Get ready for a par-tay! :D And writerly news

Hey all! So, the first bit of news for this week is, Pity Isn't An Option is finally available to purchase on audiobook! YAY! *throws coffee beans* *dances like Davey Jones* You can check it out and listen to the first two minutes on Audible.com HERE. (It's also available on ACX.com and iTunes.) Also, if you've thought about getting an Audible account but haven't been sure about it, they have a pretty cool deal where the first book you pick is free. (We did this a week ago when my sophomore decided to get A Tale of Two Cities--required reading--boy did reading along with the narration make a difference!) I'm pretty sure I'm going to take advantage of Audible, as I already have a list of audiobooks I'm wanting to get! ;) 

audiobook cover

Anyway. That's the first bit of news...

2) Next month I'm going to turn the big THREE-FIVE and in order to celebrate, I'm going to do a pretty big giveaway. This means indie AND traditionally pubbed YA books (one might, just MIGHT, be ROSE UNDER FIRE) will be up for grabs, along with Pity Isn't An Option's ebook and audiobook, and of course, book swag. It's going to be so fun, and best of all, this is the kind of party you can participate in whilst still in your PJs (the best kind! of parties... not of PJs... as for those, however, feel free to wear ratty, threadbare ones or whatever... no one'll notice) Isn't that great? ;)

3) Reading-wise, I'm still reading The Count of Monte Cristo and have officially decided that I'm going to purchase the DVD when I'm done and compare the two (with an open mind whilst watching Henry Cav--I mean, the movie) and perhaps have a fun twitter session of quotes. (I give myself weird rewards. I know this.)

4) IF I SPEAK TRUE is officially with the editor, guys. *squee* *freaks out* *panics* *flails* This means it really is going to come out soon, and to this, I say:


(If you're curious, I do have a pretty detailed IF I SPEAK TRUE board on Pinterest!)

and last:

5) If you missed it: I was over at Operation Awesome talking about how therapeutic words are here, and my Waiting on Wednesday post was, incidentally, about Operation Awesome alumni, Wesley Chu's, The Deaths of Tao! (Check it out here.) 

Have a blessed weekend!!! :)

Waiting on Wednesday -- The Deaths of Tao

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is a sequel to The Lives of Tao.

The Deaths of Tao

by Wesley Chu
Publication date: October 29th, 2013

From Barnes and Noble:

The Prophus and the Genjix are at war. For centuries they have sought a way off-planet, guiding humanity's social and technological development to the stage where space travel is possible. The end is now in sight, and both factions have plans to leave the Earth, but the Genjix method will mean the destruction of the human race.

That's a price they're willing to pay.

It's up to Roen and Tao to save the world. Oh, dear...

Writerly News

Not a whole lot of writerly news for this week, mainly because this week is a short one and I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo (slow reading, but I am really enjoying it--especially since I watched the movie so I have particular faces in my head). Plus, I've been working on edits and whatnot. But I did want to share a little excerpt from one of the things I'm working on, because I think it shows Jonas' heart and the way he is, following Pity Isn't An Option. So here it is, and it will *hopefully* make it to book two of the Cozenage series (as yet, untitled):

I write words like birds on the page. They glide across the paper, getting me from one point to the next, flapping their wings only when the momentum dies down and I need to be propelled further. They are my flittering pace, my fluttering hope. When all is lost and I have nothing and nowhere to go, I still have words, glorious words, and they comfort me and bring me home.

Have a great weekend!

Waiting on Wednesday -- UnSouled

Hi, guys! :) Welcome to my first ever Waiting on Wednesday post! (Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where readers post upcoming releases they're looking forward to.) 

My first "can't-wait-to-read" book is: 

UnSouled
by Neal Shusterman

Publication date: October 15, 2013

From Barnes & Noble: 

The story that began with Unwind continues.

Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, the last safe haven for AWOL Unwinds. But for the first time, they’re not just running away from something. This time, they’re running toward answers, in the form of a woman Proactive Citizenry has tried to erase from history itself. If they can find her, and learn why the shadowy figures behind unwinding are so afraid of her, they may discover the key to bringing down unwinding forever.

Cam, the rewound boy, is plotting to take down the organization that created him. Because he knows that if he can bring Proactive Citizenry to its knees, it will show Risa how he truly feels about her. And without Risa, Cam is having trouble remembering what it feels like to be human.

With the Juvenile Authority and vindictive parts pirates hunting them, the paths of Connor, Lev, Cam, and Risa will converge explosively—and everyone will be changed.

Neal Shusterman continues the adventure that VOYA called “poignant, compelling, and ultimately terrifying.”

How about you? What books are you looking forward to? 

September's Mystery Agent Contest is in Full Swing!

Hey guys... our Mystery Agent Contest over at Operation Awesome is in full swing and there are still about 25 entry slots available (as of 10:00 a.m. PST)! Here's the deets:

***

It's PITCHING TIME! Are you ready to enter? Pitch your completed novel to our Mystery Agent. September's Mystery Agent has requested the following genres:

Adult

Young Adult

Middle Grade

  

• Fantasy (all types, incl folk & fairy tale re-tellings and magical realism)
• Adventure
• Historical Fiction
• Science Fiction
• Romance (YA only)
• Horror

(Dark comedy, original voices, and unique worlds a plus!) 

This is a three-sentence pitch contest, with a maximum of 75 words. Winner gets a full manuscript request from the Mystery Agent. 

This contest is open to veterans and newbies alike - so long as you have a complete and query-ready manuscript on your hands within the genres of interest, our guest agent would love to hear from you.

Contest goes live 9 AM central time and remains open until all entry spots are filled. The first 50 entries we receive will go on to our MA. Remember, this is a three-sentence pitch. Cheating with grammar doesn't count.

Head over HERE to read the official contest rules, and please spread the word! 

Be blessed!

Books I've loved recently and writerly news

This week's been crazy enough that I haven't really had a chance to post. There are points in the phase of writing where you're busy editing and throwing down words (been on a roll a few days this week with Flora 2 -- woo hoo) and corresponding; and between doing all of that and having a family (and school officially being in full swing), you've used so many words, there really aren't any left to share. (Not that I run out of words easily, but when it comes to the blog, I don't want to bore you guys to tears.) I even missed my post at Operation Awesome, which shouldn't have happened considering it was my second official post, but that's what happens when, you know, life happens and you forget what day it is. So yeah.

A couple of things to quickly share:

1) #Indie love: If you're into YA urban fantasy, Breanna Puttroff's The Dusk Gate Chronicles are a fun read. They're clean, consist of lots of fun characters, and like the Flora series (book #1 is about to go to the editor -- woot woot), the main character spends a lot of time in a completely different "world" and gets to know all about it, the people who live there, and what role she has to play in everything. I really enjoyed them, and the ebooks are very well priced (in fact, the first one, Seeds of Discovery, is free). 

2) Traditionally pubbed #booklove: In the past week or so I've been reading two series: Dan Krokos' False novels (OH THE ANGST--when is book three coming out... I just can't....), and Myra McEntire's Hourglass series. Though the first is more science fiction than anything (clones) and the latter is more about time travel, both have had me laughing out loud, really connecting to the main characters, and really liking the writers' voices. (They're YA, of course.) I highly suggest both; if you tend to like the same kind of books I like, you won't be disappointed. (Unless you want to read Mr. Krokos' book three. In which case, how 'bout I hold you while you hold me?)

 3) Blog #memes: After this week's #K8chat on Twitter, I'm going to try to get on board with a few fun blog memes, just to be able to book squee with everyone about readerly stuff. We'll see how it goes; it might be a once or twice a month sort of thing. Who knows. 

4) Audiobook #giveaway: Once Pity Isn't An Option's audiobook is officially approved by ACX, it'll be available to purchase on iTunes, ACX.com and Audible.com. Most likely I'll be doing a giveaway to celebrate (yay). More details coming soon.

5) Are you on #Pinterest? I really enjoy connecting on there and sharing my favorite stuffs, including boards for PITY ISN'T AN OPTION (Cozenage #1), IF I SPEAK TRUE (Flora #1), writing, food, and of course, cute baby animals. :) Let me know how to find you in the comments (or go to my "for my readers" tab and you can find me and I'll follow you). Then we can pin each others' snarky comments and learn how to make crafty stuff out of cardboard--a pinner's dream!

6) The lovely and talented and amazing Hafsah Laziaf (who created not only PIAO's gorgeous cover, but also designed my entire blog and my bookmarks and will no doubt design everything else I do) has announced she's publishing her book, UNBREATHABLE. I'm excited for her, because she's one of those people who gives continuously to others and now it is her time to shine and I think that's amazing, so of course I had to share her news! 

(That ended up not being short at all!) Have a blessed, fun Labor Day weekend, guys! See you Tuesday!

A lost post in which I'm reminded just how much I love the writerly world

Funny how life has so many ups and downs. Okay, not funny, but I don't know, amusing, I guess. A lot of highs and lows are brought on because we've compared ourselves to others, or assessed someone else's response/reaction to us and made that to be who we are. Problem with that is, we're letting others set our self-worth, and in turn, allowing their perception/acceptance of us determine our self-esteem. This is not safe, people. It just isn't. We need to be looking somewhere else for our acceptance; and it isn't to any humans on this earth no matter how good, smart, or talented they are.

Just a few days ago, I was ready to hang up my writerly towel (though I wouldn't really have done it, but I am here being honest with you, readers, because there's no point in acting as though any journey is perfect and all sunshine and lollipops... we all go through things, that's how we learn). My last post was all about subjectiveness and the fact that everyone is going to have an opinion and many times those opinions are going to differ. Ultimately, I am happy about this. I can't imagine a world where we all smile and nod our heads like drones and follow each others' opinions without ever forming any of our own. 

The reason I brought this up is today I was going through my posts earlier, and I found one I did just a few weeks ago but forgot to post. And you can see my heart, you can see my joy and how appreciative I was (still am--I want to make sure there's no question about how appreciative I still am). When we go through hard times or start to think we're horrible at what we love to do or that joy is just gone, suddenly, it's a good idea to go back and look at things like this. To remind ourselves of how far we've come. To get our eyes on our current situation and remember how many steps it took to actually get where we are now. This was my reminder. It came at just the perfect time. 

A post a wrote few weeks ago and forgot to post:

I've found this entire writerly process to be amazing. And hard. And time consuming. And wonderful. And painful. And heartfelt. And something I never could have gone through by myself.

With that said, there are a few different things that keep authors (writers--poets--don't care what you call yourself, if you're a curator of words, then you count) afloat. I'm feeling rather blessed this week, as the Lord has obviously opened a few doors with a single bit of effort on my part, and the result of this lovely experience is me feeling that I should explain how my "career" has survived.

First group: Though many of you probably have not learned about my writing until recently, this October will mark me writing for five years. (It will also mark me turning thirty-five. But uh, back to writing.) Five. Years. To me, that's a long time. Many other writers say this, and yep--I'm going to say it, too. What do you do for five years? Well, you write. (I feel like Dori from Finding Nemo. "Just keep swimming... just keep swimming... What do we do? We swim!" only insert the word write where the word swimming is, of course.) You put every single thought on the page and you work those thoughts and ideas and storylines and tweak them and send them out into the world and they come back sometimes worse off than before and you get lots of rejections and sometimes the opposite and and... yeah. But here's the important part: you keep going. That's what's important to remember. Because at the end of a few years, you'd be amazed at a) your growth, b) the amount of words you've actually tallied and c) I'm going to say it again--your growth. 

I'd also like to point out something out on a personal level. Until everything that went on with Lovemuffin and his sickness and subsequent healing and all a couple years ago, time--writerly wise--went a whole lot slower. (I know, I know, some of you are probably not wanting to read this now, but I need to say it: When you allow Him to be your everything, and when you know He always wants the best for you, always--it's true--things change for the better.) 

For me, when I stopped worrying about everything and told Him what I wanted and left it in His hands, my writing came easier. Time flew by; stress disappeared. Instead of making those wheels turn over and over in the sand, I began to lean on Him for everything; let Him be the one to make things work in my favor. I began to expect His blessings to come my way, and as I did that, everything that went with the chaos of being a writer and doing all the stuff you're expected to do (by someone's rules... not quite sure whose, yet so many of us embrace them all the same) evaporated. I cannot tell you how many times He has made things work out in ways I never ever could have imagined, OR made happen on my own. There is no question in my mind Who is in control.

Second point: If you spend enough time with this writerly community, it'll actually blow your  mind. There are so many people out there (mainly on the internet) who are in the same boat (though technically in different stages of the journey), that you can either a) turn into a competitive crazy, or b) embrace the fact that others are going through the same things. The second one obviously is a better choice, and beneficial to both parties. You get to celebrate each others' good news, and lift each other up when needed, too. I will continue to point out that the camaraderie in this community cannot be properly explained, only felt. That's how strongly I feel about my fellow writers. :) 

Being able to be in not one, but two groups of talented people who can 1) vent to me and let me vent to them and 2) we can all share in celebrations of other writers and other books and words in general is a tremendous blessing. If you are a writer and haven't found a group yet, I suggest looking around. (I say this goes for anyone with anything they love--find more people who love the same things as you!)

Third point: The reading community is pretty awesome, too. It takes a wee bit longer to get to this part, as you have to have enough writing done to actually be read, obviously, but let me tell you, they are awesome. To be willing to read and review your work is such a wonderful thing. Reading takes time, as does reviewing, or even simply giving opinions. All are appreciated by us writers (authors... however you want to say it) and without you we'd have a whole lot less exposure.

One other thing: I love the reading community not just in the aspect of reading *our* writing for reviewing purposes, but also for reading in general. I have met some great people online for the sole reason that we absolutely love certain books. To squee about them and get all excited and fan-crazy is such a wonderful and fun experience!

And those are a few ways in which I've made it the past (almost) five years. I appreciate every single person I've crossed paths with along the way--positive or negatively--because they have helped shape me into who I am. And not only that, but because (as I say all the time), camaraderie is a huge factor in making this journey an enjoyable one. So thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever read anything of mine, or shared a tweet, or responded to one, or added me somewhere, or emailed me back, or given me the opportunity to be on your blog, or just generally shared in my love of reading and writing. You all mean more to me than you'll ever know.