tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91967182559065839202024-03-13T08:16:17.639-07:00Melody Marshallwriter of young adult sci-fiAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-89474307244684701572016-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:002016-05-16T07:50:09.573-07:00An ABC Review of IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo<div class="tr_bq">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">When I was given an ARC of IF I WAS YOUR GIRL last month, I was super excited to read it. I'd already heard a ton of good things about it on social media, like it's an #OwnVoices story and the publisher features a trans model on the cover, so I started reading it almost immediately! The ARC has a lovely note from the editor, Sarah Dotts Barley, and I <u>loved</u> Meredith's book dedication and her author note/acknowledgments.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Book blurb:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.<br /><br />But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it.<br /><br />Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew. Will the truth cost Amanda her new life, and her new love?<br /><br />Meredith Russo's If I Was Your Girl is a universal story about feeling different―and a love story that everyone will root for.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Sarah Dotts Barley for the ARC! :D</td></tr>
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You can find IF I WAS YOUR GIRL on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/If-I-Was-Your-Girl/dp/1250078407/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462280902&sr=1-1&keywords=if+i+was+your+girl" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-i-was-your-girl-meredith-russo/1122404495?ean=9781250078407" target="_blank">B&N</a>, and the <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/If-I-Was-Your-Girl/9781250078407" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>.<br />
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ACTION</h4>
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IF I WAS YOUR GIRL is more character-driven than plot-driven, and Meredith Russo really brings Amanda to life. There isn't a ton of action because the focus is mostly about the new relationships Amanda is forming, but there were a few instances while reading when I was really worried for her. My heart would beat and I'd have to put the book down for a minute when I thought someone would attack Amanda or be mean to her.<br />
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BACKDROP</h4>
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The chapters alternated between past and present—at her new school in the south while living with her dad (present) and when she lived with her mom (past). As she did with Amanda, I thought Meredith really brought the south to life, like I could tell it wasn't taking place in New England or out west.<br />
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CHARACTERS</h4>
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The main character is Amanda. She's sweet and a bit quiet and is a Star Wars fangirl, which I loved.<br />
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Grant is Amanda's love interest. He's nice, but seems to be hiding something. When it was revealed, I was a little surprised because I thought it was going to be something else, but it made sense!<br />
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Amanda makes a new group of friends, but the one who stood out the most to me was Bee. She's an outsider or "bad girl."<br />
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Overall, IF I WAS YOUR GIRL is a really sweet, important book, and I hope people read it. I think many people will connect with Amanda the way I did.<br />
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Have you read IF I WAS YOUR GIRL yet? Is it in your TBR?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-43202199303501685722015-12-29T10:27:00.002-08:002015-12-30T07:28:10.070-08:00Top Ten Favorite Books of 2015<br />
I can't believe 2015 is almost over! I bought SO MANY books this year, but because I had a stressful, super-busy first half of the year, I didn't read as many as I would have liked. Luckily, the books that I did have a chance to read were awesome! I have a thing for Top Ten lists, obviously, so I thought it would be fun to list my favorite reads of 2015. It was hard, but somehow I managed to narrow it down to ten. (Not all of my reads were released in 2015, but many were.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the books I bought this year.</td></tr>
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So! In no particular order, here are my Top Ten Favorite Books that I read in 2015:<br />
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1.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Painted-Sky-Stacey-Lee/dp/0399168036/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51zyvl6OsSL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&refRID=0XS21QYX88G1GHT3CHRP" target="_blank">UNDER A PAINTED SKY</a> by Stacey Lee.<br />
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If you've read any of my past blog posts, you know how much I love UNDER A PAINTED SKY, so it should come as no surprise that it's on my list of favorite 2015 reads. It's a YA historical fiction with an awesome main character. Even if you're not a western fan, you'll really enjoy this book.<br />
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2.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simon-vs-Homo-Sapiens-Agenda/dp/0062348671/ref=la_B00MJA4XZ2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412627&sr=1-1" target="_blank">SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA</a> by Becky Albertalli<br />
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SIMON is a YA contemporary with the best voice. It's sweet and funny and unputdownable, and you should TOTALLY read it.<br />
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3.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Iris-Leah-Raeder/dp/1476786429/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412658&sr=1-1&keywords=black+iris" target="_blank">BLACK IRIS</a> by Leah Raeder<br />
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I don't read much NA, but I decided to pick this up after Dahlia Adler tweeted about it. Leah's prose will totally knock you out. If you like Gillian Flynn's gritty, twisted characters, I think you'll love this.<br />
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4.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Road-Erin-Bowman/dp/0544466381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412686&sr=1-1&keywords=vengeance+road" target="_blank">VENGEANCE ROAD</a> by Erin Bowman<br />
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After reading UNDER A PAINTED SKY, I was in the mood for another western. VENGEANCE ROAD is very different from UAPS, but the main character is just as great! Kate is morally gray, which I really enjoyed.<br />
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5.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Everywhere-Jandy-Nelson/dp/0142417807/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412714&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sky+is+everywhere" target="_blank">THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE</a> by Jandy Nelson<br />
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Last year, I loved LOVED <u>LOVED</u>! I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, so I was super excited when my writer bestie <a href="http://www.juliedao.com/" target="_blank">Julie Dao</a> gave me THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Jandy Nelson is one of my new instabuy authors. Her prose is mind-blowingly awesome and her characters are SO so real. Reading one of her books is just like when Ron Weasley says to Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban, "You're gonna suffer...but you're gonna be happy about it."<br />
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6.) <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-D-Evil-Diaries/9781408335765" target="_blank">THE D'EVIL DIARIES</a> by Tatum Flynn<br />
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I was SUPER excited when I found THE D'EVIL DIARIES in a bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland this summer because I couldn't find it in the US. If you like funny middle grade, you'll really get a kick out of THE D'EVIL DIARIES.<br />
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7.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Duplicity-N-K-Traver/dp/1250059143/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412757&sr=1-2&keywords=duplicity" target="_blank">DUPLICITY</a> by N.K. Traver<br />
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I love sci-fi and think teen hackers are fun, so I was really excited to read DUPLICITY. It's a little like THE MATRIX, but with tons of great voice. I think reluctant readers will enjoy this.<br />
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8.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Tell-Ourselves-Harlequin-Teen/dp/0373211333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412786&sr=1-1&keywords=lies+we+tell+ourselves" target="_blank">LIES WE TELL OURSELVES</a> by Robin Talley<br />
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LIES, a YA historical fiction, was really hard to read at times, but so worth it. It alternates POV chapters between the two main characters, which can sometimes be confusing in other books, but in LIES their voices are very distinct so you never wonder whose chapter you're reading. <br />
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9.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-No-Other-Una-LaMarche/dp/159514675X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412813&sr=1-1&keywords=like+no+other+una+lamarche" target="_blank">LIKE NO OTHER</a> by Una LaMarche<br />
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LIKE NO OTHER is another dual POV with two distinct voices. I loved the romance between the characters and thought learning about Devorah's religion was super-interesting.<br />
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10.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Lights-Daylight-Falls-Novel/dp/1633920178/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451412840&sr=1-1&keywords=under+the+lights" target="_blank">UNDER THE LIGHTS</a> by Dahlia Adler<br />
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UNDER THE LIGHTS in another dual POV. But unlike the other two, there isn't a romance between the two POV characters. UNDER THE LIGHTS was cute and sweet and funny.<br />
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Those were some of my favorite reads this year. What were yours?<br />
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!<br />
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Melody xo<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-42392745407610764392015-10-02T08:43:00.000-07:002015-10-03T07:29:47.965-07:00Boston Teen Author Fest 2015!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I had a great time this month going to author panels at the <a href="http://www.cambridgema.gov/cpl" target="_blank">Cambridge Public Library</a> in Cambridge, MA. It's so much fun going to author panels and signings, and I love supporting YA authors and hearing what they have to say. Plus, it's a great way to meet fellow writers. At a few panels I've even bumped into writers I know from Twitter.<br />
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Anyway, on Saturday, September 5th, I went to the Boston Teen Author Fest Preview Panel: LADIES LIVING DANGEROUSLY, featuring Laurie Faria Stolarz, Erin Bowman, and Eva Darrows.<br />
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Erin talked about her new YA Western <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vengeance-road-erin-bowman/1120874786?ean=9780544466388" target="_blank">VENGEANCE ROAD</a>, Eva talked about <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-awesome-eva-darrows/1120205965?ean=9781781083246" target="_blank">THE AWESOME</a>, which is SUPERNATURAL meets BUFFY(!), and Laurie talked about <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-to-the-dark-house-laurie-stolarz/1120698807?ean=9781423181736" target="_blank">RETURN TO THE DARK HOUSE</a>, a sequel to <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/welcome-to-the-dark-house-laurie-stolarz/1117388624?ean=9781423181729" target="_blank">WELCOME TO THE DARK HOUSE</a>. </div>
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They answered some of the usual questions about what inspires them to write and what their process is like, but the panel was mainly focused on the main characters in their books and how they like to see young women portrayed in the media. They all agreed that there are multiple ways to portray a "strong" female character and she doesn't have to be physically strong to be a strong character, which I agree with. Erin talked about her main character Kate being morally gray—she does some bad things, but she thinks she does them for a good reason, or she does them to defend herself. I've always loved gray characters. The main character in my current manuscript is <i>very</i> gray, so I really liked hearing about Kate.</div>
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It was a great panel! Plus, I spied A.C. Gaughen, writer of the <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-a-c-gaughen/1102247355?ean=9780802734242" target="_blank">SCARLET</a> series, and Sara Crowe, Erin Bowman's agent, in the audience. I was too shy to talk to them, though. Haha!</div>
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After, I found out that one of my Twitter friends, Ellie M, was there, but I didn't recognize her in person. We were bummed about that, but said we'd try to meet up at the author fest later in the month. </div>
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And then last weekend, Saturday the 26th, I went to the <a href="http://embraceya.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Boston Teen Author Fest</a>. I'd never been to something like this before. There were SO MANY young adult authors there! (The full line-up can be found <a href="http://embraceya.weebly.com/authors.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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The schedule for the day was:<br />
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Meet the Authors panel 10:30 - 11:20<br />
Panel Session One 11:30 - 12:20<br />
Lunch 12:20 - 1:45<br />
Panel Session Two 2:00 - 2:50<br />
Book Signing 3:00 - 4:00<br />
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I was running late, so I missed the Meet the Authors panel. I arrived shortly after Panel Session One started, but instead of picking which panel I wanted to see right away, I bought books for the signing. There was no line, because everyone was in one of the two panels, so I thought it'd be better to get books then. (<a href="http://www.portersquarebooks.com/" target="_blank">Porter Square Books</a> was selling books at the fest. They were also at the Ladies Living Dangerously Panel.)<br />
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There were two panels for Session One: <u>Author Friendships + Crit Groups</u> and <u>Inspired By</u>. I decided to check out the Author Friendships + Crit Groups, partly because the Inspired By panel was super-crowded and partly because Becky Albertalli was at the Author Friendships panel (and I loved <b>LOVED</b> her book <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda-becky-albertalli/1119908802?ean=9780062348678" target="_blank">SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA</a>).<br />
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The Author Friendships panel had Becky Albertalli, David Arnold, Jen Brooks, Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton, Lori Goldstein, Trisha Leaver, and Adam Silvera. They talked about their critique partners and writer friends, how they found their critique partners, and what goes into a critique partnership. It was interesting to learn how/when authors found their critique partners and what their revision/writing process is like. It was a fun panel!<br />
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When I was leaving the panel for lunch, I heard someone call my name. It turned out to be <a href="https://twitter.com/ByEllieM" target="_blank">Ellie M</a>! It was so great to run into someone I "know," and Ellie invited me to lunch with her and a group of her friends from Twitter. We went across the street to a deli to get lunch and then we ate on the lawn outside the library. Just before we finished eating, a group of authors sat on the benches near us! We tried to play it cool, but we were all super-excited to have a bunch of famous authors hanging out near us. And as I was getting up to throw my trash away, Becky Albertalli complimented my shirt*. Internally, I was freaking out, but I managed to say thanks!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: Author Friendships panel, Bottom: The Craft panel</td></tr>
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After lunch, I went with Ellie and her friends to Panel Session Two. Again, there were two choices: <u>The Craft</u> and <u>Reality Bites</u>. We chose The Craft with Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Leigh Bardugo, A.C. Gaughen, Melissa Grey, Kendall Kulper, Kim Liggett, and Sara Raasch. This panel focused on magic and culture in fantasy worlds. It was really interesting! I'd never seen Leigh Bardugo speak before, so I hadn't realized she was going to be <b>so</b> funny. (I was extra excited for this panel because the week before I'd won an ARC of <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-and-salt-kim-liggett/1120921386?ean=9780399166488" target="_blank">BLOOD AND SALT</a> by Kim Liggett in a blog giveaway run by <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-a-painted-sky-stacey-lee/1119671447?ean=9780399168031" target="_blank">Stacey Lee</a>.) </div>
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They spoke about "hard" and "soft" magic and the pros and cons for both. They also talked about what inspired them to write/when they knew they wanted to be a writer. It's always interesting to hear writers tell stories about themselves when they were young. Kendall talked about writing stories in elementary school and how her classmates were always dying to read the next one. There were also some funny jokes about "hard" vs. "soft" magic. ;P</div>
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The book signing started right after Panel Session Two. I hopped in line for Leigh Bardugo and spent the majority of my time waiting in her line—she was <u>very</u> popular! After I got <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-and-bone-leigh-bardugo/1105622727?ean=9781250027436" target="_blank">SHADOW AND BONE</a> signed by Leigh, I got my ARC signed by Kim Liggett. She was really nice and excited to see one of her ARCs. She also gave me a black ribbon just like the one in BLOOD AND SALT! And then I had Sara Raasch sign <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-like-ashes-sara-raasch/1118145950?ean=9780062286932" target="_blank">SNOW LIKE ASHES</a> and Melissa Grey sign <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-at-midnight-melissa-grey/1120054887?ean=9780385744652" target="_blank">THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT</a>. They were both really nice and we talked about having purple hair. :)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8-UXxxGrNf5ZE_0hP30fkh0vxqywyISyGGZGc3yCGCF3mDMI5XU3J5e0_xrRrRPRxFmNjWfXVEhrJsdoZzI-LWkKIp9f4iahTBcC5ddbXEJfcIEDVjS0_HRPvouiOjFF9nSsf97OyyI/s1600/blogger-image--800413497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8-UXxxGrNf5ZE_0hP30fkh0vxqywyISyGGZGc3yCGCF3mDMI5XU3J5e0_xrRrRPRxFmNjWfXVEhrJsdoZzI-LWkKIp9f4iahTBcC5ddbXEJfcIEDVjS0_HRPvouiOjFF9nSsf97OyyI/s640/blogger-image--800413497.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: my book haul, Bottom L: Sara Raasch, Bottom M: Adam Silvera, Bottom R: Leigh Bardugo</td></tr>
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When I approached Adam Silvera, he told me I was his favorite person because of my shirt and we squeed over Simon from SIMON VS! He signed <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-happy-than-not-adam-silvera/1120377316?ean=9781616955601" target="_blank">MORE HAPPY THAN NOT</a> for me, which I'm super excited to read. He was really nice and even offered to take a picture for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhYWqVh3OufoB66QVk-tldKB5rjI4t2Vj8hIDitIfNYZXzmcWoYUCM3Z-WnNiv1sKhdjwAXj95-CcSSFOoomuyA48EowjruGDlkmjF8xMU4gN-5mlpc8RhqH6F0_VG05SQMXfQS8EgTE/s640/blogger-image-1880164988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhYWqVh3OufoB66QVk-tldKB5rjI4t2Vj8hIDitIfNYZXzmcWoYUCM3Z-WnNiv1sKhdjwAXj95-CcSSFOoomuyA48EowjruGDlkmjF8xMU4gN-5mlpc8RhqH6F0_VG05SQMXfQS8EgTE/s640/blogger-image-1880164988.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My signed copy of MORE HAPPY THAN NOT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVjavr3usfXGMQ_U7av4RTFfrJZekqJT_wr0N-qoHDNpTNWrCYqcNDMnEM4pXRw9eNVuiNJYZ7Lv2773-kvYf-zdS99mM1t4Rm8xsWrhLkr1dxfsUN50FYWOQWvVqtOPERnEEgsSUhb0/s1600/blogger-image-1221755324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVjavr3usfXGMQ_U7av4RTFfrJZekqJT_wr0N-qoHDNpTNWrCYqcNDMnEM4pXRw9eNVuiNJYZ7Lv2773-kvYf-zdS99mM1t4Rm8xsWrhLkr1dxfsUN50FYWOQWvVqtOPERnEEgsSUhb0/s640/blogger-image-1221755324.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Adam Silvera!</td></tr>
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Next I had Kody Keplinger sign <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/duff-kody-keplinger/1100214957?ean=9780316381802" target="_blank">THE DUFF</a> and Mackenzi Lee sign <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-monstrous-thing-mackenzi-lee/1120977544?ean=9780062382771" target="_blank">THIS MONSTROUS THING</a>. Mackenzi had done a coloring contest as promo for her book, so I told her I'd participated. (After, I kicked myself for not saving the coloring page to give to her. Oh well!) Mackenzi had a copy of her book that she asked readers to sign, which I'd never seen at a signing before. I thought it was a really cool idea. After Mackenzi and Kody, I had Renée Ahdieh sign <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wrath-and-the-dawn-renee-ahdieh/1120422062?ean=9780399171611" target="_blank">THE WRATH AND THE DAWN</a>. She complimented my hair, but I was too nervous to say much. I was in awe of her makeup and jewelry—so flawless. She also had a book for readers to sign! Hers was full of signatures, so I had to do some searching for a blank spot.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbvHA49tPylSwH02ty1-kGnlrsaA18LOQgpSS9zkNhdc76_Hi8DiZPlZchfoDMXOKaCiAcdW0UnFzr8PcdeO3yBNPW3ibjGNVI3ZnnWpOMJNGozUq93WxO_jJ59NgLbpDoscnbK5VgXY/s640/blogger-image-1212135535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbvHA49tPylSwH02ty1-kGnlrsaA18LOQgpSS9zkNhdc76_Hi8DiZPlZchfoDMXOKaCiAcdW0UnFzr8PcdeO3yBNPW3ibjGNVI3ZnnWpOMJNGozUq93WxO_jJ59NgLbpDoscnbK5VgXY/s640/blogger-image-1212135535.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Renée Ahdieh</td></tr>
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Last I went up to Becky Albertalli. She was so nice and asked if she could hug me. I had a million things I wanted to say to her, but of course I couldn't think of a single thing when I was finally in front of her. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvb3cnME58AxYmya-Bee8ShUxzfTzDDNTI4jI0occl__lkjf2Q1Muj2amGcyVPUw2aPGZT3XntfkTQ5ifI0f0rPe9mSLe0VEen63UqJlfPOb4V_M09FuOYh93PdewitLLQ-SAXcjG-KQI/s640/blogger-image-1443703008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvb3cnME58AxYmya-Bee8ShUxzfTzDDNTI4jI0occl__lkjf2Q1Muj2amGcyVPUw2aPGZT3XntfkTQ5ifI0f0rPe9mSLe0VEen63UqJlfPOb4V_M09FuOYh93PdewitLLQ-SAXcjG-KQI/s640/blogger-image-1443703008.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and BECKY ALBERTALLI!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5ayPwec7_oWvDCUz098h15OLCUYAegEmLMUBcNlYl3Ohyphenhyphenjk2HYB5o4LSSXS_YPl3L90zy7fcOvR785QtCv-XLjZJsNgyMm9awiWEJcjQMNF2Zy25mI9VHpZe__pqWNqgwD7Q58GDll4/s1600/blogger-image-1411432344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5ayPwec7_oWvDCUz098h15OLCUYAegEmLMUBcNlYl3Ohyphenhyphenjk2HYB5o4LSSXS_YPl3L90zy7fcOvR785QtCv-XLjZJsNgyMm9awiWEJcjQMNF2Zy25mI9VHpZe__pqWNqgwD7Q58GDll4/s640/blogger-image-1411432344.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My signed copy of SIMON VS THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA!!!</td></tr>
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After the signing, I went outside to wait for my husband to pick me up. I ran into Ellie (we'd lost each other during the signing) and her friend Lauren (who I'd actually met at a NESCBWI conference a year or two ago) outside and we waited together. I found out that Lauren is friends with my Pitch Wars Team Devine sibling(?) Kyle and that he was at the fest! What a small world! I was bummed I found out too late because it would've been fun to talk Pitch Wars with him. Oh well!<br />
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Anyway, while we were talking and waiting for our rides, Leigh Bardugo came out to wait for hers. Ellie chatted with her about Disney while I tried not to act like a weirdo. Haha! I couldn't stop staring at her nails and jewelry—they were so cool!<br />
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It was an awesome day and great to meet so many lovely authors. I didn't have enough money to buy books by every author because there were so many there. I'm pretty bummed about that. But, as a reader, I guess it's a good problem to have—that there were so many different YA authors there.<br />
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Anyway, it was a blast! Thanks so much to the Cambridge Public Library for hosting it!<br />
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Did you go to the Ladies Living Dangerously panel or the Boston Teen Author Fest? What was your favorite part?<br />
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*I was wearing this shirt, which was made in celebration of Pride month (and SIMON VS THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA), and you can order it <a href="https://teespring.com/simon-pride-month" target="_blank">here</a>!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-53188112723321579382015-09-24T09:21:00.000-07:002015-09-25T08:59:22.935-07:00An ABC Review of UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I seriously can't say enough great things about UNDER A PAINTED SKY by <a href="http://www.staceyhlee.com/" target="_blank">Stacey Lee</a>. I read it several months ago and I'm still thinking about it. The characters, setting, and pacing are great. There's a little bit of everything—humor, tension, action—to entertain a variety of readers. </div>
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I've never been much of a Western fan, besides watching DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN with my mom as a kid, but my friend (and Pitch Wars mentor) <a href="http://stephaniegarberwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Garber</a> told me she thought I'd enjoy it. And I'm <i>so</i> glad Stephanie recommended it! She was totally right. </div>
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If you like Historical Fiction, badass female MCs, tension and humor, swoon-worthy cowboys, and friendship, you'll <b>love</b> UNDER A PAINTED SKY. And if you're not typically a Western or Historical Fiction fan, I urge you to give it a try anyway. I really think you'll enjoy it.</div>
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<h4>
Book Blurb:</h4>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nails and bookmark courtesy of Stephanie Garber!</td></tr>
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You can find UNDER A PAINTED SKY at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-a-painted-sky-stacey-lee/1119671447?ean=9780399168031" target="_blank">B&N</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Painted-Sky-Stacey-Lee-ebook/dp/B00KWG5Z70/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443108443&sr=1-1&keywords=under+a+painted+sky" target="_blank">AMAZON</a>, and the <a href="http://bookdepository.com/Under-a-Painted-Sky/9780399168031" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>.<br />
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<h3>
AN ABC REVIEW OF UNDER A PAINTED SKY</h3>
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<h4>
ACTION </h4>
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For me, the pacing was perfect. Even in "slower" scenes there was tension to keep me reading. And Stacey had a magical way of weaving humor into some of the tenser scenes, keeping me laughing AND on the edge of my seat at the same time.<br />
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<h4>
BACKDROP</h4>
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UNDER A PAINTED SKY takes place along the Oregon Trail and Stacey masterfully recreated the setting, making the reader feel like they're actually there with the characters. I really felt like Stacey did tons of research on the time period and showed the struggles Sammy and Andy would've had to face while traveling through the west in disguise. Stacey also weaved in information about the Chinese Zodiac, which I found really interesting.<br />
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<h4>
CHARACTERS</h4>
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I loved the characters sooo much! They're great. One of the best things in UNDER A PAINTED SKY is the friendship that develops between Sammy/Samantha, the main character, and Andy/Annamae. Andy and Sammy are really smart and resourceful, and I loved that about them. Along their journey, they meet a group of cowboys: Peety, Cay, and West. If you like cowboys, you'll LOVE this trio. They made me laugh a lot!<br />
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For me, it's hard to pick a favorite character because they're all fleshed out and real and I LOVE them all. <i>But</i> my favorite of the cowboys is probably West! ;)<br />
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...SO I really think you should treat yourself and read UNDER A PAINTED SKY!!! ;)<br />
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If you've read UNDER A PAINTED SKY, what did you love about it? Your favorite character?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-2216312255313064232015-07-25T15:22:00.000-07:002015-07-25T15:22:02.002-07:00Top Ten Influential Albums<br />
For me, music and writing are interconnected. I listen to music while I write, I get writing inspiration from songs, and some songs remind me of my manuscripts or characters. THE TREASURE HUNT and my current WIP are extremely influenced by music—they wouldn't exist without it.<br />
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Music is also influential to everyday life. Certain songs or albums can take you back to a specific time and place (good or bad). Music shapes our lives. I don't have a musical bone in my body (I think my parents cursed me by naming me Melody), but music is very important for my writing and visual art.<br />
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In no particular order, here are my Top Ten Influential Albums for my life and writing:<br />
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1.) They're Only Chasing Safety - Underoath</h4>
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This album will <i>always</i> take me back to grad school and when I first started dating my husband. For our first official date, we saw Underoath in Boston when they toured for this album.<br />
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2.) The <i>Jurassic Park</i> soundtrack</h4>
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I was <i>so</i> obsessed with Jurassic Park when I was in middle school. (As an adult too, to be honest.) When I wasn't watching the movie or rereading the book, I would listen to it on cassette over and over, picturing scenes from the movie.<br />
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3.) All's Well That Ends Well - Chiodos</h4>
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This is another album that reminds me of grad school. Also, it reminds me of my first job after college, working in special education at the local middle school...and the days of Myspace (where I heard them for the first time). <br />
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4.) Metallica (the black album) - Metallica</h4>
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Metallica's self-titled album was a HUGE influence for THE TREASURE HUNT. I actually changed the time period (in an earlier version of the manuscript) to include this album because it was so important to my characters, especially the song, "Nothing Else Matters."<br />
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5.) A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - Panic! At The Disco</h4>
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I LOVED Panic! when I was in grad school, and I saw them in concert <u>at least</u> twice. It's funny, I hadn't listened to this album in years and when I listened to it again recently, I still knew all the lyrics. I think this is one of the funnest albums to listen to.<br />
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6.) Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd</h4>
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Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band. And if I had to pick a go-to album by them, it would be Wish You Were Here. When I draw or paint, I almost always listen to Pink Floyd. For me, they're so inspiring.<br />
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7.) The <i>Game of Thrones</i> season 1 soundtrack</h4>
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I drafted STRANGE ATTRACTORS while listening to nothing but this soundtrack. It's great writing music, especially when you're writing something epic like fantasy or sci-fi.<br />
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8.) Selfish Machines - Pierce the Veil</h4>
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Pierce the Veil gives me ALL THE writing feels. Their songs could seriously be the soundtrack for all my contemporary manuscripts. And I just love them. ;)<br />
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9.) Sixteen Stone - Bush</h4>
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Besides the <i>Jurassic Park</i> soundtrack, I didn't really listen to music in middle school. I'd just listen to whatever my parents were listening to...until I was introduced to Sixteen Stone. Instead of boybands, my friends and I had Bush.<br />
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10.) The <i>Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring</i> soundtrack</h4>
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When I was in college, I listened to this over and over when I was in my room doing homework or drawing. Now it's great writing music. "Concerning Hobbits" makes me happy—I dare you to listen to it and not smile.<br />
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What are some of your favorite or inspirational albums?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-43321351707705079132015-06-07T12:05:00.000-07:002015-09-25T09:00:12.028-07:00Top Ten Favorites<br />
These are my current Top Ten Favorites:<br />
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1. The TV show <b>SILICON VALLEY</b> on HBO. It is seriously one of the funniest shows, ever. It's rare that my husband and I find a sitcom we both enjoy. (And thanks to my friend Erin who introduced me to it last year!)<br />
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2. <b>The writing community</b>—especially people like <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">Brenda Drake</a> who generously spend so much of their own time running contests and helping out new writers. (Yay for Team Coffeehouse!)<br />
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3. <b>White chocolate raspberry iced lattes</b>—my new favorite drink from Starbucks. (Half white chocolate mocha syrup and half raspberry syrup.)<br />
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4. <b>Maxi dresses</b> are the best invention next to yoga pants. They are as comfy as yoga pants, but you look dressed up! (I only wish they had pockets because I need a place for my lip gloss and phone.)<br />
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5. <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-a-painted-sky-stacey-lee/1119671447?ean=9780399168031" target="_blank">UNDER A PAINTED SKY</a> by Stacey Lee</b>. I finished this a couple weeks ago, but I can't stop thinking about it. I loved, loved the characters. So great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI2wm7cibYlUPjuPLkXZOOa0pyLbCVw3EGE5-55z7iK-mPxpUCEeRyRG75owYJjNJIOYFyreZBNRyLXYcoLqaHhqFEJ8yYmL4R7WE4TeOP3_uRM-IgxeX7xiRF0Ze2QGinCXMNMZ6xxQ/s640/blogger-image-476437933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI2wm7cibYlUPjuPLkXZOOa0pyLbCVw3EGE5-55z7iK-mPxpUCEeRyRG75owYJjNJIOYFyreZBNRyLXYcoLqaHhqFEJ8yYmL4R7WE4TeOP3_uRM-IgxeX7xiRF0Ze2QGinCXMNMZ6xxQ/s640/blogger-image-476437933.jpg" /></a></div>
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6. <b>TONIGHT ALIVE</b>. I can't stop listening to them! Jenna McDougall, the lead singer, seems super cool. I totally want to use her an inspiration for a novel. This is one of my fave songs, "The Ocean."<br />
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7. <b>Lay's Limón chips</b>. Not gonna lie, I could seriously eat an entire bag by myself.<br />
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8. <b> MAD MAX : FURY ROAD</b> was even better than people said. It's one giant car chase that doesn't let up. Usually, I don't like car chases in action movies, but this was just awesome. You have to see it. And if you've already seen it, you should see it again.<br />
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9. <b>Recognizing awesome people</b>! I went to the <a href="http://www.edies.org/" target="_blank">EDIES</a> last night (NH Excellence in Education Awards) in support of my case manager who won special education teacher of the year. She goes above and beyond for her students, staff, and our school—every single day. She's seriously super woman, and I can't think of someone more deserving of the award. <br />
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10. There is only one more week until <b>ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK</b> is back! Should I pace myself or binge-watch the entire season???<br />
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What are some of your favorite things?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-40077680318496820412015-05-21T03:46:00.000-07:002015-05-22T11:58:12.689-07:00The Writers Voice: THE TREASURE HUNT<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">Query:</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Dear Mentors/Judges,</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br />
When sixteen-year-old Benjamin McGill is shipped off to Bay Haven, ME, to stay with his grandmother for the summer, it’s not a vacation—it’s a punishment. With nothing to do in this lazy tourist town but run errands for Gran and clean up after her evil cat, Ben’s thrilled when he receives a letter from a secret admirer with promises of a treasure hunt. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Ben follows clues to a cafe where he befriends Mitch, a long-haired metal head, and Jennifer, a chain-smoking extrovert. When Jennifer learns about the treasure hunt, she invites Mitch and herself along. But Gran says they're devil-worshippers, which forces Ben to sneak behind her back to see them. Despite this, his summer picks up, like a heavy guitar solo in the middle of a power ballad.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">But when Ben starts making metal playlists on Spotify and daydreaming about Mitch's long hair and stubbly jaw, he realizes he wants to be more than friends. Just one problem—Mitch is full of mixed messages, acting like he has a thing for Jennifer one moment, and letting his hand linger next to Ben's the next. </span><br />
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Now Ben must decide if he should risk everything and tell Mitch how he feels, or play it safe and continue the games with his secret admirer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">THE TREASURE HUNT, a 69,000 word standalone, is a YA contemporary with a bisexual main character that may appeal to music fans, especially those interested in post-hardcore and metal. It's DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES meets SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">First 250:</span></h4>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">TRACK 1</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">“Daggers Speak Louder Than Words”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">-Alesana</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Skating was like flying. If my mother was criticizing my clothes or my step-father was questioning why I had so many pictures of “that skinny tattooed drummer” in my room, I could get on my skateboard and take off, leaving all that shit behind. Nothing could touch me when I was airborne. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">But when I was grounded (in more ways than one), stuck at home because my end of the year grades were less than stellar, music was the only thing that could keep me sane. Thank god my mother had no idea I owned an iPod shuffle, otherwise she would’ve taken it away during my sentencing last night.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">After making sure my bedroom door was closed, I put a hand under my pillow and grabbed my iPod. I sprawled out on my bed and pressed play, turning the volume down so I’d be able to hear if someone was coming. “Stained Glass Eyes And Colorful Tears” by Pierce the Veil played first. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Oh, god. A chill went through me, hearing Vic’s emotion-filled voice, and goosebumps traveled up my arms. My eyes watered, so I wiped them, eyeliner coloring my fingers. I rubbed the teary-makeup on my jeans, and then I replayed the song when it was over because I liked to torture myself, apparently. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Ugh. This was <i>not</i> how I imagined I’d be spending my first day of summer vacation. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Thanks for reading! Good luck, everyone! :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-82738845741225717842015-04-27T14:01:00.002-07:002015-09-25T09:01:10.557-07:00Top Ten Favorites <br />
My latest Top Ten Favorites:<br />
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1.) <b>Revising an old manuscript</b>. When I got inspired to revise one of my early manuscripts, I was super-excited. I don't have a lot of free time right now to write (because of my work schedule), and it's harder for me to get in drafting mode than revising mode. So this is the perfect thing for me to do right now. Plus, I finally figured out what was wrong with it after letting it sit for 3+ years!<br />
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2.) <b>This chocolate</b> from my CP <a href="http://www.juliedao.com/" target="_blank">Julie Dao</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUUBpZ2Ln-fed4b3VxcgZrO1I4h7dGtJNGOmVvsr1Pxm-80kcBkMmU5N2Pe7UBpvD4p90-sfcaeyYMz1YAEey2FEbNuePFTqZ1YcLYe5f_1Jc_rHSIR1lOos4pNeo5qqhNUcTXGcvj5A/s640/blogger-image-893875874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUUBpZ2Ln-fed4b3VxcgZrO1I4h7dGtJNGOmVvsr1Pxm-80kcBkMmU5N2Pe7UBpvD4p90-sfcaeyYMz1YAEey2FEbNuePFTqZ1YcLYe5f_1Jc_rHSIR1lOos4pNeo5qqhNUcTXGcvj5A/s640/blogger-image-893875874.jpg" /></a></div>
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Chocolate covered potato chips! Do I need to say anything else? Nope. Go buy some!<br />
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3.) <b>GAME OF THRONES is back</b> on TV. My husband isn't as excited because there are tons of "This didn't happen in the books!" from me... whoops :)<br />
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4.) April <b>vacation</b>! This means yoga pants and hoodies and writing every day! Woohoo!<br />
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5.) <b>Date nights at the bookstore</b> (Barnes and Noble)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PF1TXfk3ZFNHl9m3toCcj1eFsnklbyAEn_3Mm8ku-S2E_-rJsjn2_vGr2yVBaRbwAl0FELfByQA9QE9PGD9MYfmazm6BdQ7V_H5kkKZbn5-PZ0_tNvW6w5UW89XxUR6cIsQI_vNCWDU/s640/blogger-image--76761312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PF1TXfk3ZFNHl9m3toCcj1eFsnklbyAEn_3Mm8ku-S2E_-rJsjn2_vGr2yVBaRbwAl0FELfByQA9QE9PGD9MYfmazm6BdQ7V_H5kkKZbn5-PZ0_tNvW6w5UW89XxUR6cIsQI_vNCWDU/s640/blogger-image--76761312.jpg" /></a></div>
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From the cafe: I got a tall caramel flan (iced) latte and my husband got a chocolate cupcake. From the bookstore: I got THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger and my husband got HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill.<br />
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6.) The <b>caramel flan latte</b> from Starbucks. So good!<br />
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7.) <b>Writer friends</b>. I'm super-lucky to have super-awesome, supportive writer friends. And it's really great to come home from a long day at work and find a package in the mail from a CP or Pitch Wars mentor! <333<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4o-5YJYv8ruFmqGcgEBB-Qatb5d2Wr2L6r6A4Pw-ktT_yehP9Rq6uNqN_ihWh_K4wdthiuXQLX_VK249yxY7QeQ10NJf7YQ9K5cYr73xU2IoGBBnaJaVd7F2iyEpD5RlQbbcMUuCZ14/s640/blogger-image-1133900011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4o-5YJYv8ruFmqGcgEBB-Qatb5d2Wr2L6r6A4Pw-ktT_yehP9Rq6uNqN_ihWh_K4wdthiuXQLX_VK249yxY7QeQ10NJf7YQ9K5cYr73xU2IoGBBnaJaVd7F2iyEpD5RlQbbcMUuCZ14/s640/blogger-image-1133900011.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the lovely Julie Dao</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU45Ir4hC4T9_HmE2Wa-etR3kmPUZQOR42Kn1rhZjG04KbgpC8qdqhg1h6GY3gEGLEpSRWXZmwusLFOwdyXeSbos3OaIRXghYiG5rvbcs3r_Llu-tBmKkltM-F_Zf_Ip0jKTRFGmkGDKQ/s640/blogger-image--1201917838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU45Ir4hC4T9_HmE2Wa-etR3kmPUZQOR42Kn1rhZjG04KbgpC8qdqhg1h6GY3gEGLEpSRWXZmwusLFOwdyXeSbos3OaIRXghYiG5rvbcs3r_Llu-tBmKkltM-F_Zf_Ip0jKTRFGmkGDKQ/s640/blogger-image--1201917838.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the awesome Stephanie Garber</td></tr>
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8.)<b> Being able to buy books by people I "know"</b> (on Twitter, through other friends, etc). It's just so cool!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrK-4Pw2ekgHOFAjDV_2ntzvBsBrYzuqIpnur_Evlk1kqI-6bv-27Ef0WAVf2pIWLCSOCso1xxSyPeH4ooWDn_UNd7QOczi1R_4w5D7dLqDhV63KEFTqZuWAU26uSb0n2C6A7jYp8C0I/s640/blogger-image-2011313555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrK-4Pw2ekgHOFAjDV_2ntzvBsBrYzuqIpnur_Evlk1kqI-6bv-27Ef0WAVf2pIWLCSOCso1xxSyPeH4ooWDn_UNd7QOczi1R_4w5D7dLqDhV63KEFTqZuWAU26uSb0n2C6A7jYp8C0I/s640/blogger-image-2011313555.jpg" /></a></div>
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9.) <b>"Rebel Love Song" by Black Veil Brides</b>. The song makes me think of my manuscript THE TREASURE HUNT. (My characters should totally be in the video instead of that couple!) ;P<br />
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10.) <b>Plants vs. Zombies 2</b>. I randomly started playing it again and I can't get enough. It's so fun!<br />
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What are your favorite things?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-69559899823670364092015-02-27T07:43:00.001-08:002015-05-23T09:00:36.734-07:00Top Ten Favorites<br />
I thought I'd post about my top ten favorite things at the moment.<br />
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1.) The new <b>rocky road syrup</b> at Dunkin Donuts. I don't like rocky road ice cream, but I loooove this coffee flavor! OMG. It's <i>so</i> good.<br />
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2.) The song <b>"Kick Me" by Sleeping with Sirens</b>. I can't stop listening to it. LOVE it! And I really like the video. I saw them this month and they opened the show with this song. (Explicit lyrics)<br />
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3.) Even though I read it during Christmas break, I can't stop thinking about <b>I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson</b>. Love love love this book! I went shopping for a friend's birthday the other day, and I was going to buy her the book, until I realized I already bought it for her at Christmas. Ha ha! If you haven't read it, you NEED to. Seriously.<br />
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4.) BREAKING BAD's spin-off series <b>BETTER CALL SAUL</b>. It's so good. And dark. And funny. And every time a character from BREAKING BAD makes an appearance, I squee! I hate waiting week-to-week to watch a new episode.<br />
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5.) <b>Writing contests</b>. I love them! The contest aspect is awesome, but I love them because they're a great way to make writer friends. I just entered <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-madness/" target="_blank">Pitch Madness</a> for the first time. The wait to find out if I've been picked is killer, but that's part of the fun. Fingers crossed!<br />
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6.) <b>New socks</b>. I bought a six pack of Puma neon ankle socks and they're awesome. They're super cushy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAZaOJkrkZD7inHayQ7FcAeV7AIIdav_DIDbjWLwEV4oXOKTPcNbjWJ2A5gU4k5nQ4qaZRZEQl_sqjCWTCIj_YQ0WIPP3bwOtc1KvmsbqGZq84GkXRMKklfHCQW55YRr2_pnMegsEunc/s640/blogger-image--1389934666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAZaOJkrkZD7inHayQ7FcAeV7AIIdav_DIDbjWLwEV4oXOKTPcNbjWJ2A5gU4k5nQ4qaZRZEQl_sqjCWTCIj_YQ0WIPP3bwOtc1KvmsbqGZq84GkXRMKklfHCQW55YRr2_pnMegsEunc/s320/blogger-image--1389934666.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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7.) <b>Writer friends getting literary agents</b>. Two of my CPs got agents (within a week of each other!) this month. Yay!!!<br />
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8.) <b>Vacation</b>. I'm on vacation this week. Woohoo! No explanation necessary, right?<br />
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9.) <b>SPOTIFY</b>. I don't know how I lived without it.<br />
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10.) Spending my Sunday nights watching <b>THE WALKING DEAD</b> with my husband and dogs. Soon, it'll be replaced with GAME OF THRONES and my husband will have to listen to me complain about the differences between show and books. (Because that's <i>totally</i> his favorite part!)<br />
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What are some of your favorite things at the moment?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-45337752278388651412015-02-22T10:09:00.000-08:002015-02-22T10:09:41.737-08:00Terrible Titles Bloghop: The Treasure Hunt<br />
My lovely CP and friend Julie Dao tagged me for the Terrible Titles Bloghop. Julie recently signed with Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency. Read her I HAVE AN AGENT post <a href="http://www.juliedao.com/2015/02/i-have-agent.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Anyway! On to the post:<br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Here are the rules</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">: Writers scroll through their manuscript and stop in random places. Whatever words/phrase the cursor lands on becomes one of eight terrible titles.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">1. THE OLD LOBSTER TRAPS</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">2. GLANCING BACK AT HIM</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">3. I DON'T NORMALLY LIKE COFFEE</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">4. SEE YOU LATER, BEN</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">5. FOOTSTEPS ON THE STAIRS</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">6. ALMOST BREAKING MY RIBS</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">7. WHICH WAS RIDICULOUS</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">8. LIKE KNIFE SOMEBODY?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">My cursor kept stopping on giant blank spaces, so it took me a while to get all eight. I think I'm partial to I DON'T NORMALLY LIKE COFFEE and LIKE KNIFE SOMEBODY?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Have you done the Terrible Titles Bloghop? What are your favorites? If you'd like me to tag you, let me know in the comments!</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-57764431029125911342015-01-21T06:40:00.000-08:002015-08-26T10:12:28.121-07:00Artsy Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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(Visual) Art and writing are interconnected, I think. </div>
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Sometimes I try to sketch my characters. Sometimes I draw maps of the world. I almost always make Pinspiration boards on Pinterest. But I've never made an actual inspiration/positivity/vision board before. </div>
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After talking with my CPs about staying positive through the ups and downs of writing and where they find inspiration, I thought it would be fun to make an inspirational collage/vision board for my current manuscript and writing as a way to stay positive. </div>
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Here is the (almost) final product:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1IZDuhjNzcAcjs6FbwmuGxVqXp6X1-d6OLg6XebOiGYG1vFRGxnySPrD-sxTOS-9xf7A1ZuGWdxQ6KbHNBJkGgiEiCkvmRJwX1jvJ3s6DlhWq9yM-7U3WfIlB7iqV0mKE7N_mVTkPlA/s640/blogger-image--1974523884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1IZDuhjNzcAcjs6FbwmuGxVqXp6X1-d6OLg6XebOiGYG1vFRGxnySPrD-sxTOS-9xf7A1ZuGWdxQ6KbHNBJkGgiEiCkvmRJwX1jvJ3s6DlhWq9yM-7U3WfIlB7iqV0mKE7N_mVTkPlA/s640/blogger-image--1974523884.jpg" /></a></div>
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I clipped pictures and phrases out of magazines, printed out quotes I found online, and even sketched/wrote things myself. </div>
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Here are some close ups and explanations:<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPR61-4hL8W7gWIUf4fAc8AmL_7QTaovMyibFaXuoU4Sz1A_qihjC7agzOB64o544SQMCG5oiCNFAuCbQ4C01qs-WdN4cqzEtroYhFoBc1kbmk4bhRnd_DYzvbEbm-VrgmkdQKQq5ghs/s640/blogger-image--771581785.jpg" /></div>
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"Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure."</div>
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I think that's the perfect quote for writing and querying. It's so hard to stay positive all the time, but a good attitude can make all the difference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsubAkDb9Tsxy8wRRjpQ0yMw8LiPSQRuH91TFofgCg8e4uwCJSHbKQMwj_SLB6l4DDPCFAhZi-lEQXJPnD99OeeM3d7z3UtiV9kpYTSovExQFX_ePtKV_Oe7YC-xx9PURaVPqq8dlZoBY/s1600/blogger-image--1566768218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsubAkDb9Tsxy8wRRjpQ0yMw8LiPSQRuH91TFofgCg8e4uwCJSHbKQMwj_SLB6l4DDPCFAhZi-lEQXJPnD99OeeM3d7z3UtiV9kpYTSovExQFX_ePtKV_Oe7YC-xx9PURaVPqq8dlZoBY/s640/blogger-image--1566768218.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Hope, but never expect. Look forward, but never wait."</div>
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This quote reminds me of something my friend once told me, "Go into something with positive intention, not expectation." Intention and expectation sound similar, but I think with intention you're putting your positivity out into the universe, not expecting something in return. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh61Vvz3DhOiw1wTO9PSh6nnELMHDbNwbz52bxmChyphenhyphenjpSOFt9OPpTCUCHlu5CLpAZRlXJ6Qbm4zi96rI0DL8ieR3pdM81KM-X_oBmDjJixaN1fqqhAyfvxlbLXmpHQ1vGsIgG8ixOwpU/s640/blogger-image--1979347625.jpg" /></div>
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"Make it simple, but significant." </div>
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This reminds me of my awesome Pitch Wars mentor <a href="http://www.jessiedevineauthor.com/" target="_blank">Jessie Devine</a>. I was trying too hard with my prose, attempting to make it "fancier" than it needed to be. He taught me how to simplify it. I ended up cutting over 5k of filler from THE TREASURE HUNT with his help.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRzlr_0-6NLOX8x5QkIAMzLwy-nNidCBb7KMEbGbN0IOP0xhcHKPkRTDu9RkYFlcpp-3R9rW_VlenQP1H4mYJISxw6alhxa-ix0_kyQQ5mojQWcstgj8h4GoDYODbFI-yCUt6BhyphenhyphenVZwo/s640/blogger-image--1987187190.jpg" /></div>
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I found this four-leaf clover in my yard. Obviously, I thought a little good luck wouldn't hurt! :)<br />
(And that picture of Dylan O'Brien is how I imagine my MC's personality—well, more like his character's personality on Teen Wolf!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCua9ryAi9FYtWGqWVM0c8f85Cy-n_hfs8L80lBeM1qV559XYZQcCEQrt_0iXPWY05pWgBXZv57O8adcfqR4FVqz2RsRs1TK-A78bzPEFYbeS3fd5FArN7HvKAP-vRteSY-x4V4-JHoA/s640/blogger-image-1508320503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCua9ryAi9FYtWGqWVM0c8f85Cy-n_hfs8L80lBeM1qV559XYZQcCEQrt_0iXPWY05pWgBXZv57O8adcfqR4FVqz2RsRs1TK-A78bzPEFYbeS3fd5FArN7HvKAP-vRteSY-x4V4-JHoA/s640/blogger-image-1508320503.jpg" /></a></div>
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This musical-looking sketch represents my first Pitch Wars team: Team PPU. When the lovely <a href="http://www.stephaniegarberwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Garber</a> picked me as her second alternate in 2013, it was my first writing-related ego boost. It was <i>huge</i> for me. (Thanks, Stephanie! <3) </div>
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My teammates, <a href="http://www.juliedao.com/" target="_blank">Julie Dao</a> and <a href="http://katebucklein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Katie Bucklein</a>, are two of my closest writer friends. We've been through so much together, so I wanted to give Team PPU, as a whole, positive vibes! The anchor represents Katie's PW book, the music represents Julie's, and the stars represent mine. </div>
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What do you do when you're brainstorming/writing/editing a manuscript? Do you sketch your characters? Make collages? Draw maps? Make vision boards?</div>
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If you'd like to be tagged in an Artsy Writing blog tour, let me know in the comments!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-21389290867678413692014-10-14T07:03:00.000-07:002014-10-14T07:10:44.707-07:00Meet My Character!<br />
I've been tagged by the lovely <a href="http://literaryemilykate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily Kate Muyskens</a> to participate in the Writerly Meme (Meet My Character) blog tour. I think you're supposed to use meme(s) to describe/show your character and answer several questions about your character. (I hope I'm doing this right!)<br />
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Instead of introducing Ben, my protagonist, I thought it'd be fun to introduce a character he befriends. She's important behind the scenes and was really fun to write.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFpUxKDmqiKFJ1XqPgfX02Vf9rdTKBdNdySBOkzJxMIZvPS6Gj1Sjc3njA9448Aa3UJQpBJFOIhaXMZf_ier-Mf1JENNfekgT-yp2xj52waDPqZ-Qou73nTmSoVhMfYBLivI8NZHwpHo/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFpUxKDmqiKFJ1XqPgfX02Vf9rdTKBdNdySBOkzJxMIZvPS6Gj1Sjc3njA9448Aa3UJQpBJFOIhaXMZf_ier-Mf1JENNfekgT-yp2xj52waDPqZ-Qou73nTmSoVhMfYBLivI8NZHwpHo/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer loves long-haired guys</td></tr>
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1. What is the name of your character? Is she a fictional person or a historic person?</h4>
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Jennifer is fictional, but she could <i>totally</i> be real.<br />
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2. When and where is the story set?</h4>
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The story takes place during the summer of 1992 in Bay Haven, Maine. (A fictional tourist town on Maine's coast.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3deQGBCmoNQKQtO5ajxSk1WsUpdPs944CnGjhkSpGwvd45YcBY3RrwltBtB-mUTgR36jGs2TDGBdoY6M8fNQ1bukVlMTUQZOiprzcdwDb20dALlu3ur9d0yoF5wZavvPw5s3aKMGiKE/s1600/Metallicat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3deQGBCmoNQKQtO5ajxSk1WsUpdPs944CnGjhkSpGwvd45YcBY3RrwltBtB-mUTgR36jGs2TDGBdoY6M8fNQ1bukVlMTUQZOiprzcdwDb20dALlu3ur9d0yoF5wZavvPw5s3aKMGiKE/s1600/Metallicat.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Mittens?</td></tr>
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3. What should we know about your character?</h4>
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She's eighteen, a chain-smoker, a metal head (glam metal is her fave sub-genre), blonde, tattooed, and obsessed with Bret Michaels. Her best friend is Mitch. She's not afraid to sing at the top of her lungs in a car full of people.<br />
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4. What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?</h4>
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<i>Her</i> main conflict (not the conflict of the story) is probably that she's stuck in Maine and has no way of following Poison across the country on tour. Plus, Bret Michaels has no idea she exists.<br />
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5. What is the personal goal of the character?</h4>
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Besides meeting Bret and getting him to fall in love with her, Jennifer's main goal is to live life to its fullest. She's not afraid to take chances.<br />
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6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?</h4>
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Yes. It's called THE TREASURE HUNT.<br />
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7. When can we expect the book to be published?</h4>
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Someday, hopefully!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fufO2jr3rJv8AKdXGK9Z_7xpyONgv4ApQ0DhYztE-On7gH-wmYFxOjBzbk_iU4QSUlMYnTINmOm-gVAn53vRVlcRRIJilon1ml-kmI953R-kD7oQVnJdpoN3eozKWeYBm-UGsFPVO0M/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fufO2jr3rJv8AKdXGK9Z_7xpyONgv4ApQ0DhYztE-On7gH-wmYFxOjBzbk_iU4QSUlMYnTINmOm-gVAn53vRVlcRRIJilon1ml-kmI953R-kD7oQVnJdpoN3eozKWeYBm-UGsFPVO0M/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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I tag my awesome CP and friend <a href="http://katebucklein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Katie Bucklein</a>. She writes epic fantasy about pirates and sea monsters! If you'd also like to be tagged, let me know in the comments!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-69370109236104229112014-08-10T13:46:00.000-07:002014-08-13T09:03:12.802-07:00Pitch Wars Bio<br />
Hello!<br />
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I'm Melody Marshall, and I'm entering THE TREASURE HUNT, a YA contemporary, into Pitch Wars 2014.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLLm1EKcNpPhKFlee0A-8EV16YXjP51C3n6wMlObCWpDkibIGpUV6p31cDPzz5tt-Ztt2pvRFW1km6Zw1spkOTNX0gysO4hnvya2ln01r0em1tnrvuZ9SmvGcR4aSxC1NSNMHQSSf0uk/s1600/DSC01714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLLm1EKcNpPhKFlee0A-8EV16YXjP51C3n6wMlObCWpDkibIGpUV6p31cDPzz5tt-Ztt2pvRFW1km6Zw1spkOTNX0gysO4hnvya2ln01r0em1tnrvuZ9SmvGcR4aSxC1NSNMHQSSf0uk/s1600/DSC01714.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London in April 2010</td></tr>
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A little about me:</h4>
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I live in New Hampshire with my husband, two pit bulls, and cat. I have a BA in Communication Arts, and I also have an MEd in Secondary Education with art certification. I've worked in daycare/education since I was in high school. All my hobbies are related to creativity: drawing, painting, photography, and writing.<br />
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For a while, I considered myself to be a YA sci-fi/fantasy writer… until I had the idea for THE TREASURE HUNT. It took a while to wrap my head around writing something without magic or sci-fi elements (or how it'd fit in with my other mss), but I eventually realized THE TREASURE HUNT is closer to my heart than anything else I've written.<br />
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Okay, I feel awkward talking about myself, so I'll just list some random things about me:<br />
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<li>I dip potato chips in yellow mustard.</li>
<li>Spaceballs was my favorite movie growing up. My brother and I could recite the entire thing. (He was always Lone Starr and I was always Barf.) I asked my brother to get a Spaceballs tattoo with me, but I haven't been able to convince him…<i>yet</i>.</li>
<li>In middle school, I only read adult sci-fi. (Mostly Michael Crichton.) JURASSIC PARK is still one of my favorite books/movies.</li>
<li>I love the Real Housewives on Bravo. I don't even care. (If you're curious, Orange County and Atlanta are my favorite cities.)</li>
<li>I'm obsessed with A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE by George R. R. Martin. So far, A STORM OF SWORDS is my favorite in the series. I <i>love</i> Tyrion and Arya. </li>
<li>Even though spring and fall are my favorite seasons, I LOVE snow days.</li>
<li>I <i>always</i> have lip gloss with me.</li>
<li>I like a range of music from One Direction to Metallica to Ellie Goulding. My favorite band/singer to listen to is always changing, but Pink Floyd is my absolute favorite band, <i>ever</i>.</li>
<li>I try to eat vegetarian most of the time.</li>
<li>I prefer to write in the morning.</li>
<li>I really like Teen Wolf, but I can't convince any of my friends to watch with me. This makes me super sad. </li>
<li>Believe it or not, Doctor Who (River Song in particular) inspired me to write THE TREASURE HUNT.</li>
<li>I collect foreign editions of HARRY POTTER.</li>
<li>I really like Star Wars, but I'd <i>totally</i> fail a trivia contest! For some reason, I can't keep names and places straight in that universe. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Las Vegas in 2012</td></tr>
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<b>Some of my favorite books/series: </b>HARRY POTTER (The Half-Blood Prince if I had to pick a favorite), A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE by George R.R. Martin (ASOS!), VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead, UNWIND by Neal Shusterman, THE UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld, SLOPPY FIRSTS by Megan McCafferty, FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell, JURASSIC PARK by Michael Crichton, PERCY JACKSON by Rick Riordan, DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn, THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Anne Rice, and NIGHT by Elie Wiesel. I could list a ton more, but those are just some off the top of my head.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie with my puppy</td></tr>
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<b>Some of my favorite movies: </b>Jurassic Park, Beetlejuice, Pitch Perfect, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lion King, Back to the Future 1&2, The Wedding Singer, Hot Tub Time Machine, Spaceballs, A League of Their Own, and Terminator 2.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackson is never amused</td></tr>
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<b>Some of my favorite TV shows:</b> The Walking Dead, The Real Housewives, Teen Wolf, The Originals, Supernatural, Modern Family, Mad Men, season 1 of Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Orange is the New Black, BBC Sherlock, Project Runway, and Doctor Who.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They think you should pick me for Pitch Wars!</td></tr>
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Many thanks to Brenda Drake and all the mentors involved in Pitch Wars! Good luck to all the contestants! <3<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-77443020736852019422014-07-26T12:49:00.001-07:002014-10-14T07:09:44.387-07:00The Writing Process Blog Tour<br />
Hello!<br />
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The lovely EM Castellan invited me to join the Writing Process Blog Tour. She's super-sweet and is my CP's CP. (Does that make us CP cousins or something?) She's represented by Erin Niumata of Folio Literary and writes YA fantasy. She's also a contributor at <a href="http://thereanddraftagain.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">There and Draft Again</a>. You can find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EMCastellan" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or her <a href="http://emcastellan.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> (where she always uses the coolest GIFs).<br />
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What am I currently working on?</h4>
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I'm currently revising a YA romance called THE TREASURE HUNT, which I'm hoping will be done in time to enter Pitch Wars in August. TTH takes place in a coastal town in Maine during the summer of 1992. There's a treasure hunt, mixed-tapes, a secret admirer, and lots of late '80s and early '90s metal. (<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/melodymwrites/the-treasure-hunt/" target="_blank">Here's</a> my inspiration board if you're interested!)<br />
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How does my work differ from others of its genre?</h4>
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I usually write sci-fi or fantasy, so THE TREASURE HUNT differs from everything else I've ever written. But as far as how it differs from other YA romances, I'd say I haven't seen too many featuring metal heads. Also, my characters are often wooed by their love interests with food and drink.<br />
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Why do I write what I write?</h4>
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As EM Castellan said in her post, I write things that I'd like to read. As a writer, you have to read your manuscript AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN, so it's important you write something you wouldn't mind reading over and over!<br />
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How does my individual writing process work?</h4>
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I write down all my ideas in a Word Doc, so I don't forget them. When I have an idea that won't go away and I find myself thinking about it <b>all the time</b>, I realize it's time to work on it. I'm not much of a plotter. I usually have an idea about how it ends, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get there. (STRANGE ATTRACTORS is probably the only manuscript I really tried to plot out.) With THE TREASURE HUNT, I just started writing. I thought I knew a few things that were going to happen, but my characters ended up making up their own minds about how things were going to go. Other than the secret admirer and the treasure hunt, I figured the story out as I went.<br />
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I don't share my writing with anyone until I've gone through the rough draft a few times. I usually send my manuscript to one CP at a time. After I get their critique, I revise what needs to be revised before sending it to someone else, and so on.<br />
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Now it's time to tag some friends!</h4>
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My wonderful CP <a href="http://stephsessa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Steph Sessa</a> who writes YA SF. Because of her, I'm obsessed with Doctor Who (especially Eleven)!<br />
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My writer friend <a href="http://literaryemilykate.blogspot.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">Emily Kate Muyskens</a> who writes YA SF/F. We met through an online writing contest, and we also met in real life(!) at the NESCBWI conference in Springfield, MA.<br />
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If you'd like to be tagged, let me know in the comments! :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-63905019019482479792014-07-12T07:34:00.001-07:002014-07-12T10:41:49.276-07:00An ABC Review of MORE THAN MUSIC & RRR Interview with Elizabeth Briggs<br />
I recently purchased and read the e-book for MORE THAN MUSIC by <a href="http://www.elizabethbriggs.net/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Briggs</a>. I really liked it and thought it'd be fun to do another ABC review and RRR interview. (If you missed my first ABC/RRR post, it's <a href="http://melodymarshallwrites.blogspot.com/2014/05/an-abc-review-of-blackfin-sky-rrr.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) So here we go!<br />
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Here's the book blurb for MORE THAN MUSIC:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Music major Maddie Taylor just finished her junior year of college and has a summer internship lined up with the LA Philharmonic, yet every night she practices guitar and secretly dreams of a louder life. But geeky girls like her don't get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The Sound, a reality TV show competition.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Once on the show, Maddie discovers there's more to Jared than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation - and that he's just as big a geek as she is. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but when the show pressures them to stay single they're forced to keep their relationship secret.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zXvCViNVXHHfFC8ab-Q1O7Uu_DWfz84Wye-LYLerIMZGVQ293CoOgBtQR9ul1z7eQMhtNrIz7KQLyrxjgf20w2EbHVWGxyQEJ7PuEWmQXgH-sV7kLhOrhIPDIEO15OKPOL-gO7LGHP8/s1600/MoreThanMusiceBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zXvCViNVXHHfFC8ab-Q1O7Uu_DWfz84Wye-LYLerIMZGVQ293CoOgBtQR9ul1z7eQMhtNrIz7KQLyrxjgf20w2EbHVWGxyQEJ7PuEWmQXgH-sV7kLhOrhIPDIEO15OKPOL-gO7LGHP8/s1600/MoreThanMusiceBook.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">MORE THAN MUSIC is now available for purchase from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Music-Chasing-Dream-ebook/dp/B00KWSAIMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405006336&sr=8-1&keywords=more+than+music" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-music-elizabeth-briggs/1119713319?ean=9781499607994" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, and <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/more-than-music" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The cover is great, and I loved the cool guitar graphics inside the book. This was super-fun to read--I probably finished it in only a couple sittings. I really loved all the references to super heroes, movies, and real-life bands. <i>Jurassic Park</i> is one of my all-time favorite books/movies, so I especially got a kick out of the <i>Jurassic Park</i>/John Williams reference. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This was actually the first New Adult book I'd ever read, and I think it was a good one for a first-time NA reader. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you like romance, music, reality shows, or super heroes (or villains!), I really think you'll enjoy this book.</span><br />
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AN ABC Review of MORE THAN MUSIC</h3>
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ACTION</h4>
The story moves quickly, which I liked. There's some drama involved with the reality show that I didn't expect, and there's lots of sexual tension that keeps the reader interested. It was easy to get sucked into the story and Elizabeth's writing. Elizabeth's knowledge of and love for music really showed during the performance scenes.<br />
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BACKDROP</h4>
MORE THAN MUSIC mostly takes place on the set of <i>The Sound</i>--a reality TV show. It's easy to picture the setting as you read, especially if you've watched <i>American Idol</i> or <i>The Voice</i>. A good portion of the story takes place behind the scenes of the show, and I thought it was interesting to see what reality show contestants do when they're not in front of the camera.<br />
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CHARACTERS </h4>
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The four main characters--the members of the band--are Maddie, Hector, Jared, and Kyle. Maddie is a sweet, very relatable character. She starts off a bit insecure, not feeling like she fits in, but she soon gains confidence on (and off) stage. Hector is the curly-haired drummer, who probably gives Maddie the hardest time when she first joins the band. Jared and Kyle are brothers. Kyle, the younger brother, is the keyboardist and Maddie's friend at the beginning of the book. Jared is the swoon-worthy singer with a reputation for sleeping around.<br />
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I liked all the characters, and I found it easy to imagine what they were like. Even if I hadn't heard beforehand that Elizabeth pictured Jared Leto as Jared, I still probably would have imagined him as the singer!</div>
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And now a little bit about Elizabeth Briggs:</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG32QckrFKnzJUYfIGgXnXt6K0gYMwPH6zo3cuSMEAzdea78vIZPAPbZgmJrPuC3qPGk1_pfCI9X9gvpQZkPaD1dnOAwuaZzKctjkWoRhIQSOw-EWbF4VfosQD0xbqOqfOxSwoTxJ7vc/s1600/lizphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG32QckrFKnzJUYfIGgXnXt6K0gYMwPH6zo3cuSMEAzdea78vIZPAPbZgmJrPuC3qPGk1_pfCI9X9gvpQZkPaD1dnOAwuaZzKctjkWoRhIQSOw-EWbF4VfosQD0xbqOqfOxSwoTxJ7vc/s1600/lizphoto.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Elizabeth Briggs is a full-time geek who writes books for teens and adults. She plays the guitar, mentors at-risk teens, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of small, fluffy dogs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some MORE THAN MUSIC questions:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I heard you pictured Jared Leto as Jared Cross while writing MORE THAN MUSIC. Did you cast any of the other characters with celebrities?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yep, I picture Jared Cross as a younger Jared Leto, back when he had short hair. I imagine Hector looks like the drummer for Incubus, Jose Pasillas, while Kyle looks like The Neighbourhood's singer, Jesse Rutherford. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If Villain Complex could tour with any real-life band(s), who would they choose?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It would probably be cheating to say Thirty Seconds To Mars, so I’ll go with Linkin Park or Muse – they both put on amazing shows and would probably have a lot of the same fans as Villain Complex.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />If Maddie, Jared, Kyle, and Hector were villains, who would they be?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This will actually come up in one of the novellas, MORE THAN COMICS, when they go to Comic-Con! Jared and Maddie would be the Joker and Harley Quinn, of course. Though I could see them as Magneto and Mystique if we went for X-men villains instead. Jared would also make a pretty hot Loki. But if we stick with a Batman theme (with Maddie’s friends Carla and Julie as Catwoman and Poison Ivy), Hector would be Bane and Kyle would be the Riddler. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reading:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What are you currently reading?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m currently reading FORTUNE’S RISK by Jamie Grey, which is a novella set after her New Adult sci-fi THE STAR THIEF. I love this series!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you bring a book with you every place you go, or do you mainly read in one place?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I mainly read in bed or on my couch, with one of my dogs curled up at my side. I will bring a book (or my kindle) with me if I know I’ll be sitting around somewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What is your favorite book to recommend to other people?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A lot of people ask me for other New Adult books that are light and geeky like mine, so I always point them to MAKE IT COUNT by Megan Erickson. It’s tons of fun and has a nerdy-cute guy in it, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">wRiting:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What time of day do you prefer to write?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I prefer to write in the afternoon and early evening. I tend to do most of the business side of writing in the morning – answering emails, writing blog posts, and so forth – but as soon as that’s done I can start writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you need to eat or drink something while writing?</span></h4>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I write fastest when I chug Coke, but this isn’t particularly good for me, so I’m trying to break this habit.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<div>
</div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you listen to music while writing? If so, do you listen to different types of music while drafting and revising?</span></h4>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I listen to music both when drafting and revising, but the type of music depends on the book. For MORE THAN MUSIC I listened to all the songs the band plays throughout the book on repeat to try to capture the feel of them. But for my YA novels I listened to movie scores, such as Inception and Tron Legacy. This partly inspired Maddie’s love of movie scores!</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Relaxing:</span></h3>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you’re not writing (or thinking about writing), what do you do to unwind?</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I watch TV shows on Netflix for hours until it asks me “are you still watching?” Right now I’m rewatching Scrubs.</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<div>
</div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What’s your not-so-guilty pleasure?</span></h4>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I read a lot of sexy romance novels and drink a lot of wine. I don’t feel particularly guilty about either of those though!</span></div>
<div class="im" style="background-color: white;">
<div>
</div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have any other creative outlets besides writing?</span></h4>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I also play the guitar, though I don’t have time to practice as much as I’d like. I learned how to play all the songs that Maddie plays in MORE THAN MUSIC though!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<h4>
If you'd like a taste of the songs referenced in the book, here's the playlist for MORE THAN MUSIC: </h4>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:lizwrites:playlist:7b3eCibwaVfBUPvYE8Q8VX" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br />
Thanks so much Elizabeth for doing the interview!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-88803910250141005862014-07-08T07:33:00.000-07:002014-07-08T07:35:15.325-07:00Music and Writing<br />
I can't write in silence. I <i>need</i> music while writing, but the type of music always changes depending on where I am in the writing process.<br />
<br />
I <i>need</i> noise when drafting, but lyrics distract me. So I like to listen to movie/television soundtracks. My favorites are <i>Game of Thrones</i> by Ramin Djawadi, BBC <i>Sherlock </i>by David Arnold and Michael Price, <i>Downton Abbey </i>by The Chamber Orchestra of London, <i>Harry Potter</i> by John Williams and Alexandre Desplat, <i>Doctor Who </i>by Murray Gold and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, <i>Les Revenants</i> by Mogwai, <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> by Howard Shore, and <i>Jurassic Park </i>by John Williams.<br />
<br />
But when I'm editing or revising, I can handle listening to lyrics. Lately, my favorite singers or bands to listen to are Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding, MS MR, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and Marina and The Diamonds.<br />
<br />
With every manuscript (or unfinished WIP), I have listened to soundtracks while drafting and select bands or singers during revising/editing. At least I did up until THE TREASURE HUNT. With THE TREASURE HUNT, I listened to metal bands throughout the <i>entire</i> writing process. I think for this ms it helped me connect with my characters since music and mixed tapes play a big part in the story. I mostly listened to Metallica (Ride the Lightning, …And Justice for All, Master of Puppets, and the black album). I also listened to Slayer, Pantera, Testament, Skid Row, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth. Ben, the main character, likes grunge/alternative, so sometimes I listened to a select few songs by The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Mother Love Bone, and Nirvana.<br />
<br />
With THICK AS THIEVES, my Camp Nano WIP, I've tried to stick with sci-fi soundtracks. So far, I've enjoyed listening to <i>Star Trek</i> by Michael Giancchino (thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/SGarberGirl" target="_blank">Stephanie Garber</a> for the suggestion!), <i>Fringe: Season 1</i> by Chad Seiter, Chris Tilton, and Michael Giancchino, <i>Thor</i> by Patrick Doyle, and <i>Doctor Who </i>by Murray Gold and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.<br />
<br />
What do you listen to while drafting, revising, and editing?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-4720002645225578512014-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:002014-06-27T11:48:32.330-07:00#CPlove<br />
It's common knowledge that a good critique partner is one of the most important things a writer can have.<br />
<br />
The hard part is finding one you mesh with.<br />
<br />
For me, finding critique partners took a <i>long</i> time. I looked online, mostly emailing other writers on CP match-up blog posts. And out of all the writers I emailed, I think only one emailed me back--but it was to say she already had her share of CPs and wished me luck in my search. When I wasn't having any luck finding an online CP, I looked for a local in-person writing group. But I couldn't find an in-person group that met my needs.<br />
<br />
And then one day, the <i>amazing</i> <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">Brenda Drake</a> tweeted about <a href="http://www.cpseek.com/" target="_blank">CPSeek</a>. It's exactly what it sounds like--a website dedicated to finding critique partners. I signed up right away and started reading query letters posted by other writers. I was too chicken to post my own, and instead I decided to approach two writers who had posted query letters that sounded interesting. I messaged them, asking if they'd want to trade first chapters. They both agreed!<br />
<br />
While they both had different critiquing styles, they were both kind and constructive. Knowing what kind of critique partner you want is important. I'm a tad sensitive, so I prefer CPs who are truthful but kind in their critiquing style. (Or CPs who use HARRY POTTER references in their critiques!)<br />
<br />
Contests are another great way to find critique partners. Last year, I found two more awesome critique partners through Brenda Drake's PITCH WARS contest. Twitter pitch parties are also helpful. I haven't found CPs or Beta-readers through pitch parties, but I know people who have. (Plus they are a great way to meet new online writer friends!)<br />
<br />
And when you find good CPs, don't let them go!<br />
<br />
There's nothing better than having someone you can vent to, brainstorm with, or cheer for. And I know I couldn't get through revising and querying without them. And without them, I wouldn't be obsessed with DOCTOR WHO or REIGN, the sight of <i>Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Oreos</i> wouldn't make me smile, and I wouldn't have had the guts to sign up for a manuscript critique at NESCBWI. I <3 mine and consider them all great friends.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6J8cB5Ip9Iz1LFDUlgZOJ2jNvBBuLFWprwkaqhqzN9z-8ilDg59VPKRiRqfBOAV-e3o5aWqzYLFKMX3KswwWN7ap7fDbyJi077meSO4F_e3GzkohCKgmUkxWYTPySr7JjKDKBxyPmlA/s640/blogger-image-646233583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6J8cB5Ip9Iz1LFDUlgZOJ2jNvBBuLFWprwkaqhqzN9z-8ilDg59VPKRiRqfBOAV-e3o5aWqzYLFKMX3KswwWN7ap7fDbyJi077meSO4F_e3GzkohCKgmUkxWYTPySr7JjKDKBxyPmlA/s320/blogger-image-646233583.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A, have you tried these?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hugs and thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Ambiguous_A08" target="_blank">Ambiguous A</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stephsessa" target="_blank">Steph Sessa</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jules_writes" target="_blank">Julie Dao</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/katebucklein" target="_blank">Katie Bucklein</a> for being the best CPs around!<br />
<br />
Also, hugs and thanks to my awesome Pitch Wars mentor, <a href="https://twitter.com/SGarberGirl" target="_blank">Stephanie Garber</a>! (If you're thinking about entering Pitch Wars this year, you should <i>definitely</i> submit to her. She's the <b>best</b>!)<br />
<br />
How about you? Any CP stories? Shout outs to your awesome CPs or Beta readers?<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-4089458336299040442014-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:002014-06-14T14:36:38.275-07:00Writing Inspiration<br />
Where do you get your story ideas?<br />
<br />
My ideas usually pop out of nowhere. I'll be driving, cleaning, at the gym, or making dinner when I'll get an idea or a <i>feeling</i> for a story. It's totally random. Sometimes I'll get several shiny-new-ideas in a week, and other times I'll go months with no new ideas.<br />
<br />
And sometimes I'll get new ideas inspired by something else. The inspiration for THE TREASURE HUNT was a random idea inspired by DOCTOR WHO. This sounds completely strange--my LGBT historical romance being inspired by a British sci-fi show--but it's true. The idea of River Song leaving messages for the Doctor across time and space sparked something for me. (I mean, how <i>cool</i> is that?) Initially, I thought THE TREASURE HUNT was going to involve love letters with some sort of time travel element, but the sci-fi elements eventually fell away, leaving me with a treasure hunt with metal heads set in 1992.<br />
<br />
But the inspiration for STRANGE ATTRACTORS came about in a different way. Instead of it popping out of nowhere, I was <i>looking</i> for a new idea. I was out for Mexican food with my husband for our anniversary when I asked him to tell me some interesting science-related topics that I could include in a YA sci-fi. He listed several, like solar flares and and nuclear fallout, but the last idea about someone being able to travel between the multiverse really sparked something for me. I immediately pictured Piper and thought of ways she could travel through universes.<br />
<br />
Sometimes these ideas come to me fully-formed and are easy to turn into a story, but other times I really have to think about them. STRANGE ATTRACTORS came together fairly quickly. I almost immediately knew Piper was a teen spy, but her motivation wasn't always the same. THE TREASURE HUNT, on the other hand, took a lot of pondering. I mean, initially it started out as a sci-fi. But when I couldn't think of a way for the characters to send love letters through time, it became a historical romance involving a treasure hunt instead.<br />
<br />
What's your craziest story inspiration? Do you involve other people in your brainstorming?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-33177881859382831462014-05-25T12:50:00.000-07:002014-07-12T10:43:48.045-07:00An ABC Review of BLACKFIN SKY & RRR Interview with Kat Ellis<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I recently had the chance to read BLACKFIN SKY by <a href="http://katelliswrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kat Ellis</a>. (I won an ARC of the US edition through a Twitter giveaway.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's the book blurb:</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Just like any other morning, Skylar Rousseau is late for school, but when she is greeted by a blanket of silent stares upon entering Blackfin High, she discovers that the whole town thought she fell from the pier and drowned on her sixteenth birthday three months earlier. However, Sky remembers the last three months living her life as normal, and since she is a full, living breathing human being, she has no idea whose body is buried underneath her tombstone. Everyone seems reluctant to help except her steadfast friend and crush, Sean . . . and a secretive man who draws her to a mysterious circus in the woods. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sky must wade through impossibilities and lies to discover the truth about what happened to her, which proves to be a bit difficult when someone is following her every move with the intent to harm her. And Sky’s only hope of finding the answers she seeks may have already been turned to ashes.</span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WCLGmOgd2I2KbD4s38Z16zuztZ1eo-P7nIIGqcpzAeqLd8pxGqCawnkXy0JFsFg9DFQIuWWBhSULiGDpw-DkA1G-5It9ge8LiCybNTeX9iaVmybevR8wZWiidHIhaScGUTVgEEqWyCE/s1600/Cvr--BlackfinSky--01.16.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WCLGmOgd2I2KbD4s38Z16zuztZ1eo-P7nIIGqcpzAeqLd8pxGqCawnkXy0JFsFg9DFQIuWWBhSULiGDpw-DkA1G-5It9ge8LiCybNTeX9iaVmybevR8wZWiidHIhaScGUTVgEEqWyCE/s1600/Cvr--BlackfinSky--01.16.14.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">BLACKFIN SKY is now available for purchase in the UK and available for preorder in the US. (US release date is September 2, 2014.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">First, I LOVE the cover! It's <i>so</i> perfect. The <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Blackfin-Sky-Kat-Ellis/9781910080009" target="_blank">UK cover</a> is great, too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This was so much fun to read. Reviewing this is difficult, though, because I don't want to give </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">anything</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> away. There are so many mysteries surrounding Skylar and the other characters in BLACKFIN SKY that if I say anything it'll probably spoil something big. Sooo</span>…<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> you should just take my word for it and read it! ;-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Because BLACKFIN SKY is so unique (and I want to avoid spoilers!), I thought it would be fun to do the review a little different and theme it around the ABCs.</span></span><br />
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<div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An ABC Review of BLACKFIN SKY</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ACTION</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The story of BLACKFIN SKY moves quickly without feeling rushed. I was never bored or wondering when something would happen. Just enough of the mystery was revealed throughout the story to keep me reading and wondering <i>what happens next</i>. From the very first page, reading from the point-of-view of Silas, the haunted weathervane, I was hooked! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My initial thoughts about the mystery surrounding Sky were wrong, and I was really surprised when I found out what actually happened to her. I think BLACKFIN SKY would appeal to fans of </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Returned" target="_blank">Les Revenants</a></i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. (Sky's </span>reemergence<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> in Blackfin reminded me a little of Camille's in <i>Les Revenants</i>.)</span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">BACKDROP</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">While Kat Ellis created a town completely unlike any town around, it felt very </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">familiar and real at the same time</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">. The town of Blackfin is mysterious and quirky. I mean, there's a haunted weathervane and a well that steals your loose change if you walk too close! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think that speaks of Kat's magic as a writer--these quirky things all feel very real and possible. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">CHARACTERS</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Skylar Rousseau is a great heroine. I </span>immediately<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> liked her and wanted to know what happened during her three month absence. Even </span>with<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> her <i>otherness</i>, she feels like any other girl. She could be your best friend.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sean Vega is a refreshing love interest with his grandpa </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">cardigans, dorky glasses, and strawberry licorice always dangling from his mouth. I also liked that he's just a <i>nice</i> guy. Because there are <i>so many</i> complicated bad boys, someone like Sean is a breath of fresh air. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If I name or explain about anyone else from BLACKFIN SKY, I'm afraid it'll give things away...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now it's time for my interview with Kat Ellis!</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU77f2jsnXxJ61bUNcCp_Ubk9DP28m6UnXPdGrURBpvrT0OyFIaabOtTtiVRxb7acyK9RbKtmLV64PNoKtv6EzronB6lY09Fk5G_PBdrvXdkOPDznt4R9WZyvJrOGbnntXtId1LXsJkY/s1600/Kat+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU77f2jsnXxJ61bUNcCp_Ubk9DP28m6UnXPdGrURBpvrT0OyFIaabOtTtiVRxb7acyK9RbKtmLV64PNoKtv6EzronB6lY09Fk5G_PBdrvXdkOPDznt4R9WZyvJrOGbnntXtId1LXsJkY/s1600/Kat+2.JPG" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some BLACKFIN SKY questions:</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">What inspired you to write BLACKFIN SKY? Did you get the initial spark and immediately start writing, or did you think about it a while before writing?</span></h4>
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<div style="color: #232323; min-height: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I knew the hook before I began: that Sky died and came back 3 months later, and couldn’t understand why her recollection of events was so different from everyone else’s. But (and this is unusual for me) I hadn’t written an outline before I started drafting, so I hit a bit of a stumbling block when I realised I had no idea what had actually happened to Sky. I spent a few weeks mulling it over before a fateful visit to the circus with my sister and niece helped me to fill in the missing pieces. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; min-height: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you casted any of the characters in BLACKFIN SKY in your head with celebrities?</span></span></h4>
<div style="color: #232323; min-height: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ha! Of course. I’d cast Dakota Fanning as Sky, and Robert Sheehan as Sean, her love interest. I’m not sure about the rest, except for Sky’s father, Gui – I’d have Tom Hardy to play him, looking like he did in the film Bronson (though Gui is a very different character from Charles Bronson…)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Other than the characters in BLACKFIN SKY, are there any literary characters you could see Sky being friends with? Or enemies?</span></span></h4>
<div style="color: #232323; min-height: 11px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I could definitely imagine her being friends with Cas Lowood from ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD; they have the same almost weary acceptance of the bizarre nature of the world around them, although I like to think that Sky has better taste in love interests ;) I think Willow in the ANGEL series by L A Weatherly would also make a good friend for Sky. In terms of enemies… Sky probably has enough of her own to be going on with!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Reading: </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What are you currently reading?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m about to start WE WERE LIARS by E Lockhart - mostly because nearly everyone I know has already read it, and I’m bound to stumble on a spoiler if I don’t read it soon!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you bring a book with you every place you go or do you mainly read in one place?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I tend to travel with a book or two, but if I’m going anywhere far I’ll take my kindle; I worry I’ll somehow become a super-fast reader the minute I hit the motorway, and will run out of things to read if I don’t have my overstuffed kindle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What's your favorite book to recommend to other people?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">UNWIND by Neal Shusterman, mostly because it’s less well known than a lot of my other favourite reads, and you really can’t beat it for great, creepy SF!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">wRiting:</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What time of day do you prefer to write?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m a night owl; I generally start mid-afternoon and work into the wee small hours.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you need to eat or drink something while writing?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh god yes! I mainline coffee…although I tend to forget to eat, so I quite often get lovely little caffeine headaches.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you listen to music while writing? If so, do you listen to different types of music while drafting and revising?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I make playlists for each manuscript I work on, and sometimes play those in the background. Other times I find random songs, or work in silence. It’s very much mood-dependant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Relaxing:</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When you’re not writing (or thinking about writing), what do you do to unwind?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I read, which really does feel like a luxury sometimes, and I mess around on my piano and guitar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What’s your not-so-guilty pleasure?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The TV show Catfish. People on that show are INSANE, but it’s kind of addictive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have any other creative outlets besides writing?</span></span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I love travelling around North Wales taking photographs of forests and castles and stuff like that. I post quite a lot of them to my Tumblr.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Thank you so much Kat for being brave enough to be the first interview on my blog! You can find Kat on <a href="https://twitter.com/el_kat" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or on her <a href="http://katelliswrites.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a>. A few places you can find BLACKFIN SKY: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762454016/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0RX84B02TZQ1GVEC073T&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blackfin-sky-kat-ellis/1118232703?ean=9780762454013" target="_blank">B&N</a>, <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Blackfin-Sky-Kat-Ellis/9780762454013" target="_blank">Book Depository</a>! </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-24668846288608393632014-05-18T09:43:00.002-07:002014-05-18T09:43:24.908-07:00NESCBWI 2014 & Meeting CPs IRL<br />
If you read my <a href="http://melodymarshallwrites.blogspot.com/2014/05/going-to-conference-for-first-time.html" target="_blank">first post</a>, you know that I recently went to my second <a href="http://newengland.scbwi.org/" target="_blank">NESCBWI</a> conference. This post <i>was</i> going to be about the conference, but I think other people have blogged about NESCBWI 2014 better than I could…so this may turn into a post about something else. We'll see!<br />
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In my daily life, I don't talk about writing with other people. Only a few select people know that I write (and even less know I'm a querying writer). I think a lot of other writers are the same way. Most people don't understand the publication process and everything that goes along with it, so it's hard to talk to non-writers (even friends and family) about the things you're going through. (Things like: form rejections, <i>no</i> responses, or your MC being difficult and not doing what she's supposed to do.)<br />
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This is what makes writers' conferences <i>so much fun</i>. You're surrounded by your peers, by people who know what you're going through. You can commiserate about the querying process and share tips and tricks. There's nothing better than talking to other writers.<br />
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Well, <i>almost</i> nothing. The one thing that's even better is getting the chance to talk face-to-face with online critique partners--people who have actually <i>read</i> your manuscript! CPs have fallen in love with your characters, told you when they hate your MC, helped you fix a previously unsolvable problem, been a personal sounding board for you, etc.<br />
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I finally had the chance to meet one of mine at the conference. I made plans with <a href="http://www.juliedao.com/" target="_blank">Julie Dao</a>, my <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars</a> teammate and critique partner, to go to the NESCBWI conference. She'd never been before, and we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to meet there. It was so awesome to <i>finally</i> meet in person. (Julie's the first writer friend that I've ever met IN REAL LIFE.)<br />
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We met on Friday afternoon in the hotel lobby. There was lots of smiling and hugging! After saying hello, we went in search of a Starbucks so we could sit and chat. Even though I was pretty sure there was a Starbucks around somewhere, we couldn't find one. We ended up going to a coffee shop that was in the mall across the street from the hotel instead. Because we had SO MUCH that we wanted to say, we started laughing, not knowing where to even start. The time <i>flew</i> by. It was so easy to talk to each other and to talk about our manuscripts. It was so freeing, so cool, to be able to talk about our characters (in depth) with someone else who had read our stories. After coffee, we continued talking at dinner. (Julie made reservations at <a href="http://www.cafelebanon.com/nadims_downtown.cfm" target="_blank">Nadim's</a>, which was right near the hotel.)<br />
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Later that night, there was a Meet and Greet for the conference attendees in the hotel. I'd been too chicken to go by myself the previous year but this year, with Julie by my side, I wasn't <i>as</i> nervous! I didn't speak with any agents, but Julie was able to talk with an agent who has her full manuscript. It was awesome to see her so excited! I didn't speak to any agents, but I did run into a friend from Twitter, <a href="http://literaryemilykate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily Kate Muyskens</a>. (Emily and I had met online through <a href="http://www.cupidslitconnection.blogspot.com/2014/01/blind-speed-dating-contest-all.html" target="_blank">Cupid's Literary Connection's Blind Speed Dating Contest</a>.) She was super-sweet and Julie and I met up with her again on Saturday.<br />
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Julie and I signed up for the same workshops on Saturday (Manuscript Revisions with Mandy Hubbard and Write What You Don't Know with Julie Berry and Kendra Levin). We both had great manuscript critiques. (Mine was with an agent and hers was with an editor.) Overall, it was a great time!<br />
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How about you? Have you ever met online critique partners IN REAL LIFE?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-83559889074544519122014-05-02T08:10:00.001-07:002014-05-04T14:10:48.781-07:00The Writer's Voice Entry - STRANGE ATTRACTORS (YA sci-fi)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>STRANGE ATTRACTORS</b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Query</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Writer's Voice coaches,</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the weight of the multiverse on her shoulders, it’s a wonder that seventeen-year-old Piper Newton doesn’t have to see a chiropractor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a corporate spy, Piper uses her unique ability to travel between universes to obtain lucrative information for her father and his company. But when she discovers that a parallel version of her father’s most-hated competitor is experimenting on the veils between universes, the gravity of her next spy mission threatens to break her back. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her father asks her to infiltrate the company through the competitor’s son, Calvin James. Dating--even for a mission--is the last thing she wants to do. Guys lie and cheat and are more destructive than superluminous supernovae. But because Piper and her father believe the damage caused by Calvin’s father’s experimentation will create a black-hole-like-void, ultimately destroying both universes, she knows she has to do something--even if that means hooking up with a cocky jerk like Calvin James.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To Piper’s surprise, Calvin quickly disarms her with his intelligence, quesadilla-making-skills, and butterfly-effect-smile. She’s soon sneaking off to the parallel universe to see Calvin behind her father’s back and neglecting to tell him everything she learns. She rationalizes that his father is more mad-scientist than sinister-villain and wonders if they were wrong about Calvin’s father. He’s only studying the veils. He’s not trying to be malicious.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But when red flags start appearing and lies begin unraveling around her, Piper’s shocked to learn she put her trust in the wrong person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">And she’s going to need the help of a former enemy to exact revenge.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">STRANGE ATTRACTORS, a young adult sci-fi, is complete at 80,500 words. It is a standalone with series potential.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>First 250 words</b>:</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE POLLUX UNIVERSE</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> OCTOBER 4th, THE PRESENT DAY</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I couldn’t find anything on Michael Silverstone’s desk because it was a complete disaster, like a hoarder-snuck-into-an-office-building type of disaster. As I looked through the receipts, hand written notes, half-eaten food, and coffee-stained papers, I wondered how someone so messy could be organized enough to run New York City’s most successful financial advising company. This extreme amount of junk was like an inexpensive theft-deterrent or more like an inexpensive Piper-deterrent.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What the Hell?</i> I thought, touching a still-wet, soiled napkin. There were words scrawled across the napkin, but “purch-dia-glass” didn’t really tell me anything. I had a knack for remembering random bits of information and passwords, so I made a mental note of the phrase in case it was important.</span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Beep!</i><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I cursed under my breath before turning off my stopwatch. Time was up. I quickly stacked all the papers with numbers or percentages in the hope that something important made it into the pile. Since Silverstone’s desk was such a mess, I didn’t worry about him noticing a few missing documents. He would probably assume he’d misplaced them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I paused, thinking I’d seen a flash of light, and listened. The muffled sound of footsteps on carpet soon followed. Someone was in the hallway! My heart hammered as I slipped beneath the disordered desk. I pulled a knife from my pocket and held it in front of me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for your time and consideration!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196718255906583920.post-3979523891196131282014-05-01T09:17:00.000-07:002014-05-18T09:49:50.790-07:00Going to a Conference for the First Time & NESCBWI 2014<br />
As a new writer, thinking about going to a conference can be intimidating.<br />
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Last year, I went to my first ever conference (NESCBWI in Springfield, Ma). Since it was my first conference (and I was all alone), I only went for one out of the three days. I thought it would be a good idea to just get my feet wet and see if I even liked going to conferences. I'd decided to shelve my MS, so I didn't sign up for a MS critique or participate in any of the pitch sessions.<br />
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I had no idea what to expect and didn't know anyone who was going, so I was <i>really</i> nervous. I consider myself to be a shy person, so the thought of going to a giant conference without knowing a single person was really scary! Plus, at the time, I was super-new to the writing community. (I hadn't even found critique partners yet.) You could say I was more than a little intimidated about going.<br />
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But, I'm happy to say, those fears were unwarranted.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised to learn how warm and inviting the writing community can be. I found several friendly people to buddy up with during the day. All it took was a smile and a "Hi! This is my first conference!" and people were glad to help me out or invite me to join their group. Probably the most intimidating part throughout the day was finding a seat during the sit-down lunch. (It felt a little like trying to find a seat in the cafeteria on the first day of school.) I had to go a little out of my comfort zone to approach a table of lovely ladies and ask if I could join them. Like I said, the writers I met at this conference were all super-nice, so they greeted me warmly and asked my name and what I write.<br />
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<i>What do you write? </i><br />
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I wasn't prepared for how many times I'd have to answer that question! In my day-to-day life, I don't talk about writing with other people, so talking about it was strange (but great!). People will also ask what your book is about/what your pitch is. I hadn't practiced my pitch, so I was like, "Uh, my book is about this girl who, um…" (I probably should have practiced it once or twice!)<br />
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I only got a taste of the conference and everything it offered, but I had a good time and felt like I still got a lot out of it.<br />
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My top four tips:<br />
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<li>Practice your pitch beforehand. (Especially if you're shy. You want to be able to explain what your book is about.) I've heard having business cards with your info and pitch on them are a good idea, too.</li>
<li>Smile and have fun!</li>
<li>Connect with other writers and ask about their writing. You may find critique partners!</li>
<li>If you're nervous about attending (or can't spend the $), try signing up for a portion of the conference. If you have a good time, you can always sign up for more the following year!</li>
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This weekend, I will be going to my second ever NESCBWI conference. Obviously, it will be a different experience this time around. I know what to expect this time and I know some people who will be attending. Another change this year is I'm doing a manuscript critique with an agent. I've had critiques before but never face-to-face. This is a little (a lot!) scary, but it should be good! But the <b>best</b> part about going this year is that I will finally meet one of my Pitch Wars teammates, Julie Dao, IN REAL LIFE! Yay!<br />
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A lot can happen in a year. Since going to that first conference, I've gotten several critique partners, been in two contests (Pitch Wars 2013 and Cupid's Literary Connection's Blind Speed Dating 2014), and started querying my young adult sci-fi, STRANGE ATTRACTORS. I can't wait for NESCBWI 2014 to learn even more and meet more great people!<br />
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What are your experiences with conferences? Do you have any tips or advice?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06647785684647451430noreply@blogger.com4