamed them for me. Though I did not write those notes, I could bend them to my will.

Music was my conduit.

Poetry is different. When I write poetry, I decide which word goes where. I am the master and creature of my universe, even when the words I choose rebel and misbehave, even when I need to rewrite everything at least ten times. Please don’t get me wrong, Poetry is a conduit too. But being the one who patches it together, I’m forced to ask myself if the words I employ are up to task, if I need to tell the reader about my elephant, or if the mention of his tusks and trunk speak louder by themselves.

Sometimes less is more.

The Truth About Editing aka Steeped in Words

2011-10-17T20:46:00.002-06:00

I had someone ask me (hi Janae) what the editing to publication process was like for me. Let me just say--being an author isn't so much about writing. It's about editing. Or rewriting. Take your pick. The smallest part of publishing a book (for me at least) is the initial writing of it!

Here's sort of how things went for me.

I wrote a book in six weeks (The Birth Of SHIFTING).

I edited it for six-ish weeks. Maybe more like eight weeks (and then I re-edited/revised/cut/ rewrote/polished it a whole lot more over more than a year).

Jump ahead to the part where I get an agent. No edits. Agent shows it to Walker Books. Walker books wants it but they want more Navajo lore. So I . . .

REWRITE THE BOOK AGAIN (at least the first half)! With Emily Easton's brilliant insight/suggestions.

And after that, I get an editorial letter stating the weak parts of the plot, what needs to be changed, what sounds too contrived, what sounds too cheesy, what sounds too boring, etc. So I . . .

REWRITE MAJOR PORTIONS OF THE BOOK AGAIN. And then I send it back to my publisher.

A few weeks later, I get a hard copy of the manuscript with notes in the margins, gramatical corrections, more notes in the margins, more gramatical corrections, notes in the margins, and I . . .

REWRITE IT AGAIN. But not as much of it this time. I also go through the document and correct improper grammar, fix punctuation, spelling errors--the stuff that was noted in the hard copy. I email the revised doc. back.

(repeat the last two paragraphs twice or so)

A few weeks later, I get an email asking me to clarify a few parts of the plot and please rewrite the epilogue (which I did, and now it is an awesome epilogue where before it was mediocre). And I email it back.

A few weeks later I get another hard copy of the manuscript, a version that has been proofread by a copy editor. I go through the entire manuscript and make sure I agree with all the changes (I do). I UPS it back.

And then I get the manuscript that is printed just like the actual book will be printed, and please read and make sure everything is how I would like it to be (It is). I UPS it back.

And then I get the advanced readers copy. But there's a little problem. The new and final cover has a girl with her hair turning into a snake. There used to be a snake scene in the book, but in all the rewriting and editing, it's been removed. So I write a new scene with a snake (actually replace a fairy scene with a snake scene).

By this time I feel as if I'm so steeped in my manuscript, the words are bleeding out onto my skin.

And then, and then, the book is finally done!

So there you have it. The truth about edits. Writing isn't really writing. It is REwriting.

Happy Birthday SHIFTING!

2011-09-27T10:24:00.005-06:00

That's right. My book is released today!!! So to celebrate I'll tell you five interesting but totally random facts about the journey that led me to today.

1. After I wrote this book I was at a neighbor's Christmas party when a guest pulled me aside and told me about his face-to-face run in with a skinwalker. This was a grown man. And he was TERRIFIED! He trembled as he told me about the skinwalker chasing his car. :/

2. My author photo was taken on Friday the 13th. I was six weeks pregnant.

3. Shortly after I completed the first draft of SHIFTING, I moved. All of my NEW neighbors have the same names as the characters in my book--and they aren't typical names! (Danni, Penney, Bonny, Jenkins, Connoly--okay, the name in the book is O'Connell but it's close). My PUBLISHER even has the same name--almost--as my neighbor: Emily Easton (publisher) vs. Emily Eaton. Hmmm. Sort of freaky.

4. I lived in Silver City, New Mexico, where SHIFTING takes place. I never saw any skinwalkers there. Tarantulas, on the other hand . . .

5. The girl on the cover of SHIFTING IS NOT ME AS A TEENAGER! She resembles me slightly. All of my neighbors ask if this was done on purpose. No! The people who made my book cover have never met me! It is a coincidence!

Thanks for all of your support, everyone! I can't believe this day is here.

Oh, and if you want to buy my book, click here.

If you want to order a signed copy of SHIFTING from my local bookstore, call this number: 435-789-4742

And tell me, do you think skinwalkers really exist?

SHIFTING Giveaway

2011-09-22T20:18:00.002-06:00

That's right.

I'm giving away two copies of my book to celebrate its release this coming Tuesday.

So check out the Goodreads widget on the right. --->

See it? Now click and enter.

Good luck!

Hope you

WIN!

Contest of Awesome and Moi!

2011-09-20T20:49:00.003-06:00

Well, of course I think it is an awesome contest. This blog is giving away my book! And get this . . .

My book, SHIFTING, comes out in SIX DAYS!

Haven't ordered it yet? That's okay. Just go here or here.

And another thing . . . People are liking my book! Check out the reviews on Goodreads. And then go order my book.

You won't be sorry.

Now, This Would Rock (A Very Non-Writerly Contest)

2011-09-09T23:49:00.003-06:00

So something you don't know about me is that I used to snowboard. A lot. I could tear it up . . . er, the mountain tore me up.

Anyway, what does this post have to do with writing (besides the fact that I get to brag about a hobby other than writing)?

I found this contest on Facebook. It's a company that makes custom snowboards. Custom snowboards you say? Yes. Custom snowboards.

How

FREAKING AWESOME

would it be

to have a snowboard

custom made with

your

VERY OWN BOOK COVER ON IT???!?!?

If you "like" their page (one of the requirements) and fill out the teeny tiny entry form, you just might win a custom snowboard.

And . . . You're SO welcome!

(And no that is NOT me in the photo. Unfortunately.)

Best and Worst of Times

2011-09-06T21:01:00.002-06:00

If someone would have sat down with me on January 1, 2011 and said, "This is what your year is going to have:

The worst flu of your life (boo).

Chicken Pox (boo).

A beautiful new baby girl (yay).

Your Advanced Readers Copy of SHIFTING (yay).

Your daughter will fracture her skull (boo).

You'll sell your next two books to Walker Books (yay).

You'll throw your back out and be bedridden for nearly two weeks (boo).

You'll receive your first published book in the mail (yay)."

If someone sat down and told me all of that--and the year is only 2/3 over--I don't think I would have believed them. It has definitely been the best of times. And the worst of times. I'm happy to say that the hard things made me grow, made me wiser, made me more grateful for my health and my kids' health. And the hard things made the good things even sweeter.

Anyhow . . . my book comes out on September 27th! If you want to help me out on Goodreads, click here and vote me best book of September.

And here, here and here are a few places you can read interviews and reviews of SHIFTING.

Any may you have the best of times!

Laughing at 2 a.m. Type of Book

2011-08-18T05:44:00.000-06:00

So, I'm an adult who loves young adult books. In fact, I love them so much I also write them. My book, SHIFTING, comes out next month guys! I'm freaking out here!!!

Anyhow, on to the Bookanista* book review.

Sixteen-year-old Giovanna Petrizzo finds it hard enough to fit in. Three years since her family moved to Texas, she’s still the newcomer compared to everyone around her. It doesn’t help matters when her twin brother, Dante, takes on the mayor’s son by running for class president. The least she could expect, though, would be for her boyfriend, Jesse, to support their cause. But Jesse’s apparent defection triggers Giovanna’s rash emotional side, and before she knows it, she’s turned Jesse from the boy of her dreams to the exboyfriend she dreams of winning back. ~Amazon

Janette Rallison is one of my all-time favorite YA authors. She's amazing. Her books are hilarious. While I read this book, I was laughing so hard I had to burry my face in my pillow. Did I mention it was two in the morning because her book is good enough to lose sleep over?

The Main Character: Giovanna is far from perfect. In fact everything she attempts to do goes heinously wrong. Which is why I adore her. She reminds me of moi.

The Love Interest: Jesse--sigh--is wonderful. And horrible. He and Giovana break up at the beginning of the book and he is absolutely infuriating throughout, yet utterly lovable. If you want to know what I mean you'll have to read the book because I'm not going to elaborate and spoil all the good stuff. So just check out the book.

*Bookanista: We are a group of writers in various stages of the publishing process who have banded together to recommend/review the special books of our peers.

For more reviews check out:

Veronica Rossi loves Legend
Shana Silver serves up a Maureen Johnson double feature of The Last Little Blue Envelope & The Name of the Star
Scott Tracey is awed by Anna Dressed in Blood
Carrie Harris is in a frenzy over Stupid Fast
Gretchen McNeil is spellbound by Witch Eyes
Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about Possess
Matt Blackstone blogs From Bedside

Tears of Joy, Gratitude, and Goodness

2011-07-27T10:01:00.003-06:00

I got online today and found a surprise that made tears come to my eyes. GOOD tears. JOY tears. GRATITUDE tears.

Elana Johnson, author of POSSESSION, blogger of awesome, is doing a blog tour for me--out of the kindness of her heart! (sniffle sniffle)

So if you want the chance to read and blog about an advanced copy of my book, SHIFTING, go here and check it out!

Thanks Elana!

A Tea and Crumpets and Skeletons in the Cupboard Type of Book

2011-07-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

CHIME: Since her stepmother's recent death, 17-year-old Briony Larkin knows that if she can keep two secrets--that she is a witch and that she is responsible for the accident that left Rose, her identical twin, mentally compromised--and remember to hate herself always, no other harm will befall her family in their Swampsea parsonage at the beginning of the twentieth century. The arrival of Mr. Clayborne, a city engineer, and his university-dropout son, Eldric, makes Briony's task difficult. Clayborne's plan to drain the swamp has made the Old Ones unhappy, particularly the Boggy Mun, who has plagued the village's children with swamp cough in retaliation. When Rose's lingering illness turns into a cough, Briony knows that she must do whatever it takes, even revealing her secrets, to save her sister. While thwarting the advances of an arsenic-addicted suitor, Briony must also deny her feelings for Eldric, even as he helps her solve the puzzle that has become her life. Exploring the powers of guilt and redemption, Billingsley (The Folk Keeper, 1999) has crafted a dark, chilling yet stunning world. Briony's many mysteries and occasional sardonic wit make her a force to be reckoned with. Exquisite to the final word. (Blurb taken from Amazon)

This book is as exquisitely mysterious (or mysteriously exquisite if you prefer) as its cover. I ate up the words, one by one, like I hadn't eaten in a decade.

What I liked about this book: The writing! Franny Billingsley can take an ordinary situation and write it in a brand new, tea-and-crumpets-and-skeletons-in-the-cupboard sort of way.

What I liked about the main character: Briony always underestimates herself, which made me her biggest cheer-leader. Also, she's full of wit minus the snark, which was refreshing. Don't get me wrong! I love snark. But the voice in this book is so unique, I am STILL thinking about it, a week after reading it.

So, if you want something fresh and dark and abstract to read, READ CHIME!

For more fab Bookanista reviews, check out:

Elana Johnson raves about Blood Red Road
LiLa Roecker shivers over A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie
Christine Fonseca is wowed by The Near Witch
Beth Revis loves The Last Little Blue Envelope
Carolina Valdez Miller gushes over The Girl of Fire and Thorns – with arc giveaway
Rosemary Clement Moore is enraptured by Entwine
Stasia Ward Kehoe applauds The Predicteds

Bookanistas=We are a group of writers in various stages of the publishing process who have banded together to recommend/review the special books of our peers.

Combined, we reach over 10,000 followers. (Crazy right?)

We recommend and review all kinds of children's books, but focus mainly on YA, middle grade and now, picture books. (yes picture books too! Shocker!). As fellow writers, we have decided to only recommend books we absolutely LOVE, therefore, we do not post anything negative!

Yes, that's right! We give nothing but love! There's enough negativity in the world.

We post every Thursday covering a variety various book topics– upcoming ARCs, books we love, diamonds in the rough, classics, and even dish out some cover love from time to time.

Desire

2011-07-13T22:23:00.005-06:00

"Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming."

". . . What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become. . ."

~Dallin H. Oaks

In my desire to become a published writer I have given up a lot of things. Like Television. I own a TV, but it doesn't get any reception--no TV shows at all. And movies? I watch the occasional movie with my husband. (TRON anyone?)

How about sleep? Do you give up sleep? (I am yawning as I type this, waiting for my three-month-old baby to wake up for a late night feeding.) And why is it easier to give up sleep at night instead of waking up really early in the morning???

How about friends? I have friends. We only do stuff during the day because once I have my kids in bed, I am glued to the computer chair.

Sanity? That one comes and goes for me actually.

But you wanna know what I won't give up? Family time. Because I desire more than anything to be the best mom to my kids that I can be. I vowed that if I ever "made it" I would never put my writing ahead of my husband and children. And I don't. I do not write during the day. Period. I would rather give up sleep than give up time spent with my kids.

So what do you give up in your desire to become a writer? And what things will you never give up? (And yes, those second biggest feet in the photo are actually mine!)

A Glimpse Into the Brain of Matt Blackstone

2011-07-06T08:27:00.003-06:00

Before we start the interview with the author of A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE, here are just a couple of random things about Matt Blackstone.

He lives in New York. He teaches school. His wife makes quilts. And of course he's a writer.

Anyway, on with the fun . . .

What is A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE about, in 40 words or less?

It’s about a teenager with OCD who can’t tell the difference between his obsessional thinking (which seems as real and frightening as scary scenes in scary movies) and his lonely reality as a high school outcast.

Why did you write A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE?

Teachers often say that loud, disruptive students are thorns in their sides but most would admit that the truly dangerous ones—dangerous, at least, to themselves—are the quiet, aloof ones who fly under the radar because they nod politely at their teachers. They play the game well, well enough to get promoted, but they are anything but well.

A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE is the result of seeing a growing number of my students isolate themselves. Rene’s rituals and magical thinking exemplify what it means to be mentally ill, or at least socially inept, in a high school setting that demands academic prowess and social fluency. I wrote this book to offer hope to wild card teenagers (what teen isn’t a wild card these days?) or those who begrudge their parents (sometimes deservedly so), question conformity, and feel so desperate and alone that the only safe place is inside their heads. But what if even that place isn’t safe?

How long did you work on this book?

The first draft was surprisingly quick—about six weeks. I started it on a train ride and couldn’t type fast enough. Then next day, I took it with me on a family vacation to Mexico, where I typed at the beach, at the pool, on local sweaty bumpy buses to and from Chichen Itza, on the plane ride home, and then every morning and night until I finished. I spent two months revising it before I sent it off, mumbling a prayer at the mailbox. Editing was slower than I’d imagined, but I enjoyed every step of the process.

How was your journey to publication? Long, short, how many rejections?

You get close to a manuscript. It’s your blood and sweat and tears and time—all that time!—and if you’re lucky, you’ll finish a few drafts and become even closer. You’ll become friends. Not friends of friends or Facebook friends or John McCain’s “(my) friends,” but friends. Real friends. Friends as tight as family. Homies—yup, you and your manuscript become homies.

You know deep down, really deep down (if you dug long enough to reach China) that your homie is only a Microsoft Word file, a stack of paper filled with words, words that make a book—not even a book, almost a book, but it’s your baby, your friend, your homie and though you don’t have a history of ascribing love and friendship to inanimate objects, you can’t help but feel sad and scared and apologetic when you mail it out because you’re tossing your homie into the wild all by himself and suddenly you understand why in Cast Away Tom Hanks screamed “I’M SORRY WILSON! I’M SORRY! WILSON I’M SORRY!” when the current carried his volleyball away.

You take back all the times you’ve mocked that scene when punting a basketball out of your little brother’s reach—“I’M SORRY SPALDING, I’M SO SORRY”—because now your homie is alone and you’re alone and all you can do is wait. If you emailed your materials, your only option is to click “refresh.” You realize that refresh is a terrible word, a truly terrible word to describe what you’re going through because you feel a lot of things, but none of them are refreshment.

You hate yourself for throwing your characters into the wild. (Refresh.) You hate that they’re all alone and buried in a pile of slush. (Refresh.) You picture them slashed and bloody and shredded into a million little pieces. (Refresh.) You feel bad for James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, for getting spanked by Oprah on national television but you envy him now. (Refresh.) You hate the word “refresh” and hate that you’ve been a sucker for it all your life: soda, slurpies, Gatorade, frozen lemonade—all them tasty but none of them nearly as refreshing as a glass of water. (Refresh.)

But all you can do is wait.

This happened to me. All of it. I didn’t call my manuscript “Wilson,” but it was my buddy. My homie. My pride and joy. You All in the Kool-Aid But You Don’t Know the Flavor was a memoir about my Teach for America experience, from the boot camp of summer Institute to the streets of West Baltimore; from political corruption ($50 million was stolen from the city budget) to crumbling schools (my principal at Frederick Douglass High School changed students’ grades to improve our graduation rate)—things got so bad that HBO spent a year in our school filming Hard Times at Douglass High).

So I was invested. But after three months of revision and three rounds of submission all I had to show for it was a note from my agent that said there was nothing more to do.

A year later, right before that family trip to Mexico, I decided to give it another shot.

Four months later I had a two-book deal.

Anything else you want to share about your book?

I’m running a Twitter contest from Monday July 4 to Friday July 8 (to win 1 of 10 signed hardcover copies of A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE) that encourages people to share their quirks and thus lessen the stigma (and fear) that OCD sufferers feel on a daily basis.

Links:

Twitter

Website

Twitter contest--to win 1 of 10 autographed hardcover copies of A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE!!!

So there you have it. A glimpse into the inner workings of Matt Blackstone and his amazing novel.

Writing Fears

2011-06-23T22:38:00.003-06:00

You know when that lightning idea strikes and all of a sudden you have this stellar concept for a new book? I know you know this feeling.

Here's my question. Is it only me, or are you guys ridiculously paranoid about sharing new ideas for fear that they'll get stolen?

And what extremes do you go to to keep your manuscripts safe? Me? My fear is that the computer will crash and my story will get lost, so in addition to having Carbonite, I email myself all of my manuscripts.

How about you? What are your writing fears?

New Extremes

2011-06-16T20:49:00.004-06:00

I have heard of all sorts of crazy things writers do in an attempt to finish their manuscripts. Things like:

Don't put on makeup, don't brush your hair, and wear a robe all day so that you can't go out of your house (Erm . . . that would me be. Downside is when someone knocks on the door and you answer it).
Shave half of your head so that you look too horrible to be seen in public until the hair grows out. Spend housebound time writing.
Send your modem to school with your kids (before wireless) so that you can't get online for eight hours a day.
Handcuff yourself to your desk and send the key to work with your husband.

What extremes do you go to?

(And that is not me in the photo)

Congratulations Veronica and Elana!

2011-06-13T12:35:00.003-06:00

My first congrats goes to Veronica Roth, author of DIVERGENT (and fellow Bookanista). The Bookanistas made a celebration video of creative genius because, well, Veronica's book is AWESOME! And it is #6 on the NYTimes Bestseller list! Wow. So deserved.

To see the aforementioned video of creative genius, follow the link (and this time I am in it).

AWESOME VIDEO

And a second congrats to Elana Johnson, whose book POSESSION was released last week. I had the pleasure of attending her launch party and can I tell you--it was the biggest launch party I have ever been to! Elana is loved. Her book is loved. Last week was a week packed with awesome.

(The picture of shoes? It rocks. That's why it's on there. Too boring without it.)

Bad Taste In Boys :: A Bookanista Book Review

2011-06-02T05:12:00.001-06:00

All right, first of all I must respond to my anonymous commenter who informed me that because I have nothing negative to say about the books I am reviewing, my reviews aren't really reviews. So, just for the record (and I have said this many times before) I ONLY REVIEW BOOKS I LOVE, BOOKS ABOUT WHICH I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD TO SAY.

Anonymous also pointed out that I should have learned how to write a proper review, pointing out a book's weaknesses, in school. Well, if they taught how to write a review in high school English, I was asleep that day. And I didn't go to college (okay, I did a little bit of college, but never any English classes). So I only write good things. ;) If you don't like it, don't read it.

And now, on to the review.

Someone's been a very bad zombie.
Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town . . . and stay hormonally human.

This book is awesome! The humor! The characters! The broken off body parts! Carrie Harris does a phenomenal job of making totally disgusting things, like a zombie biting a chunk out of the main character's lip, seem not so disgusting--and she does it with humor. Pure genius. No wonder Carrie Harris is married to a ninja doctor.

This book has romance, horror, science, medicine, a nerdy/hilarious sidekick brother who wears elf ears, humor, dismembered zombies, medicine. And it's teen appropriate. Brilliant job, Carrie!

Bookanista=a group of writers who reviews books. And we only review books we love! Wanna find out what writers read and love? Check out these other blogs:

Elana Johnson gushes over Blood Magic
LiLa Roecker adores Hourglass
Christine Fonseca sings high praises for Possess – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger applauds A Need So Beautiful – with giveaway
Megan Miranda has a passion for Possession
Carolina Valdez Miller sees beauty in Between Shades of Gray
Shana Silver celebrates A Need So Beautiful
Stasia Ward Kehoe delights in Delirium
Carrie Harris thinks Wrapped simply rocks
Rosemary Clement-Moore is giddy about Hourglass
Sarah Frances Hardy finds the awesome in Okay for Now
Myra McEntire welcomes Blood Magic author Tessa Gratton into the Fort

Elana Johnson's POSSESSION rocks!

2011-05-11T19:37:00.000-06:00

Book review time again, guys, and this is a book I have been so excited to review! And I was lucky enough to read this book a long time ago, before the author had an agent!!! And just so you know, Elana Johnson is one of the most awesome people in real life.

Anyhow...

POSESSION:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

What I like about the characters: Their personalities. They are each so individually developed that they feel real. Vi (the MC) is tough--way tough. And she thinks for herself (when she isn't being brainwashed, LOL).

And Jag. Can I just say Totally Swoon-worthy? That sums him up in a nutshell. (Plus he sorta looks like my dear husband ;-D)

What I like about the writing: Voice, voice, voice!!! The voice is what sets this book apart from every other dystopian novel out there. Vi is the narrator and she's hilarious. Hers is a voice you don't forget and you could recognize anywhere.

The other thing: Elana does such a masterful job of weaving mystery and uncertainty into this book that you'll not be able to put it down once you pick it up. She's BRILLIANT!

For some other bookanista reviews made of awesome, check out:

Elana Johnson

LiLa Roecker

Christine Fonseca

Carolina Valdez Miller

Shana Silver

Gretchen McNeil Carrie Harris

My Book was Blogged!!!

2011-05-05T19:41:00.002-06:00

I know what you're thinking if you read this blog "regularly." Because lately I haven't been blogging that regularly (see this post if you don't know why I haven't been blogging regularly lately).

So, anyway, you're more than likely thinking:

Seriously? Bethany Wiggins put up two posts in one day? Something must be wrong.

Something's right is more like it!

Someone blogged about my book, SHIFTING!!!

Wanna check it out? PLEASE do! And leave this little lady a comment because it would make my day and probably hers. Go HERE (my book is the last on listed)!

Dream Big

2011-05-05T08:59:00.003-06:00

Just a little something for you guys to think about.

In the words of Brandon Flowers . . .

. . . our dreams will break the boundaries of our fears . . .

For the whole music video, click here.

I'm Back! And a Bit About Indecisiveness

2011-04-28T08:48:00.002-06:00

Hello fellow bloggers/blog readers! I must apologize for the lack of blogging this month. Me and mine have had a difficult month (for a hint at our hardships, see the chicken). But now that we are all healthy again, it seems like the sun is shining a little brighter, the flowers are blooming, and the weather has turned warm. Then again, it could be that spring arrived while we were quarantined to our house!

Anyhow, on to writing stuff. So, my 2-year-old has a new favorite movie. She's watched it about 500 times this month (not much else to do while your sick!). And we've all memorized the songs.

Can I hear a woo-hoo for Disney's Tangled!!!?

Anyhow, we were watching the extras on the Tangled disc and you know what?

The movie had three different beginnings before they finally decided which one was the best! Sound a little indecisive?

This indecisiveness totally sounds like me! But it is typically my endings that get changed. My point is, nothing you write is set in stone (unless it is being published and by then, it will be perfect). So embrace change--Disney does, after all, and they've been in the story-telling business for a looooooong time! Think of different endings/beginnings and don't be afraid to write more than one! Sometimes the best comes after the story is written.

And just so you know . . . It is GREAT to be back!

DIVERGENT :: A Bookanista Review (aka Veronica Roth = Genius)

2011-04-21T09:09:00.003-06:00

Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT = Wow. That's all I have to say.

AND...

READ THIS BOOK!

This book is proof that you can write an outstanding story, with really tough characters, without using sex or swearing (okay, there are a few minor cuss words). And for a writer to be able to do that, she has to be a pure genius. So I guess Veronica Roth = GENIUS!

Blurb from Amazon:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

And in the words of fellow Bookanista Veronica Roth--via Amazon again (these are precious words so read them twice!)

Q: What advice would you offer to young aspiring writers, who long to live a success story like your own?

Roth: One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing—the characters, the story, the words, the themes—and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart.

(By the way, this book comes out May 3!)

For more Bookanista reviews, check out:

Elana Johnson visits Dark and Hollow Places
LiLa Roecker gets silly over Spoiled
Christine Fonseca has a passion for Possession – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger marvels at Moonglass – with giveaway
Jamie Harrington adores Invincible Summer
Shelli Johannes-Wells is in the grip of Possession
Scott Tracey bathes in Blood Magic
Carolina Valdez Miller interviews Invicible Summer author Hannah Moskowitz
Jessi Kirby praises Playing Hurt
Shana Silver presents a Guestanista gushing over Between Here and Forever
Gretchen McNeil parties over The Anti-Prom
Carrie Harris sings out about Shift
Rosemary Clement-Moore applauds Abandon
Sarah Frances Hardy enjoys Me Jane
Matt Blackstone loves Like Mandarin
Corrine Jackson delights in The Duff
Stasia Ward Kehoe discusses Displacement

Princess of the Midnight Ball :: A Book Review

2011-03-31T05:27:00.000-06:00

Is it already Thursday? I swear time is speeding up. SWEAR! Anyhow, Thursday means a book review. And if you want to know what books other writers LOVE, you have to check out the links below! My fellow Bookanistas will only review books that they can gush about.

Last week I read Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball.

Rose is one of twelve princesses forced to dance through the night in an underground palace. The key to breaking the spell lies in magic knitting needles, an invisibility cloak, and—of course—true love. Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses,"this novel is as captivating as it is fresh." -From Amazon

What I liked about this book: Seriously? You really want to know? The knitting! Or, more importantly, Galen, the guy who does the knitting. Have you ever thought of knitting as sexy? Well, IT IS! Read the book and you'll see what I mean.

What I Liked About the Characters: Galen. Yes, the knitter again. He's also a rugged soldier with an awesome work ethic (I must be getting old if I think a guy's work ethic makes him attractive) and cheerful disposition.

I like the princesses, too. They're all named after flowers. And they're all unique.

The Other Thing I Liked: Jessica Day George can really write! She's got a talent for weaving words into mental images. Things feel real in her writing, sincere, and true.

So if you need a captivating, beautiful book that will hold your attention from the beginning to the end, check this one out!

In other news, Check out Jessi Kirby's blog for an awesome giveaway!

As for the funky spacing on the links below, all I can say is: Sometimes I hate you blogger.com! (All right, hate might be a bit strong, but I think you know what I mean.)

Sarah Frances Hardy delights in Divergent

Veronica Rossi marvels at Moonglass
Stasia Ward Kehoe raves about Rival

Christine Fonseca gives a Guestanista video review of 11 Birthdays
Jamie Harrington is giddy for Texas Gothic
Beth Revis features Between Shades of Gray all week--with giveaway!
Megan Miranda gushes over Blood Magic
Myra McEntire introduces "Bookanistas Give Back" - with prizes!
Jessi Kirby wants to be Like Mandarin
Gretchen McNeil sings about Spoiled
Carrie Harris loves The Lipstick Laws--with giveaway!
Rosemary Clement-Moore is ensnared by The Demon Trapper's Daughter

Keturah and Lord Death :: A Book Review

2011-03-24T05:52:00.000-06:00

So, it is Bookanista Thursday again, which means my fellow writers and I are reviewing books that we LOVE. (For a list of Bookanista author bios, click here.) That's right. If one of us is reviewing something, it means we Lurrrrrrrrrve it. So today I am thrilled to rave about Martine Leavitt's book Keturah and Lord Death.

The one thing I have to ask, though, is: WHY ISN'T EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK??? IT IS AMAZING!

Lost and hungry after following a stately hart through the forest, Keturah encounters Lord Death, who is ready to take her. Keturah spins a story that she leaves unfinished and extracts from Lord Death a promise that if she finds her true love in a day, she can go free. But Lord Death is falling in love with her, and as the villagers begin to sense her alliance with this horrifying figure, her life twists and turns on itself. -Exerpt from Amazon

What I liked about this book: Martine Leavitt is an incredible writer! She is a pacing and setting genius. Not once was I bored with her prose, and not once was I bored reading about the small-village setting of this book, or the many memorable characters. Pure Genius!

What I liked about the main character: Keturah is a smart, selfless sixteen-year-old. She outwits death (and more than once), she puts her friends happiness before her own, and she takes the initiative to solve her own problems.

What I liked about death: He is utterly untouchable . . . at first. But even death has his weaknesses. Like falling in love with Keturah. And letting his love for her give up his death-hold on others.

The other thing I liked: The ending! It was a dose of perfection that left me utterly satisfied. I closed this book and went to sleep with a smile on my face. No cliff hangers, no to-be-continued, just perfect satisfaction.

Now, if you want to know what these other writers fell in love with enough to blog about, click on a link below.

Stasia Ward Kehoe spotlights Strings Attached

Corrine Jackson jumps for Bumped

Jen Hayley peers into Clarity
Carrie Harris is mesmerized by Memento Nora
Matt Blackstone visits The Ninth Ward

Elana Johnson reveals the cover of The Eleventh Plague
LiLa Roecker wonders What Happened to Goodbye
Christine Fonseca wants to be Like Mandarin
Jamie Harrington falls for Falling Under
Shelli Johannes-Wells visits Dark and Hollow Places
Beth Revis discovers Lost and Found
Carolina Valdez Miller is wild about Wither
Megan Miranda swoons for Anna and the French Kiss

Write-Hope Auction

2011-03-22T09:15:00.002-06:00

The kids affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami are in dire need of help. An organization called Save the Children is trying to help. So is Write-Hope. They're banding together with some amazing literary professionals to try and raise some money.

So, the peeps over at Write-Hope are auctioning off a whole lot of juicy awesomeness . . . like:

A 30-minute Skype chat with the incomparable Meredith Barnes, professional godsend at Fineprint Lit.

From YA author Robin Bridges: a critique of your first chapter (or first 20 pages) and a Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) for $30.

From YA author, mad scientist, and prom chaperone Carrie Harris: a pre-order of Bad Taste in Boys and a 20-page critique of a YA/MG manuscript.

And that's just to name a few. There are all sorts of goodies! So go check it out!

My Fair Godmother :: A Bookanista Review

2011-03-17T05:07:00.000-06:00

I have sung Janette Rallison's praises before. She's one of my favorite authors! (Someone PLEASE make one of her novels into a movie!) When I lay in bed reading her books well into the night, I laugh furiously, face pressed into my pillow, and pray I don't disturb my husband. That's how good her books are.

So today I am thrilled to be reviewing MY FAIR GODMOTHER.

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

What I liked about this book: Absolutely everything--but mostly the humor. Rallison takes ordinary, swoon-worthy fairy tales and points out their major, drastic flaws in a way that will have you laughing and crying until the very end of the book.

What I liked about the main character: At first you don't like Savannah. She's gorgeous, everyone loves her, life's perfect, and she takes it all for granted. Until her boyfriend dumps her in favor of her older, smarter, more organized sister. And then Savannah realizes she's got a lot of growing up to do and you can't help but love her.

The Romance: As always, Rallison builds this up to frustrating proportions before giving any type of relief. The romance is smoking.

The other thing I liked: Well, there are too many other things that I liked to pick just one. First of all, the mysterious Black Knight was absolutely yummy, even if we couldn't see his face. And the other love interest, the boy Savannah goes back to the dark ages to save? Even yummier. And then there's the little curse Savannah has--if she tells a lie, an amphibian grows in her mouth, but she's put in predicaments where the truth can't be told, so she's spitting out a lot of amphibians.

All in all, this is a book that will be on my all-time favorites list.

For more of my fellow Bookanistas' reviews, check out:

Shanna Silver praises Possum Summer
Carrie Harris falls for Head Games
Rosemary Clement Moore travels Across the Universe
Katie Anderson goes Retro
Corrine Jackson celebrates Where She Went
Stasia Ward Kehoe sings about The Mockingbirds

Elana Johnson shares her love for Like Mandarin
Christine Fonseca purrs over Save the Cat
LiLa Roecker is sweet on Like Mandarin
Shelli Johannes-Wells explores Dark and Hollow Places
Carolina Valdez Miller gushes over Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Write Hope :: For Japan's Children

2011-03-16T08:47:00.003-06:00

So, you all know of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that have hit Japan. And yet, our lives seem to go on uninterrupted, unchanged, unimpacted, while millions of Japanese are suffering, and thousands have already died.

Well, thanks to fellow writer Medeia Sharif, I was informed about Write Hope, a blog solely created to help the children of Japan. Here's what they have to say:

Welcome to Write Hope! We're an international group of Kidlit writers with a connection to Japan. Some of us have lived there. Some of us speak the language. Some of us love the culture. Some of us simply think Japan is exotic and mysterious.

We want to do our bit to help. To that end we have formed Write Hope. We're busy preparing everything now and over the next few weeks we plan to auction kidlit books, critiques, and other prizes for donation to the relief fund of our chosen charity Save the Children.

We'd love for you to be in too. Sign up, spread the word. If you have ARC's, books, critiques, swag to spare, pop us a mail. If you're a publishing professional, agent, editor, author, who wants to participate, pop us a mail.

If you want to help, pop us a mail.

Together we can move mountains :-)

So there you have it. A way to help.

What I Wish I Knew When I Started # 7 & 8

2011-03-15T08:37:00.001-06:00

# 7

Write from the heart! If you don't love what you are writing, chances are other people won't love it either. So put yourself into your book--your passions, your fears, your experiences. And write something you love.

You've been through a lot of good times and bad times, right? True love, death, financial struggles, perfect days at the lake, world crisis . . . yeah, you've all been through some of that. So you know how it feels, both the good and the bad. Well, use in your writing the emotions you experienced because nothing sounds truer than the truth. I don't mean write what you went through! I mean, write something new for your character, but pull from your vast emotional pool to show us how your character feels!

And for a recap of all the things I wish I knew when I started . . .

#1 Less is more, especially in YA!

#2 The delete button is your friend. Cherish it. Love it! USE IT!

#3 Writing the initial manuscript is only the tip of the iceberg. The real work is the rewriting!

#4 Take criticism and learn to use it! You'll be a better writer for it.

#5 Give your story time to come out. Your amazing brain will improve upon it, like a cheese growing richer over time.

#6 You can change anything in your writing. Remember, there are no limits!

And on another note,

I'm listed on Goodreads!

SHIFTING is currently listed without its amazing cover, but that will be coming in the near future (and it is swoon-worthy). So, if you want to know a bit more about my book, go check out Goodreads for the blurb, and if it sounds like something you might enjoy, mark it as to-read.

Change of Heart::A Bookanista Review

2011-03-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

It's Thrusday, which means time for a Bookanista book review. Recently, I had a little gem given to me by my agent, Marlene Stringer--Change of Heart by Shari Maurer.

Talented soccer player Emmi, 16, is enjoying her good friends and a new crush when she is diagnosed with a possibly fatal virus that requires a heart transplant. Soon, she is pulled from school and feels increasingly isolated as she faces an uncertain future. Abe, another teen transplant patient, offers support, and Emmi’s friendship with him begins to complicate her other relationships. Setbacks and successes, love and tragic loss all help Emmi develop new perspectives and appreciation for what matters, heart, body, and soul.

What I liked about this book: It is a gripping, eye-opening story that isn't wrapped up in a pretty little package--It feels authentic, with real side-effects, real emotions and real consequences.

What I liked about the main character: Emmi seems real. She struggles. A lot! You go through a terribly hard time in her life with her, almost as her. You get such an authentic sense of how it would be to live a year in Emmi's shoes, being sixteen with the possibility of death looming in your future.

The other thing I liked: The voice. I could practically hear Emmi speaking this book directly into my head. I laughed with her. Cried with her. Celebrated with her.

One more thing: Shari does a fantastic job of making such a difficult subject teen-appropriate. I highly recommend this book to teenagers and adults alike.

For more Bookanista reviews, check out:

Shana Silver is mad for Bad Taste in Boys
Carrie Harris drinks in Bloodthirsty
Sarah Frances Hardy loves The Liar Society
Stasia Ward Kehoe wonders at Where She Went
Veronica Rossi delights in Delirium

Elana Johnson devours Demonglass
LiLa Roecker shines a light on Clarity
Christine Fonseca joins The Liar Society - with giveaway
Shelli Johannes-Wells swoons over Possum Summer
Scott Tracey leaps for The Liar Society - with giveaway
Myra McEntire invites Lisa & Laura Roecker into the fort
Beth Revis hosts a blog tour stop for Like Mandarin
Carolina Valdez Miller gushes over Imaginary Girls

What I Wish I Knew When I Started 5 & 6 and a Recipe

2011-03-04T08:24:00.004-07:00

What I Wish I Knew Number Five:

When I started writing, I thought that if I didn't sit down and write every day, and literally force a story onto paper, the creativity would dry up and turn into a useless nothing.

WRONG!

The human brain is amazing. It holds on to things. Not only that, but it actually improves on them over time. I have found if I write new material after my brain has had time to stew over it, add to it, and mature it, the story is better than ever, like a really good, stinky, potent aged cheese.

What I Wish I Knew Number Six:

You can change anything in your writing. ANYTHING! There are no limits.

Need a window in a certain room so your character has an escape rout? Go and write it in.

Need a character to be tougher? Go throw a couple scars on him, add a mention of the street fights he's been in, and give him a black belt in martial arts. Toughen him up!

Need a new ending to your story? Delete the old one and make a new ending! Make it bigger. Better. Make it AWESOME!

Writing has no limits. It has no bars to hold you in, no rules to tap down your creativity. Don't worry about what you are writing when you write it because there's always time to change it.

Now on a side note, I am almost done writing my latest manuscript and it gives me chills--and I'm so excited I have to share this fact. The funny thing is, this manuscript has been 95% done for a long time. I've gone through and edited it twice. The thing that's undone is the ENDING! I still have to write the finale--have been putting it off for months! But guess what? The ending has come knocking. And it's gonna rock. So be patient with your writing sometimes!

As for the recipe, here's chocolate cake you can make in five minutes, one serving at a time. It's appropriately been called love in a mug. So when you need that quick sugar fix, here ya go (but add a dash of salt!). And don't say I never gave you anything!

Also, my dear, sweet Bookanista buddy, Stasia Kehoe, has a cover reveal!!! Go check it out HERE!

Matched::A Bookanista Review

2011-03-03T08:28:00.003-07:00

For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice. (From Amazon)

What I liked about this book: It was written for teens. With teen themes, teen choices, teen angst. It is a book that will make a teenager think without needing any graphic violence or sex or language to to make them see what is right and wrong.

The characters: They are totally normal, almost to the point of mundane, but that is their most endearing quality. You love them because of the every-day circumstances life has put them in. Especially MC guy: he washes dishes every day for his vocation--his hands are always red and chapped--and it makes him so real you can't help but love him.

The romance: It was sweet, simple, and grew from nothing into something really amazing. You felt it from the very beginning and totally understood its motivating power. Sort of like... True Love! I like that.

The other thing: This will sound weird, but not much happens in this really long book (I'm not joking!). But it is good from the beginning to the end! Ally Condie does a great job with the pacing--a great talent indeed.

For other Bookanista reviews, click on the links below!

Katie Anderson shows cover love for Possess

Rosemare Clement-Moore falls for Falling Under

Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for What Happened to Goodbye

Elana Johnson shines a light on Clarity

Matt Blackstone is ecstatic over Edges

Jessica Kirby adores Across the Universe

LiLa Roecker raves over The Rendering

Shannon Messenger loves 13 Reasons Why - with a signed book giveaway!

Carrie Harris buzzes about Blessed

Scott Tracey is amazed by The Iron Thorn

Kirsten Hubbard raves over these March releases

Michelle Hodkin introduces some marvelous March books

Myra McEntire invites The Liar Society authors Lisa & Laura Roecker into the fort

Beth Revis is mad for Matched

Carolina Valdez Miller delights in Delirium

Shelli Johannes Wells joins The Liar Society

Megan Miranda peers into Sean Griswold's Head

Shana Silver is a super stop on The Liar Society blog tour

Gretchen McNeil celebrates The Liar Society

What I Wish I Knew When I Started #3 and #4

2011-03-01T11:41:00.002-07:00

The third thing I wish I knew:

Writing the entire, full-length, 300 pg. manuscript isn't even the tip of the iceberg! Go get an ice-pick, hack a little piece from the iceberg, and that's what you've just written. SERIOUSLY! The real work, and there's a LOT of it, is still looming in your manuscript's future!

But don't feel overwhelmed! Every single thing you do to hone your MS, from writing that first word, to seeing it in print, is WORTH the other 95% percent of the work!

The fourth thing I wish I knew:

Take criticism! Even if you don't agree with it! And...

1. Bend it into something you agree with, something that fits your vision of the manuscript (because you're an awesome writer, and that's what writers do! You can work things into your writing like a magician pulling a bunny from his top hat).

2. Count every minute revising as the best practice you could possibly have for your future as a published writer. Because writing isn't really writing. It is rewriting! And perfecting! And streamlining!

3. Don't get offended by criticism, because everyone will have a different vision of your book! And the people who value your friendship will not hold back with an honest opinion. Honesty is priceless.

4. Always stay true to yourself at the same time.

And if you're curious, here are #1 and #2 from previous posts (click on the number if you actually want to read the post. Or, if you're like me--always in a rush-- look below)...

LESS IS MORE (especially in YA).

The delete button is your friend! Cherish it. Love it! USE it!

So there you go! Not that I'm certified to offer wisdom, but a bit of wisdom anyway!

What I Wish I Knew #2, Plus Gretchen McNeil's Amazing Cover Reveal, aka Two-fer Tuesday

2011-02-22T08:22:00.006-07:00

You guys get a two-fer today (In Utah talk that=Two-for-one). A double post. A writing tip, plus a freaking awesome cover reveal! If you want to see my first writing tip, go here.

Tip first (saving the best--the cover--for last).

The delete button is your friend! Cherish it. Love it! USE it!

When I started out writing, I was terrified of deleting anything. So I didn't. And if I was forced to remove something from my MS, I'd cut and paste it at the end of the book Just In Case.

Well, that's stupid. The human brain is so awesome, if you delete something, even whole chapters, and then decide to put them back in, chances are you'll write them better than the first version. The brain is amazing. It can remember things and rewrite things better than you've ever imagined. So don't be afraid to delete.

And now, if you want to see something...

Chilling...

Haunting...

Awesome...

Yep.

And now.......... Drum-roll...................... click to see Gretchen McNeil's Possess!

What I Wish I knew When I Started

2011-02-21T09:49:00.005-07:00

The title says it all, right?

I remember sitting down for the very first time to write a novel--this wasn't technically my "first novel" either--well, it was my first. But it was also going to be my only novel! (I'm currently writing my ninth or tenth, maybe even eleventh. I've written enough that I've lost count.)

Anyhow, I was in my mid-twenties, had one small child, was a stay-at-home mom, had no writing experience other than the little bit I'd learned in high school and a year of college. It had been a long time since I'd written anything! I was an infant in the writing world.

I couldn't even type without watching my fingers!

So, I sat down in a dark, cold basement, at my computer desk, and stared at the screen, wondering how in the world to put the images I saw in my head down onto paper. What I wish I knew back then? The first thing I wish I knew is:

LESS IS MORE (especially in YA).

I'd write eight paragraphs about what my character was wearing. Or a page on how the fog looked pooled below frost-covered pines. Instead of writing a story, I wrote a lot of description. And pretty crappy description!

More to come on this subject--there's a lot I wish I knew back then!

And come back tomorrow because I'm helping a fellow Bookanista, Gretchen McNeil, with her mind-blowing cover reveal!

Ruby Red::A Bookanista Review

2011-02-17T05:18:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of reading Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier, this week. If you are only going to read one book this May, this is the one you should pick (release date: May 10).

IT ROCKED!

Seriously. I could not put it down! I can see why it is already an international bestseller, and why it has been translated from its original German to English.

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

What I liked about this book: The entire story! From the beginning to the end, the pacing was perfect. There's humor. Mystery. Romance. Gorgeous costumes.

The main character: Gwyneth is awesome because she's an ordinary girl with an extraordinary, unwanted ability to time travel dropped unexpectedly into her lap. You like her from her first scene. And she's always being compared to her perfect, gorgeous cousin, so you have a lot of sympathy for her.

The other thing: The costumes! They are divine! Traveling back in time, the characters all have to dress the part. It was like I was the one stepping into a semi-comfortable corset, hoop skirt and eighteenth century gown.

And one more other thing: This book had content suitable for younger teens--no graphic sex and no graphic violence (there is violence, but handled very tastefully).

For more Bookanista reviews, check out the links below.

Corrine Jackson delights in DIVERGENT

Stasia Ward Kehoe celebrates THE LIAR SOCIETY

Matt Blackstone is loving THE HATE LIST

Rosemary Clement-Moore revisits HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

Sarah Frances Hardy is nuts for THE NINTH WARD

Gretchen McNeil gushes over BLOOD AND FLOWERS

Jen Hayley raves about RAISED BY WOLVES

Shana Silver gets psyched about WITHER

Megan Miranda leaps and shouts for THE LIAR SOCIETY

Carolina Valdez Miller uncovers WORDS IN THE DUST

Beth Revis finds amazing MAGIC UNDER GLASS

Shannon Messenger spotlights the cover of SO SILVER BRIGHT

Michelle Hodkin toasts DEMONGLASS

Scott Tracey is inspired by ANGELFIRE

Christine Fonseca shares her Guestanista Post: The Lost Hero

LiLa Roecker hosts a sunny tour stop for POSSUM SUMMER

The Rest of the Story

2011-02-16T09:18:00.003-07:00

You guys make me laugh. I can imagine the stories you're making up to fill in the blanks about the conclusion to my terrible Valentine's Day, posted about here. The sad truth is, the guy was a jerk and got a better Valentine's Day offer (in his obviously flawed opinion)--night snowboarding--so ditched me. He didn't do much to make it up back then (But he has since mended his ways!).

I was such a besotted, love-sick fool that, after tearing the petals off the rose I'd gotten for him--and stomping them into the snow, and after he gave me a good dose of puppy dog eyes, I totally forgave him.

Some of you know I got on a greyhound bus days after my twenty-first birthday, rode it across the USA, and married him. What does this have to do with writing? I guess I know how it feels to be so in love that you are willing to risk everything. Makes for a good story, at least.

To this day I have no regrets. I followed my heart and it led me to a really good place.

Truth Time, Valentine's Style

2011-02-14T20:03:00.002-07:00

So here is the brutal truth.

Thirteen years ago I met one of those dark, handsome, brooding guys who makes you sweat just by looking at you, who you break all the rules for, who your mother finds undeniably handsome and irreparably flawed, and who your father instantly hates.

We met in January.

Jump ahead to February, the fourteenth to be exact. Valentine's Day. This guy had no car, so asked me to drive the 45 minutes to his house so that we could be together on such a romantic holiday.

So I did.

And when I got to his house, (I had a wrapped gift for him--a book--and a red rose . . . yeah, I was totally in love) I knocked on the door, and knocked, and knocked some more, and then pounded on the door. No one answered. I tried to go inside. The door was locked.

So, in spite of the really cold weather, I sat in my car and froze my butt off for an hour, (surely I'd gotten the time wrong, right? He must have said 6:30, not 5:30) until someone finally came home. Was it The Guy? Nope. His roommate. Roomie let me into the house and cringed--LITERALLY CRINGED--when he saw the gift and rose in my hands. I tried to ignore the bile and fury and embarrassment surging through me and looked around.

My dear, handsome, mysterious boyfriend was gone. So were his snowboard, boots, gloves, coat, hat, goggles . . . you get the picture.

So, yeah--worst Valentine's Day ever.

Wanna know the funny part? I married him four months later (and we're still married). And I also know exactly how it feels to be stood up--perfect knowledge for a writer, right? But I still have to ask myself . . . was the knowledge worth the price?

What's your worst Valentine's Day? And don't be shy!

Conference Made of Awesome

2011-02-07T08:20:00.004-07:00

I just found out about a totally awesome conference, Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers! So awesome, I thought I'd give you guys a heads-up. It takes place in Sandy, Utah (between Provo and Salt Lake), just down the road from where I grew up, ironically, and has presenters like:

Ally Condie

Holly Black

Martine Leavitt

Louise Plummer

A. E. Cannon

Editor Alyson Heller (Aladdin Books)

Lisa Yoskowits (Disney)

Agent Mary Kole (Andrea Brown)

So if you're in the area, or want to travel, check out the blurb below for more deets and a link. If I'm lucky, I'll see you there!

Registration is now open for the 2011 week-long Conference on Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. This year, the conference will take place at Waterford school in Sandy, Utah, June 13-17. Continuing its tradition of providing helpful instruction from published authors as well as presentations by industry professionals, this year’s conference features a keynote address by author Ally Condie, and workshops by national authors Holly Black, Martine Leavitt, Louise Plummer, Kathleen Duey, Mike Knudson, Claudia Mills, Emily Wing Smith, Sharlee Glenn, Trudy Harris, Kristyn Crow, and illustrator Kevin Hawkes. We are also providing a more intensive workshop for advanced writers led by A.E. Cannon called the Writer's Boot Camp. Several other nationally-recognized authors and illustrators will lead break-out discussions. Participating are editors Alyson Heller (Aladdin Books), Lisa Yoskowitz (Disney), and Associate Agent Mary Kole (Andrea Brown Agency). For more information, including registration instructions and author bios, go here!

Entice by Carrie Jones::A Bookanista Review

2011-02-03T04:03:00.003-07:00

Just in case you have a brain like mine (overloaded with all sorts of awesome nonsense), Thursday is Bookanista review day on my blog. Who/what, you ask, are the Bookanistas/Bookanistos (yeah . . . some guys are in there, too)? The Bookanistas/os are a madly talented group of writers in all different phases of their careers. If you want to know more about

us individually, go check out this page here.

And now, on with the review! First off, AWESOME cover, right? Right. This is one of those covers that you see and don't care what the book is about--you're going to read it no matter what!

Introducing Entice by Carrie Jones:

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen.

My favorite thing about this book: Carrie Jones makes Astely, pixie king to Zara's pixie queen, absolutely irresistible. He's flawed yet noble. And wholly devoted to Zara, even though she is sort of using him to save Nick.

What I liked about Zara: She's, well, breakable. Things never go quite right for her and she pays for it with physical injuries as well as the consequence of facing a mad mother and grandma.

The other thing I liked: Carrie Jones works magic with the teen voice. She's awesome at prose, at humor, at description, at making each character quirky.

Over all, this was a great read! Go check it out here!

For other superb Bookanista reviews you must check out (and if you only click one link, click the first one. Beth Revis has planned something top-secret to reveal today):

Beth Revis is thanking her fellow Bookanistas

Carolina Valdez Miller swoons for Scrawl

Megan Miranda falls for Dark Goddess

Jen Hayley and Shana Silver ignite for Angelfire

Matt Blackstone convinces us That Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Carrie Harris marvels over The Mockingbirds

Christine Fonseca soars Across the Universe

Shannon is hosting an epic Invasion giveaway

Shelli Johannes Wells is giving some Liar Society lovin'

Myra McEntire is spreading some cover love for Siren and Undercurrent

LiLa Roecker falls for Between Shades of Grey

Elana Johnson thinks Delirium is dope

Plotting Brilliance

2011-02-01T08:29:00.003-07:00

I wish I could say the plotting brilliance referred to in this post's title is my own.

It's not.

I'm one of those people who doesn't know the details of the manuscript I'm writing until I type The End.

Don't get me wrong! I know HOW it will end, just not quite how I'm going to get my characters there. Example: the fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line, right? Not in my writing! If point A is page one, then point B is page 300. And there are about 5,000 different routs between the two.

So I found a couple of really helpful articles, and since I figure (hope?) I'm not the only plot-challenged person out there, thought I'd share.

Ironically, the first is an awesome article my sister, Suzette Saxton, wrote for the Querytracker blog, all about how to more-or-less connect the dots of your plot. That one's right here.

And the other article is a piece of brilliance by Cheryl Klein, and it is right here. (Thanks B.J. Anderson for sending me this one!)

Another spectacular post--Do you ever feel like you're trapped on the outside of the writing world, looking in? Check out Elana's blog.

And that's all for now. Be safe! I hear the weather is CRAZY all over the place!

Winner Announced

2011-01-31T08:47:00.002-07:00

Remember last Monday, I hosted a contest?

And the prize was an almost-100-year-old book of Grimm's fairy tales?

Well, I have a winner to announce.

Using randomnumbergenerator,

Dawn Hullender

has been selected as the new owner of an ancient book!

Congrats Dawn!

Thanks so much, guys, for being awesome.

I sincerely wish I had an antique book for each of you.

And, just because so many of you asked about the book's origins, let me just say--I've only owned it for a few years, and the person who parted with it, parted with it for very little.

From Bookanista to Bestseller

2011-01-28T04:59:00.001-07:00

We have an awesome reason to celebrate. Beth Revis, fellow Bookanista (you know--Bookanistas--the group of writers I review books with) and author of Across the Universe, made it to the New York Times bestselling list! So, to show our love and congrats, some of the Bookanistas whipped up a little video. Check it out, but be warned. Do not eat or drink while watching or you will run the risk of choking to death--that's how hard you'll be laughing.

CONGRATS BETH!

And if you haven't heard about my contest, there are a few hours left to enter. The prize? A 100-year-old, 275 page book of Grimm's fairy tales. Here's the link (or you can scroll down a bit and find the post. Either way... you know).

Antique Grimm's Fairy Tales Giveaway (Because I Love You)

2011-01-24T07:29:00.003-07:00

Dear blog followers,

Because I love and adore you, and you fill my dreary winter days with comments that warm my heart, I have a little giveaway planned for this week (and seriously, it has been a long, long, long time since we've given anything away on here!).

The prize?

A 1913

Color-illustrated

Rand McNally version of

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Illustrated by Hope Dunlap.

(Pictured above, with my lovely hand)

(Yeah, yeah, yeah. My Mac takes pictures of everything backwards, like you're looking at things in a mirror--hence the backward book.)

I hope you just screamed. Or got butterflies. Or started drooling. Because can I just say... 1913 is nearly one-freaking-hundred years old!

Best news of all, this is a totally easy contest to enter. If you're a follower and add a comment, you get a point. If you blog about the contest on your blog, or tweet it on Twitter, you get five more points (just make sure to tell me in the comments! I'll thank you in your blog/Twitter comments so you know I saw it.) Contest ends Friday at 5 p.m. MST.

So, thanks for all the love! Happy Monday!

--Bethany

The Funniest Nonfiction I Ever Read::A Book Review (Plus an Interview With the Author)

2011-01-20T04:51:00.001-07:00

I think the title of this post sums it up pretty well. My dear friend Michelle McLean, the below pictured beauty, has written some awesome nonfiction--Homework Helpers Essays and Term Papers. I'm not kidding, guys. I read her book and was seriously ROFLOL! It's all about the do's and don't's of writing stuff like essays and term papers, but the way she writes, any teenager can pick up her book and totally understand it. Not just understand it, but ENJOY reading it. No joke. So if you have a teen, a college student, or want an awesome book, go check it out! And now, for the interview.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It’s always been in the back of my head, even when I was little. I never really considered it a viable career option though :) But about 6 years ago, I sort of had a “why not” moment. It had always been more of a dream than an actual goal, but I had just reached the point where I was in the mood to make my dream come true. And I started working toward doing that.

Can you describe your journey to publication?

I’d queried an unsuccessful novel before (lots of requests but even more rejections), so I was prepared for a long, bumpy ride. But the journey for this book was surprisingly fast. I had to tackle the non-fiction proposal and getting a good query together, and then I picked my 15 top agents and queried. I received several requests and then I received an email from Krista Goering, my soon-to-be agent, letting me know she’d gotten my proposal and it would take about 6 weeks for her to get back to me. 45 minutes later, she emailed asking for a phone call. I knew she was the right agent for me, so I withdrew my proposals from the other agents who had it and signed with Krista (she’s been absolutely amazing!). We started subbing my proposal to publishers, a few months later I had an offer for the book from Career Press, and a year later, here we are :)

How does writing fiction differ from writing nonfiction?

I’m much more organized when it comes to NF. I always have a very detailed outline (though this is part of the non-fiction proposal, so it’s sort of a necessary step). NF tends to be a bit easier for me to write. It’s mostly a restatement of facts…taking the knowledge I already have, combining it with a ton of research, and presenting it in book form. I’m good at doing this and I’ve been doing it for a very long time so it comes pretty easily.

Fiction is much harder. It takes a lot more thought process throughout the whole project, a lot

more editing. There are more potential problems (plot holes, character problems, story arc issues) that just aren’t a part of NF. So for me at least, fiction takes a lot more work. But, it’s more fun. I enjoy writing NF, but it can feel more like “work”.

How did you come up with your Homework Helpers idea?

It started as a series of How To posts on poetry on my blog. They got a great response so I expanded into essays and other writing assignments. It just amazed me how many guidebooks

and websites out there present information in such a confusing, overly complicated and technical

manner. Why make it so hard? I kept complaining to my friends about it and they encouraged me to expand my blog posts into a book. It took a while, but I finally decided to go for it :)

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Work hard and never give up. For most writers, it’s going to be a very long, hard road, filled with lots of harsh critiques, disappointing rejections, and eons of waiting. But if this is something you truly want to do, then never give up. One of my favorite quotes is from Samuel Beckett who said, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” :) You can’t succeed if you don’t try, and you’ll certainly never succeed if you give up.

Thank you Michelle! You are an inspiration. If you want to know more about Michelle, check out:

Her: website, blog, other blog, facebook page, and Twitter.

Annnnnnd... Check out the other Bookanistas' reviews. And remember, the Bookanistas are fellow writers (congrats to Bookanista Beth Revis, New York Times Bestselling author of Across the Universe) who only review books that they adore. So click on the links below to see what writers read.

And have a freaking awesome Thursday!

Scott Tracey acclaims DIVERGENT

Shana Silver cheers for HERE LIES BRIDGET

Megan Miranda gives some love to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Carolina Valdez Miller salutes XVI with Signed Book Giveaway

Shannon Messenger commends THE LIAR SOCIETY with an ARC Giveaway

Lisa and Laura Roecker happy dance for Beth Revis

Myra McEntire gives some cover love for THE LIAR SOCIETY

Jessi Kirby admires MATCHED

Elana Johnson recommends Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Giveaway

Shelli Johannes-Wells gives a shoutout to IN LOVE WITH HARLEQUIN

Jen Hayley lauds DELIRIUM

Carrie Harris celebrates THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE

Christine Fonseca applauds Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Signed Book Giveaway

Katie Anderson raves about THE LIAR SOCIETY

An Infant In the Twitterverse

2011-01-17T08:15:00.002-07:00

Call me crazy (like I have time for a new computer obsession), but I made the Twitter plunge!

Want me to follow you? Post your info in the comments.

Want to follow me? @WiggB.

Any tips on how to survive? Post that in the comments, too!

To Twit or Not to Twit?

2011-01-14T05:31:00.001-07:00

So, I've been blogging for more than a year now. And it rocks! Facebook's a pretty fun place to waste some time, too.

But TWITTER? Never tried it.

What do you guys think?

Is it worthwhile?

Or a waste of time?

Let me know! Maybe I'll give it a go.

A Bookanistas Book Review::Three Quarters Dead

2011-01-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

Socially invisible sophomore Kerry is grateful when she is chosen to hang with the most legendary trio in school: Natalie, Makenzie, and leader Tanya. Dazzled by their beauty, perfection, and the cool efficiency with which they control their peers’ social lives, Kerry allows the girls to manipulate her until she is completely under their spell. Not even death can stop them, as Kerry learns after the trio dies in a car crash but returns from the grave for one last party. Their reanimation doesn’t throw Kerry, who convinces herself that their deaths were a dream, but she confronts the truth when it becomes clear that their time is limited and that Tanya doesn’t intend to return to death peacefully.

Three Quarters Dead was different than what I normally read, but the way Peck wove suspense into the plot--very subtly--made it hard to put down. Peck is a master of suspense, and it is obvious in reading this book.

What's more, Richard Peck is a very well known writer, an older gentleman (see above photograph--I couldn't find a picture of the book cover!), but he totally got the modern teenage girl voice down!

What I liked about this book: I didn't know Three Quarters Dead was a thriller until I had these unexpected chills racing down my spine. Reading it was like dozing in the sun on a beautiful spring day, only to wake up to dark, totally unexpected thunder clouds brewing overhead.

The Main Character: Kerry could have been me in high school. At lunch, since she has no one to sit with, she pretends to talk on her cell phone the entire time. She's painfully shy, desperate to fit in, and shocked when the popular girls want her to be part of their group.

So, if you're looking for a good read, check it out!

For more reviews, check out these other Bookanistas! And BTW, fellow bookanista and writer, Beth Revis, just released her much anticipated YA novel, Across the Universe. Congrats Beth!

Jen Hayley worships Unearthly

Kirsten Hubbard goes crazy for Delirium

Carrie Harris flips for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Michelle Hodkin, Carolina Valdez Miller and Shana Silver travel Across the Universe

Elana Johnson and LiLa Roecker celebrate Across the Universe with giveaways

Christine Fonseca gets lost in Nightshade

Shannon Messenger raves about Like Mandarin with an ARC Giveaway

Jamie Harrington thinks the outlook is good for The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

Megan Miranda falls head over heels for Fall For Anything

Scott Tracey gets some Clarity

Shelli Johannes-Wells celebrates Harcourt winners

Myra McEntire is In The Fort with Beth Revis

I Am a Comma Idiot

2011-01-11T08:13:00.003-07:00

Or, in other words, things I learned from my copyeditor.

Seriously, guys, to be a copyeditor, you probably have to have a masters degree in Where to Correctly Place A Comma.

So, I got to read over my copyedited manuscript (Shifting--September 2011/Walker Books) over the weekend (SQUEE!). And here's what I learned.

Always capitalize the T in T-shirt. (And my characters wear a LOT of T-shirts!)

What the freak are hyphens for? Because I know they can join a word divided by a line and all, but they join a whole heck of a lot more than that.

Commas are a complete MYSTERY! I thought I knew where to put them. Thought I was pretty suave at commas! N. O. T. Now I am more confused than ever (hangs head).

Muttered and mumbled are definitely NOT the same thing. Oops! My bad!

And, what I learned more than anything?

I LOVE MY MANUSCRIPT!!!

What is your punctuation faux pas?

Doting on Paranormalcy::A Bookanista Review

2011-01-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

Sixteen-year-old Evie learns that she is not quite the person she thought she was. Possessing the unique ability to recognize paranormals beneath their glamour, Evie has lived most of her life under the protection of the International Paranormal Containment Agreement (IPCA), an organization dedicated to the cataloging and neutralizing of paranormal creatures. After a mysterious entity begins killing paranormals around the world, Evie discovers some startling truths about her own identity.

This book was great! It had all the right elements in all the right amounts.

Humor? CHECK

Romance? CHECK

Awesome Cover? CHECK

Originality? CHECK

Mystery? CHECK

Plot? CHECK

And it is totally acceptable for kids twelve and up: no explicit sex (why would anyone put explicit sex in a book meant for twelve-year-olds anyway???), nothing overly gruesome, a lot of "bleeping" (seriously, bleeping. And it is hilarious) ... You know what I mean?

What I liked about this book: The humor. I was laughing. A lot! Especially when the main character asks a vampire if there are any vampires at the local high school. The vampire laughs her head off and says something like, "Why in the world would a vampire go to high school?"

What I liked about the main character: Her name is Evie and she's upbeat all the time. And hilarious. And she's cute but doesn't really know it. But there's something more to her, something even she doesn't know...

The other thing I liked: The male MC is something totally unique (I won't spoil your reading fun by giving it away)! And he's hot.

So if you need a good read, check it out!

For more amazing Bookanista reviews by some of my fellow writers, check out:

Michelle Hodkin gushes about The Near Witch

Elana Johnson schools us on The Education of Hailey Kendrick

LiLa Roecker celebrates XVI's book birthday

Christine Fonseca raves about Wither

Shannon Messenger travels Across the Universe with a special giveaway

Shelli Johannes-Wells gets Lost in the River of Green

Scott Tracey falls in love with Across the Universe

Beth Revis is captivated by Prisoners in the Palace

Carolina Valdez Miller is mesmerized by The Healing Spell

Megan Miranda takes a peek through The Marbury Lens

Shana Silver is digging Delirium

Jamie Harrington tells the truth about The Liar Society

Jen Hayley dies for a Touch Mortal

New Year, New Dare

2011-01-03T20:15:00.002-07:00

So I totally dare you.

I've posted about this before, but you know when you're watching reality TV and someone on Project Runway sends down a totally bland, totally boring outfit (Unlike the outfit on the left!)? Or on American Idol, someone sings a song exactly the same way the original performer sang it? The judges always have the same answer.

Too Safe!

And does safe ever win? Nope.

So this year my dare to you is:

Make a resolution to write a bold, brilliant ANYTHING. It can be a short story. A novel. A poem. Write something that's so audacious, when you tell people the premise they look at you like you just might be a little bit crazy (you probably already know that look, don't you. I sure do!). I dare you.

What is your writing resolution?

My Gift to Me

2010-12-22T21:42:00.002-07:00

All I want for Christmas is a two hour chunk of time where my three small children are entertained by their father and I can sit at the computer--uninterrupted--and write.

In Stephen King's ON WRITING, he says if you truly want to be a writer you have to write every day. Even on Christmas. I thought to myself, I am so there already. Writing is like my most special place I go for me time. And writing during the day (I write almost exclusively at night while littl'uns are asleep) is heaven.

What about you? Do you want to write on Christmas? Or do you count Christmas day as a vacation from writing?

Awesome Giveaway

2010-12-21T19:50:00.002-07:00

My friend and fellow writer, B.J. Anderson, is holding a contest on her blog--a gift giveaway. And it rawks!

But the rawking part has nothing to do with the fact that I'm giving a five page MS critique. The contest would rock even without that. So go check it out! And I mean it!! I want to see some comments over there because she's one of my absolute best friends. And her contest rawks!

On another note, is anyone else being pummeled with snow? We have shoveled our driveway at least ten times since Sunday. We've gotten more than two feet of the white stuff. It is slowly going from Winter Wonderland to Thank Goodness I've Done All My Christmas Shopping Because This Is A Nightmare!

Have a lovely day!

Fawning Over Firelight::A Bookanista Review

2010-12-16T06:58:00.002-07:00

I have the best luck in the world. First of all, I was asked by the Bookanistas if I wanted to join them and be mailed ARC's to read and review online. HECK YES! And then, I get sent some of the most amazing books to read! Like Sophie Jordan's Firelight. This is probably my favorite ARC yet!

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 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.

What I liked about this book: Everything! It brought me back to the more traditional fantasy novels I read as a teen, where magic and love have no limits. Yet this is a contemporary read.

What I liked about the Character: Jacinda is strong, yet breakable. In the beginning of the book, she's a rule-breaking rebel who has no fear, but removed from her ideal climate, she almost crumbles.

What I liked about the setting: Set mainly in the Nevada desert, Sophie Jordan does a beautiful job of bringing the reader there. I could feel my skin tightening under the hot desert sun as I read.

The other thing I liked: The love story. It was sweet and beautiful, and left me tingling with anticipation right until the very end. The kissing scenes were totally on fire! And it made this book impossible to put down.

For more spectacular Bookanista reviews from my fellow up-and-coming writers, check out:

Kirsten Hubbard celebrates JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD and THE MOCKINGBIRDS

Elana Johnson gives a little love to JOEY FLY 2: PRIVATE EYE

Beth Revis chimes in on CHIME

Lisa and Laura Roecker rave about BOOKS THEY’RE DYING TO READ

Carolina Valdez Miller looks ahead to JANUARY RELEASES

The Meaning Behind the Letters

2010-12-15T09:40:00.007-07:00

It is snowing, my kids are at the neighbor's house, and my YA MS is ATTACKING my sanity like a relentless ninja. So, JSYK, this post will be short.

Anyway, my BFF writer pal Sheralyn Pratt asked me to post about the meaning behind the letters. Letters? What Letters, you ask? See below .

MS=Manuscript

YA=Young Adult

MG=Mid Grade (as in genre/mid grade)

LMAO=Laughing my ass off.

IMO=In My Opinion

JSYK=Just So You Know

BRB=Be Right Back

BFF=Best Friend Forever

BTW=By The Way

BTW, If you have any to add to these, post them in comments and I'll put them in the post with a link to you and your blog.

From Magenta:

ROTFL=Rolling On The Floor Laughing
WIP=Work In Progress
AFK=Away From Keyboard
POS=Parent(s) Over Shoulder

TTFN=Ta Ta For Now.

From Nicole:

BICHOK - Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard
ROTFLMAO - Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off

Angela says:

WB = write back

Elana says: FTW=For The Win

Jacoby Says (and how'd I forget this one, LOL): LOL=Laugh Out Loud

Emma Says: TTYL=talk to you later

TTIB=talk to you in a bit
BBIB=be back in a bit
BFFL=best friends for life

Becoming

2010-12-13T07:25:00.003-07:00

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." -Richard G. Scott

I believe this pertains to more than becoming a writer. It pertains to every day life. Do you agree? And more importantly,

What do you want to become?

Anna and the French Kiss::A Book Review

2010-12-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of reading Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss. It was fantastic! I'm a very you-gotta-have-some-kind-of-magic-or-sci-fi-junk-in-a-story-to-make-it-good type of reader, and this book didn't have any of that. But I had a hard time putting it down! That should be enough of a recommendation for you to go read it--trust me.

"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris until she meets Etienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home."

What I liked about this book: The voice! Stephanie Perkins really knows how to do funny. She keeps the story alive with her humor.

What made it stand out: The hot, sexy, British-French-American Etienne St. Claire. He's not tall. He doesn't have perfect teeth. He's full of flaws. Yet all of those things make him even more desirable. Seriously!

The Characters: I already mentioned Etienne. Anna's quite awesome herself. She has a space between her two front teeth (So do I)! And she's hilarious.

Another thing: Reading this book made me hungry. For French food (banana and Nutella filled crepe, anyone? I love Nutella). And French culture. And French architecture. I want to go to France because of a book. Lame reason? Read it and you'll get me.

So, go check it out. Here's the Amazon link.

And for more Bookanista reviews, check out:

Carolina Valdez Miller praises ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS

Christine Fonseca and Elana Johnson recommend THE WRITERS GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY

Shannon Messenger raves about DESIRES OF THE DEAD and gives away the ARC

Megan Miranda gushes about REVOLUTION

Lisa and Laura Roecker present a special Guestanista review of PERSONAL DEMONS

Talentless Hack? Or Writer in the Making?

2010-12-07T08:11:00.003-07:00

Advanced warning... abnormally long post below.

Someone asked me a brilliant question. Something I have never been asked. Here's what she said:

So you got started by writing an hour a day? What made you continue when you reread what you had written and you felt like a talentless hack? I want so badly to write all of these stories in my head, but I feel like I can't do them justice and so I don't write very often because I'm so afraid of it turning out horribly.

This really hit home, guys! I could have written this very same question to an author seven years ago. So brace yourselves for my bitter truth.

(WARNING: If you think becoming a published author is easy and you don't want your hopes and dreams taking a reality check, don't read on!)

The first book I wrote took me almost a year to complete. It was 700 pages, a terrific story with beautiful characters, and an absolute prose NIGHTMARE! In fact, it was so poorly written, when I tried to start editing, I gave up on it completely and stuck it on my Shelf of Things Best Forgotten (right beside my dreams of being a musician, famous inventor, and doctor).

I wrote another book, much shorter... about 300 pages. Again, a great story, great characters, slightly better writing. I polished it, wrote up a horrible query letter, and started querying while penning part two. That book went nowhere. I racked up about fifty rejections over a year and then stuck it on the The Shelf, along with book two.

So with three shelved manuscripts under my belt, I did what any sane person who discovered the relentless drive to write would do... the inevitable. I wrote a forth manuscript. I wrote a decent query. I queried agents. And I got rejection after rejection after rejection after...

The only thing that made the rejections not sting as badly was writing. So I started manuscript #5. As I wrote this manuscript, I laughed, I cried, I'd stay up half the night with my heart pounding, jumping at the smallest sounds as I wrote terrifying scenes, and knew what I was writing was magic. And it was. Still is. But it was magic that had to be edited and edited and edited until it was good enough to get me a fantastic agent (thanks Marlene!), and an amazing publisher willing to take a chance on me (thanks Walker!).

Let's jump to today. I wrote for years, wrote thousands of pages to get where I am, spent days, hours, weeks, months, years in front of the computer honing my skill. And if I hadn't...

THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD SURVIVE IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD OF WRITING!

It doesn't get any easier! I still work until I can't see straight, the only difference between now and then is now I write better, faster. If I didn't, if I hadn't "practiced" for all those years, there's no way I'd survive the publishing world.

So enjoy every second of your journey. Embrace the editing process and what you learn from it. And most of all,

Never. Give. UP!

~Bethany

The Drive to Create

2010-12-03T08:28:00.003-07:00

As a teen, I'd have these sudden, indescribable urges. They went on into my twenties. Now I know what you're probably thinking and ... GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER!!! I don't mean those urges. It was something like this:

I'd feel a painful, internal yearning, like my heart was trying to claw its way out of my body, and the only thing that would fix it was to sit down at the piano and play for an hour.

Other times everything around me would become overwhelmingly bright, bringing me close to tears, and I'd grab a pen and paper and try my best to create some artistic masterpiece (and fail miserably).

And then I discovered writing. And for the first time in my life I understood what that feeling was--

The Drive to Create.

Writing eats it up. Funny thing is, the more I channel it into writing, to more of it I have.

How about you? How else does your creative bug manifest itself? How old were you when it started? And when did realize what it was?

BTW: for a hilarious post on dialogue, go to Ian's blog here. Want an honest look into editing for a publisher? Check out Mary's new blog here.

Thrilling News!

2010-12-02T09:00:00.054-07:00

We are taking a detour from our usual Bookanistas post to celebrate something huge. (Though be sure to check below for linkies to our fellow Bookanistas as they talk about books that rock!)

And now for The News. =)

Our good friend and fellow QueryTracker blogger Carolyn Kaufman has a brand new book published!!! Suzy was lucky enough to beta this book so she can vouch for its awesomeness. It reads like a novel and (to warn you) is very hard to put down. Read on for insight plus a sneak peek at what's in the book.

How did you decide to write The Writer’s Guide to Psychology?

While I was in grad school, I noticed a lot of discrepancies between what I was learning and seeing in the therapy room and what I saw in the popular media. I started investigating, and discovered that there’s a branch of psychology – Division 46, Media Psychology – that addresses the problem. And though a few scholarly books have been written, and though there are some consultants available to accomplished writers through big organizations, there was no interesting, accessible, affordable guide on clinical and counseling psychology that was readily available to writers – so I decided to write one!

Could you give us a quick rundown of The Writer’s Guide to Psychology?

Sure.

· Chapter 1 explores and corrects common myths and mistakes we see in the media.
· Chapter 2 teaches the writer how therapists think about human behavior, both to help them create stronger characters, and to help them portray therapy realistically.
· Chapter 3 delves into the therapist’s profession, describing the different degrees your characters can have (psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker? for example), how therapists are trained, and the real ethics of doing therapy (another big place writers make mistakes).
· Chapter 4 takes you behind the closed door of the therapy office and provides you with more character-building tricks, including ways to get tough characters to open up.
· Chapter 5 helps you understand the difference between a “normal” problem and a disorder, as well as how diagnoses are made.
· Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 explore the most common diagnoses, including uncommon tidbits to help you portray the disorders realistically.
· Chapter 10 is all about the psychology of villains and psychopaths.
· Chapter 11 gives you the ins and outs of biological interventions, from medications to “electroshock” therapy and cutting-edge treatments like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
· Chapter 12 teaches you to portray emergencies realistically (yet another place lots of writers make mistakes), including suicide and homicide assessments and hospitalization.

What impact would you say completing THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY has had on you personally and on your writing?

This might sound a little silly, but it taught me that I really could reach out to people using this medium, ie books. And now that I’ve done it once, I know I can do it again.

I think what I’m trying to say is that I feel a sense of competence, which we psychologists call “self-efficacy,” about writing nonfiction. That makes me even more excited about this book; it also makes me excited about future books that I don’t even know I’m going to write yet.

Who has been the greatest influence on you with respect to encouraging you to write and become a published author?

Probably my parents – they raised me to believe I could do anything if I put my mind and a great deal of effort into it. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more aware of the negative messages some women and some artists get: that they can’t accomplish certain things. I was never given those messages, and my parents supported my dreams when I wanted to be a writer just as strongly as they supported me when I decided I wanted to be a doctor.

My mom in particular has been a huge support on THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY. When I first created my ArchetypeWriting.com website, she read every single thing I wrote and provided wonderful feedback. She let me bounce ideas off of her and read my proposal and then every word I wrote for the book itself. When I was asked to add an Introduction to the book in a very short period of time, she was there to read it in the few hours I had before I needed to turn it in.

How can we purchase your book?

The book is available from all the big and small online retailers like Amazon.com. You should also be able to find the book in brick-and-mortar stores like Borders!

You can visit Carolyn’s WGTP website for more information including the media kit and a detailed table of contents, follow her on Facebook, visit her YouTube channel, or send her your psychology and writing question at Archetype Writing, her website on psychology for writers.

Congratulations, Carolyn!

For some awesome reads check out the Bookanista links below:
Christine Fonseca recommends JOEY FLY, PRIVATE EYE in BIG HAIRY DRAMA
Elana Johnson raves about MATCHED

Shannon Messenger loves on ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and offers a Giveaway

Megan Miranda celebrates DESIRES OF THE DEAD

Beth Revis sings the praises of CHIME

Lisa and Laura Roecker salute REVOLUTION

Inspiration

2010-11-30T14:04:00.002-07:00

What season inspires you the most?

For me, it is the changing seasons... dead winter to thriving spring, parched summer to golden fall, bitter fall to a winter wonderland. The funny thing is, I tend to write my stories in whatever season I am NOT in. I wrote a book set in bitter, frigid winter during a summer heat spell. The book I am working on now takes place in the heat of summer.

How about you? Do the changing seasons stir your creativity?

Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-11-26T05:56:00.001-07:00

When I was twelve, I wanted to be my sixteen-year-old sister (the taller girl on the right with the totally hot date). I crept into her bedroom in the morning and snuck clothes out of her closet. I stole her books... and returned them after I'd read them. I fell in love with her boyfriends (and there were lots). I even listened to the same radio station because if she listened to that weird alternative stuff, like Depeche Mode and Gene loves Jezebel, then it was the ultimate cool.

Jump ahead thirteen years. My sister decided to be a writer of novels and asked if I wanted to be one too. I was doubtful of my own abilities (failed 9th grade english, didn't go to college) but if she was going to do it, obviously it was the ultimate ULTIMATE cool. That night I sat down and wrote my first page.

Dude. Thanks for the lifelong inspiration, Sue!

Originally posted 4/8/10

Our Wish for You

2010-11-25T06:48:00.003-07:00

Just down the hill from my home is an idyllic little pond which I've blogged about before. Every time we're out driving and it's dark (we make four karate-studio-runs per week) my kids beg to drive by Salem Pond. And so we loop around the pond, the kids ooh-ing and aah-ing, and I find myself caught up in the magic of the floating displays and the hauntingly beautiful trees.

Today as I sat down, I found myself wanting to share the magic with you.

And so our wish for you is that you will find childlike wonder in your holidays.

Wishing you and yours peace, joy, and happiness.

Suzette Saxton and Bethany Wiggins

Originally posted 12/24/2009

Addiction or Hobby?

2010-11-24T06:50:00.002-07:00

Suzette: We should start writing books.
Me: Huh? What do you mean writing books?
S: I was watching this interview with the author of Holes. He said all it takes to write a novel is an hour a day and a year.
Me: Really? I've always wanted to write a book.
S: Me, too. So do you want to do it?
Me: Seriously?
S: Why not?
Me: Because I failed ninth grade English and didn't finish college?
S: So what. We might as well try it.
(This is where I stare at her, my mouth hanging open, wondering if she's gone crazy)
Me: Sure. An hour a day. I can do that. (Insert internal groan)

One year later: Status: We had both written two manuscripts (45,000 to 120,000 words--yeah, I was a little long-winded back then!).
Two years later: Status: We had both written another manuscript (or two).
Six+ years later: Status: My debut novel, currently untitled, is being released in September 2011 by Walker Books.

Conclusion: Writing can become a long-term addiction. Beware!

So, are you addicted? How long have you been writing? And what in the world inspired you to try it?

--Bethany

Originally posted 2/1/10

The Significance of a Significant's

2010-11-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

The scene: I am standing in the kitchen with my baby on my hip, chopping onions for the dinner I am making ahead of time since I have cub scouts in the afternoon, while simultaneously cleaning the kitchen, drawing a food pyramid for afore mentioned scouts, entertaining crabby 3-year-old, and watching for 8-year-old to come home.

Me=Me. Jaime=Husband.

Me: Jaime, you seem a little miffed that I asked you to watch the kids for an hour so I could work on my writing.

Jaime: Shrug.

Me: Just out of curiosity, how do you see my writing?

Jaime: I'm glad you have something you enjoy doing, and that it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Me: But it's more than that. I have the potential to be published. I have to treat it like a job.

Jaime: Shrug. When you start making money I'll see it differently.

Me: Biting my tongue. Waiting for fire to start flaming out of my nostrils. Deep breath. Another deep breath. Imagination overload--If only I had magic at my fingertips... I'd turn you into a toad!

Jaime: Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you have such a fulfilling hobby.

Me: Almost bite clean through my tongue. Pound the crap out of a chicken breast, kiss baby's forehead.You know, you're lucky you're still a good looking man. It's your only defense right now.

My dear Jaime

Husband of twelve years

So tell me, please! How does your significant other view your writing addiction?

UPDATE: My book will be published in September 2011 by Walker Books!!! Husband takes my writing very seriously!

Originally posted 2/9/10

Writing is Like...

2010-11-22T05:45:00.002-07:00

... getting a slab of granite and being handed a chisel, and then uncovering David.

Writing is like being thrown a jumble of 85,000 words and being told that if you arrange them just so, they will have the power to make people laugh, cry, and remember how true love feels.

Writing is like snow. One flake is a beginning. A million flakes are a winter wonderland.

Writing is like running. You start out slow. And it hurts. But the more you do it, the swifter you become. The stronger you get.

When I was a teenager I finally admitted to myself that magic doesn't exist. As an adult, I know better. Writing is... magic.

What is writing like for you?

--Bethany

Originally posted 12/15/09

The Moments That Make Us

2010-11-19T05:40:00.003-07:00

Just so you know, for the next week, in preparation for Thanksgiving and being barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen A LOT, I'm going to post a week's worth of old but awesome posts. Even though it isn't next week yet, we'll start with this one, written by my amazing blog partner and sister, Suzette Saxton. Enjoy!

XO, Bethany

There are things in life that we have no control over that leave their mark - death of a loved one comes to mind - and then there are those subtle things that make just as big an impression.

Take opera. My exposure to it consisted of Pretty Woman, when Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere) said, "People's reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul." I made a point of listening to a smattering of opera after that - nothing happened. I figured I was one of those who would never have it in my soul. Many years later I bought a collection of classical music, and tacked on at the end, almost as an afterthought, was a very short opera piece by Puccini. I was so stunned by its beauty I found myself crying. That one piece unlocked a window in my soul, and I have loved opera ever since.

Another involves Flaming June, a painting I think you all know I love, as I use it as my Google icon. (Sweet Cynde even sent me Flaming June emery boards!) On a recent trip to the museum I found myself face-to-face with an original 4x4 inch oil study that was part of the planning stage for Flaming June. To see the actual brushstrokes of Lord Fredrick Leighton ... I stood riveted to the spot as a long line of patrons accumulated behind me. When one of them finally cleared his throat, I gave up my place and moved to the back of the line to await another turn.

Other life-altering moments that come to mind include a recent camping trip I took with my children, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and sunsets in general, which never fail to spur spiritual growth. This past weekend I swam in a million-year-old crater pool. Once I got used to the fact that I was floating atop 65 feet of water, the experience was profound.

I want to know about those subtle, life-shaping moments that make you who you are.

Suzy

Originally posted 10/10/09

Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels, a Book Review

2010-11-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Don't you love sitting down and finding a book that you love right from the beginning? One that makes you semi-neglect your kids (not that this is good!) and totally neglect your laundry? Well, this is one of 'em.

Strange Angels

Lili St. Crow

Sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson has grown up traveling the country with her demon-hunter father. When he tries to tackle a powerful sucker named Sergej in the Dakotas, he is turned into a zombie. After stopping him from killing her, Dru must save herself when she, too, becomes Sergej's target.

What I liked about this book: This book made my heart speed up, made me jump at the smallest sounds, and made me temporarily scared of the dark. And, call me old fashioned, but there was no teen sex--I found that kinda refreshing.

The Main Character: Dru is awesome. She NEVER needs a guy to jump in and save her butt. At the same time, she's so down-to-earth and normal, her character is believable--even when she's battling a flaming hound.

The Side Character: Graves. He was awesome! Totally your average, dorky guy that melts your heart just by being himself.

What Made This Book Unique: The author's take on the supernatural was so creative, so engrossing, it sent shivers down my spine.

For more book love from these awesome fellow writers/Bookanistas, check out:

Shannon Messenger is awestruck by THE MARBURY LENS and giving away a signed hardcover

Carolina Valdez Miller is spreading picture book love for CHICKEN BUTT!

Megan Miranda is captivated by MATCHED

Myra McEntire is wowed by A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS

Elana Johnson is in love with PERILOUS

Christine Fonseca is amazed by DESIRES OF THE DEAD

Beth Revis is blown away by DEMONGLASS

Lisa and Laura Roecker share a YA review from an actual YA: a "Guestanista Review" on THE REPLACEMENT

Short and Sweet

2010-11-16T13:15:00.002-07:00

Remember a few posts ago I talked about how short query letters are the way to go (strictly my opinion, of course)? Well, my agent, Marlene Stringer, recently posted this on Twitter:

I'm seeing a lot of Qs with way too much backstory/setup.
twitter.com/MarleneStringer/status/3115953286025216

So it's not just me. You've got to remember when writing your query, leave just enough of a taste of that short and sweet to leave them wanting a little bit more. Skip the main meal and to straight to the dessert, the very best part! And hook 'em with that!

A Short Post and a Recipe

2010-11-08T22:03:00.003-07:00

So I had another writEr momEnt the other day.

Every fall I make Butternut Squash Soup (with squash I grow in my garden). It is the best.

Now, I pulled out my big binder of recipes (which are totally unorganized) and started going through them in search of the butternut recipe. But after a moment or two, I paused. On the back of each recipe was a page of a former draft of one of many manuscripts I'd written. And by reading each edited-slashed-to-pieces manuscript page, I could tell what year I'd printed the recipe.

Total walk down memory lane.

How do you recycle edited-slashed-to-pieces manuscript pages?

And BTW, here's a link to the recipe.

Black Hole Sun Book Review

2010-11-04T07:19:00.004-06:00

The black is back, guys, as I write another book review post linked with the Bookanistas, a fabulous group of some of the most awesome fellow bloggers/writers in the universe. (See below for the links.)

Black Hole Sun

David Macinnis Gill

"Durango is the 16-year-old chief of a team of mercenaries who eke out a living on Mars by earning meager commissions for their dangerous work. Their current job, and the main thrust of this high-energy, action-filled, science-fiction romp, is to protect South Pole miners from the Dræu, a cannibalistic group who are after the miners' treasure." (From Amazon)

What I liked about this book: I liked everything about this book. From the first paragraph, I was sucked into the action. The voice is amazing. I was laughing throughout. There's never a dull moment!

The Plot: The author doesn't tell you what things in this world mean, just writes them in and lets you figure 'em out. And it was refreshing! No info-dump.

The Characters: The MC was smart. REALLY smart. Without being the least bit cocky about it. And he was hot!

The other thing: The author made up his own language for swearing. It was really nice. A refreshing break from having to read the f-word five times per page.

For more fantabulous reviews, check out the other bookanistas:

Elana Johnson marvels over The Mockingbirds

Lisa and Laura Roecker dish about The Love Goddess' Cooking School

Christine Fonseca is nostalgic over books she loved growing up

Shannon Messenger is excited about the Ninth Ward

Megan Miranda adores The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Myra McEntire raves about NetGalley

Kirsten Hubbard considers the good, the bad and the ugly impact of reviews

Jamie Harrington is thrilled about The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

The Other Stuff

2010-10-01T09:26:00.003-06:00

So we talked about query pitches. I said a three sentence hook is ideal. A lot of you gasped.

WHAT??? So short!?!?

But think about it. Short catches attention (see above photo). If you get a short email, or see a short blog post, aren't you a lot more likely to sit down and give it 60 seconds of your time?

YEP.

So short is good. (But you can do long, too.) Think about this, though. You're a great writer. So it should be a piece of cake to sell your book in three sentences, right? Because writing is your thing?

RIGHT.

There are a few more thing you need to put with your query.

1. Name and contact info

2. Genre (you know... Urban Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Horror...)

3. Word count (because no one will want to read a 300,000 word manuscript)

4. Any other info the agent specifically asks for (sometimes they want to know a little bit about you, or if you have writing experience, or if you went to school, are previously published...)

5. A sample of your writing, in the body of the email, right below the query (NO ATTACHMENTS!) (Try 2-5 pages, even if they don't ask for it... trust me)

AND if you have any more questions, may I please direct you to the Query Ninja herself... Elana Johnson. She blogs about this stuff all the time and she's 100 times more awesome at it than me. And she's funnier!

Hook, Line and Sinker

2010-09-17T09:54:00.004-06:00

I had the awesome privilege of speaking to a group of people at my local library this week. And they were awesome!!! I thought it would be tough (first time talking to the public about writing), but the words spilled out, sort of like writing a story. A couple of attendees asked me the same question.

What is a Query Letter?

Definition of a Query Letter by Bethany Wiggins:

A query letter is a three-ish sentence pitch of your book that has a hook baited with something so tempting, the agents you send it to are drooling to get their hands on your manuscript.

Here are a couple of examples:

1. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob--knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

(From Eclipse)

2. At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.
Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?
(From Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemestry... see? don't you want to read this?)
So there you have it! Any more query questions? Post them in the comments and I'll try to help you out in my next post. Cheers! And go do something fun this weekend.

Bio Winner!

2010-09-07T05:20:00.001-06:00

This was a hard, hard choice, guys. I had some awesome entries for author bios, but in the end could only pick one.

Congrats to Catherine Misener aka justwritecat!!! And here is her winning bio (which had me laughing till the tears came).

Born in San Antonio, Texas—home to more BBQ joints, Mexican restaurants and comfort food diners than people—Catherine Misener was destined to either become a chef or marry one. She played it smart and got hitched to a professionally trained chef and baker, thus freeing her to pursue her other passion—writing. With some patience and much chocolate, they lovingly raise their two children in Vancouver, Washington

Bio Time

2010-08-31T13:14:00.003-06:00

So it is time.

Time for me to write my

author bio.

So, what do you guys like to know about authors?

What would you write in your own bio?

What would you write about me?

How's this... the person who comes up with the best author bio (about me or you--I'm not picky) gets a prize... their choice.

EITHER:

A. A five page critique

B. A signed copy of The Body Finder

C. Hand-dipped chocolates from my most favorite chocolate shop in the world.

Let the bio ideas pour in! (And don't forget to tell me what prize you want.)

Bookanistas: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

2010-08-26T05:00:00.001-06:00

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt.

What I liked about this book: It was a new spin on an old fairy tale, throwing in a bit of history to give the story a little believability factor.

What I liked about the characters: The best friend, Mallory. She's a confused fairy suddenly dropped into the mortal world. She wears stuff all wrong... like a see-through Halloween costume with no panties. And inside-out shirts. Totally believable.

What made this book stand out: The main character, Phoebe. She's so down to earth normal--in a good way--that you feel like you live next door to her.

Release Date: September 7, 2010

The Bookanistas: Books are the New Black!

We are a group of writers in various stages of the publishing process, and we've decided to band together and review books. We--as fellow writers--will only post positive reviews, because The Bookanistas are all about spreading the love! Check out these other blogs for more awesome reviews.

Elana Johnson raves about PARANORMALCY

Lisa and Laura Roecker spread the love for GRACE

Carolina Valdez-Miller shines a spotlight on PERSONAL DEMONS

Shannon Messenger gushes about MATCHED

Christine Fonseca highly recommends GUARDIAN OF THE GATE

Shelli Johannes Wells shares all the BOOKANISTA'S BOOK BUZZ

Myra McEntire shouts out some cover love for CLARITY

...I'm a writer

2010-08-23T08:58:00.002-06:00

I was sitting in a room full of people the other day and a woman in front of me had a bag. It said:

Don't expect me to act normal. I'm a WRITER.

I thought to myself. Aha! No wonder she's so odd! But then I thought to myself... What do people think about me? Maybe I should ask her where she got her bag.

What do you, as a writer, do that sets you apart from the norm? Here's one of mine.

I do cub scouts. For one of our weekly activities, we went to the police station. For every one question the cub scouts had for Chief Blackburn, I had ten...

If a seventeen-year-old is convicted of murder...? How heavy is a kevlar vest? Can you run fast with a kevlar vest on? Can I try yours on? How close do I have to be to shoot through a kevlar vest? How does your stun gun work? Can I hold it? Shoot it? What does a person look like right after he's shot? Who arrives at a murder scene first...? (Add to this me peering into his car windows, asking for a fingerprint demonstration, fingerprint-dusting demo, handcuff demo...)

So, by the end he was looking at me like I should probably be either on the most wanted list, or in a pshyc ward. And then, blushing, I explained...

I'm a writer.

So, spill. I wanna hear all about your writerly oddness.