NaNoWriMo declaration

I'm making it official and saying that I will be participating in NaNoWriMo 2012. Not only am I going to participate but I am going to try my darndest to hit 50k.

NaNo and I have had a pretty lackluster relationship in the past. I first flirted with the idea in 2009 but it was mainly because I felt like everyone I knew was doing it and I wanted to do it to (score one for peer pressure without peers doing any pressuring). Then in 2010 the fabulous Irene Latham told me that everyone has a story to tell, so that's when I decided that I would try and tell my stories. Life happened and November got away from me.

NaNo 2011 was a lot better. I actually felt prepared after doing some outlining and thinking about my idea. I got off to a strong start and got about 10k in and hit some sort of wall. I hadn't outlined as well as I had thought and I was so lost as to where my story was going to go. I had a beginning and an end but the middle just wasn't working out for me so I gave up.

I know I should've kept going but that's why I'm determined to punch NaNo 2012 in the face. I have a LOT of work to do in the remaining weeks before November 1st but I'm willing because I really want this to be my year. I've got my trusty composition notebook and my pen ready to spill its ink in preparation.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? What are you doing to prepare?

I'd like my Sultry with a Twist

Happy October!

I can't believe I'm saying that. This year has gone by so unbelievably fast but I'm not complaining because it just means that the day has come where I can finally say congratulations to my friend Macy Beckett (AKA Melissa Landers in the YA world) on the official birthday of her debut book baby, Sultry with a Twist!

If you know me, AT ALL, you know that YA is the genre I primarily read but when someone in your writing group gets a book deal, genre doesn't matter. You support them because you know exactly what they went through and just how hard they worked to get to that point and you know they deserve to do well.

YOU GUYS.

Macy/Melissa is a sugary ROCKSTAR. I read this book two months ago thanks to NetGalley and I absolutely adored it. It's sweet, fun, witty, sexy, and the writing is fantastic. I may not have picked this book up if I didn't know her (I don't find myself wandering the romance section. ever.) but I can say that I would be missing out. I do know that even if I didn't know Melissa, I would be recommending this book to people and already have a list of people I want to gift this book to.

Not only did I love the inside of this book, I loved the outside. Sourcebooks did an amazing job on this beautiful cover and what I like most about it is that they actually let readers vote on the cover. The three options they originally had weren't that great and now that I've read the book, they didn't match at all. I think it takes a pretty fantastic publisher to redesign the cover based on what readers suggested.

So, Congratulations Melissa! Your baby is officially out in the wild and I can't wait for my copy to arrive. I know it's going to be one of many with your name on it to live on my bookshelves.

Want a little taste of Melissa's sense of humor? Check out this awesome anti-trailer she made.

Shadows of the Hidden

*pops out from under rock* HI!!!

I know it's been a while since I last blogged but I am THISCLOSE to being free from Statistics and the computer class from hell. I'm breaking my unintentional silence to bring you lovelies some news.

 See that happy looking person to the right? That is my friend Anne Riley and she has MANY reasons to be smiling but I'm here to share one in particular with you. Are you ready?

I'll start by saying that she had this novel called The Clearing which she self-published. She sold books and she stopped selling it for reasons she shared on her blog and now we're getting The Clearing 2.0.

Ok, so it's not really called The Clearing 2.0 but the idea remains the same. The book has been picked up by Compass Press and will be released in December of this year under the new and shiny name Shadows of the Hidden. Check out the new outfit she's got (the book, not Anne).

Natalie Watson doesn't believe her parents are dead, even though they disappeared five years ago. Discovering the truth about their fate is one of the only things that gets her out of bed in the morning. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt's boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents' whereabouts is just one of several challenges she must face. When she's not fending off attacks from the popular kids, she puzzles over the rumors about a strange boy in her math class--one with fiery red hair who rarely speaks.

Despite suspicions that he murdered his sister a year earlier, Natalie finds it impossible to stay away from Liam Abernathy--especially when he confesses to knowing something about her parents. Soon she's following him into the forest, where things happen she doesn't understand...things that shouldn't be possible. 

Natalie soon realizes her connection to Liam is deeper than she ever imagined, and not everyone she counts as a friend can be trusted. When she finds herself at the center of a centuries-old quest for immortality, she must work with Liam to stay alive--even if it means facing a truth about herself and her family that will not only shake her perception of herself, but of the entire world around her.

Anne has worked REALLY hard editing and making changes to this novel to make it better and to better reflect the writer she has become. I'm really proud of her because this is a book that she really believed in and look where it has gotten her. I'm so excited for her and I can't wait to get my own copy. 

Want to know more about Anne Riley and Shadows of the Hidden? Check it out on Facebook, Goodreads, and of course, on Anne's Website.

Psst...guess what

Hello lovelies!

Do any of you know my dear friend, Anne? Well a few weeks ago I got this email from her asking if I'd be interested in participating in a short story anthology she was putting together. After thinking about it for a few days and getting more details, I said yes.

The title of the book will be Winter Wonder and the last time I saw Anne, she showed me a cover that was being worked on, and let me tell you, it pretty much rocks. The fabulous Compass Press will be the publisher and sales of this book will be benefiting Literary, Inc!

Words cannot express how excited I am to be a part of this endeavor and also the amount of sheer terror I'm feeling. I mean, I am going to be PUBLISHED and OMG WHAT IF MY STORY IS TERRIBLE? Dreams of showing up to school naked have nothing on this.

BREATHE

I've already begun working on my short story, because let's face it, if I don't start now I'll be stalled at Procrastination Station and I want to get my first draft done before my summer semester begins.

Check out the fabulous company I'll be in come December!

Heather McCorkle, Alexandra Shostak, Christine Fonseca, Connie Keller,  Elle Strauss, Harley May, Jamey Stegmaier, Jen Stayrook, Jessica Naccari, Jodi Burrus, Judith Graves, Karen Amanda Hooper, Krissi Dallas, Mercedes Yardley, Mia Hayson, Natalie Cone, Regan Leigh, Susan Kaye Quinn, Tina Moss, TS Tate, Yelena Casale and, of course, the Brain to our Pinky's, Anne Riley.

Reflection

I know many of you are far removed from what happened on April 27th, 2011 but even so, we shouldn't forget. All day yesterday and since the second I woke up this morning, the outbreak of tornadoes has been on my mind along with everyone who lost a home, their business, and even worse, a loved one.

I'll never forget my vacation because while I had a great time seeing old friends and finally meeting friends I've known online for years, it was also the vacation that was plagued with worry about my friends and family. My husband and I were glued to the news, Facebook, Twitter, and the live streaming coming from my local ABC affiliate app.

Luckily, everyone we loved was safe but things would never be the same again in the state of Alabama. I did my part to help those that lost everything and along with my new friend, Courtney, we got All 4 Alabama off the ground and running. For two girls that are relatively unknown in the grand scheme of things, we were able to raise over $8,000 through our auctions and I know I've said it before but I think it needs repeating: We couldn't have done it without any of you and I am so thankful for every single person who donated their time, items, and money and for every single bidder. You were all amazing.

Now a year has gone by and the state once again is faced with the events of that day. Everywhere you look there's some sort of reminder and not far behind that is a feeling of hope. We still have a long way to go before things are anywhere near normal, but with the help from strangers and our neighbors, we WILL get there. It still kills me each and every time I drive past an area that was hit because there's still so much destruction. Homes and businesses are finally getting a chance to rebuild but there are others that have just been left behind.

In closing, be thankful for everything and everyone you have right now. It could be so much worse. Don't forget about us down here in the South, we may be strong but that doesn't mean we couldn't use the support.

Also, please check out Bo Bikes Bama. Bo Jackson will finish his 300 mile bike ride tomorrow in Tuscaloosa to help raise money for the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund.

Rock the Drop

I totally forgot to blog about this earlier but better late than never, right?

So last Thursday was Teen Lit Day and in honor of it was Rock the Drop! Now, the last few years I've had books and really wanted to participate. The day would come and I'd have nowhere to go and no earthly idea where to leave it in my neighborhood.

I'll just say it's not really fun trying to find a place in the Wal-Mart parking lot hoping someone picks up the book verses running it over with their truck that's decked out in camo.

However, THIS year I've moved and just in time too! I went shopping with my mom and re-discovered this book store in my new area and got two new books to leave. Not only that, but the cashier asked why I was getting two copies of one of the books and I was able to tell her about Rock the Drop and Teen Lit Day. WOOT.

I got my books together, wrote little notes and went off to drop my books. The first one was The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard and I propped it up against the window of my local Yogurt Mountain.

The second book was the anthology Corsets and Clockwork and I left that on a bench in an outdoor mall in front of Journeys/Aeropostale/Body Central.

While I wasn't exactly able to get my Ninja stealth on, it was so much fun to go back and see the books had been taken. While I wish I could've seen who got them, I just really hope they enjoy their new book.

I can't wait til next year!

I'm IT!

Last week my lovely friend Anne tagged me in this writing thing that is going around the interwebz like syphilis in an old west whore house.

The rules are, there are no rules.

Oh wait, this isn't Grease and I don't have a bitchin' car to race. Dang.

There actually are some guidelines and they are:

1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are–no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors

I will tell you that while I'm giving you a snippet from page 7, it is not my current WIP. I have recently set this one aside to work on a contemporary YA that had been sticking its hand in my face like so

I gave up the proverbial chair cushions and I've begun writing Tristan's story. I will return to Graham and Emery but until I do so, you can get a sneak peak at their story.

From page 7 of Reaper's Revenge:

“Whoa, whoa, back up there. A Grim Reaper? You’re kidding right? Those things don’t exist.” I replied in disbelief.

“If we don’t exist, how do you explain him disappearing so fast? Us getting here? You not getting injured when I pushed you off the roof? And don't say it was a dream.”

“How should I know?” I huffed. I knew something strange was going on here, but Grim Reapers? Seriously? Wait a second…

“We?! You’re one too? How can I see you if you’re supposed to be death?” The realization that he was death hit me like a paint can to the face. “Oh my god. I’m dead?” I sunk to the ground as if in slow motion, my breath coming out shaky.

He stopped pacing, “Yes and no,” he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. Sighing, he sat down in the grass in front of me and continued.

***

There you have it. My unpolished first draft snippet from page 7. 

So guess what Jennie, Jacki, Eli, Becca, Jess N., Kelsey, and Tameka. You're it! *runs away*