Confessions: 2009

Congratulations to the fabulously talented Lisa Desrochers!

Two more of my Happy Holiday Contests have now officially come to a close.

I'm excited to be giving away a signed copy of Laurie Halse Anderson's fabulously written novel, Chains, a National Book Award Finalist. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Lea. Check out her blog, YA Book Queen.

And...I'm giving away Michael Sussman's Otto Grows Down, one of my favorite picture books. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

g.g.

Congrats to both of you! I've sent you an email.

The Holiday Break Reading Challenge is hosted by Karin @ Karin's Book Nook. Karin's created a blog specifically for the challenge. You can find it (and sign up!) by clicking here.

Here are the guidelines as set by Karin:

1) Anyone can participate. I'm focusing on teachers and students, but if you want to cram a little extra reading in during the holiday season, please join us.

2) The Reading Challenge is designed to be self-paced. I will ask for you to set a goal for the number of books you want to read, but if you don't reach the goal - no big deal. This is for fun.

3) You don't have to provide a list of books you plan to read in advance. You can, but it isn't required. My mood determines what I read so I usually don't stick to a list. If I can't do it, I don't want to force others to do it.

4) The Holiday Break Reading Challenge corresponds with my time off from school. So, it starts on Friday, December 18, 2009 andends on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at Midnight.

5) I'll have a section set up on the blog for reviews. Please link your reviews of the books you complete during the challenge.

6) Everyday there a new "Challenge" will be posted. These "Challenges" are designed to help you get to know other bloggers, talk about what you are reading, and share information about books. A new Mr. Linky (if I can figure it out) will be used in each post to record everyone's responses.

7) HERE IS THE BIG ONE! At least one prize will be given out everyday during the Reading Challenge. This might be a book, a bookmark, or other swag. No specifics lined up yet.

8) Be sure to follow the Reading Challenge on Twitter. New challenges and prize information will be announced there, too.

9. Grab the button to put on your blog.

So here's my list, the 8 books I'm going to read during the holiday break. I'm hoping to get through more than just these, but these are the ones on the top of my pile.

1. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire

2. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

3. Lucky by Alice Sebold

4. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

5. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

6. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

7. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

8. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

For a long time, I think I was the only person in publishing who hadn't read The Lovely Bones. No more. I finished it after this morning's train ride and am ready to see the movie (Can Peter Jackson please be the director for all books to film?).

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen.

In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets.

With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing.

Anyone who hasn't read this fantastic novel needs to. I can't help hope the movie holds up!

I’m not a fan of thrillers – never have been. I’m that person in the office that can still look at hundreds of thriller queries and just not get the good ones. (Hence why I’m also that person in the office, passing thriller queries to someone else and asking “What do you think?”)

I just don’t read thrillers. I’ve read 1 James Patterson novel (he writes thrillers right?), and I can’t even remember the title. And I read it in the name of teaching, for a homeroom student who was struggling with his independent reading project and had chosen said Patterson novel and needed help writing an essay. I started out trying to help without reading the book and realized it’d be easier and faster to read the book so I knew what I was talking about. (We worked on that essay for two weeks after school and went through multiple drafts, but said student got his first A- on an English paper.)

But I kept hearing good things about Patrick Lee’s upcoming debut novel, a supernatural thriller called The Breach, and I’ll try just about anything once. So I set my mind to it that I would read it. Then some of Patrick’s writing happened to move its way through my inbox, and I caught myself getting sucked into a document I was only supposed to print. (Oops.)

And when I found myself headed home without a book to read on the train ride home, I knew it was time. I borrowed the ARC from the ~~oh-so-benevolent~~ mean and sharkly and oh-so-fabulous agent extraordinaire, Janet Reid. And –

Wow.

I devoured The Breach in an evening, and suddenly find myself wondering – what have I been missing by avoiding these things called “thrillers”?

Here’s the book description:

Travis Chase. Ex-con. Ex-cop. The next action thriller hero.

Deep in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Travis Chase stumbles upon a terrifying mystery – a 747 has crashed, no rescue crews are in sight, and no one heard it go down. Even worse, among the bodies is the First Lady of the United States – and she’s left a cryptic note alluding to “Tangent.” When Travis sees hostages held at gunpoint, he must do whatever he can to rescue the prisoners…and uncover the secret of Tangent.

The hero – Travis Chase? I’m in love (yeah, move over Prince Brigan, I found another fictional hero to add to my unrealistic expectations in men). But more than that I liked and respected Travis right from the beginning. I empathized with him and wanted him to be successful. Almost immediately he became a hero I could – and had to – root for. He’s complex, fallible, imperfect, and real. He comes to life within the first two pages.

From pages 4-5:

There was pressure to go back home of course…What future did he see for himself up north, two thousand miles from his family? What future did he see among them? Even to the few who could understand and forgive what he’d done, he’d always be the brother who spent half of his twenties and all of his thirties in prison. Twenty years from now, in the eyes of the next generation, he’d be that guy. That uncle. You could only get so free.

Seriously. This is a Must Read for anyone who likes thrillers and also likes supernatural and science fiction elements. I ~~love~~ am terrified of the mean and sharkly Janet Reid and now I love Patrick Lee. I've just added Travis Chase to my list of series which I have to buy as soon as they come out.

Check out the trailer and pick up a copy of The Breach on 12/29!

My Lauren Myracle contest has now officially come to a close and I'm excited to be giving away a signed copy of her fabulously fun novel, Peace Love and Baby Ducks. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Lisa Dez a fabulous YA writer whose manuscript Personal Demons is an obsession of mine. Seriously, I love her characters. Check out her blog HERE.

Congratulations Lisa! I'm sending this book out to you this afternoon :)

So I hadn't planned on any more giveaways this holiday season (I though three was a pretty good number), but then I happened to get my hands on an extra copy of the fabulous picture book Otto Grows Down by Michael Sussman and illustrated by Scott Magoon, which would be a great gift for anyone with children in the family (or I won't tell if you decide to keep it, because um, hey picture books just make you feel warm and sparkly sometimes).

Otto has just one birthday wish: that his new baby sister Anna had never been born. And it comes true when the days suddenly start moving in reverse. But now, instead of growing up, Otto's growing DOWN. He's getting younger every minute and in danger of disappearing entirely. Can he turn things around before it's too late—for Anna and himself?

CONTEST

All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 20th. I'll send it out immediately on the 21st, and you should have it before Christmas.

Extra entries:

+1 New followers

+2 If you're already a follower

+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)

+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)

+2 Add me to your blog roll

+3 for referring someone to the contest

+3 for being the person referred

A blog I follow YA HIGHWAY did their "Road Trip Wednesday" yesterday and asked:

1) What are the three best books you've read this year?

2) If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be?

3) What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Though I'm a day late (and seriously, I apologize that my blog content has been kind of lacking lately, but this whole end of the year thing is coming up fast!), I had to participate. In 2008, I quit my job, left a 3 year engagement (but kept the dress), rented a 16 ft truck, and drove across the country from San Diego to Pennsylvania with four dogs. And in 2009 I found myself working my up from intern to junior agent at a literary agency, getting free books (!), and falling in love with my new career.

So, 2009 has been a big year for me - a great year - and I've been introduced to so many fantastic people and fantastic books.

1) The three best books I read this year?

I can't just pick three. I've been introduced to too many amazing books! Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater changed my life, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta left me breathless, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins had me on the edge of my seat and screaming, and Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers kept me up at night. If I have to play favorites, these are my top five reads this year. And Columbine by Dave Cullen has a special place in my heart .

2) If Icould meet one author (living or dead)?

Alan Paton because Cry the Beloved Country was the first book that sucked me in, held me spellbound, made me laugh and cry, and kept me tossing and turning every night for months after that first read. It was also the first book I read over and over again until not even duct tape could hold the binding together.

3) What book am I most looking forward to in 2010?

Be prepared. There are a lot. Obviously I've already pre-ordered the third book in the Hunger Games Series - and don't think that will stop me from trying to get an ARC! I can't wait for Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (even though I already read it because I can't wait to read it again!). I'm dying for Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock which I've been tempted to import from Australia since it's already out there. And of course, I can't wait for The Duff by teen author and awesome gal Kody Keplinger.

After attending a holiday/celebratory party at Egmont, I snagged a copy of the ARC for Bree Despain's The Dark Divine which comes out at the end of this month (I just love this cover).

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret . . .

I Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

To read an excerpt, click HERE.

CONTEST

I'm giving away a signed copy of The Dark Divine to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 30th.

Extra entries:
+1 New followers
+2 If you're already a follower
+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)
+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)
+2 Add me to your blog roll
+3 for referring someone to the contest
+3 for being the person referred

“Some loves are meant to be…others are cursed.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.”

I love big epic love stories, especially ones where the author(s) creates an intricate world with an elaborate history I can yearn to know more about. And that's exactly what Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl did with their debut novel Beautiful Creatures.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen,

and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

To me, what makes Beautiful Creatures stand out is the Southern Gothic elements in the story, the fact that the setting of Gatlin - the town, it's history and culture - plays such a huge role in the characters and their personalities and the actual plot of the story. Because of the incredible world building and the unique aspects of southern culture which are so important in Beautiful Creatures, each of the characters, even minor ones, quickly come alive and stand out against other characters within the paranormal YA genre.

And no punches are pulled. It was easy to get sucked into Ethan's voice and his world, and the suspense and the twists just keep coming for all 600 pages.

Make sure you check out Little Brown's Beautiful Creatures Website, which includes a map of Gatlin!

I can't believe how fast the year has flown by. But the holiday countdowns have already started. The lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is tonight, the School Library Journal has listed the Best Books of 2009. (Hate List and When You Reach Me just jumped higher on my TBR list.) And NYT just posted their 10 Best Books of 2009 list (and I can't wait to get my hands on Jeanette Walls' Half Broke Horses).

In honor of the blistery cold weather (keep in mind I spent 10 years living in Miami and San Diego) and the fact that 2009 was a better year for me than 2008 (cross your fingers, I want that upward trend to continue), here's my cold ninja picture from the streets of DC before Obama's inauguration.

My Kelly Gay contest has now officially come to a close and I'm excited to be giving away her fabulous debut novel, Better Part of Darkness which just came out from Pocket Books on November 24th. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Raelena at ThroughtheHaze Reads

Congratulations! I've sent you an email. Send me your address within the next 48 hours so I can ship your new book!

Check out the 1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards at All Things Urban Fantasy. Abigail has gotten nominations for the best young adult and adult paranormal/urban fantasy covers, and you can vote right now for your favorites.

I recently had the good fortune to see Laurie Halse Anderson at a book signing at the Doylestown Bookshop, and in addition to Wintergirls, I picked up a discounted copy of the 2008 National Book Award Finalist Chains and had her sign it for me.

If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight … for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccable researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

To read an excerpt, click HERE.

CONTEST

I'm giving away a signed copy of Chains to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 20th.

Please do not praise an internet picture of the agent. Please do not praise said picture for four paragraphs. Not only does it not tell me what your book is about, but it sounds creepy and stalkerish, which are probably not characteristics of an "ideal client."

I had the pleasure of seeing Lauren Myracle on Friday night at the Doylestown Bookshop. She read an excerpt from her recent YA book, Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks. Check out a video interview with her HERE.

Fifteen-year-old Carly has a problem—two, actually: her younger sister Anna’s new “real live Hooters-esque boobs.” While Carly was away getting self-actualized at a back-to-nature camp, Anna was busy turning into a hottie, a state that makes “granola-girl” Carly uncomfortably jealous.

Now back in her privileged Atlanta suburb, Carly is struggling with feelings of insecurity as she tries to reconcile her newly acquired bohemian belief system with the incredible wealth in which she has been raised. In addition, her crush hardly notices her, she feels trapped between her rival best friends, and her parents seem to be growing more distant with each other by the day.

CONTEST

I'm giving away a signed copy of Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 10th.

This is older, but still hilarious...

Shouts & Murmurs: Subject: Our Marketing Plan: newyorker.com

Nathan Bransford did an awesome post about the toll waiting takes on writers.

Harlequin announced its new partnership with AuthorSolutions, and professionals in the publishing industry went wild. Here's a well thought out explanation and response, and one more, RWA's response, the mean and sharkly Janet Reid's reaction, another agent's reaction, and a thread for authors to weigh in.

Oprah announced the end of her show and the end of Oprah's book club and sent millions of people to tears.

Ta-Neishi Coates discussed the issues of race in television and Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein weighed in regarding those issues in literature.

An agent discussed her what her "dream client" would be like.

Today's pick for the can't-wait-until-this-title-is-released is The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor, out February 9th from HarperTeen.

Before he died, Melissa’s father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful—that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn’t only skin deep, the people around her don’t seem to feel that way. There’s her gorgeous sister Ashley who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school, there's her best friend Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney, and there’s Melissa’s mother who’s dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.

To make sure she doesn’t lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal her father began—one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present, as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.

Check out Jillian Cantor's website HERE.

Thanks to one of FinePrint's fantastic interns, Deirdre, who sent an email my way titled "Random thoughts from people our age…" Here are a few of my favorites.

2. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me. (This happens in our office all the time!)

3. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

5. Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

6. That’s enough, Nickelback.

7. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger. (I love naps!)

9. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.

10. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

11. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

13. How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

14. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

18. Was learning cursive really necessary?

19. Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.

20. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

21. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

29. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

34. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

38. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

39. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….

41. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.

42. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

43. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

44. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever. (Or for me, it means, I probably won't buy that.)

49. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

51. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

62. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There’s nothing like being made to feel fat before dinner

Check out Little Brown's Beautiful Creatures website, HERE. (It's definitely one of the best book websites out there.)

I already did a contest for the ARC, but I managed to get my hands on two copies of the actual book (one for me!) which comes out November 24th from Pocket Books. So here's your second chance to win!

GIVEAWAY
All you have to do is comment below and include your email address so I know how to contact you. Enter by midnight on December 1st.

Extra entries:
+1 New followers
+2 If you're already a follower
+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)
+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)
+2 Add me to your blog roll
+3 for referring someone to the contest
+3 for being the person referred

Here's my review of Better Part of Darkness (from 7/12/09)
Divorced mother of one, Charlie Madigan, lives in a world where the beings of heaven and hell exist among us, and they aren't the things of Sunday school lessons and Hallmark figurines. In the years since the Revelation, they've become our co-workers, neighbors, and fellow citizens.

Charlie works for ITF (Integration Task Force). It's her job to see that the continued integration of our new "friends" goes smoothly and everyone obeys the law, but when a new off-world drug is released in Underground Atlanta, her daughter is targeted, and her ex-husband makes a fateful bargain to win her back, there's nothing in heaven or earth (or hell for that matter) that Charlie won't do to set things right.

So I've read a lot of urban fantasy with the kick-ass heroine, but what I liked most about Charlie Madigan as a character was that though she fit that mold, but she was also different and unique. Throughout The Better Part of Darkness, Charlie has a tough exterior as a result of numerous different experiences she's undergone - a few of those are reasons she became a cop, a few of them result from her career choice - but she also has a lot of real fears and insecurities. A few times, when everything appears as if it's falling apart and she knows she has to be strong, she still breaks down and loses it before picking herself back up again.

Another unique thing about Charlie is that she's a mother. Pregnant and married at 19, Charlie's now the divorced, single mom of a 12 year old, and she takes that seriously - even more seriously than her job as a cop. I can't think of any urban fantasy that I've read where the tough as nails female protagonist had a kid, and it's a realistic portrayal of a single mother who's also a cop. She's desperately trying to balance the needs of her job - fighting bad guys and saving the world - with the needs of (and promises she makes to) her daughter. And her daughter, Emma, is always in the back of her mind.

The other characters in the novel also have distinct personalities. Will, Charlie's ex husband, has definitely made his share of mistakes, and even though I was annoyed with him at times, I also felt sorry for him too. (Can't go into it more without giving something away.) Charlie's partner and also a siren, Hank, is funny, charismatic, and definitely a guy I could fall in love with during the span of several books. (One thing I particularly enjoyed about the minor characters was that while there were plenty of hot guys Charlie had to work with, they weren't all in love with her, and they weren't all potential love interests - which tends to happen in this genre.)

The plot is packed with action - so it moves quickly even though there is a lot going on. The "world" Kelly Gay has created draws upon Greek mythology with a twist giving the urban fantasy genre a whole new set of paranormal beings, rather than relying on the typical vampire and werewolf varieties, and it holds up against scrutiny. There are still a few of the paranormal "species" that I don't have quite a clear image of in my mind, but I also have to admit that I was reading fast because I was in page-turning mode and dying to know what was going to happen next.

Fans of Kim Harrison's The Hollows series (Dead Witch Walking) and Vicki Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac Series (The Scent of Shadows) will love The Better Part of Darkness.

Check out Kelly's website here or visit her blog.

I came across this post on GalleyCat about who needs a literary agent anymore and the well written rebuttal by DGLM. And it's interesting to see some published authors I love, like Jeaniene Frost and Seanan McGuire weighing in. Even more interesting is reading the passionate (sometimes overly so) comments on these posts.

But the thing is, this isn't a new discussion. Yes, e-books and the digital age in publishing, might change some aspects of the industry. But, this isn't the first time a "Who Needs an Agent" post spurred a discussion in the blogosphere. Less than six months ago, there was this one.

I agree that agents aren't for everyone and there are authors out there who can get published without one. And of course there are self-publishing opportunities out there, and some authors who are self-published can become very successful (though I've heard more horror stories than successes).

But I just don't see this eliminating the need for agents. We put a lot of time into knowing the industry, networking with editors, writing our own editorial letters before the book has sold, and the time and effort that goes into managing a writer's career, liaising between the author and publisher (on everything from cover art and typeface to royalty statements and check), negotiating deals, subrights, and contracts - it's a lot of work. I can't imagine doing all that and trying to also write, and write well.

But, it's an interesting discussion to check out, if you haven't seen it yet.

I started watching a few new television shows this season, and last week after watching several episodes of two new shows that were saved on my DVR, I pinpointed the reason one show had me sobbing and checking to make sure upcoming episodes were set to tape, and the other left me just "bleh." Characterization.

What surprised me most during my discovery, was that had you asked me which show I thought I'd like more going in - I would have gotten it wrong. Going into this season, I was predisposed to liking one show more than the other...and it still managed to fail me.

As a vampire fan (I read vampire books before Twilight made them the cool new thing), I fell in love with Mick St. John, aka Alex O'Laughlin on Moonlight.

I was of course, devastated when CBS made the fatal decision to cancel the show after its first season (and I'm sure whoever made that decision got fired after True Blood and Twilight have gone on to super fandom). So when I saw ads for Mick St. John's new show as a doctor on Three Rivers, I was so excited that even called my mom to tell her about it (she's a vampire fan too).

And yet, the characterization on Three Rivers (in addition to poor scheduling by CBS - seriously, how can a show succeed if the show before it constantly runs overtime and ruins my DVR plans?) has been done so poorly up to this point that as I sit here, I can't for the life of me think of Alex O'Laughlin's character's name. (I googled it, and it's Dr. Andy Yablonski).

And I was predisposed to like him, I anxiously awaited the debut of his new show, and I watched both ER and Grey's Anatomy for several seasons each before losing interest. CBS couldn't have asked for a more primed viewer than me, but the show's focus on technical medical jargon and procedure, the philosophical and moral benefits of organ donation (a little too preachy for my tastes), and actions scenes (how many times can watching a helicopter fly to pick up an organ be exciting?) have left me bored and uninterested. Where are the great character stories that made ER and Grey's such big hits?

The show I am loving right now?

I recorded it on the DVR on a whim since the Fiennes brothers are usually pretty awesome. And I have to admit that I'm totally hooked. After several episodes, I feel like I know every character, and I might not know their entire backstory. But I know what will happen to them on April 29th for two minutes, and I know how they're handling - or not handling - dealing with that futuristic knowledge.

And, though this isn't characterization, I have to say I'm a sucker for television shows that have a master plan (X-files was the first show I followed with a religious intensity).

I've always said that it's characters and voice that make or break a manuscript or a book for me. If a character comes alive to me, sucks me into their story, makes me think about them for days after I've closed the book (I still love you Prince Brigan despite the fact that you've given me unrealistic expectations in men), I'm sold. Good characters can trump plot holes for me. I don't question inconsistencies other people noticed in Time Traveler's Wife because I'm too caught up in the characters to notice.

Good characters even hide their own unrealistic - and maybe not healthy habits - from me. It took me a few months after I first read Twilight to really think about Edward's creepy sleepstalking behavior and admit to myself that Edward Cullen is not the kind of boyfriend I want (extra thanks to Nick for raising his hand in class that day and saying "Wait. I just don't get the obsession with Edward. I mean, he's kind of creepy." It did spawn a twenty minute tangent discussion, but it did pull all us girls out of the book long enough to think...oh yeah, he is kind of creepy).

Without good characterization, it's just hard to care about the story.

Not the swine flu. Though it kept me home for a few days. Thanks to the fabulous godsend Dee for the picture.

My 300 Followers contest has now officially come to a close and I'm excited to be giving away three awesome YA books: Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser, The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima, and How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford. After using the Research Randomizer, the winner is...

Lili

Congratulations! I've sent you an email. Send me your address within the next 48 hours so I can ship your new book!

Kristin Cashore is one of my new favorite authors. I just finished reading Fire, her second novel, and her prequel to the bestselling debut Graceling. And it doesn't matter which one you read first. They're both amazing, and both definitely books I'd recommend.

Fire takes place in the kingdom of The Dells where the young King Nash and his brother and military commander Prince Brigan are desperately trying to hold together the kingdom their father just about plunged into ruin before his death. They're worried about enemies on multiple fronts and traitors within their kingdom they may - or may not - know about, and they're plagued about the choices their father made and what kind of men they will become.

Variations of animals known in other parts of the world also live in the Dells - colorful and astonishing creatures the Dellian people call monsters for they crave the taste of human flesh and of other monster flesh. They are spectacularly beautiful - colored fuchsia, turquoise, bronze, and green - so beautiful, they can stun people with their beauty and cloud their minds, and the Dellian people have to learn to strengthen their minds against the monsters.

Fire is a human monster, the last of her kind. She can control people's minds, and they often find her irresistibly desirable, which makes many of them hate her. She finds herself in a unique position where she can help King Nash and Prince Brigan and help restore the Dellian Kingdom to prosperity, but she has to decide whether she's willing to use her power since she knows what it can cost.

What I loved most about Fire (as well as Graceling) is the amazing strength Kristin Cashore gives to her main character. Like Katsa before her, Fire faces tough choices that test her emotional and physical strength. She is forced to think about the morality of her actions and the actions of others, to really examine the good and the evil in the world around her and determine her part in all of it. And when she finds herself in trouble, she doesn't wait for her love interest or anyone else to come save her. She saves herself.

The other characters is Fire are well drawn and complex, many of them embodying good qualities as well as flaws. There were several members of the royal family I didn't like when they were first introduced, but I found myself growing to love them just as Fire did. The action is well paced throughout the story with several twists I began to figure out as well as a few I didn't see coming. I found myself thoroughly sucked in after the first chapter, and I turned the pages late into the night until I got to the end.

I also am rather in love with Prince Brigan.

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Check out Kristin Cashore's blog HERE.

Maggie Stiefvater unveiled the cover art and a quick excerpt of Linger, the sequel to Shiver a book that changed my life. Check it out!

• grace •

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.

Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn’t cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it’s only me who’s not firmly in my own skin.

Seriously. Can. Not. Wait.

Helpful Blogger Award

This award was created by Ash. Elizabeth over at From Rambling to Interviews.

The Helpful Blogger Award Rules

Include the award logo in your blog or post.

Link to post where you received the award.

Nominate seven blogs that you feel are helpful to others.

Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

Let them know they've received the award by commenting on their blog.

Share one thing that no one knows about you & quote a sentence from your favorite book.

(*I only chose 4 because they're the four book blogger sites that I follow most religiously)

1. Steph who I met at BEA this summer and gave me her extra copy of Catching Fire after I told her my horror story about getting up early to wait in line for tickets only to see the last ticket go to the woman right in front of me.

2. Alea whose blog is one of my favorites - I love checking out the cover comparisons she does

3. Cheryl and Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog because it's anything but - I love their reviews and interviews and book pictures (not to mention that awesome clip of the boys from Supernatural, sa-woon)

4. The Compulsive Reader who does some of my favorite in depth reviews - I feel like I can always trust them to be honest and well explained

No one knows...the guy G from the Break Up Bag story just got engage, less than a year after he gave me the Break Up Bag. Looks like I dodged a bullet.

"Katsa didn't look back as they rode away. But she gripped Bittureblue tightly; and she called out to him, his name bursting inside her so painfully that for a long while, she could feel nothing else." ~ Graceling by Kristin Cashore (pg 328)

I missed the BSG phenomenon when it was on SyFy, but I've been playing catch up on Netflix with a friend, and we're down to the last couple discs. I just love that this show has everything - space travel for the nerd in me and a love story for the romantic. I'll be so sad when it's over!

Thanks to the recommendation of the talented Kristin Miller, I started reading How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff last week, and I am forever changed.

Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

How I Live Now is an amazing voice-driven and heartbreaking novel about teenage emotions - love, loss, pain, and hope. Told from Daisy's first person POV, her voice comes right off the page from the very beginning. Her voice keeps the pace moving quickly, and she glazes over more serious "adult matters" like the war so that I was actually shocked several times when I realized exactly what was going on in the outside world. Daisy's sarcastic humor is one of the truest to the teenage experience, that I've seen - especially when the world is falling apart around her. She made me laugh, cringe, and cry numerous times throughout the book, and her voice reflects the change and growth she goes through during the course of the novel. Definitely a must read for all YA fans.

Visit Meg Rosoff's website HERE.

What I learned from my first writer's conference...

There's a lot of misinformation out there.
I'm not sure if it's because of the mass of information on the internet or because so many people in publishing, be they authors, editors, or agents, have different opinions on aspects of the industry, but a lot of writers out there seem to be confused. One thing I've decided I really like about conferences is that it's a place where writers and agents/editors can meet face to face and actually have a conversation and hopefully dispel some of the misinformation.

There's a fine line between being confident/assertive and scary/aggressive.
Meeting agents and editors is a great opportunity for writers, and they should definitely try to take advantage of the situation. A friendly and approachable writer who makes a great connection with agents and editors and gets good feedback on their writing is obviously going to fare better in the search for representation and publication than a writer who doesn't talk to anyone. Learning to promote yourself is important.

But agents and editors don't like being pitched to all the time. There needs to be boundaries. I heard stories about writers following agents into the bathroom to pitch to them and even following them into their hotel rooms while they were trying to pack up to leave. The best thing for writers to do is try to strike up a friendly conversation at lunch or dinner or in passing and wait for the agent or editor to ask "So what's your book about?" Everyone knows why writers attend writing conferences.

This past weekend I met many writers, but two stand out to me because when I met them we talked about more than just their writing. I got to know them and I felt like they were interested in knowing me, not just getting an agent. (Hey, even if it's not true, it still felt like we could be friends not just writer-agent.) I also remember a few writers for the wrong reason, like thrusting a 300+ manuscript at me and saying something like "read this, it's YA" without asking if I wanted to see it or telling me what it was about or asking if I preferred paper to electronic.

Business Cards are a Necessity for Agents but not Writers.
When I went to the writing conference, I had about twenty business cards on me. They were all gone before the last day, and I had to tear off scraps of paper and writer in writers' notebooks. But I came away with 22 business cards and one postcard - all given to me from writers. While some of them are designed very well and fun to look at, I'm not sure I'll really do anything with them. I'd much rather have the writer email me with a query that includes contact information and their blog address than look it up from a business card.

It might sound lazy, but it's just easier to stay organized electronically versus carrying around handfuls of business cards. Besides, I don't really want to spend the time looking up a writer only to discover they write a genre that doesn't interest me. I prefer to read the book first then check out writer blogs.

What is a necessity for writers - a notebook and a pen. Several writers who came to critiques had to borrow my pen - which was fine. I don't mind sharing, but a pen is much more important than a business card. And when I ran out of cards, it was much better to write my contact information in someone's notebook rather than hand them a scrap of paper or even a napkin.

I also learned things like Janet Reid got the best hotel room ever and Everyone loves having a minion and Conferences while fun are a lot of work and tend to drain your brain (um, I usually sleep in on the weekends, like late). But I had a great time, and I'm definitely going to be heading to more conferences in the future. I've already said yes to two of them for the spring!

I hit the 300 followers mark this week after only blogging for 4 1/2 months! To celebrate I'm having a quick contest where one lucky commenter will win ARCs for three books released this month. Comment below (include your email address so I know how to reach you) by November 10th in order to enter to win the following titles.

Extra entries:
+1 New followers
+2 If you're already a follower
+1 Linking to my contest on your blog, twitter, etc. Include links. (up to 5)
+3 For posting about my contest on your blog. (Must be actual post)
+2 Add me to your blog roll
+3 for referring someone to the contest
+3 for being the person referred

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Str-S-d:
I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.

As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.

Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?

The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love.

Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?

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