As Promised...

My review of Elana Johnson's dystopian debut, POSSESSION, is up over @ Operation Awesome!

And pretty please check out our Mystery Agent Contest tomorrow! 75 entrants will have a shot at winning a full manuscript request! See you there!

Now tell me: what did you read over the weekend??

One Huge Regret

I haven't read these books.

I haven't gotten the chance to experience L.K. Madigan's genius yet.

But I should, and I will. 

Not only was she loved by her fans, but her family and friends (including her uber-agent, Jennifer Laughran). With her (unfair) passing due to pancreatic cancer this week, I feel like crap.  So many people responded to her stories. FLASH BURNOUT won the William C. Morris Award last year, for Christ's sake.

And I haven't read her books yet.

That's going to change soon, though. 

Those babies are high on my to-read pile. Not just because Lisa was a genius with so many people who loved her.

Because I feel like I'll love her, too. 

And I never get tired of falling in love with YA authors.

Tell me: have you read FLASH BURNOUT or THE MERMAID'S MIRROR?

Crap--The Snob Edition

*cracks knuckles*

So. I'm in grad school. Lit Master's student. 

With... people.

I'll let the awesome Veronica Roth explain what type of people. Because if I do it, it would go something like this:

"That EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE keeps walking around the halls and talking EXPLETIVE about this EXPLETIVE book that I EXPLETIVE loved! He's a EXPLETIVE piece of EXPLETIVE!!!!!"

And that would be immature.

Instead, I've chosen to simply say the following:

"Snobs are people, too."

For reals.

They have beating hearts. They take bathroom breaks. Sometimes, the crap comes out of their mouths, but still. THEY ARE PEOPLE. 

Which means:

1) I can choose how I feel about what they say to me.

2) I can keep working as hard as I already am to be a better writer (and person) (yes, in that order...). 

3) I can embrace my love of things they hate and be a happy camper.

4) I can finally accept that when they call my favorite genre "crap", they're not calling me "crap".

Even though that's what I usually think. Because it's hard for me to separate what I love from who I am. 

Snob: "It's not you, it's your taste in EXPLETIVE bad genres"

Me: "..." 

Folks, love your genres. Love them so hard you'll want to write them forever.

Because when the snobs come along, that love is your greatest weapon.

Now tell me: do you face these kinds of... people... in your neck of the woods??

Win A SIGNED COPY of Leah Clifford's A TOUCH MORTAL!

You know you want this. Don't pretend like you don't.

Le blurb:

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

Wanna know how you can win a SIGNED COPY of Leah Clifford's debut??? Go to Operation Awesome and find out!! Best of luck to those who enter!!

Now tell me: which other books would you love to have signed???

I Want To Make Out With This Book

That is all.



Oh, and next week? I'll be reviewing it on Operation Awesome.

I'll try my best not to make out with it till then.


Now tell me: any books you're dying to make out with on this fine Monday morning???

Outlining With Robert Pattinson: The Inciting Incident

Last week, I discussed the Setup of your story. Today I'll tackle what comes next:

THE INCITING INCIDENT

a.k.a. My favorite part to write *fist pump*

This is when you make things difficult for your main character. You throw him/her a curveball by forcing them to face a problem they must solve throughout the entire novel. Whenever I sit down to brainstorm possible inciting incidents, I ask myself this question: what makes my main character uncomfortable? What would totally freak them out and send them crying to their mommy? What would make readers stick around to find out if he/she beat his/her biggest fear?

There's also genre to think about. Is your story a mystery/sci-fi/contemporary? Genre will have an influence in the type of problem your MC will have to solve, as well as how he/she solves it (unfortunately, you can't have someone shoot laser beams out of their eyes in a contemporary... *pouts*). But to me, a great inciting incident does two things:

1) Propel the story forward in a new direction 

2) Boost your main character's internal conflict with an external one

Sure, #2 gets developed along the way with other parts of the story (which I'll discuss in later weeks), but you get the idea. Basically, during the inciting incident, your main character walks around with a pissy face because you pretty much ruined their life. Like this:

"Really, Inciting Incident? Really??? I HATE YOU!"--direct quote from your WIP.

There you have it, folks. The Inciting Incident makes Robert Pattinson very. Angry.

Stay tuned for next week's post: the Turning Points.

Now tell me: do you come up with the Inciting Incident as you go? Or is it the first thing you think of when brainstorming ideas for a new WIP?

It's Here!!! Fake Boyfriend/Girlfriend BLOGFEST!!

Yesterday's blogfest was a blast! Thanks to everyone who was INCREDIBLY KIND to me!! *hugs*

Today I'm keeping up with the Valentine's festivities by proclaiming my love in the Fake Boyfriend/Girlfriend Blogfest! 

Original here

Le rules: Choose between an author crush and a celebrity crush, then write them a love letter on your blog. It can be from your POV, or the POV of the main character in your WIP.

Le love letter:


Dear Stephanie Perkins,

You complete me.

For reals.

When you wrote this book...

...I know you weren't specifically thinking of me. You didn't know I'd been to Paris at sixteen and felt everything Anna feels in your story. Well, sans that crush for a hot guy... *whimpers*

You didn't know I'd planned that trip to Europe for a whole year with my friends, or that the night before we were supposed to leave, the trip's coordinator pulled the plug. 9/11 had been a year and a half earlier. The war in Iraq had just started. People were scared of flying. We weren't going to Paris.

Except that I did. I left my friends behind with their scared parents and got on that plane. With my dad. Who is n-o-t-h-i-n-g like Anna's dad. He hates reading my mom's Post-It notes. Writing them would probably give him cooties. 

I didn't die on that plane. But I did die when I stood in front of Notre Dame. I died again when I read how Anna experiences it, what goes through her mind, how St. Clair shares his infinite knowledge with her (and flirts like crazy). It was like being there all over again.

Stephanie, my dear fake girlfriend, I want to thank you. For being searingly honest about change, love, and how we all find something special when we least expect it. For making Anna as confused as I was back then, and for making her as brave as I want to be. In case I haven't made myself clear, I love your book and gorgeous writing.

And your hair.

Forever your fan,

Me

*fist pump*

So. Since this is my blogfest and I made the rules, I can break them! *evil grin* 

Dearest Jensen Ackles,

I. Want. You. Too.

*sigh*

Thanks to everyone who's participating on my VERY FIRST blogfest!!! Can't wait to read your entries!!! You can check them out on the Linky below!

Happy Post Valentine's Day :D