Author: Katy Upperman

RTW – Friends

4 Comments


Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

Today’s Topic: If you went to school with your characters, would you be friends?

I’m going to use my characters from Loving Max Holden, the contemporary YA romance I’m currently shopping to agents. I feel like I know them better than I know my actual, real life friends anyway.

Shy Jillian is a self-proclaimed blender. She’s not pitiful, but she often lacks the confidence to go after what she really wants. She’s dependable, smart, cynical, and her sense of humor is pretty dry. Honestly, she’s a lot like I was at seventeen… so yes, OBVIOUSLY I’d be friends with her! 🙂

Jillian’s childhood friend and next door neighbor, Max, is very much her opposite. If he were an animal, he’d be a Golden Retriever. Popular, fun-loving, confident, loyal. If I had gone to high school with him–much like Jillian–I would have been envious. He seems to have it all, and effortlessly so. So, no, I probably wouldn’t have been friends with Max. Not because I wouldn’t have wanted to be, but because I would have viewed him as out of my league.

Truth be told, if Jillian’s seventeen-year-old outlook on life is based loosely on my own, then Max’s is based loosely on my husband’s. I often tell him that if I’d known him in high school, we wouldn’t have been friends. Funny how well we do together as adults! 🙂

Friday Five

2 Comments

It’s a random one today… Five things I’ve been thinking about all week:

1) If You Really Knew Me – MTV’s new reality show (actual reality! not Jersey Shore-like trash!) is so thought-provoking and authentic and heartbreaking. Real teens are featured. Though they’re stereotyped at the opening of the show, as things progress we see that they’re layered and often troubled. Many have had rough childhoods and are carrying more baggage than I am at almost thirty. The show’s message is acceptance and empathy, encouraging teens to “be real,” without the usual preachiness of adult produced “helpful” television. Anyone who writes YA or is considering writing YA should give it a shot for a up-close look at teen issues today.

2) Agents/Querying – Funny how querying can almost be–*gasp*–fun! At least, that is, when you’re getting a decent response to your queries?submissions. My first querying effort with a novel that went nowhere was nothing but discouraging. Though I know the query was well-written and the first pages had voice and conflict, I only got two requests for additional material (both went nowhere) out of about two dozen queries. Yeah… that book, though it still holds a special place in my heart, had a fatal flaw: Lack of compelling hook.

The book I’m querying now (have been since mid-July) has had a much more positive response, for which I’m grateful. Five agents are currently considering it (two of them would be absolute DREAM agents!) and though the waiting game is no fun, I’m in a much more optimistic place.  Even if this particular book doesn’t land me an agent, I know now that I’m moving in the right direction and that makes me think that someday (fingers crossed!) I’m going to get there.

3) Stolen by Lucy Christopher – Oh. My. God. THIS BOOK. So beautiful and genius! Here’s the twisted thing: I read Stolen, about a kidnapping and a crazy, damaged, delusional villain of a man and at the end… I don’t know… I actually wanted the protagonist, Gemma, to end up with him. There was a deeper connection there. A mutual understanding. An intimacy. Yes, it’s so totally wrong, but Lucy Christopher layered these characters so brilliantly that the ending left me just as confused and torn as  Gemma was. I’m passing this one on to my mom and my sister-in-law, just so I’ll have people to talk to about it!

4) Conversely, I read another book this week that I didn’t like much at all. It’s a recent release with an awesome premise that’s gotten all kinds of attention: great blurbs from authors I respect, tons of twitter/blog love, I’ve even seen it in magazine ads. Some of my writing friends have read it and were totally into it. So, yeah, I was all pumped up about buying and reading it. Then I did and I was… disappointed? I found the plot fairly predictable, the dialogue annoying and the voice too snarky. 

I make a point to feature amazing books on this blog (see #3 above!), but when  I read a book I don’t care for, I usually just let it go. I’m not one publicly trash the work of someone else, which is why I don’t do actual book reviews. Still, I’m mentioning this book today because I can’t help but wonder what all of these people are seeing that I’m not. I mean, I know we all have differing tastes, but I was just SO disappointed by this read. Yet, others loved it.

Has this ever happened to you? Do you question the taste of those who thought differently from you? Do you trust their future recommendations?     

5) Preschool – This is writing related… I swear! My beautiful and adorable daughter started preschool last Friday. She cried the first two days when I dropped her off , then (and this is a direct quote from her!) “dried her tears and felt much better.” So, I get four extra quiet hours of writing time a week now! Not much, but I’ll take whatever I can get. I spend those hours at Borders, soaking up the awesomeness of the published books around me. Plus, my daughter is making new friends and coming out of her shell a bit. And that makes me a very happy mama!  

RTW – The Feel Good Decade

6 Comments


Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing or reading related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

This Week’s Topic: If you could travel back to any historical era for research purposes, which would you choose?

This one’s easy for me! I’ve been researching the 1970s for the last few weeks for my WIP, Where Poppies Bloom, which features a ghost who’s been dead since 1977. Not sure the ’70s qualify as a “historical era” (I think historical is technically anything before the 1900s, right?) but I’m chosing The Feel Good Decade anyway, because it’s just so groovy. 🙂  The Vietnam War was over and the draft was done . Civil Rights was the law. Protesting was coming to an end. People just wanted to be happy! Why else would they have worn bell bottom pants and disco-ed till they dropped?

Just check out this awesomeness!




Thanks for another fun topic, YA Highway! Looking forward to next week!

The Bookshelf Muse

2 Comments

Today I feel compelled  to sing the praises of The Bookshelf Muse. If you’re a writer and you’ve never visited the blog of Angela Ackerman and Rebecca Puglisi, you simply must take some time to explore the awesomeness that is their Thesaurus Series. Broken into four main categories: Emotional Thesaurus, Setting Thesaurus, Symbolism Thesaurus and Color/Texture/Shape Thesaurus, these bloggers have so generously shared their wisdom and tons of wonderful inspiration with the writing community.  

Have you ever felt stuck trying to describe a character’s eye color? The inside of a library? Something slimy? The manifestation of anger? The Bookshelf Muse offers a fresh take on all these things, as well as lots of advice on similes, metaphors, imagery, and word choice. Their lists and tips get your wheels turning and force you to branch out from those tried and true, fallback choices.

Love these Lyrics – Taylor Swift’s MINE

3 Comments

Say what you will about Taylor Swift, but I think she’s adorble. I also think she’s an incredibly talented songwriter who writes about what she knows and sing from the bottom of her heart. Plus, she’s cute, polite, wholesome and classy. Her newest song, MINE, is a love story about a couple who faces and overcomes the challenges of a real-life relationship, and it’s excellent. Here’s the video:

And here are the lyrics, written by Taylor Swift:

You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables
Left a small town and never looked back
I was a flight risk, afraid of fallin’
Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts

I say, “Can you believe it?”
As we’re lyin’ on the couch
The moment, I can see it
Yes, yes, I can see it now

Do you remember, we were sittin’ there, by the water?
You put your arm around me for the fist time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

Flash forward, and we’re takin’ on the world together
And there’s a drawer of my things at your place
You learn my secrets and figure out why I’m guarded
You say we’ll never make my parents’ mistakes

But we got bills to pay
We got nothin’ figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes

This is what I thought about:

Do you remember, we were sittin’ there, by the water?
You put your arm around me for the fist time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

And I remember that fight, two-thirty AM
You said everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street

Braced myself for the goodbye, cause that’s all I’ve ever known
Then, you took me by surprise
You said, “I’ll never leave you alone.”

You said, “I remember how we felt, sitting by the water.
And every time I look at you, it’s like the first time.
I fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter.
She is the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

Do you believe it?
We’re gonna make it now
And I can see it

I can see it now

Road Trip Wednesday: My DUFF Kit

6 Comments

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

Today’s Topic: What’s in your DUFF kit? (see Kody Keplinger’s blog for more explanation!)

I love this topic! I just bought The DUFF over the weekend, and though I’ve only had time to read the first few pages, I’m dying to get further into Bianca’s story. I love Kody’s concept and her honest portryal of a teenager with real issues. Here’s what’s in my DUFF Kit:

1. My favorite (very caloric!!!) drink:


2. My most comfy and old shoes: Um… can I choose slippers? 🙂


3. Movies featuring my favorite male actor:


And


4. My favorite junk food:


5. My most comfortable piece of clothing:


Thanks YA Highway and Kody Keplinger for another great RTW topic. Looking forward to next week! 🙂

What’s New?

I recently realized that I haven’t done an update post in a while, and thought this might be a good time. But, before we begin, if you haven’t had a chance to take a look at the improvements I’ve made to this little corner of the internet, please do. Above, I’ve added ABOUT ME, LOVING MAX HOLDEN, and WHERE POPPIES BLOOM tabs. Check ’em out!

First, I’m stilling querying and waiting on replies for my YA romance, Loving Max Holden. I’ve had some good responses and have gotten several requests for pages. I’m currently waiting to hear back about two full submissions (both requested from partials) and two partial submissions. My absolute dream agent is currently reading my full. I can’t fully express how much this both terrifies and thrills me. I also have four recent queries still out and am hoping for more requests. Fingers crossed!

Second, I’m beginning a mentorship program through Savvy Authors with romance writer Lori Wilde. During the six month program, my classmates and I will: Learn the nuts and bolts of creating a novel from start to finish, emerge from the class with a completed, revised novel, learn the ins and outs of marketing our fiction, and have fun while developing new writing skills.  I’ll be working on my new paranormal YA romance, Where Poppies Bloom, and I’m so excited to begin. I’m absolutely thrilled about getting feedback from an author with so much experience and success. If you’re interested in learning more, click HERE.  

Finally, I just got home from a mini-vacation with my husband and daughter. We drove about four hours southwest to the Oregon coast where we enjoyed fun in the sun, sandcastle building, kite flying, yummy food, and great shopping. This trip was two-fold. First, we packed in some lovely family time, and second, I saw first hand the small, touristy coastal towns I’ve based the setting of my next book on. Astoria, Seaside, and Cannon Beach were all on my radar when I started building fictional Bell Cove for Where Poppies Bloom. Now that I’ve spent time in each of these cities and absorbed their ambience, I’m certain I’m on the right track. We detoured to Portland on the way home, specifically to visit Powell’s Bookstore, an enormous independent new and used bookstore. One word: AMAZING. Now that I’ve been, I’ll be tempted to drive south for all of my book buying. Anyway, here are some inspirational photos from our trip:

 



And because I can't resist... Me, my fabulous husband and my cutie pie daughter.

So, that’s what’s new with me. Still on the agent hunt, ready to begin a new project, fresh from a wonderful family trip. What have you been up to?

Friday Five: Up-And-Comers!

Today’s Friday Five is a list of intriguing YA books that have either just come out or are coming out in the next few months. Their premises are fresh and compelling, their covers are beautiful, they all boast a romantic element, and several are written by debut authors. All blurbs are from Goodreads, followed by my brief commentary. Feel free to click on the covers for each book’s Amazon link. You may also click on the author’s name to be linked to their website.

1) Nevermore by Kelly Creagh – Debuted just the other day, August 31, 2010

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look. Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. His life depends on it.
 
**So much about this book intrigues me; Varen’s description, the good girl/bad boy relationship, the Poe references, and the dark tone of both the blurb and the cover. Looking forward to getting lost in this one!**

2) Firelight by Sophie Jordan – September 7, 2010

**I am so not a fantasy person. Dragons, especially, do nothing for me. Still, I was automatically drawn to Firelight’s cover (stunning!) and what seems to be a life-and-death romance brewing between Jacinda and Will. Firelight seems refreshing and engaging.

’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.Jacinda—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when drakiis special even among the  JacindaWith her rare ability to breathe fire,

3) Freefall by Mindi Scott – October 5, 2010

 Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend Isaac alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time where Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn’t wake up. Convinced that his own actions led to his friend’s death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely. Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he’s ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth will soon realize he isn’t the only one who needs saving . . .

**So many secrets! I love a book with a male main character, especially ones that include romance. Also, I love when YA books tackle real-life issues (here, binge-drinking–among other things, it seems) that some might prefer be swept under the carpet. Very interested to see how Freefall plays out.  

4) Matched by Ally Condi – November 30, 2010

**This is one of the most gorgeous covers I have ever seen. I love books about twisted could-be-real-life societies, and Cassia’s society seems about as twisted as they come. Certain aspects of Matched remind me of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, which is one of my all-time favorite books, so I can’t wait to find out more about Cassia’s world.**

and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.XanderCassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between

5) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – December 2, 2010  

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris — until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

**I follow Stephanie Perkins on Twitter and read her blog. Let me tell you, she seems absolutely delightful. And her book… I love a good contemporary romance and Anna happens to be set in France, the most romantic city in the world. This book has gotten some wonderful reviews and some amazing blurbs, which all make me even more eager to read it!**

RTW – The Best Book I Read in August…

4 Comments

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

Today’s topic: The best book you read in August…

I’ve read some truly amazing books over the last month. I’ve taken a bit of a writing vacation (coming to an end September 5th!), so I’ve had a little extra time to devour some awesome YA literature. Here’s what I read in August: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams, Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements, Forever… by Judy Blume, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

I’ve blogged about a few of these titles already, but one I haven’t mentioned that has stuck with me is Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.


From Booklist: “What is the statute of limitations on feeling guilty for cheating on a ghost?” Anna writes in her journal, or rather, writes to Matt, her first true love and her best friend Frankie’s brother. More than a year has passed since Matt’s sudden death, and all that time Anna has kept her brief relationship with Matt a secret from Frankie. Matt had planned to tell his sister but died before he had the opportunity. Now, while on a beach vacation with Frankie’s family, Anna finds herself falling for cute, sensitive Sam against her will—if she can love someone else, does that mean she no longer loves Matt? Anna approaches this issue and other big questions with the insight and maturity that come when a young person loses someone he or she cares deeply about. Anna’s authentic voice and some lyrical writing will satisfy fans of Sarah Dessen, while the mix of romance, drama, and tragedy will be a draw for teen readers of Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult.

What I loved about Twenty Boy Summer was that it didn’t  set out to teach us a lesson about loss and grief, but rather the lesson came organically, bit by bit, as Anna began to let herself feel for the first time since Matt’s death. Anna’s voice is so natural and real, and her relationships with Matt, Sam, and her best friend Frankie felt completely authentic. Nobody in Twenty Boy Summer is perfect, but motivations are clear and that makes the characters endearing. Plus, Anna’s relationship with Sam is so sweet and sexy. This is one of those stories that make you wish you were a teenager again so you might have one of those lovely summer romances that will forever live in a bubble of perfection. Sarah Ockler is incredibly talented and I look forward to reading her future releases.

Thanks to my wonderful CP, Heather Howland, for recommending Twenty Boy Summer. She has awesome taste in books and never hesitates to pass great titles on to me.  🙂

Pitching…

So, I’ve had some interesting experiences with pitching in these last few weeks, and I wanted to take a moment to share them here. First, let me say that I’ve never pitched in person to an agent or editor, and I’ve only pitched live online a few times, so I’m by no means an expert. For some great pitching advice, look here (scroll all the way down!), or here,  or here (for a LOT of pitch info).

That being said, here’s what I’ve leanred.

As a member of the amazing writing community Savvy Authors, I’ve had the opportunity to pitch my work to some well-respected and highly successful literary agents in a private chatroom at the Savvy site. Sounds easy, right? Comfort of home, slippers on, no nerve-wracking face-to-face encounter to stress about. 

No. It’s not easy. Easier then pitching in person? Probably. But still, very much an anxiety inducing experience. Here’s how it works at Savvy: 

1) Show up in the chatroom on time.
2) You (and the other selected pitchers) are assigned the order in which you will pitch by a moderator.
3) Upon your turn, you enter the private Pitching Chatroom where the agent will be waiting. 
4) Very briefly introduce yourself (because time’s a tickin’! You’ve only got ten minutes!).
5) Copy and paste your title, genre, word count and 3-line pitch.
6) Wait (without biting your nails or tapping your foot or freaking out in any way whatsoever) while the agent reads and reviews your pitch.
7) Answer any questions the agent might have about your manuscript or yourself (they always have questions!).
8 ) Hope and pray that the agent will request to see more of your work.
9) Politely hank the agent for her time, no matter what the outcome of the pitch.
10) Return to the general chatroom and report to your fellow pitchers and moderators how things went.
11) Listen and respond while fellow pitchers and moderator either congratulate you (!) or sympathize with you.


 Here’s my pitching history so far.

Effort #1 – I’ll be the first to admit, my pitch was untested and a little iffy. The agent I spoke to was pleasant, though not much interested in my genre and not interested at all in my manuscript. Boo! But the great part is, she was forthcoming and more than willing to offer advice on how to make my pitch sparkle. Slightly disappointed about not getting a request, I went back to work on my pitch, taking her advice to heart.

Effort #2 – I had a new and improved pitch. This agent was incredibly kind. She doesn’t tweet or blog, though, so I didn’t feel like I had a great handle on who she was or what she was seeking. Luckily, she was interested in my pitch and had tons of questions. I mean TONS. That’s good though. She wasn’t bored. I answered them as quickly and directly as possible. And… she requested a partial! Awesome!

Effort #3 – Intimidating. This pitch was with well-known agent in the Kidlit scene. Popular on Twitter, popular blog. It’s weird how you feel like you sort of know a person just from their online presence. Again, she was very nice, as I imagined she would be. She had questions too, most notable, Can you compare your book in voice, subject matter, etc… to that of another author. Why, yes, I can! Again, she was interested and happens to be seeking books that fall into the genre I write. And… another partial request!

Now, I just have to wait. The hard part. 🙂

Here’s the greatest thing about these online pitches (other than getting to wear slippers while you do them!): Pitching online (or at a conference, for that matter) cuts out a lot of waiting time. For example, one of the agents I follow on Twitter recently commented that her query inbox was at over seven-hundred queries. Seriously?! I imagine it will take weeks to get through all those, and I can also imagine that it will be difficult to give each and every one close and personal attention. Pitching takes that portion of wait time out of the game. It also makes your name just a tiny bit more memorable in a sea of hundreds (thousands?) because hey, she spent ten minutes discussing your book with you. That, in my opinions, is so much better than being one letter in a sea of many, many more.

Moral of the story? If the opportunity to pitch arises, run with it!