I'S MARRIED NOW!!!

Hey All!!!

So, it's been a while since I've written and a lot has changed in my life. I got hitched and am now navigating the craziness that is marriage. And I had a period where I didn't want to write for a long time. 

I'm not sure what happened... Maybe after the craziness of publishing my first book and seeing how difficult it was to promote it, and not being very good at that promotion, I was drained. Maybe I just didn't have the emotional head-space to be in someone else's head at that time. Whatever the reason, I was seriously reconsidering what writing meant to me and how I saw it playing out in my life.

After some soul searching and lots of rest, I came back to the blank page. And while it's been difficult, it's been kind of fun.

So, I'm back at it, y'all!!! I'm hoping to provide y'all with more information on the world around me and how I'm seeing things. Until then...

Happy reading and writing!

SEE MY INTERVIEW ON DIVERSIFY YA!!!

Hey All!!!
So, I'm being featured in an interview with DiversifYA! I'm so excited to share my experiences with this great group who's sole purpose is to create a more diverse and open market within the YA industry.

You can see my interview with them here.

Happy reading and writing!

WHAT WEDDING PLANNING TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING!

Hey All!!!
As many of you know, I'm in the mist of the storm of wedding planning...and it has been a major source of both joy and frustration in my life to say the least. Between having to research 10 vendors for every thing that we need, and having to make tons of decisions about décor and themes and such, I'm exhausted. Not to mention the ever present political things that come up during this process...things like being asked, "Can you invite so-and-so that you've never met a day in your life because they're my friend?" by loved ones when they know darn well that you're trying to keep to a budget. But now that I'm coming to the end of the "major items I have to get off my list", I am able to stand still and look at what this process has taught me...many of these lessons are great when placed towards my writing.

1) Make a List and Check it Twice! - When I first started wedding planning, I went with where my interests lay. If I wanted to look at DJ's, then I looked at DJ's. If I wanted to search dresses, then I did that. That led to lots of fun searching, but no real progress. So, the fiancé sat me down and talked to me about making sure I had a list of to do's and keeping to it. After that I started really using the lists given on The Knot and Wedding Wire and have been really organized ever since.

The same determination and strategy-based focus is a must when it comes to writing...especially for the tasks that you don't particularly care for. In my case, I'm not good at social media and being overly aggressive online. I'm more of a homebody who likes to watch movies and do some heavy reading, and that doesn't bode well for the promotions side of this business that I need to do. So, I'm looking to put myself on a major schedule so I can do what I need to, which is to promote my work!

2) Don't Sweat the Small Stuff! - There are few processes as stressful as planning a wedding. You make decisions daily that will either make someone unhappy (such as not giving every single person there a plus one) or you're worried about the linens not being right, or there not being enough food, or of something going wrong! But the thing is, something will inevitably go wrong. Yes, I've been thinking about this one day for as long as I can remember, but the most important part of it is that I'm finally marrying the man of my dreams. If someone wants to talk badly about the fact that they didn't like our décor then they can kiss my behind (and I really do mean that). I don't want to spend my time worrying about anything that doesn't involve the relationship and foundation of the marriage I'm going in to.

When you're putting your book (or baby, as I like to call it) into the world, it's very easy to get caught up in the negative talk in your head. Things like, "What if no one reads it?" or, "What if everyone hates it?" can easily get you off the track of putting your work out there. When it comes down to it, we write to put our stories out into the world. So, don't worry about folks not liking it and not understanding your genius. The only person who has to fully understand you is you!

Well, you and maybe your significant other =).

Happy reading and writing!

FIRST REVIEW FOR CURSED!

Hey All!!!
I'm thrilled to have my first review up for Cursed!

The link to the review is here.

Happy reading and writing!

BOOK COVER TO BE REVEALED SOON!!!

Hey All!!!
I just received the most wonderful news. My book cover for Cursed has been completed and sent to me...and it's gorgeous! I'm so excited I may just burst.

I'll be posting the cover soon. I hope you all love it as much as I do!

Happy reading and writing!

NOTHING IS EVER A FAIRY TALE...EVEN FAIRY TALES!!!

Hey All!!!
I was poking around on the Internet and came upon this nice article published in the Huffington Post detailing the true stories behind many of our beloved fairy tales. Now I've always been a huge fan of the Disney versions of these stories, which are filled with love and happily ever after endings, but found this to be very sobering.

I did know the real stories behind Cinderella and The Little Mermaid, but Sleeping Beauty is what really shocked me. Enjoy!

Happy Reading and Writing!

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT BANGING IDEA WILL COME FROM!

Hey All!!!
I was recently doing some reading online and happened upon this Korean teen drama series called Boys Over Flowers (Forever Young Adult has a good review on the series here). It seemed right up my alley: a little nutty, a lot of fun, and full of teenaged-dramatic-goodness.

While I was reading the plot online a light bulb went off in my brain. I realized that this story has all the ingredients for a fun YA novel:

1) Smart, nice, cute and mouthy main character goes to private school on scholarship? Check!

2) Meets a cute group of boys that are all major douches? Check!

3) Boys all fall madly in love for our wonderfully lovable heroine and all chaos ensues? Double Check!

For my purposes, I'll probably want to add in a dash of the supernatural with my own bit of flair...but I think it may be something special.

I never know when a good idea will hit me, or where I'll get my next inspiring thought, so I always keep an open mind for whatever may come. I'll be pocketing this idea, along with slew of others I have locked away in my handy-dandy notebook, for later use. Until then, I have about 24 hours worth of Korean teen drama to catch up on!

On a different note, I recently heard from my editor with Evernight Teen and have been working on my first round of edits for about a week now. I'm about halfway through and am so excited I may bust!

Happy reading and writing!

FREE BOOKS ON AMAZON AND KINDLE!!!

Hey All!!!
Check out this post from one of my favorite blogs, Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance!

In the post, blogger extraordinare Jennifer Bielman gives a list of free reads that can be found on Kindle and Nook as of 3:00 am EST. I don't know how long it will last, but get the books while they're hot! And free!!!

The list of what I grabbed up is below:

-Love At First Bite
-Her Mad Hatter
-Crush
-Accidentally Flirting with the CEO
-The Beautiful Thing

All these books are sure to make the BF cringe, but he'll be okay.

In other news, I have to put aside all reading for now because I just received my first round of edits from my publisher! Hopefully I'll be posting more information on release dates and maybe even the first chapter pretty soon.

Happy reading and writing!

THERE'S NOTHING TO IT, BUT TO DO IT!

Hey All!!!
Lately I've been going through a serious reading mode. You know the one, the kind where you devour two to three books a week with no thoughts to the other things you need to be doing, like, *cough, cough*, writing.

I realized that this wasn't healthy writer behavior, so I tried to force myself into a writing schedule, to get myself back on track. That ended with me looking up last night at 9:30 pm, with no writing done, but almost a book and a half cleaned off my plate. At that moment I went back and forth in my brain, determining if it was worth it to sit down for all of half an hour before bed to get some words on the page. I had had a chapter in my head for two days. I knew where I wanted to  go with the story. I just had to sit my tail down and write it out.

I'd almost decided that there wasn't enough time to finish an entire chapter, so it wasn't worth it to start the process, when a thought echoed around in my brain...

"There's nothing to it, but to do it!"

I'd heard that saying while watching Tia and Tamera's reality show - I believe Tia's husband said it one day when they were deciding on whether or not to continue with a project or something - and it just stuck with me.

So, I sat down last night, and wrote out the first section of that chapter...and I feel great about it! Sometimes life doesn't give you perfection when it come to your schedule or even your desire to get the words down. But that doesn't mean that you just wait around for the right timing. Sometimes you have to sit your tail down, even if it's for half an hour, and get some work done. Even a little bit at a time is better than nothing at all.

Happy reading and writing!

MARKETING AND WRITING

Hey All!!!
So, I've found myself at the crossroads that many authors face to when it comes to perfecting their craft: The art of writing vs. the art of marketing.

Many writers find the art of writing an easy skill to focus on. It's something we want to do, need to do. No one has to tell me the importance of determining my writing style, or of making sure I continue to stay in the habit of writing daily. And no one has to point out how much better my writing becomes when I steer clear of being wordy and focus on the properly plot points.

But when it comes to the art of marketing I tend to immediately feel overwhelmed and squeamish. What is the line between promoting a book and being a good ol' fashioned bug-a-boo? Let's be frank, no one strives to be that guy or gal who is on your Twitter feed every hour, on the hour, asking you to buy his or her wonderful book. Like I tell my new hires in orientation, you don't want to be the person who starts a job, guns blazing, talking about what needs to be done to fix a company (unless you were specifically hired to do that). So, how does one navigate the map of marketing without crossing this crazy line?

That's what I'm researching now, and I hope to find a resolution soon.

Happy reading and writing!

WHEN CHARACTERS SURPRISE YOU

Hey All!!!
So, I'm working on a new YA novel. When I was first outlining this story, I saw the love interest as an all around nice guy - the athlete who likes to take tons of photos in his spare time. The guy who tells everyone that he takes those photos as a hobby to "beef up his resume", but who deep down loves everything there is about photography.

But when I started writing the first major scene between him and my main character, I was surprised to find he's a bit more snarky and arrogant than I originally thought. It's not that that's who he is deep down, it's just that people have expected certain things from him for so long and he's started to believe the lies.

The realization of the layers to my character shocked the heck out of me...but it also filled me with excitement and amazement!

That's the joy of writing. Not only does it enable me to get all of these voices and stories and what ifs out of my head, but it also enables me to discover so many different lives and personalities. It gives me hope in people and keeps me in awe of our wonderful complexities. And that's something I'll always value.

Happy Reading and Writing!!!

I'M A FINALIST TO BE POSSIBLY PUBLISHED!!!

Hey All!!!
As you all know, I've been plucking away at this writing business for a while now. And you may have noticed that I've recently made a few comments hinting at the fact that I'm oh so close to being a part of the published community due to a writing contest with a independent publishing house in Austin, Texas.

Well, I can officially announce that I'm a finalist with for the Yummy but Brainy Writing Contest with Children's Brains Are Yummy Books!

About a year ago I submitted my query letter to CBAY Books in an effort to see if they'd be interested in publishing my work. I'd done my research on them, and while they aren't one of the big five (or six, depending on how you see publishing), they have a steady presence and have had some really good books come out (I'm a fan of P.J. Hoover =)! ). A few weeks later I was notified that I was selected as a semi-finalist and was asked to send my full manuscript over. And a few weeks after that I was selected as a finalist for the contest.

Now, I've spent the last few months polishing up my manuscript with one of their amazing editors on staff. I can say with confidence that the experience taught me SO much, and I'm a better writer because of it. So, where do we go from here?

The first sixty pages of my book, along with a wonderful cover, will be available for download on CBAY's website here starting sometime this week. Starting on June 1st, there will be a page where you can go and vote for your favorite book to be published! You can also recommend another book be selected as well, if you're having a hard time choosing just one.

Below is a blurb of the awesomeness that is my story:

Jazz hunts Suecai—an evil kind of incubi and succubae that have turned their backs on the ways of her people—that devour the essence of humans. During a standard raid Jazz is caught by a Suecai leader and cursed. With only weeks left, Jazz and her best friend Khan are now hunting the Suecai alone—not to protect humans but to save her own life. But will the growing attraction she feels for Khan get in the way?

Here's hoping that you all get a chance to read Cursed in the very near future! More updates to come soon.

Happy Reading and Writing!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM CLASSICS

Hey All!!!
I was trying to get up the motivation to do some editing tonight, when I saw that Sense and Sensibility was on one of the movie channels. Naturally, all thoughts of editing quickly flew out the window and I was immediately drawn in. As I took in the classic love and woe storyline I had an epiphany.

One of Sense and Sensibility's story lines is the classic tale of a good girl who longs for the exciting bad boy, foregoing the good guy who's already shown her some attention, and who essentially ends up with a broken heart. In our classic tale, Marianne is the free spirited, middle sister who doesn't follow those silly rules of decorum that are expected of women in those times. Instead, she's open about how she feels and doesn't hold back. But when she falls head over heels for the sexy and exciting Willoughby, she's left with her heart broken when his past deeds come out to bite them both in the behind.

Now, mind you, the ever dependable and much more calm Colonel Brandon has long shown his affection for Marianne. Unfortunately for him, he has none of Willoughby's swagger and doesn't stand a chance...until Marianne learns the value of loving the good guy.

The realness of this storyline is one that we can all relate to. In most cases, the girls who end up with the bad and exciting boy end up with more trouble than it's worth. We all want the bad boys though...we can't help it.

In a day and age when many of the male love interests in books are this reformed bad boy character, I have to admit it's nice to see a story where the good guy finishes last. Just a thought!

MOVING FORWARD

Hey All,
For those of you who don't know me, recently my life had been turned upside down. I'm serious...it really went to shit for a while. I moved back to Texas (both a good and bad thing, depending on how you see it, but it definitely wasn't in the plan). As of today's date, I've found a new job (thankfully, because the market is definiately a beast). And I'm having to re-sketch all of the plans I thought had been finalized in my life. During that time of intense change and re-evaluation, I was forced to deal with an idea that I had hoped and prayed I wouldn't have to deal with - the idea of moving forward, of making a decision to strive for something more and leaping into the void to get it.

It's a topic that I think interconnects with many aspects of life, including writing.

There's that moment when you look at a manuscript and think, "Where do I go from here?" There's the constant fear of it never being good enough, and always, always, always cornering yourself in revisions, trying to smooth out every single hitch in the plot. There's the time when you think it's great, and someone else reads it and tells you it's shit!

When you come across these moments, it's important to be able to see the bigger picture - to be able to look outside your fear and make a calculated decision that goes in line with your overall goals. Now, I know that this is much easier said than done, but we all have to push through these moments. I, myself, have to get off my butt and finish reading through my first manuscript and be brave enough to begin sending it out...again. It's hard to decide if a story is good enough - to know that you'll be rejected time and time again...and to still press on. But you have to do it!!!

So, make the decision. Move forward with your goals. Send out that manuscript that you've revised over and over again. Because though you might've been pushed down and beat up many times, this may be YOUR time.

Happy writing!!!