Class of 2012: Head of the Class

This week I am going to be partaking in the YA Superlatives 2012 Blogfest that is hosted by Jessica Love, Katy Upperman, Alison Miller, and Tracey Neithercott.

Compiling this list was a lot more fun than getting the yearly ballots in high school (in case you were wondering, had there been a "Most Invisible" category, I probably would have swept that). Please keep in mind that I've only read 48 books this year and not all of them were 2012 releases. So be prepared to see repeats but know that I really do love the books I'm posting.

Let's get this started!

Favorite Dystopian

I've been following C.J Redwine on Twitter for quite some time and it feels like this book should have been out before this year. I got a signed copy of this while at the Decatur Book Festival earlier this year and after meeting C.J, I knew I had to go home and read Defiance immediately. I loved this more than I expected and really enjoyed having another strong and determined female lead with Rachel.

Favorite Science Fiction

Sci-Fi is not something I enjoy on a regular basis. I don't know what it is but there are very few things in this genre as a whole that hold my attention and A Million Suns by Beth Revis is high on that list and I'm looking forward to see what happens next.

Favorite Fantasy

Oh, Laini Taylor. I haven't quite finished reading this book but I knew from page one that I was going to love it. Her writing is beautiful and so is the cover. I really can't wait to see where this story goes.

Favorite Contemporary

Was there any doubt that this would make the list as my favorite contemporary? Spoiler Alert! The Fault in our Stars is hands-down the best book I've read this year and is officially one of my newer all-time favorite books. John Green owns me and I think that this book is one that only he could do. It's gut-wrenching, sweet, and just plain beautiful and if you read any book on my list, please let it be this one. It has been almost a year since this book has come out and it is one of the few that I still think about ALL the time.

Favorite Action/Adventure

Veronica Roth's debut novel, Divergent was one of my favorite reads in 2011, so it was only natural for me to be itching to read book two in the series, Insurgent. I really enjoyed getting more backstory on some of the secondary characters and plus, more Four is always welcome. I'm looking forward to see how she wraps up this series.

Favorite Romance

I loved everything about this book from the traveling to the relationship between Bria and Rowan. The settings leap off the page and the emotions are very real. 

Favorite Paranormal /Favorite Mystery

I combined two categories because I couldn't decide which one to put Maggie Steivfater's The Raven Boys in. This was my second favorite book of the year and I was lucky enough to win an ARC of it. As soon as I was finished reading I probably would have started re-reading it immediately if I had not promised some of my friends I'd send it on a mini book tour. It has a little bit of everything and if I had any questions regarding Maggie's creativity (I didn't), this book would have put those to rest. Once again, Maggie has awed me with her world-building and her ability to create a complex story like no other. The writing is amazing and I love how well she does alternating POVs. Raven Cycle #2 is probably my most anticipated 2013 release and I'm glad there will be four to the series. 

Favorite Family Drama / Favorite Comedy

Another combination of two categories. I don't know what it is about Kody Keplinger but I just love her books and was not disappointed when reading A Midsummer's Nightmare. This book screams "family drama" to me and it was just a fun read that I couldn't put down. I love how her characters are always flawed and they just feel like real people to me. 

Favorite Genre Bender

Honestly, Everneath by Brodi Ashton was a HUGE surprise to me. After I ordered it, it sat on my shelf for a while and I had an "OMG WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?!" moment once I started it. For some reason I didn't read what it was about and had I done that sooner, I probably would have read it right away. I LOVED this book because it had the romance and the paranormal that I love so but it was a re-imagining of the Persephone myth and I absolutely adore Greek mythology --remember my love for all things Percy Jackson? So this was right up my alley and became one of those books that I love to recommend and was ecstatic when my friends Jennie and Joyce read it and loved it.  I am bouncing up and down with anticipation for the accompanying novella and book two that are both out soon!

Would any of my picks make your list? What are some of your favorite books of 2012?

Check back tomorrow for my Popularity Contest picks!

SipSwap 2012

About a month and a half ago two of my dear friends, Jessica Love and Kelsey Macke, announced that they were going to be hosting SipSwap, a way to network with other writers and get a fun mug to help fuel your caffeinated writing sessions.

As you may or may not know, I quit drinking caffeine and have never liked the taste of coffee or tea (which that right there makes me feel like a walking writer fail) but I do LOVE hot chocolate this time of year and I just had to support my friends, so I signed up.

So, a few weeks ago I came home and my husband had already checked the mail and told me I had a package. I am such a sucker for fun mail so of course I ripped that bad boy open.

There was a lovely card and a Hug Mug from the awesome Ghenet! I had never heard of a Hug Mug but as soon as I realized what it was, I knew just how perfect it was for me because there's nothing I love more on a cold day, than warming my hands by wrapping them around a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

I haven't had a chance to use it yet because temperatures in Alabama have been hovering around the 70 degree mark, but I can't wait to use it, hopefully later this week!

The husband thought I should go all Twilight-y with my photo so I had to oblige.

Thanks Jess and Kels, for hosting SipSwap. I had a blast searching for the perfect mug for my draw and I absolutely adore the mug I received.

It's a REAL BOOK!

The day has come and Winter Wonders is a real book! While all I did was write and submit a short story, I can't help but feel a little like Geppetto. Emotions. I have them.

The whole process was such a great learning experience and it all seems so surreal. I mean, I knew what the end product was going to be but it didn't sink in until I saw the image to the left pop up on Amazon last night.

I really want to say thanks to everyone who read and critiqued As You Are to help me make it stronger and supported me when I doubted myself. You guys don't know how much it means to me to have you in my corner. You know who you all are.

Saying the words "I am published" is a bit panic inducing but I couldn't be more excited to share Nicole's story with all of you. I only hope that this is just the beginning for me and if you pick up a copy of Winter Wonders, I'd love to hear what you think, whether it's about my story, As You Are, or not. The other contributors are pretty awesome and if you'd like to check out their blogs and such, you can click on the Winter Wonders tab at the top of this page.

Happy Anthology day and cookies for all!

Interested in purchasing Winter Wonders? You can find it on Amazon (Kindle, Paperback), Barnes & Noble (Nook, Paperback), and Compass Press. You can also check us out on Goodreads.

NaNoWriMo Declaration: Take Two

I know last month I was all gung-ho about NaNo and once again, I failed before I even started. The past few days I've been seriously thinking about why I never make much progress and why it seems like this daunting task instead of being fun.

Here's what I've come up with:

NaNo is just not for me.

Yep, that's right. To successfully NaNo is just not in the cards for me. I cannot write without abandon and ignore the little things that I shouldn't in order to reach that lofty goal of 50k in 30 days. Some people are able to write through it but I am pretty much physically incapable of doing so. If there's something I'm not sure about I would much rather sit there and ruminate on it before moving on. If I don't, I can't stop thinking about it and it really bothers me. I wish I weren't that way, but I am. I guess the first step is admitting you have a problem so there you go.

As I sat at my kitchen table last week I found myself completely tree-d (stumped for you normal people), and realized that while I have some sort of outline going on in my head, I don't have all the details I need to just sit and bang out all the words. I like to discover the world and the little parts of it while I write and that takes time that I don't necessarily have while doing NaNo.

While I was teetering on the edge of "should I or shouldn't I?" I saw that my friend, Jessica Love, blogged about her NaNo experience and I can't tell you guys how creepy it is that she's always able to say what I'm thinking but just haven't vocalized it yet.

Much like Jess, I have this incredible need to be included in what everyone else is doing and that's why I've attempted NaNo since 2009 but also, I too, am a slow writer. I would much rather take my time and produce something not completely craptastic and that's not going to be painful to edit versus meeting a word goal that may have things I can't use and that's going to cause me a major headache later on.

So thanks Jess. You helped me realize that I'm not alone and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a slower writer when it seems like everyone around me seems to be producing quality work at a much faster pace. It may not be easy at times, but I'll take it and like it.

I may have quit NaNo but that doesn't mean I'm not writing. I'm (slowly) working on two different manuscripts and so far I'm happy with what I've got.

To those of you who are still working on your NaNo projects, how are you doing? Are you meeting your goals? Are you finding that NaNo may not be right for you?

Winter Wonders

AHHHH!! You guys! WINTER WONDERS is officially available for preorder!

I'm all jittery with anticipation and nerves and I fear they will only get worse as the release date nears. I can only imagine how people who have full length novels that are about to be released feel because this is INSANE.

Not only is there a little voice in my head going 'oh god, oh god, oh god..." but I am 100% absolutely terrified that my story is going to be the worst one.

Logically, I know that I've gotten good feedback on it and that thrills me but there's still that little voice that won't shut up and is all self-doubty. The funny thing? I'm not at all scared for strangers to read my story, nope, it's the people I know (close friends and family) reading it that scares the bejesus out of me.

Is that normal?

Whether it is or not, I can only hope that it's only the beginning for me and that it allows me to grow even more as a writer. I've put my heart and soul into this story and while it may not seem like it based on this blog post, I HAVE come away from this experience just a little more confident in my abilities.

I honestly cannot wait for you all to read it and share your thoughts about it and I really hope you'll check the anthology out because there are a bunch of amazing writers involved and all the proceeds go to help fight illiteracy in America.

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.