Carolina porches are a thing of beauty: eight feet wide, often times the width of the house, timeless. When I see a nice wide Carolina porch, I imagine: The air is warm and inviting as I step out onto the porch. Moisture clings to my skin, giving me a soft dewy appearance. The glass of [...]
Believe it or not, I still have questions left unanswered. I promised I would answer them all and I am determined to do so. Better get crackin’! Today’s question comes from Jessie Sin, who asks: Who are your most read and awaited authors and why? Here’s the deal: I don’t really have any authors whose [...]
I have a confession to make: I say naughty words. I try not to, and I think there are more intelligent, eloquent ways to express myself, but sometimes I slip up and cuss. What can I say? I am a work in progress. Here’s another news flash for you: teenagers swear too. A lot. I [...]
…reasons I love writing YA: 1. Getting e-mails from teens who read my blog and want to read my books is awesome. 2. Getting e-mails from high school teachers who read my blog and want to use my books in the classroom is possibly even more awesome. 3. I am secretly still 15 at heart. [...]
Today marks the 100th post on the blah-g! It seems like I just started my blog and launched my website a couple days ago, but I have been at it since the end of August. Weird. So, um, thanks for reading and not getting bored of me and commenting…and all the other stuff that should [...]
The other day, I was thinking about the importance of book covers when it comes to buying a book. For me, I will buy any book I think sounds good; however, a great cover really can boost a book’s odds. When I am browsing in a store, I am definitely more likely to pick up [...]
I get asked a lot why I set all my stories in the South, to which I say: there is one in Northern Idaho! Actually, the answer is: because the American South is awesome. The culture, the food, the atmosphere, the weather, the people – all awesome. So, to celebrate the awesomeness of the South [...]
Sometimes it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the “rules*” of writing. Well, here’s a nice little way to remember many of them: Avoid alliteration. Always. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. Employ the vernacular. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary. Remember to never split an infinitive. Contractions aren’t [...]
Read Jon Gibbs’s fabulous guest post on Nathan Bransford’s blog. In the past, I have let my ‘but’ get in the way of reaching my potential as a writer. But no more! To plagiarize quote my dear friend Jesse: I have fully and truly realized that there are, in all certainty, only three kinds of [...]
For this week’s Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway wants to know: What book(s) do you love that no one else has ever heard of? I am pretty sure that none of these are complete unknowns, but I have a nice little list of books here that, when I rave about them, people often have never [...]
