Friday Fun: Best Books of Summer, T-Swift(!), and Love Musings…

September 9, 201124 Comments

Happy Friday!

I had a summer of amazing books. In fact, it’s difficult to limit my list of favorites, but Paper Hangover–a fantastic group blog offering writing tips, book reviews, weekly blog topics, and teen interviews–is making me do it!

Here’s a Top Five countdown to my favorite book of the summer…

FIVE: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young – I flew through this one. Main character Charlotte is likeable and totally torn, and she has a hot boyfriend you’ll want to date. This book has a unique perspective on Heaven and Hell and a message that’s–dare I say–inspirational.

FOUR: Room by Emma Donoghue – About the strength of the human spirit and an incredible mother-son bond. While I wouldn’t call Room a “thriller,” I certainly found it to be a page-turner.

THREE: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta – I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA. You’ll love the setting (an Australian all boys’ Catholic school that’s recently opened its doors to girls), the dialogue (smart, funny, perfect), and the characters (engaging, delightful, memorable).

TWO: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly – Just finished this one yesterday and LOVED it! Main character Andi is someone I want to know in real life. Revolution is a very sophisticated contemporary-historical-time-slip novel that will make you desperate to learn more about the French Revolution. No–really!

ONE: Chime by Franny Billingsley – The characters, the mythology, the humor, the writing–oh, the writing. The language is absolutely amazing: lyrical, beautiful, enviable. I cannot sing the praises of Chime enough. It’s gorgeous. It’s unique. It’s a bit of a trip. It’s completely unputdownable.

So, there are my Top Five. What are the best books you read this summer?

And, since summer is coming to a close, my husband and I decided to surprise our daughter with… tickets to Wednesday night’s Taylor Swift concert! Now, my daughter is only four which–in my opinion–is way too young for a concert. But, she adores Taylor Swift. Like, really and truly idolizes her. She knows the names, lyrics, and stories behind all of her songs, asked for (and got!) a guitar for her birthday, wants “long, yellow, curly hair” like Taylor, and aspires to sing country music when she grows up.

So, we splurged on last-minute tickets, got all gussied up…

and hit the Tacoma Dome…

Let me tell you, Taylor Swift puts on an AMAZING show. She is totally adorable, so genuine, and a fantastic live performer.

My daughter was in awe (so was I, actually!) and rocked out right on through the encore. 🙂 I highly recommend you check out one of Taylor’s concerts should the opportunity arise. I’m so glad we did!

And finally, a bit of a deep Would you rather…?

Would you rather love and not be loved back, or be loved but never feel love yourself?

Have a wonderful weekend!

RTW: A Dark (YA) Passenger

September 7, 201127 Comments

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where the ladies at YA Highway post a weekly writing- or reading-related question for participants to respond to on their own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

Today’s Topic: What non-YA character would you love to see star in a YA book as themselves?

Oh, this is SO easy…

Dexter Morgan is the most complex character I’ve ever known. He’s a blood spatter analyst, brother, father, husband, rescuer, friend, vigilante and… serial killer. He does it all with a certain flair for the dramatics, a very dark sense of humor, and an intensity that borders on terrifying. Plus, um, he’s pretty hot.

I’d love to know Dexter as a teenager. His childhood was less than enviable, his sister is a bit of a mess, and his relationship with his father, Harry, is all kinds of complicated. He’d make fascinating young adult character because even as a grown man, he’s constantly questioning who he is and trying to balance all the facets of his personality. Imagine all the angst he’d bring to a YA novel!

And can I just mention that Showtime will begin airing the newest season of Dexter in LESS THAN A MONTH?! So excited!

So, what non-YA character would you love to meet in a YA story?

What a difference a year makes…

September 6, 2011September 6, 201120 Comments

This is my sweet pea just before her first day of preschool last year. Don’t be fooled by that big grin. She began sobbing as soon as we pulled into the drop-off line and continued sobbing well into the first hour of school. She was fine by the time I picked her up, but holy heartache, her tears were just about my undoing.

Here she is today on her first day of Pre-K. First of all, where did last year go? When did my girl become such a little lady? And what a difference a year makes! At drop-off she couldn’t have been more excited. She couldn’t wait to see her friends and her teachers and show off her new outfit (isn’t it cute? :)). I had to remind her to give me a kiss! But that’s okay. Seriously. I’d so much rather a cheerful, independent girl who’s excited about new experiences and happy to be social and learn new things. I’m such a proud mama!

And speaking of last year… it was on this first day of school one year ago that I wrote the very first scene of Where Poppies Bloom (that scene has remained largely unchanged, in case you’re wondering). I’ve since revised Poppies a dozen times, queried, revised some more, and signed with an amazing agent. I’m currently finishing up some final edits and then–*gasp*–the submission process begins!

I’m curious… How has your life changed in the last year?

Campaign Challenge #1 – Last Kiss

September 5, 2011September 5, 201154 Comments

The Writers’ Platform Building Campaign, hosted by Rach Writes, is cool way for writers and active bloggers to reach out and network with other like-minded people, thus building our own platforms and helping others to build theirs. The Campaign runs from August 22nd to October 31st and will include three Campaigner Challenges, the first of which is TODAY! Here are the parameters for Campaign Challenge #1:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open…” These four words will be included in the word count. If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: “…the door swung shut.” (also included in the word count). For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!

First thought: OH MY GOD I’VE NEVER WRITTEN FLASH FICTION IN MY LIFE! Second thought: TWO-HUNDRED WORDS? CAN’T BE *THAT* HARD.

Two hours later (two!), and I’ve come up with exactly two-hundred words of flash fiction. Holy crap–writing in past-tense is such a challenge! So is characterization within such a tiny word count. I’m, like, really nervous about posting this, but here’s my best effort, entitled Last Kiss…

The door swung open. He was there like I knew he would be, searing eyes and rain-soaked hair. He didn’t speak—he’d always been better at quiet—but he reached for my hands and pulled me forward like he owned me.

He did—I’d been his since the day we met.

I let my cheek fall against his shoulder and inhaled his soap-and-spice scent, soaking up a million memories with rain that fell relentlessly from the slate sky. His t-shirt was drenched and then so was mine, but I didn’t care. I’d never cared about the consequences of being with him. I craved his strength and weight and intensity.

His breath was heavy, ragged, when his cobalt eyes locked on mine. The moment unfolded, stretching into eternity. I foraged for words to make him stay, but they were elusive. Always elusive.

His wet hands were slippery on my face. His mouth found mine, raw, insistent, tasting of regret. Breathing was suddenly impossible. I gripped his t-shirt, kissed him back, but the ache of loss was inevitable.

“I’ll miss this,” he said when he’d had enough.

He pushed me back into the house. My heart shattered as the door swung shut.

Like my flash fiction? Want to read Challenge #1 entries from other Campaigners? Pop on over to Rach Writes to check out the list of participants. 🙂

Friday Fun: Touch, Titles, and Technology

September 2, 201120 Comments

First and foremost, huge CONGRATULATIONS to my fantastically talented CP Jus Accardo, who now has a cover for her amazing debut YA novel, Touch (available November, 2011). Observe the awesomeness:

A fine example of perfectly capturing the mood of a book...

And of course, the official blurb: When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe. A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Guys. I have read this book. It is INCREDIBLE. Add it on Goodreads HERE. And, if you’re so inclined, pre-order it from Amazon HERE.

And a Friday Five, hosted by Paper Hangover, a fantastic group blog offering writing tips and advice, book reviews, weekly blog topics, and teen interviews. Here’s today’s prompt:

I love titles that are catchy, intriguing, and image-inducing. I love titles that make me ask a question or wonder about a character. The below titles stole my attention and I’ve added them to my Goodreads To-Read queue based (originally) on title and title alone. I’ve yet to read them, but I’m hoping the stories behind these fantastic titles will live up:

1) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2) The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

3) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith

4) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

5) Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager

And, I chose to read the following books based solely on their fabulous titles. I can honestly and happily confirm that each one is equal to (or better than!) the splendor printed on its cover:

1) The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

2) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

3) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

4) Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

5) The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

What book titles do you love? Are there any you’re not a fan of?