Okay, so I've been reading more and more realistic fiction. I think I might try my hand at it one day. If I can ever figure it out.
At the same time, I find myself flying through these contemp books. I just finished LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden, and it was a real page-turner. I just had to know what the secrets were. Let's break it down a little more.
Writing: Another present tense first-person narrative, but yet again I really enjoyed the writing. It's fast-paced and unnoticeable. Which means it's good.
Characters: Brie is a fabulous narrator. I found her real and believable, if not a little on the innocent side. Which isn't a bad thing. I just knew something in the book WAY earlier than Brie did, and I sort of wish she could've figured it out. Or at least wonder about it. But you know what? It totally worked in the story, and
I enjoyed Brie. And I really enjoyed Tessa. Maybe it was her spiky hair, or her spunk and straightforward attitude, or the way she's a real friend to Brie when she needed to be. I don't know, but the secondary cast of characters was fabulous.
Plot/Pacing: There is the whole mysterious death thing that keeps you turning the pages. I read this book over a two-day period and never once wished I'd been given another clue at a crucial point. Denise does a great job of giving you what you need exactly when you need it.
Cover: Okay, I'm partial, since this is a Simon Pulse title, but it's gorgeous. I love how the butterflies come out of the flowers. And I may or may not have a thing for butterflies...
Extra: I'm giving away a signed copy of LOSING FAITH! Click here for details -- contest ends September 26. It's an amazing debut, so make sure you get your copy today!
And you haven't forgotten about the Writing Compelling Characters Blogging Experiment have you? It's happening tomorrow, and I have a link here. The details are at the bottom of the post.
First, have you ever realized how hard it is to title a blog post? Mine are getting lamer and lamer.
But what we have going on today ISN'T lame (thankfully). Announcing...
A WriteOnCon Live Event AND an Epic Giveaway of Epic Epicness! (That's right!)
When: Monday, September 27. 7:00 PM EDT.
Where: WriteOnCon site.
What: A live chat with industry professionals!
Who: Literary agents Jessica Sinsheimer and Roseanne Wells
As if that weren't enough, we WOC organizers are having giveaways to lure you in get you excited about this event and to motivate you to spread the word! (Shannon, LiLa, Jamie, Casey, Jen)
And if that's still not enough, be sure to check out the WriteOnCon site today and tomorrow--every stinkin' HOUR--for some amazing prizes from some Elevensies authors, including yours truly! We're talking pre-orders, ARC's, and critiques. That action is happening over on the WOC site, so go go go!!
Right here, on this blog, I've got some amazing young adult titles, signed by their equally amazing authors.
LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden.
BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz.
There are many, many ways to get extra entries for this contest.
Mandatory thing:
1. Fill out the form by Sunday, September 26 at midnight.
Optional things:
1. +1 for commenting on this post
2. +2 for tweeting about this contest
3. +2 for posting or linking this contest on your blog/website/facebook
4. +1 for each of my co-organizer’s blogs or websites that you follow (Shannon, LiLa, Casey, Jamie, Jen)
5. +10 for donating to the WriteOnCon website (over on the right side, down under the follow widget)
Now…listen. WriteOnCon is something we designed to be totally and completely free for everyone, so we hate taking money from anyone. But, unfortunately, the only way we can avoid another Error 403 disaster is to have way better web hosting, and sadly, that doesn’t come for free—no matter how much we bat our eyelashes.
So sadly we have to pay to keep WriteOnCon 2011 EPIC. But we want to make a few things clear:
-You DO NOT have to donate to enter (or win) any of these contests
-You DO NOT have to donate to participate in the live events
-You DO NOT have to donate to attend our next conference
-IF you decide to donate, we’re only recommending something small, like $5.00
So it’s completely up to you if you want to donate. If you can—THANK YOU, and we wanted to reward you with extra contest entries. If you can’t—no worries. Absolutely none!
