This morning, I had a long-overdue email conversation with a bloggy friend. We talked about life and good times and writing and publishing. It really got me thinking…and then this post was born: On Chasing the Dream You start with a little inkling of a dream. I want to write a book, you tell yourself. [...]
In honor of Colleen Lindsay’s declaration of No Whining Week, the lovelies over at YA Highway want us all to discuss something positive about the publishing industry for today’s Road Trip Wednesday. The most positive thing I see about the publishing industry is the people. Seriously, where do some writers get this idea that agents [...]
We live in a fast food world. By being able to get nearly everything we want, from food to money to marriage, without ever leaving our cars, we have been programmed to expect instant gratification. Be honest, how many times have your feathers been ruffled by a wait? We are used to things happening fast, [...]
Put yourself in my shoes for a minute: You are a Mormon who writes young adult fiction. When you tell others this, it is only a matter of time (often only a couple seconds) before they ask the inevitable question: So you’re going to be the next Stephenie Meyer? Um, no. As much fun as [...]
My mom totally helped me geek out this Christmas by giving me ALL 7 HARRY POTTER BOOKS IN RUSSIAN!!! (not excited at all, by the way) And now (this is where the eye candy comes in), behold: This will be added to my Russian Books shelf as soon as I can get my grubby little [...]
I was never one for New Year’s Resolutions. I think that is because of the negative stigma they have. It seems that New Year’s Resolutions are things we know we will not do. Where else would jokes about NYRs being things we intend to leave behind by the end of January come from? It is silly [...]
I love buying and reading new books. The thrill of finding something new and exciting dazzles me. Looking at the covers, reading the blurbs, learning about the authors–I love all of it. I especially love buying and reading new books by debut authors. With each debut comes another chance at a fresh voice I will [...]
In case you didn’t know, Harlequin Enterprises (yanno, the romance publishers) opened a vanity press this week. No. Good. Why is this bad? I could rant about it here, but I have found that when I rant about it, eyes start to glaze over. Instead, I will share a delightful picture that makes me smile [...]
Don’t judge a book by its cover. We have all heard the old adage, and I totally agree with the meaning behind it. But I have a confession to make. I totally judge books by their covers. All. The. Time. There are books out there I know I want to read solely based on the [...]
Before the actual post, we have some exciting news today: rock star/ninja/literary agent Nathan Bransford landed a book deal (for his own book, not a client’s). I am excited to meet Jacob Wonderbar in a couple years. Also, this is a must read post. I have been asked many times why I write young adult [...]
