HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERNIGHT TEEN!!!

Happy Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!

EVERNIGHT TEEN turns two this month and we’re having a huge party to celebrate! It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!

Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The more you blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.

Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for you to add, including my featured book…

Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:

When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?

I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”

My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”

He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”

His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”

“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”

He snorted. “That’s for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”

Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”

His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”

I paused. “Not quite.”

He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”

I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?

“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”

The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.

“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”

Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.

“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”

I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.

Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!

Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN’s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your email address to be eligible to win):

What book are you most excited to read in 2015?

The birthday blog hop continues here:

http://www.yabookshelf.com/

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!

WINNER ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

Hey All!!!
So, I'll be posting the winner of the Evernight Teen 1st Birthday Blog Hop tomorrow! I'll also email the winner.

Tune in to find out if you've won!

Happy reading and writing.

THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE

Hey All!!!
So, my book will be officially out on Friday, 12/13/13.

And while I was immensely nervous at first, as I looked at the numbers of the date that my first published work will be let out into the world, I kind of felt hopeful.

I know it's silly, but the fact that there's two thirteen's in the date makes me feel calm. Yes, I know, but it's Friday the 13th! Doesn't matter to me. All I know is that I'm grateful that someone saw the talent in my work.

And I hope you see it, too =).

So, now starts the emails requesting reviews and such, and prepping for my blog tour. I'm hoping to get the word out there that there is a new YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, with a kick-assed heroine, who just happens to be of color! You never know, maybe I can make a splash in this boxed in industry.

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!

I'M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

Hey All!!!
So, you may have noticed the wonderfully fancy button that I've recently added to my blog. And I can confirm that I will be officially published with Evernight Teen! I'm not sure as to the date yet, but I'm excited for you all to be able to read Cursed in the very near future.

I'll be putting together a post with all the details in the next few days.

Until then...happy reading and writing!

GREAT POST ABOUT THE TWO THINGS AN AGENT IS NOT!

Hey All!!!
I was searching the blog-o-spere and found this post by Janet Kobobel Grant, an agent with Books and Such Literary Agency. It's very easy, as a writer, to think that agents have all the answers - that they are the guardians of the gilded doors to the literary industry, so to speak. But they are people too, and can only do so much for you.

I've always said that being a shrewd business person or leader doesn't require a person to be the smartest in the room, as long as he or she is smart enough to surround his or herself WITH the smartest people they can. If traditional publishing is the route you're taking, you have to learn to work with and trust in the agent you have.

Happy reading and writing!

MY WRITING BRAND - AN AUTHOR OF COLOR WHO WRITES DIVERSE PARANORMAL FICTION

Hey All!!!
Recently I've been delving into learning the marketing and branding side of the business of writing. Turns out that you have to do more than just write an amazing tale with relatable characters to make it in this business...much more. In addition to writing and editing, you have to have your brand fully developed, a platform established, and a hefty presence on social media and the like. It's serious business to say the least.

Instead of getting properly overwhelmed, which is my normal M.O., I decided to take this whole marketing and branding piece of writing one sliver of work at a time and dissect it like we used to do in A&P in high school. First up, my author branding!

An author's brand is his or her core philosophy when it comes to writing. What is the message that you'd like to share with the world? And why? What drives your passion for putting in the blood, sweat, tears, and pulled out hair that this process takes? There are a lot of resources out there that can help you to develop a brand. The website I looked into can be found here. You just have to apply the plethora of information out there to you.

As far as my brand, here goes nothing:

I am a writer of color who writes diverse paranormal fiction. What makes my writing different from the slew of books already out there is the fact that mine features a diverse cast of characters. We live in a world where you find a proverbial rainbow of folks in every high school, college, and office - and I'm not just talking race here. We have different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations, different socioeconomic groups. So why do we not see this same type of diversity in the books on our shelves? Especially the books out there for young folks.

There are so many different kinds of people out there who love paranormal fiction. I want to give all lovers of paranormal fiction a voice, as well as to build worlds in my books that reflect the world around us, in all its glorious diversity!

So that's my brand. Maybe I'll post a chapter or two of my writing here...hopefully you all like it.

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!

VOTE FOR CURSED TO BE PUBLISHED!!!

Hey All!!!
Voting for the Yummy but Brainy Writing Contest for CBAY Books has opened. You can vote for Cursed to be published here.

I hope you all will see Cursed published very soon!!!

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!

WHAT IT'S LIKE EDITING ON A DEADLINE

Hey All!!!
For the past few weeks I've been crazily focused on the edits for my book. This is nothing new. Dealing with hours of editing kind of comes with the territory of writing. But what's different about THESE edits is that they're on a hard deadline...one that's quickly approaching.

See, I'm a finalist for a writing contest with Children's Brains Are Yummy Books, an independent publisher of middle-grade and young adult novels based out of Austin, Texas! One of the major perks of being a finalist for this contest is that you get a line critique done by one of their editors. Then you have a few months - it was three and a half for me - to make the necessary changes before a portion of the book is posted online for wonderful folks like you all to vote on.

So what's it like editing with a deadline:

1) You're super excited at first because an editor has read your entire book and actually took the time to give you insight into what's good and not so good about it.

2) You dive into the editorial letter and notes, and see how the changes make your story really take on a polished and professional feel. In the process, you realize that not only is your story getting better, but your abilities as a writer are improving as well.

3) After weeks of going through your chapters, your editing engine slows down as you realize that going through 250 pages of line edits can be more than a bit grueling.

4) In an effort to maintain your sanity, you take some time to do other things you love to decompress, like reading a steamy romance for fun, because your eyes begin to bleed from even the thought of looking at your story.

5) You stay focused and push through - even though there are times when you don't want to - because you can see that you're story is getting better and better.

6) You have more than a few moments of yelling, "My writing sucks!"

7) After much pain and with an exhausted brain, you end up with a wonderfully polished story that you hope your editor will love as well.

8) You get more edits and start all over again!

Now, I'm assuming this is the case for number 8...since I haven't gotten to this part yet. I'm sending my first round of edited material over at the end of this week.

All in all, editing with an industry professional is an exhilarating and humbling experience that I hope to get to repeat for many years to come!

Happy Writing!!!

DIET COKE VS. PEPSI

Hey All!!!
In the past week I've had two different responses to my story from editors for independent presses. These got me thinking on just how subjective this whole writing business is.

On the one hand, an editor decided to pass on my work. The email was full of praise for my writing ability and skill, but the editor didn't fully connect with my main character. She felt that Jazz was a bit too reckless for her liking and not well-rounded enough. All in all the email was a good one. I mean, if you're going to get rejected you want to hear that you're doing good job at your craft while experiencing it. But in the end it still was a no.

Not even twenty-four hours later I got notes from a different editor.  In this case, I'm a finalist in a contest for Children's Brains Are Yummy books and a part of that process involves having one of their editors do line edits on your entire manuscript before posting a portion of it to be voted on by the public. At the beginning of my editorial letter, one of the first things he said was how he enjoyed the fact that Jazz was such a well-rounded character and how he could relate to her conflict.

Two editors.

Both specialize in Young Adult/Middle Grade fiction.

Both read the same book.

Two differing reactions to my main character and the conflict she faces throughout my story.

When it comes down to it, a large part of making it in this business is being lucky enough to find the editor or agent who can understand the particular song you're singing. Sure, having the talent and a killer storyline is also key, but that lucky meeting with someone who can see your story for the awesomeness that it is...well, that's like finding a long buried treasure.

So when you get those rejections don't fret. It may having nothing to do with your actual writing ability - and everything to do with the fact that you sent the editor/agent a story that was Diet Coke, when s/he prefers Pepsi.

Happy Writing!!!

OH THAT SILVER LINING!!!

Hello All!!!
So my submissions have been going pretty well. I've received my first full request from a really good independent publisher! Add to that finding out that I'm a semi-finalist for a contest with another independent publisher, which could result in the publication of my book, and I'm a happy camper.

Though it looked bleak for a while - with me having to re-do my query after being oh-so-sure that I was done with it - I'm feeling that all of the hard work is starting to pay off.

I'll keep you all posted!

Happy Writing!!!

RESEARCHING AND THE WAITING GAME

Hey All!!!
So, as always, it's been way too long since I last posted. I definitely have to get better at this regular posting thing. In the months since I last spoke to you guys, nothing much has happened. I got comfy in my day job, got financially stable for the first time in a few years, and am feeling more like my good ol' writing machine self. I have a new story that I'm working on, while querying the one I just finished polishing. I've amassed what feels like a ton of rejections, but I know that that's the business and will keep on trucking (said while putting all feelings of failure in a box so I can completely ignore them =) ).

The biggest issue I'm having right now is with really getting into my new story. I always have what I like to think of as a lull in excitement/activity when it comes to my writing. These lulls happen right as I start a new project - before the main character's voice starts taking up serious space in my head - and when I'm about 3/4 of the way through - when I'm having to trudge through to the end. But I have to say, the sense of anticipation that I get while waiting for the character to really start speaking to me is both tortuous and exciting all at once.

So what do I do while I wait for this roller coaster ride to start up - why, research of course! Since I know my main character is Pakistani, I'm going to look up everything I can on that culture - food, clothes, religion, etc. I want to know what it's like for those who live in Pakistan, and those who have migrated to other countries as well. What are the issues that face a young Pakistani girl in this day and age. And I have to say I've been very inspired by the tale of Malala Yousufzai, a young girl who was shot in Pakistan for daring to continue with her education and for speaking up for young Pakistani girls there. In doing this searching, I'm hoping that Alana will begin speaking to me and my story will begin to take shape.

What do you do when you hit a lull in your writing? How do you break the surface of a new tale.

Until next time - and hopefully it won't be as long!!!

THE PATHS TO PUBLICATION: SELF PUBLISHING VS TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING AND THE ALL POWERFUL DEBUT TITLE

Hey All!!!
As I previously stated, I went to an amazing writers conference this weekend in Houston, hosted by the Houston Writers Guild. There were a variety of speakers with a wealth of information, and I'm happy to say that I made a few friendly contacts that I hope to keep for many years to come. But one of the most valuable lessons I learned while soaking up the knowledge around me was that while self publishing is definitely a more acceptable alternative to traditional publishing now a days, choosing that path comes with consequences all writers need to consider. Those consequences have everything to do with the affect it has on being considered a debut author.

See, in publishing there's nothing more precious than the "debut" title...and when it comes down to it, folks, you only get it once. Whether it be with a major publishing house or self publishing with Amazon, you only get the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a debut author that first time your name graces a cover. And that benefit of the doubt can make or break your shot at representation or at obtaining a contract.

From what was explained, one of the ways the publishing gods determine whether or not they'll work with an author is by determining how profitable they think that person will be. The way that profitability is shown is either one of two ways:

• Publishers knows that they'll make a particular profit on a hardback copy of a book, something along the lines of $12.



• If you've already done the self publishing route, they'll take the number of sales you've acquired (whether it's 500 or 5000) and multiply that number by the $12 they can expect to make per book.



• This can be a problem if your sales don't amount to a profit they want. It could cause publishers to decide against taking on your project.



• If you're a debut author, publishers will take a well-known author with a similar book and use an estimate of their sales for this calculation. This number will often be advantageous to the author and can push the publisher in a positive direction when deciding to take on the project.

As you can see, this method for determining profitability can definitely impact an author's ability to get on with a traditional publisher, and is something we all should think about.

Like many writers, I've been seriously considering the self publishing route. Though I'm not considering it for my current project - one that I absolutely love and hope that the publishing community will love as well - I've been thinking on it as a possibility for my earlier works. As I continue to learn about the various facets of this industry, my thoughts and feelings continue to change, making my head spin with all of the possibilities. What I do know is that I have to be diligent in learning as much as I can about the industry before I make any major moves. And I hope that once I do jump it's with as much foresight and understanding as possible.