Series Scavenger Hunt...

Okay, so see that header up there? Yeah, my husband built that. He's awesome like that. I know it's a couple of months out, but get ready for the POSSESSION series scavenger hunt coming with the release of the third and final book on June 4: ABANDON.

It's 10 days of awesome. 1 fabulous map. Over 60 book blogs. You really don't want to miss it. Really, really.

Along with that, here are a couple of other things I have going on around the world:

• Today, Monday, April 15: Alhambra Civic Center Library, 3 - 5 PM: I'll be speaking about publishing and writing as part of their National Library Week celebration.
• Friday, May 9: Book signing, Provo Marriott in conjunction with the LDStorymakers Conference

ABANDON launch events:

• Tuesday, June 4: The King's English, 7 PM
• Thursday, June 13: Orem Barnes & Noble, 6 PM

Other fun stuff:

• Tuesday, June 18: Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference -- I'm teaching about blogging.

Spiffy graphic right? Does it cycle through for you? What do you think?

A BLIND EYE Trailer!!

Okay, so I'm always amazed by book trailers that are done well. I love the two-minute sketch of what movies and books are about. And Julie Daines has a great trailer I wanted to share with you today! It's for her novel A BLIND EYE, which came out earlier this year.

Buy on Amazon

Add on Goodreads

I mean, awesome, right? I can't wait to read A BLIND EYE!

What movie/book trailers have you seen recently that have you all jazzed to watch/read?

THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass

Dude, I've really been enjoying a lot of the books I've been reading these days. And you'd be surprised to learn that I've branched out beyond YA. I know! You thought it would never happen! Well. It has!

This week's recommendation is THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass. I bought this book a long time ago, and recently found the time to sit down and devour it.

First, a bit about THE SELECTION: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I really liked America as the main character. I thought the set-up for the society and how a person lives in a specific caste. I found that system fascinating, and would read more about that specifically. I rooted for America and Aspen... until I met Prince Maxon.

He's a great lead male character as well, full of fire and faults--which isn't always the case with our heroes. Since he doesn't narrate, we don't know everything about him, but we know he's not perfect. I liked that in a literary world where often our male MC's are perfection on the page.

I liked that there was more to this plot than just a romance. There's some dangerous things going on outside the castle that I was extremely interested in. I didn't get all my questions answered in THE SELECTION, so I'm excited to read THE ELITE.

If you liked WITHER, you'll like THE SELECTION. If you liked MATCHED, you'll like THE SELECTION. It has the same feel as both of them, while being able to be unique enough to be discussed on it's own merits.

Check out what the other Bookanistas are talking about this week:

• Corrine Jackson is swept away by SUCH A RUSH
• Christine Fonseca interviews THE LIES THATBIND authors Lisa & Laura Roecker
• Stasia Ward Kehoe parties with the Academy of American Poets on POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY
• Jessica Love is wowed by WHERE THINGS COME BACK by John Corey Whaley
• Tracy Banghart delves into THE HOST (book & movie) by Stephenie Meyer
• Katy Upperman discusses Erica Lorraine Scheidt’s USES FOR BOYS

Favorite read this week?

Is It Worth It?

Okay, sometimes I wonder at things. Most recently, I've been wondering if this publishing thing is worth the time and effort I've previously put into it. Notice I didn't say writing. I do love to write, and often I have a side project that I pour my energy into that no one will ever see. I don't want anyone to see those things.

But sometimes I wonder if pursuing publishing is worth what I'm sacrificing. Sometimes I wonder if the emotional investment I'm depositing is too much. Sometimes I'm eating dinner with my family, but I'm thinking about publishing. I'm obsessing over publishing. What makes my day "good" or "bad" is dependent on what publishing news I've had--or haven't had.

I feel like I've achieved some level of balance between my real life and publishing in a physical sense. But in an emotional and mental sense, I fear I am still far too focused on publishing. And I'm wondering: Is it worth it?

What are your thoughts? Tips on achieving mental/emotional balance with this publishing roller coaster?

Make Your Scenes Work Harder

Okay, so today I'm excited to welcome to the blog Don McNair. He's the author of EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING: 21 Steps to the Clear Prose Editors and Publishers Crave. I got a copy, and it's been a welcome addition to my arsenal of writing how-to books.

Don's here today to talk about making your scenes work harder, so let's let him take it away!

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Years ago, while my wife and I were dining with her parents, her father said something that changed my whole approach to writing.

Bill Hadley was an award-winning school superintendent, known throughout the teaching profession for his staff's high quality. On this occasion we were discussing education in general, and I asked him how he achieved that sterling quality.

He smiled. "Well, it's how I select my teachers. Most employers select a new staff member to fill a single job. Me? I make sure they have at least two talents I can use. The one I'm actually hiring them for, and at least one other I can use as a bonus."

I pressed him for details, and he gave the example of hiring an English teacher. Several applicants may be qualified to teach English, but one or more may have additional skills. So he hires the one who also likes to direct school plays, or oversee a school newspaper or yearbook.

Multiply hiring for this one position by the number of teaching slots on his staff, and one can easily see that the parts definitely add up to more than the whole.

I thought about that conversation many times since that evening, and realized his hiring technique could be used in many fields. It seemed to be a Universal Truth. One day, while I was writing a scene for a new novel, the power of his technique hit me. Why, scenes were just like those teachers! If writers made every scene do at least two things instead of one, they would have a more powerful manuscript. I applied that thinking to my writing, and saw it take on a new life.

Use Two Talents
I think using the technique will make you a better writer, too. All your scenes should provide the reader information. That's the first talent. The second talent should be to move the story along.

Readers need certain information so they can follow the story. Some fiction writers provide it, in part, by having two people discuss the information in an early scene. Often this takes place in the heroine's apartment (or its equivalent). Nothing else happens in the scene.

This approach is deadly. Readers sometimes feel they're forced to sit on a couch in this cramped apartment and listen as the heroine and her sidekick discuss these pertinent must-have facts, perhaps glancing at the readers occasionally to see if they are picking up what the author is putting down. A much better way to pass that information is to do it as something else is happening.

A good example is a first chapter I read not long ago about a Manhattan girl going to a Texas dude ranch. One option the author had was to sit me down on that apartment couch and feed me a scripted message about why she is going to that ranch. This author, however, found a better way. She took me with her to the airport.

The chapter opened with the three of us—myself, the heroine, and her sister—arriving at LaGuardia. We looked around, and I began enjoying the outing. I watched people hurry by, heard the throaty announcements of departing flights, felt air gush from the air conditioners as we walked under them—the author presented all that information in a way that let me experience the trip. At the scene's end I boarded that plane with the main character and we searched for our seats.

It occurred to me, while I was anticipating my free peanuts and staring out the window at the tarmac activity, that the author had tricked me. While I was enjoying myself in the terminal the main character and her sister discussed the reasons for the trip. Sitting there in that airplane waiting to take off, I knew all those reasons. But I hadn't been forced to sit in a smoky apartment to learn them. I swear I absorbed them by some form of osmosis while accompanying my two new friends.

You can—and should—take this same approach to your scene writing. Advance the story as you provide that information, and you'll take your reader on that fictional trip with you.

Hey, this is heady stuff!

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Wow, right? I mean, it makes sense, but actually putting it in action is a whole other matter. So let's raise a glass to making our scenes work harder, yeah? Who's with me??

Oh, and be sure to get your copy of EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING. You won't regret it.

 Don McNair, an editor and writer for more than forty years, has written six novels and four non-fiction books. His latest, titled “Editor-Proof Your Writing: 21 Steps to the Clear Prose Publishers and Agents Crave (Quill Driver Books),” helps writers self-edit their work. Learn more at his website.

Writerly Quirks

Okay, so I've been dabbling with a new novel. They were honestly words of intuition. I have done no planning. No plotting. No saving of cats or beating of plot lines.

I was just writing.

And I realized as I was going along that I have a writerly quirk. It's names. I re-use the same names over and over again.

Ruby, for one. And the last name Carpenter must really sing to me for some reason. I think I've used it four times, in four different novels.

But that's not all, my friends! Oh no! I steal names too. From critique partners (Joel), and family members and students and billboards (come on! You've done it too!).

I really don't get this quirk. There are like, a bajillion names. And I'm choosing the same ones over and over again?

Pathetic. (Ha!)

Do you have any writerly quirks? What are they?

GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers

Okay, so remember how I've been in a bit of an in-between place with my writing? Well, that usually translates to a lot of reading for me. Thus, today's Bookanista recommendation of GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers.

I'm a lover of fantasy, especially if it doesn't feel too High-World or Un-Re-Latable. I like the kind of fantasy that doesn't need a map, let's put it that way.

And GRAVE MERCY fits that bill nicely.

Here's a bit about it: Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the respite of the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who has stolen her heart?

I loved the historical setting, the premise of Death's servants, and the fact that this novel was about assassains, but wasn't too gory. I am not a fan of the gore.

Ismae is a great main character, but I also found the cast of supporting characters to be three-dimensional and root-worthy as well. There was intrigue, and danger, and castles, and yes, a romance.

I found it all believable, and well-written. Oh yes, GRAVE MERCY was my kind of read, one that kept me wondering what was going to happen while formulating what I *wanted* to have happen.

If you like fantasy that doesn't require maps, you'll like GRAVE MERCY. If you like intrigue and danger without the graphic gore, you'll like GRAVE MERCY.

And the best part? I just read this, and the sequel DARK TRIUMPH comes out next week!

What kind of fantasy do you like? What have you read this week that you enjoyed?

Check out what the other Bookanistas are recommending this week:

• Christine Fonseca marvels at MIND GAMES by Kiersten White
• Shelli Johannes-Wells explores ESSENCE by Kimberly Derting
• Stasia Ward Kehoe discusses THE DIFFERENT GIRL by Gordon Dahlquist
• Jessica Love delves into BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler
• Katy Upperman wonders at IF I LIE by Corrine Jackson
• Nikki Katz celebrates THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay

I'm Back!

Sorry to have been gone so much these past couple of weeks! I feel like I've fallen off the edge of the Earth, and have just barely been able to claw my way back to the top of the cliff.

I've been spending a fair bit of time over on the WriteOnCon forum, as we just held our first-ever pitch-fest! We had over 350 people enter, and 14 agents comment, and it was amazing. If you're interested in seeing what specific agents are looking for, combing through the boards would be beneficial.

Then I've been spending some time watching my daughter dance, reading some amazing books,  playing a little too much Bakery Story, and watching some of my favorite movies like Bend it Like Beckham and The Village. 

I think one of these days I'm going to have to get back to actual writing. Yeah, that's probably a good idea...

What do you do when you're not writing? Did you check out the WOC boards? 

MAGISTERIUM by Jeff Hirsch

Okay, I'm back with another great book recommendation! MAGISTERIUM by Jeff Hirsch. Now, I don't like to read the back cover copy before I open a book, so I honestly didn't know what this book was about. All I knew was that I loved THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE, and Jeff used to blog for The League, and I'd purchased MAGISTERIUM way back when it came out last fall.

I just hadn't read it yet. If I had known what a treat it would be, I would've devoured it right away!

About MAGISTERIUM: On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.

First, the cover is mysterious and beautiful. Much like the story inside. There's basically two worlds in the book: One filled with science and space travel and technology. The other filled with magic. I loved that. I loved that the book was a blend of science fiction and fantasy--my two favorite things!

Glenn is a great main character. She's complex, with hopes and dreams--and disappointments. She's scared, but she acts. As she navigates her way through a new, strange world, she changes into a character the reader can really cheer for.

Oh, and there's just the right amount of romance. ;)

So if you're looking for something different, something unique, something with excellent world-building and supreme imagination, read MAGISTERIUM.

Find out what the other Bookanistas are recommending today!

• Jessica Love covets the cover of ALIENATED
• Tracy Banghart counts on THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
• Shelli Johannes-Wells is wild for POISON
• Katy Upperman shares her passion for ELEANOR AND PARK
• Stasia Ward Kehoe basks IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS
• Nikki Katz adores OUT OF THE EASY

Query Letter Advice: Let Someone Else Write It!

Lime tart to the right of the computer. That may or may not be my gmail...

 Okay, so I spend quite a bit of time at my local library, writing. I copyedited most of ABANDON at the library. I sneak in cherry limeades from Sonic, and baked potatoes, and mini sweet tarts. I wear headphones, I turn off the Internet, and I get so much done!

Erin actually works...

Well, when I have projects to work on. (Don't judge me! I'm between projects.)

For the past several weeks, I've been meeting with a friend of mine, Erin Summerill. She is one of the best photographers I know (she took my author photo!), and you should definitely like her Facebook page so you know about her contests! She's giving away some headshots later this month.

When she's not snapping photos, we meet at the library. She writes while I, uh, answer email and read on my Kindle, and sometimes tweet.

So we were there last week with the Pegster, and I was whining about how I didn't have anything to work on. Erin said, "I know what you can do! You can write my query letter."

I already knew a little bit about her book, but I told her to tell me about it. She starts talking, and I'm typing a few notes here and few details there. She's still talking. I stop typing. I was totally rude, actually, and I said, "I've got it. I don't need to know any more."

It's actually better in pictures. Here you go:

Erin tells me about her book.

"I just can't fit in ALL THE THINGS!"

The most exciting part...

"Stop," I say. "I got it. I can write it."

And that's the thing right there, my friends. The reason you can't write your query letter is because you know ALL THE THINGS.

Today's advice: Don't write your own query letter. Ask a good friend to do it for you. Tell them the basics (or what you think are the basics), and let them craft the letter.

I can pretty much guarantee that what you think are the basics won't all make it into the query. There just isn't room. Really the query is the setup of your novel -- think, "What does someone need to know to understand my main conflict?" -- and the inciting incident that leads to the main conflict. It's what you write in the first 30 - 50 pages of the book.

After that, all the query letter needs is the consequence. Think, "What will happen if my MC can't overcome the main conflict?"

We seriously don't need anything besides that.

So I wrote Erin's query and I sent it to her. Now, it's probably not perfect. The voice might be a bit off. Some details might not be quite right. She might not like the way I crafted a sentence. But at least now she has a starting point. A piece of writing that ONLY HAS THE BASICS of the book and not ALL THE THINGS she has in her head.

This method works because the query letter was written by someone who is free from all the things.

So there you go. Stumped on your query letter? Ask someone else to draft it for you! Then, of course, you'd edit it the same way you edit your manuscript. With love, and care, and possibly a few more sets of eyes on it.

What do you think? Have you ever thought to have someone else write your initial query letter? Do you think it might actually work? 

LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger

It's release week for LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger! I really enjoyed this book, but before we get to all that, let's take a look at the gorgeous cover. I wants to stroke it. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

About LET THE SKY FALL: Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

I beta-read this book for Shannon, oh I don't know. Two years ago? Maybe two years ago. I'm thrilled it's made it's way to print, because it's a great YA novel. It's got snark, and heart, and kissing. You know I like all three of those things.

Vane is a great character that both male and female readers will connect with, and Audra is the hard-nosed girl determined to keep her promises. She's got issues too, and well, you've got to read it. LET THE SKY FALL is really everything a YA novel should be.

Be sure to add it to your TBR pile! You won't regret it.

What new release are you dying to get your hands on?

Cover Reveal: DESCENDANT by Nichole Giles

Cue the muppet flailing! A good friend of mine finally gets to reveal the cover for her debut novel, DESCENDANT! So you want to see it?









I think it's awesome!

Doesn't it look so sparkly? And warm? And AWESOME?!

About DESCENDANT: Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

I've read DESCENDANT, and I'm pretty sure my email to Nichole had a lot of smiley faces and exclamation points. It is a fantastic read, and comes out from Rhemalda Publishing on May 1. You should definitely add DESCENDANT to your Goodreads.

About Nichole: Nichole Giles had early career plans of becoming an actress or a rock star, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

• Nichole's blog
• Nichole on Twitter
• Nichole on Facebook

What do you think of Nichole's cover??

On Having Fun

Okay, so my daughter dances competitively. She had her first competition this past weekend, and as we were getting ready for it, we talked about how to act. You know, no going diva, and saying thank you to people who come to watch her, etc.

One of the things we talked about was winning. Her dance teachers are super-great at telling the kids to have fun and do their best. They tell them they want to win, but that it's okay if they don't.

I thought that applied to writing as well. Their competition formula can be applied to anything, actually.

1. Have fun
2. Do your best
3. Try to win

Sometimes the fun of writing is swallowed in the business of writing. But today, I'm going back to number one. And that's having fun.

For me, the best part of writing is drafting. I love the exhilaration of fresh words on the blank page, of a story untold. I recently wrote the skeleton of a book in 6 days, and it was awesome. So while I'm not drafting right now, and I don't plan to in the super-near future, I'm going to remember that writing is fun whenever I start to get overwhelmed or frustrated with this industry.

What is your favorite part of writing? Are you having fun?

Recording Inspiration

Okay, so inspiration can strike anywhere, right? I often find myself getting random scenes in my head that I need to add to a draft of my book. Sometimes I'm at work. Or the post office. Driving. Or in the shower.

In the past, I used to carry a notebook in my purse (and I do have one in there now), but I don't use it for notes about my book. I've found myself turning more and more to technology to jot down my ideas.

On my phone, I have an app called ColorNote. It's basically like a Post-It note on my phone. I can type pretty fast with my two thumbs, and I don't have to search for a freaking pen that works!

On my tablet, I have an app called Evernote. This is an amazing tool, because I can sync it to my computer. So I can check my notes at work, home, or on the go from any computer.

If I can get to a computer, I do. I can type super-fast, and I can't even tell you how many emails I've sent myself this week! Like, probably 15, all related to plot points, or scenes, or characterization ideas I need to add to my draft.

So while I still carry a notebook in my purse, it's not my go-to tool for recording my inspiration.

What do you use to jot down your ideas when you're on the go?

This, Get This!

Okay, so I love this book. It's called CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS and it's by Miriam Forster. You have to get it!

About CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS: Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a little girl. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. She makes her way as Matron's errand girl, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city's handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls' deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but also her life.

It's so good, you guys! It's different than anything you've read before, and it's beautiful. I can't remember what my blurb on the back (that's right! HarperTeen asked me to read it for an endorsement, and I couldn't say yes fast enough!) says, but it's probably something like, "This is an amazing book, and everyone who likes fabulous storytelling (and kissing) should read it."

But probably not that. Something more professional. Ha!

Because I love this book so much, I'm giving it to one of you luckies! I'm giving an eCopy, so either for your Nook or Kindle. All you have to do is follow me or follow Miriam -- or both -- on twitter. If you want to tweet at us that you entered and are excited about CITY OF THOUSAND DOLLS, do it!

Enter in the Rafflecopter below.
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You can find out more about Miriam and follow her blog tour for CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS by going to her blog.

Have you ever read a book you just want everyone else to read? What was it?