tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71448449614962707332024-02-07T04:40:14.883-05:00First Novels ClubAdventures in writing, reading, networking, and the rest of life.Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.comBlogger753125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-37986143363499360322016-12-05T13:50:00.000-05:002016-12-14T21:46:52.856-05:00Our next adventure! THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING.At long last, Sara and I can unveil our new book recommendation website!<br />
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Without further ado, we present:<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.thisiswhatyoushouldbereading.com/">THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING</a></b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Q4GAAk2WH-mUFX1lMKe1zFu1-my4KYTqGfO9njtRNpC2fOxxNBz4Q0Pg6mS1QvLPCcyV0O-J4_zh5CfEEiE8TWeD4358xt8aOJZDSkmoKRzdUpXNgEquM3Ee-thcXP0Zc13ChqDC7V0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-03+at+11.18.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Q4GAAk2WH-mUFX1lMKe1zFu1-my4KYTqGfO9njtRNpC2fOxxNBz4Q0Pg6mS1QvLPCcyV0O-J4_zh5CfEEiE8TWeD4358xt8aOJZDSkmoKRzdUpXNgEquM3Ee-thcXP0Zc13ChqDC7V0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-03+at+11.18.09+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The idea behind the site is to recommend great books that match your mood and specific reading preferences, which is how we suggest books
to friends in real life!<br />
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Think of it as a <a href="http://www.whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com/">"What the F*$k Should I Make for Dinner?"</a> but for books.<br />
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And with less profanity.<br />
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After six happy years, we will no longer post to this lovely blog (though we're keeping it live for the foreseeable future). We hope you join us at <a href="http://www.thisiswhatyoushouldbereading.com/">THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING</a>. If you want more info on the evolution of the new site, check out <a href="http://www.thisiswhatyoushouldbereading.com/about/">This is What You Should Know About Us</a>!<br />
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Thanks for reading, and enjoy!<br />
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<i>- The First Novels Club </i>Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-51917318269852663872016-11-14T15:00:00.000-05:002020-01-30T14:26:05.932-05:00Crafting a Novel’s Pitch: 7 Tips (Guest Column by Chuck Sambuchino)<i>(This column excerpted from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Get-Literary-Agent-Complete-Representation/dp/1599638010/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GET A LITERARY AGENT</a>, from Writer’s Digest Books.)</i><br />
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If you’re writing a novel or memoir, the most important part of the query letter is the pitch—a brief basic description of your story designed to pique the agent’s interest. This will be the longest and most difficult section to compose. It’s tough to boil down an entire book into a few condensed paragraphs, but here are 7 tips for how to lay out a compelling pitch that draws an agent or editor in.<br />
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<b>1. Control your length. </b>Pitches are 5-10 sentences, and most run 6-9. Concise is a very good thing. If you write more than ten sentences, your letter runs the risk of going over one page and also simply rambling.<br />
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<b>2. Do not reveal the ending. </b>If, when describing my latest novel, I told you that the good guy wins in the end, but his wife dies when failing to disarm a bomb during the final scene … would you still want to read the book? Probably not. A query pitch reads like back cover copy from a novel or DVD in that you don’t explain how the story ends, but rather retain intrigue and suspense.<br />
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<b>3. On that note, look at DVDs and novels to see sample pitch text all around you. </b>If you’re having trouble putting together a pitch, visit your nearest Barnes & Nobles or Target or any other place that sells both books and movies. Pick up both films and books in your genre (e.g., children’s stories, Christian fiction, thrillers, etc.) and start reading the boxes, back covers, and jackets. Those are all pitch examples for you to study and emulate. See what grabs your attention.<br />
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<b>4. Be specific and avoid generalities.</b> Specific elements bring a pitch to life and generalities drag it down. Don’t say, “The couple goes through many highs and lows.” Explain what that means, specifically, even if you’re just touching upon a bigger picture. “Avoid vagueness,” says literary agent Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary. “I get so many queries every day that don’t tell me enough about the novel. If there’s no reason for me to say yes, then it’s going to be no.” Being specific paints pictures in the mind of the reader. If I tell you that my main character “just quit his job,” does that create an image in your mind? Probably not. But how about if I told you, “After making his hundredth Big Mac this weekend, 17-year-old Rodney Morrison makes a spontaneous decision to quit his job in style—by launching a cupful of special sauce out the drive-through window at a rude customer before walking out the front door with his middle fingers high in the air.” Now, does that paint a picture in your mind? Yes.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Hi, everyone. Chuck here chiming in for a second. I wanted to say I am now taking clients as a </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freelance editor</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. So if your query or manuscript needs some love, please check out my </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">editing services.</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Thanks!)</i><br />
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<b>5. Aim to elicit emotion. </b>The style and voice of the pitch itself should reflect the content of the book. Don’t say, “My novel is a humorous romp with quirky characters.” The agent is giving you 5-10 sentences to make her laugh. Can you do that? Don’t say, “My novel is full of suspenseful twists and turns.” Rather than talk about your novel from a distance, the agent is giving you 5-10 sentences to put a chill down her spine. If you’re writing light, humorous women’s fiction, then there should be some laughs in the query letter. If you’re writing a dark horror novel, then there should be some spooky elements. Imagine you read a line like “But as Candace continues to explore the world of erotic asphyxiation, she becomes addicted to the feeling and even begins to choke herself in bathroom stalls on lunch breaks just to experience the sensation.” Such a line hits you, and can make you feel repulsed, or intrigued, or engaged. It triggers your emotions. If you can appeal to an agent’s emotions, she’s much more inclined to request more material—because you’ve shown her that your writing connects to readers, rather than just told her (anyone can do that).<br />
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<b>6. Beware subplots and unnecessary details. </b>Pitches often go too long, because they’re bogged down with superfluous elements. A simple way to avoid this is to cut out the small stuff: leave plot elements, setting description, and proper nouns on the cutting room floor. For example, look at these two potential beginnings of a pitch:<br />
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<u>Version 1:</u> Zalisa is a teenage elven princess who lives on a jungle planet. Despite her desire to live a common life welding swords, she is repeatedly told by her parents about her destiny to become queen and bring peace between warring tribes as their supreme leader. (Word count: 46; two sentences.)<br />
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<u>Version 2:</u> Zalisa, part of the chosen Y’Ri noble elves, lives with the Sha’NaRee tribe on the jungle planet of Usulurah. Adorned with long hair down to her waist and many tattoos she’s designed herself, all Zalisa wants is a life among the commoners doing what she loves best: sword making. She has quietly developed an amazing knack for intricate blade creation, and trained with the highest levels of metalworkers and smiths in her province of Va’Quenay. The only problem is that her parents, E’Leepha and Can-Yur, expect their daughter to refrain from frolicking among the commoners, but instead fulfill the destiny of Tritonalt, a great prophecy widely known to all citizens of Usulurah. According to Tritonalt, Zalisa is the chosen royal descendent who will ascend to the throne as part of a divine prediction foretold by the ancient elven wise men at the 7 Cycles of Wisdom gathering eons ago when all the system’s planets were in line with the sun. Once she has ascended to the throne, it is foretold that Zalisa will quell the constant warfare that has hampered the planet, and finally bring peace to the land. (Word count: 186; six sentences.)<br />
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The second intro is chock-full of stuff we don’t need to know right now: the proper names of things (such as the planet name), her exact appearance outside of being an elf (i.e., the tattoos), and the backstory about how the prophecy came to be (the gathering). The second version has already used up most of the query page—six pitch sentences, out of a maximum ten—and there’s no discussion of what happens throughout the meat of the plot, what challenges Zalisa faces, or what she sets off to do to stop said challenges.<br />
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<b>7. Practice, and have different versions if need be. </b>Tell your pitch to others or get your query formally critiqued by a professional or peers. If you can’t decide between two versions of a pitch, you can always try out both and keep tabs on which agents get which versions. If one is garnering a better response rate than the other, you have your answer concerning how best to move forward.<br />
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<b>Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers Conferences:</b><br />
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March 7, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEh4V8KX5bt5Irp2FLjki_YNpCfbQ" href="https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Minnesota Writing Workshop</a> (St. Paul, MN)</div>
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March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNHQ-Z7wfkGeUnaNwiVY7fevRTOIug" href="https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Writing Workshop</a> (Pittsburgh, PA)</div>
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March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNGguwm6_T-ix8oV_0SlrfnEtkGtWA" href="https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Kansas City Writing Workshop</a> (Kansas City, KS)<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 18, 2020: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNFKme0tzb79h-vY_n1F53hxA8ZW4w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">North Carolina Writing Workshop</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Charlotte, NC)</span></div>
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April 25, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEr14LKfjlPqLzz44MUVTbeZOrZmA" href="https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Seattle Writing Workshop</a> (Seattle, WA)</div>
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May 2, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEZ7qROQzf_hWVEpiC28rrM5wp6jg" href="https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Conference of Los Angeles</a> (Los Angeles, CA)</div>
May 9: 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGAEYbCrqRHpVPmIbqA0hvS_28nCA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">San Diego Writing Workshop</a> (San Diego, CA)<br />May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNF3GCdS5RA1gYG9V76voxL_7GIubg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cincinnati Writing Workshop</a> (Cincinnati, OH)<br />May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://floridawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHd1voWD53vW9pNNE69QWkfcscUiA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://floridawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Florida Writing Workshop</a> (Tampa, FL)<br />June 13, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHgtcQ4gLftbrdj5QxobsQjkmrgYQ" fg_scanned="1" href="https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tennessee Writing Workshop</a> (Nashville, TN)<br />June 27, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGwbA5gCPO2A9sX3xyfF_KB9zBwKA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Workshop of Chicago</a> (Chicago, IL)<br />July 11, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHdUDz23-3LRuTJ50dRpHy0zcBz-w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cleveland Writing Workshop</a> (Cleveland, OH)<br />August 8, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://torontowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNEbYUxF0Tcvnm8YJ2DwPcDcAAdihg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://torontowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Toronto Writing Workshop</a> (Toronto, Canada)<br />
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<b>Other columns by Chuck Sambuchino:</b><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/08/QueryLetterBioSection.html">What to Write in the “Bio” Section of Your Query Letter</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/07/HowToWriteAScreenplay.html">How to Write a Screenplay: 7 Starting Tips for Adapting Your Own Novel </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/06/BestAdviceforWriters.html">Why “Keep Moving Forward” is My Best Advice For Writers Everywhere </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/05/MultipleAgentsForDifferentGenres.html">Do You Need Multiple Agents if You Write in Different Genres?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/04/WriteANovelSynopsis.html">How to Write a Novel Synopsis: 5 Tips </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/03/BuildingYourWriterPlatform.html">Building Your Writer Platform—How Much is Enough?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/11/WhatLiteraryAgentsWant.html">Getting Specific: What Literary Agents Want to Get RIGHT NOW</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/10/25-debut-authors-share-advice-for.html">25 Debut Authors Share Advice for Getting Published</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/09/15-questions-to-ask-literary-agent.html">15 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Chuck Sambuchino</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> of Writer's Digest Books edits the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-2017-Published/dp/144034776X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS</a> and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market-2017/dp/1440347778/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">CHILDREN'S WRITER'S and ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET</a>. His <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents Blog</a> is one of the largest blogs in publishing.<br /> His 2010 humor book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Garden-Gnome-Attack/dp/158008463X">HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK</a>, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck has also written the writing guides <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/formatting-submitting-your-manuscript-paperback?lid=cswdblog">FORMATTING and SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT</a> and <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/create-your-writer-platform?lid=cswdblog">CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM</a>.<br /> Besides that, he is a <a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15">freelance book and query editor</a>, husband, sleep-deprived new father, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham. Find Chuck on <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckSambuchino">Twitter</a> and on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="140f13c60cf23676__GoBack" rel="nofollow"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/chuck.sambuchino">Facebook</a>. </span></span></div>
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Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-83053189095498360922016-10-20T09:30:00.000-04:002020-01-30T14:27:27.400-05:0025 Debut Authors Share Advice for Getting Published (Guest Post by Chuck Sambuchino)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnzD7IcmrhQMjDz7x-6AYf_42X55UwDT64XGYsbdgFoL5tmk1M5TGKqZO20sYPfUnJBrzj0hR1nxorBO1BuNVC7xV6HXvg3jmdi2gW2_49KTYYDlxrbb_tbWxfcAzymOLm_UrdLupSk0/s1600/6647315131_baaca79a9e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnzD7IcmrhQMjDz7x-6AYf_42X55UwDT64XGYsbdgFoL5tmk1M5TGKqZO20sYPfUnJBrzj0hR1nxorBO1BuNVC7xV6HXvg3jmdi2gW2_49KTYYDlxrbb_tbWxfcAzymOLm_UrdLupSk0/s200/6647315131_baaca79a9e_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>(Column excerpted from the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-2017-Published/dp/144034776X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">Guide to Literary Agents</a>, from Writer’s Digest Books)</i><br />
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I love interviewing debut authors. I interview them for my <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents Blog</a>, and make sure to include at least a dozen such interviews in each edition of the Guide to Literary Agents, such as the new 2017 edition. These interviews are very helpful to aspiring writers, because the authors come clean about what they believe they did right, what the wish they would have done different, and other advice for writers.<br />
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So I went back to 25 debut author interviews of the past few years and focused on one single important question I asked them: “Now that you’re done explaining your own journey to publication, what is one piece of advice you’d like to share with writers?” The results are inspiring and fascinating. See below, and learn from 25 writers who have come before you and succeeded.<br />
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“Never give up. Keep writing through the rejections, the revisions, the never-ending explanations to your friends about why you aren’t published yet. Keep writing when you hear that other people have gotten agents and book deals. Keep writing, even if it takes you years to finally accomplish your goal.” <br />
<i>~<b>Sabaa Tahir</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ember-Ashes-Sabaa-Tahir/dp/1595148035/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065419&sr=1-1&keywords=sabaa+tahir">An Ember in the Ashes</a></i><br />
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“To paraphrase Jay Asher [author of <i>13 Reasons Why</i>]: ‘Don’t give up because that NY Times bestseller could be right around the corner!’”<br />
<i>~<b>Constance Lombardo</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Puffball-Stunt-Cat-Stars/dp/0062320653">Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars</a></i><br />
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“Don’t send out your novel before it’s ready. Take your time. If it’s as good as you think it is, everything will work out.”<br />
<i>~<b>Lisa Freeman</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Girl-Lisa-Freeman/dp/1632204258/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064711&sr=1-1&keywords=lisa+freeman+honey+girl">Honey Girl</a></i><br />
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“I would say to do more thinking than writing. It’s really easy to get mired in language and sentence structure and sort of lose the forest for the trees. It’s important to really think about your idea inside and out and up and down and all around before penning a word so that you really know what you’re getting at and how you want to get at it.”<br />
<i>~<b>Dev Petty</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Be-Frog/dp/0385378661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064729&sr=1-1&keywords=dev+petty+frog">I Don’t Want to Be a Frog</a></i><br />
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“ ‘Ass in Chair.’ Fingers above keyboard. Don’t talk about what you’re going to write—write it.”<br />
<i>~<b>Jeff Anderson</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zack-Delacruz-Me-Big-Mouth/dp/1454914998/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064809&sr=1-3&keywords=jeff+anderson">Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Find a trusted critique partner to give you honest feedback, and be sure to return the favor in critiquing their work. There is a lot to be learned about the art of writing from editing other people’s work.”<br />
<i>~<b>Aisha Saeed</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Written-Stars-Aisha-Saeed/dp/0399171703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064841&sr=1-1&keywords=aisha+saeed">Written in the Stars</a></i><br />
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<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Hi, everyone. Chuck here chiming in for a second. I wanted to say I am now taking clients as a </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freelance editor</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. So if your query or manuscript needs some love, please check out my </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">editing services.</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Thanks!)</i><br />
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“Tenacity is everything. Don’t listen to the people who tell you can’t make money as a writer. They’re well meaning, but they lack imagination.”<br />
<i>~<b>Max Wirestone</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unfortunate-Decisions-Dahlia-Moss/dp/0316385972/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064873&sr=1-1&keywords=max+wirestone">The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss</a></i><br />
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“Write the book you want to read.”<br />
<i>~<b>Amanda Linsmeier</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ditch-Flowers-Amanda-Linsmeier/dp/1940811325/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064930&sr=1-1&keywords=Amanda+Linsmeier">Ditch Flowers</a></i><br />
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“Be stubborn. I tried 90 different agents before I landed one.”<br />
<i>~<b>Adam Plantinga</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/400-Things-Cops-Know-Street-Smart/dp/1610352173/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064948&sr=1-1&keywords=Adam+Plantinga">400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman</a></i><br />
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“You can turn rejection and disappointment into a serious motivator if you’re determined enough to be published. But you must also understand why the work is not accepted. Have the discipline and subjectivity to look at your work and say, ‘Yeah, that’s not good enough,’ and then sit down and make it better. ”<br />
<i>~<b>Jamie Kornegay</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soil-Novel-Jamie-Kornegay/dp/1476750815/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443064998&sr=1-1&keywords=jamie+kornegay">Soil</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Work hard, be patient, and become part of a writing community. Get involved in the industry in some capacity—even as a volunteer—to gain a better understanding as to how it all works.”<br />
<i>~<b>Brooke Davis</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Brooke-Davis/dp/0525954686/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065020&sr=1-1&keywords=brooke+davis+lost+and+found">Lost and Found</a></i><br />
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“‘Never give up; never surrender.’ Or, the longer version: Write. Edit. Polish. Find a competent critique group or writing partner and learn to take honest criticism. If your novel still doesn’t sell, write another one. And another. Write as many as it takes. And don’t be discouraged by other authors’ success—instead, let it encourage you to work harder, write better, and hang in there. Your turn will come.”<br />
<i>~<b>Susan Spann</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Claws-Cat-Shinobi-Susan-Spann/dp/1250027020/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065046&sr=1-3&keywords=susan+spann">Claws of the Cat: A Shinobi Mystery</a></i><br />
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“Don’t be afraid to ask for advice: if you know someone who has successfully written a proposal, ask him or her if you could take a look at it; if you know someone who knows an agent, ditto.”<br />
<i>~<b>Asher Price</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Year-Dunk-Modest-Defiance-Gravity/dp/0804138036/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065077&sr=1-1&keywords=year+of+the+dunk">Year of the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Always use active verbs. Avoid passive voice if you can.”<br />
<i>~<b>Thomas Lee</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Empires-Retailers-Transforming-Competing/dp/1137279338/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065108&sr=1-5&keywords=thomas+lee">Rebuilding Empires: How Best Buy and Other Retailers are Transforming and Competing in the Digital Age of Retailing</a></i><br />
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“Choose enthusiasm. If you are lucky enough to have more than one agent or editor interested in your work, don’t automatically choose the bigger name or even the most money. Go with the person who loves your book and is dying to work with you.”<br />
<i>~<b>Eliza Kennedy</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Take-You-Novel-Eliza-Kennedy/dp/0553417827/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065142&sr=1-1&keywords=eliza+kennedy">I Take You: A Novel</a></i><br />
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“Write a great book. The publishing world may be hard to break in to, but if you have a great book, they’ll have no choice but to notice you. And on that note, edit. Edit like your life depends on it.”<br />
<i>~<b>Lindsey Cummings</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Complex-Lindsay-Cummings/dp/0062220012/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065168&sr=1-1&keywords=lindsey+cummings">The Murder Complex</a></i><br />
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“Don’t send your work out until it’s as good as your favorite book. Also, there is no one way to write. Many authors are long-winded and later have to chop a lot of words. I write sparingly from beginning to end and then go back and plump up all the chapters. Do what works for you.”<br />
<i>~<b>Marcia Strykowski</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Amy-Marcia-Strykowski/dp/193546275X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444237073&sr=1-1&keywords=call+me+amy">Call Me Amy</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Read widely in the genre you’re writing in. And go easy on yourself. Everyone has their own pace. Persistence is as important as productivity.”<br />
<i>~<b>Nancy Grossman</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Away-Nancy-Grossman-ebook/dp/B008JC3WV0/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065255&sr=1-3&keywords=nancy+grossman">A World Away</a></i><br />
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“Do not give up. If you believe in your work, find ways to work around those impenetrable doors. There isn’t only one way to break in, so explore all avenues. And be kind to everyone.”<br />
<i>~<b>Karolina Waclawiak</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Into-Twin-Palms/dp/0983247188/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065279&sr=1-1&keywords=How+to+Get+Into+the+Twin+Palms">How to Get Into the Twin Palms</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Wait until there’s something you really want to say.”<br />
<i>~<b>Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton</b>, authors of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Money-Science-Happier-Spending/dp/1451665075/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065463&sr=1-1&keywords=happy+money">Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending</a></i><br />
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<br />
“It’s cliché, but read. A lot. Anything, but especially current stuff in the genre you write. Find out what’s selling—and why kids like it. Figure out what you like and why you like it. Then write something new.”<br />
<i>~<b>W.H. Beck</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Malcolm-at-Midnight-W-Beck/dp/0544336666/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065342&sr=1-3&keywords=wh+beck">Malcolm at Midnight</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Do your research. Knowing what kinds of books specific agents and editors like is incredibly helpful. Stay informed. Know what books everyone is talking about. Know what books you yourself love. And, just like any industry, being kind and pleasant to work with, and respectful takes you far. And in publishing, it’s not hard to be kind.”<br />
<i>~<b>Cirey Ann Haydu</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OCD-Love-Story-Corey-Haydu/dp/1442457333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065366&sr=1-1&keywords=OCD+love+story">OCD Love Story</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Read, write, and stay informed. The only thing you can control is how hard you’re willing to work at becoming a better writer.”<br />
<i>~<b>Claire Kells</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Underwater-Claire-Kells/dp/0525954937/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065477&sr=1-1&keywords=claire+kells">Girl Underwater</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your writing out there. Take colossal risks. The publishing world rewards bravery.”<br />
<i>~<b>Brandy Vallence</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Covered-Deep-Brandy-Vallance/dp/161795375X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065498&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=brandy+vallence">The Covered Deep</a></i><br />
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<br />
“Finish. Don’t keep tinkering with the same book for years. Put it aside and start another one. You won’t improve as a writer by writing the same book over and over.”<br />
<i>~<b>Melissa Lenhardt</b>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stillwater-McBride-Mystery-Melissa-Lenhardt/dp/1634502264/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443065520&sr=1-1&keywords=Melissa+Lenhardt">Stillwater: A Jack McBride Mystery</a></i><br />
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<b>Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers Conferences:</b><br />
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Early 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?p%3D635&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEqYbpnmj7NWWEkllDxPuyv4JXwNw" href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?p=635" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Retreat of Maui</a> (Maui, HI)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
March 6, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://writingworkshopsanfrancisco.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNESIJx5AMah290IgYnEq25zonm9-g" href="https://writingworkshopsanfrancisco.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Alabama Writing Workshop</a> (Birmingham, AL)</div>
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March 7, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEh4V8KX5bt5Irp2FLjki_YNpCfbQ" href="https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Minnesota Writing Workshop</a> (St. Paul, MN)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNHQ-Z7wfkGeUnaNwiVY7fevRTOIug" href="https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Writing Workshop</a> (Pittsburgh, PA)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNGguwm6_T-ix8oV_0SlrfnEtkGtWA" href="https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Kansas City Writing Workshop</a> (Kansas City, KS)<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 18, 2020: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNFKme0tzb79h-vY_n1F53hxA8ZW4w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">North Carolina Writing Workshop</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Charlotte, NC)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
April 25, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEr14LKfjlPqLzz44MUVTbeZOrZmA" href="https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Seattle Writing Workshop</a> (Seattle, WA)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
May 2, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEZ7qROQzf_hWVEpiC28rrM5wp6jg" href="https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Conference of Los Angeles</a> (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
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May 9: 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGAEYbCrqRHpVPmIbqA0hvS_28nCA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">San Diego Writing Workshop</a> (San Diego, CA)</div>
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May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNF3GCdS5RA1gYG9V76voxL_7GIubg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cincinnati Writing Workshop</a> (Cincinnati, OH)</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://floridawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHd1voWD53vW9pNNE69QWkfcscUiA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://floridawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Florida Writing Workshop</a> (Tampa, FL)</div>
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June 13, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHgtcQ4gLftbrdj5QxobsQjkmrgYQ" fg_scanned="1" href="https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tennessee Writing Workshop</a> (Nashville, TN)</div>
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June 27, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGwbA5gCPO2A9sX3xyfF_KB9zBwKA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Workshop of Chicago</a> (Chicago, IL)</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
July 11, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHdUDz23-3LRuTJ50dRpHy0zcBz-w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cleveland Writing Workshop</a> (Cleveland, OH)</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
August 8, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://torontowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNEbYUxF0Tcvnm8YJ2DwPcDcAAdihg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://torontowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Toronto Writing Workshop</a> (Toronto, Canada)</div>
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<b>Other columns by Chuck Sambuchino:</b><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/08/QueryLetterBioSection.html">What to Write in the “Bio” Section of Your Query Letter</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/07/HowToWriteAScreenplay.html">How to Write a Screenplay: 7 Starting Tips for Adapting Your Own Novel </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/06/BestAdviceforWriters.html">Why “Keep Moving Forward” is My Best Advice For Writers Everywhere </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/05/MultipleAgentsForDifferentGenres.html">Do You Need Multiple Agents if You Write in Different Genres?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/04/WriteANovelSynopsis.html">How to Write a Novel Synopsis: 5 Tips </a><br />
- <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/03/BuildingYourWriterPlatform.html">Building Your Writer Platform—How Much is Enough?</a></span><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/11/WhatLiteraryAgentsWant.html">Getting Specific: What Literary Agents Want to Get RIGHT NOW</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/09/15-questions-to-ask-literary-agent.html">15 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign</a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/11/crafting-novels-pitch-7-tips-guest.html">Crafting a Novel’s Pitch: 7 Tips</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Chuck Sambuchino</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> of Writer's Digest Books edits the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-2017-Published/dp/144034776X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS</a> and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market-2017/dp/1440347778/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">CHILDREN'S WRITER'S and ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET</a>. His <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents Blog</a> is one of the largest blogs in publishing.<br /> His 2010 humor book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Garden-Gnome-Attack/dp/158008463X">HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK</a>, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck has also written the writing guides <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/formatting-submitting-your-manuscript-paperback?lid=cswdblog">FORMATTING and SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT</a> and <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/create-your-writer-platform?lid=cswdblog">CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM</a>.<br /> Besides that, he is a <a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15">freelance book and query editor</a>, husband, sleep-deprived new father, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham. Find Chuck on <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckSambuchino">Twitter</a> and on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="140f13c60cf23676__GoBack" rel="nofollow"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/chuck.sambuchino">Facebook</a>. </span></div>
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Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-437190787775447442016-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:002020-01-30T14:42:21.398-05:0015 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign (Guest Column by Chuck Sambuchino)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>(This column excerpted from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Get-Literary-Agent-Complete-Representation/dp/1599638010/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GET A LITERARY AGENT</a>, from Writer’s Digest Books.)</i><br />
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Because literary agents have connections to the top editors of the world, writers can believe that getting an agent is the key domino to fall on their path to a successful writing career—so they may sign with the first agent who says yes. But that’s not necessarily the wisest move. The relationship needs to be a good fit to work well and last decades. Many writers and agents describe the partnership as a marriage, and you must make sure that you’re compatible in terms of goals and careers as well as each other’s strengths and weaknesses.<br />
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If it’s not a good match, you’ll have to break up—and that’s never an easy move. Parting with an agent stalls your career, and it may put something of a mark on your record. When you leave that agent and seek different representation down the road, those other agents may wonder what exactly went wrong that caused you to leave Agent #1, fearing that perhaps you were a less-than-ideal client to work with.<br />
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So, whether you have one literary agent offer or several, you can be more certain of a good fit if you find out a lot about an agent’s skills, goals, and style by asking them specific questions when you speak on the phone. But if you’ve done your homework—researching each rep, looking at their sales, and reading online interviews—you already know plenty of info before you ever speak to them personally. So all questions below may not apply to you.<br />
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<b>1. How Did You Become an Agent?</b><br />
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Learn about their background. You want an agent who has a history in the publishing business. Almost all agents start their careers as interns, agency associates, or editors. This gives them a necessary knowledge base for their job, as well as valuable industry contacts. Good agents do not become agents overnight.<br />
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<b>2. What Books Have You Sold Recently?</b><br />
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By learning what they’ve sold, you learn what kind of titles they have the ability to sell in the future, as well as the breadth of their selling skill and depth of their contact list. Please note that if the agent is new and they have no sales, that is not a dealbreaker. New agents can bring valuable elements to the table, such as time and passion and hands-on editorial help.<br />
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<b>3. Tell Me About Your Agency. How Many Agents Are There, and How Do You Work Together?</b><br />
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This will help illuminate whether your agent is part of a larger, powerful team that shares resources and contacts. This is one reason signing with a newer agent is not a bad thing—because she utilizes her co-workers for help and leads.<br />
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<b>4. What Did You Like About My Book? What Attracted You to This Project/Story?</b><br />
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You’re looking for passion and enthusiasm from an agent. Indeed, it is the passion and enthusiasm that will keep your agent up late working for you to see your book come to life.<br />
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<b>5. What Editors Do You See Us Submitting This Book To, and Have You Sold to Them Before?</b><br />
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If you fear the agent lacks proper contacts to move your work, ask this straight out. The question tests not only her plan for where to send the manuscript, but also her connections and clout. Do not expect her to reply with a comprehensive list. After all, this discussion is just the beginning of the beginning. You’re just looking for her to have some targets in mind.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Hi, everyone. Chuck here chiming in for a second. I wanted to say I am now taking clients as a </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freelance editor</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. So if your query or manuscript needs some love, please check out my </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">editing services.</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Thanks!)</i><br />
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<b>6. If Those Target Editors Turn It Down, Will You Continue Submitting, or Would It Be Best for Me to Work on a New Project?</b><br />
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Some agents only aim to sell books in “larger” deals to sizable publishing houses and well-known editors. This might not be what you have in mind, so learn her strategy now. It’s an unfortunate situation when an agent fields a dozen rejections for a book and declares it “dead,” even though you protest that many more markets exist. Sometimes all you want is for the book to find a loving home and get released in the world, but your agent wants “a fantastic deal or nothing.” Resentment can build quickly if you’re not on the same page.<br />
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<b>7. What Changes Do You Think the Manuscript Needs Before We Submit?</b><br />
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If the agent has grand thoughts on revising the work pre-submission, you need to know that before you sign with them. You don’t want to sign a contract and have them surprise you by suggesting you “cut 30 percent of the book.”<br />
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<b>8. Are You an Editorial Agent?</b><br />
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Having an agent that offers editorial suggestions and gets their hands dirty in the editing process can be very important to some authors.<br />
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<b>9. May I Contact Some of Your Current Clients?</b><br />
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Most agents will be happy to pass along a few names and e-mails. But if your agent happens to represent a famous New York Times best-selling author, don’t be surprised if you don’t get that phone number. Some agents are more reluctant to pass along names and info. They like to make each of their clients feel extremely special and important. If multiple writers considering the agent start calling that client, it reminds the client his is simply one of many authors in the agent’s stable.<br />
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<b>10. What Can I Do to Help You Sell This Book and Secure the Best Deal Possible?</b><br />
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This is a great open-ended question for two different reasons. First, it immediately shows you’re a helpful, proactive writer who wants to be involved. If the agent had any doubts about you, those doubts may dissipate for the time being. Secondly, this question gives the agent an opportunity to honestly convey suggestions and thoughts concerning how you can truly make a difference moving forward. Perhaps she’ll say, “Start a website so editors know you’re a professional.” Or perhaps she’ll say, “I can probably sell the book as is, but if you can find a way to trim five thousand words, I’ll have an even better chance.” Listen to what your agent suggests and take her concerns seriously.<br />
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<b>11. Take Me Through the Process of When You Submit to Editors. How Involved and Updated Will I Be?</b><br />
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This question allows your agent to be upfront concerning how many phone calls and spreadsheets you will get during the process. When you know what to expect, you will not feel like you’re being left out of conversations—or bogged down with information.<br />
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<b>12. If, for Whatever Unforeseen Reason, You Were to Step Down as an Agent in the Future, Would I Be Passed to a Co-Agent?</b><br />
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The first thing an agent will say when asked this question is probably, “I have no intention of leaving, so this is not a concern.” But don’t give up; press her for an answer. You deserve to know if, in the event of any circumstances leading to the agent temporarily or permanently leaving her work (such as, God forbid, a major illness), you will have the safety net of being passed to a co-agent. If the agent works alone and has no co-agents, you can ask if she will refer you to agent-friends in the industry.<br />
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<b>13. If You Switch Agencies, Would I Transfer With You?</b><br />
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If your agent is part of a larger agency, do not skip this question—because this area gets real tricky real fast. Agents switch agencies all the time. But the agent may have signed an employment contract that says, if she leaves, the clients stay with XYZ Literary. If you make a deep connection with an individual agent, it’s not an ideal situation to know you legally cannot stay with that agent should she find employment elsewhere.<br />
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<b>14. Will You Represent Every Book I Write?</b><br />
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Just because an agent signs you does not mean she will be willing to send out everything you write. She has signed you based on the strength of the book you submitted, and the ideal scenario that everything you continue to write will also connect with her in some way—but that isn’t always the case.<br />
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An agent should be forthcoming with you if she doesn’t feel that your most recent material is marketable or appropriate for their editors, as it is her reputation at stake. From an agent’s point of view, it is very, very difficult to gain an editor’s trust—and an agent doesn’t want to lose such an important relationship simply because a client pushes them to submit something she doesn’t want to submit.<br />
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Ask an agent about how future books will be handled. Some agents, if they don’t connect with the book, will offer editorial notes on how to make it better. Other agents will simply “pass” on the work and invite you to send your next book when it’s complete. Obviously these two approaches are extremely different, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you get into it. If you believe in a book that the agent does not, you have to know if the agent is okay with you sending it to publishers on your own.<br />
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<b>15. How Much Do You Think I’ll Be Paid for the Book?</b><br />
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Most writers will not ask this question during this initial conversation, and I consider that a good thing. I only include the question because some authors—most often nonfiction author-personalities and up-and-coming media figures—may want to know this upfront to see if the book will be worth their time.<br />
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That aside, it’s next to impossible for agents to speculate how much money a first book, especially a novel, will garner in an advance from the publisher. (Money estimates are easier to pinpoint when dealing with a sequel or second book, because the track record and payment for the first book can help paint a clearer picture.)<br />
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Here’s the danger and complication involved in asking this question: When my agent and I began to pitch our first nonfiction book together, I asked this question at some point, and the answer told to me was a medium amount. But then several key publishers passed on the work, and our target estimate suddenly dropped 40 percent. More publishers said no, and the estimate continued to drop like a rock again. We finally got one offer on the book, which we would eventually turn down. The amount? $1,000 and bad royalties. Needless to say, my agent’s original target estimate was that figure many, many times over. I learned a valuable lesson from that experience even though the book never got published: Have loose or no financial expectations going in, because you never know what the offer will be.<br />
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Asking an agent questions is a delicate process. Definitely do not skip any hard questions if you have pressing concerns or if the agent has a small track record. The agent is used to such inquiries and will respect you for politely asking them. At the same time, agents do not like to be pushed too hard too fast—as if a writer is forcing them to “prove their worth.” In other words, ask questions, but do not “grill” the agent or come off too pointed. Again, you should have already done plenty of homework and known this agent was a good fit for you.<br />
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<b>Other columns by Chuck Sambuchino</b><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/08/QueryLetterBioSection.html">What to Write in the “Bio” Section of Your Query Letter</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/07/HowToWriteAScreenplay.html">How to Write a Screenplay: 7 Starting Tips for Adapting Your Own Novel </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/06/BestAdviceforWriters.html">Why “Keep Moving Forward” is My Best Advice For Writers Everywhere </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/05/MultipleAgentsForDifferentGenres.html">Do You Need Multiple Agents if You Write in Different Genres?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/04/WriteANovelSynopsis.html">How to Write a Novel Synopsis: 5 Tips </a><br />
- <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/03/BuildingYourWriterPlatform.html">Building Your Writer Platform—How Much is Enough?</a></span><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/11/WhatLiteraryAgentsWant.html">Getting Specific: What Literary Agents Want to Get RIGHT NOW</a><br />
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- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/11/crafting-novels-pitch-7-tips-guest.html">Crafting a Novel’s Pitch: 7 Tips</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/10/25-debut-authors-share-advice-for.html">25 Debut Authors Share Advice for Getting Published</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODRAQm0-7I3cvjTM8TftudoXEcNsBnBw_yXwfcGvRRaQ0uefpkqZA5VKpOrsd5i2Gx_wXuSQwiXF0AUZu_HWfnjNPCdlDdt8Pm80uZ43Ioss-rdP2pFdx3k30i4EodbD7U8iY8A3-LQ8/s1600/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODRAQm0-7I3cvjTM8TftudoXEcNsBnBw_yXwfcGvRRaQ0uefpkqZA5VKpOrsd5i2Gx_wXuSQwiXF0AUZu_HWfnjNPCdlDdt8Pm80uZ43Ioss-rdP2pFdx3k30i4EodbD7U8iY8A3-LQ8/s1600/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODRAQm0-7I3cvjTM8TftudoXEcNsBnBw_yXwfcGvRRaQ0uefpkqZA5VKpOrsd5i2Gx_wXuSQwiXF0AUZu_HWfnjNPCdlDdt8Pm80uZ43Ioss-rdP2pFdx3k30i4EodbD7U8iY8A3-LQ8/s1600/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODRAQm0-7I3cvjTM8TftudoXEcNsBnBw_yXwfcGvRRaQ0uefpkqZA5VKpOrsd5i2Gx_wXuSQwiXF0AUZu_HWfnjNPCdlDdt8Pm80uZ43Ioss-rdP2pFdx3k30i4EodbD7U8iY8A3-LQ8/s200/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" /></a>___________________________________________ <br />
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<a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/">Chuck Sambuchino</a> of Writer's Digest Books edits the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-2017-Published/dp/144034776X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS</a> and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market-2017/dp/1440347778/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">CHILDREN'S WRITER'S and ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET</a>. His <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents Blog</a> is one of the largest blogs in publishing. <br />
His 2010 humor book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Garden-Gnome-Attack/dp/158008463X">HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK</a>, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck has also written the writing guides <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/formatting-submitting-your-manuscript-paperback?lid=cswdblog">FORMATTING and SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT</a> and <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/create-your-writer-platform?lid=cswdblog">CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM</a>.</div>
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Besides that, he is a <a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15">freelance book and query editor</a>, husband, sleep-deprived new father, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham. Find Chuck on <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckSambuchino">Twitter</a> and on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/chuck.sambuchino">Facebook</a>. </div>
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Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-10770973046638418732014-07-06T13:22:00.000-04:002014-07-06T13:22:06.543-04:00Book recommendation! SALVAGE by Alexandra DuncanSara did a super fun <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/03/salvage-review-in-gif-form-and-giveaway.html">SALVAGE review in gif form</a> a few months ago that convinced me to read it ... but once I had, I wanted to add my own recommendation! (Plus, Alexandra Duncan is a debut author, and we love promoting first novels!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDvhKm-UR4y-A4UgThVQOP3aWcKpWVvGntzVHg4G55PKU11ps_6jH6Bzh7z49MsHdL67tHMeLi6iMQT2PkfWdGcZeYypyWfwa4tDwQXJyEriZx6wIh2WR99K5Lwm04IblmUGHIXvthRo/s1600/SALVAGE.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDvhKm-UR4y-A4UgThVQOP3aWcKpWVvGntzVHg4G55PKU11ps_6jH6Bzh7z49MsHdL67tHMeLi6iMQT2PkfWdGcZeYypyWfwa4tDwQXJyEriZx6wIh2WR99K5Lwm04IblmUGHIXvthRo/s1600/SALVAGE.jpg" width="138" /></a><br />
To address the three superficial things that might make people hesitate to pick this one up:<br />
<br />
1. The cover: Personally, my thoughts were — pretty colors, but OMG PASSIVELY POSED GIRL IN A DRESS. If you like the cover, read the book. If you don't like the cover ... read the book.<br />
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2. The commitment: This is a BIG book. But it's a stand-alone, so huge thumbs up from me. And the scope is epic, so I think the length is warranted.<br />
<br />
3. The lingo: Especially in the first pages, it's a little tough to get used to the jargon in the dialogue that's specific to Ava's world. It'll start making sense soon; just keep going!<br />
<br />
And now for the rest:<br />
<br />
I love novels in which the main character goes through a major transition. In the beginning of SALVAGE, Ava has never left the confines of the merchant ship Parastrata and its male-dominated polygamist society. She's a haughty girl with a position of respect, and she doesn't know that she should want more from life than physical labor and becoming one of a man's many wives whose main function is to make babies. But her desire for knowledge to learn "fixes" (mechanical skills to fix machinery) hints at the person she could be.<br />
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Then Ava makes an impulsive, naive decision ... which is also an epic mistake in her unforgiving society, and to escape death, she flees to Earth — a post-climate-change planet of storms and garbage. She barely survives adjusting to the forces of gravity, and then she must survive the unknown.<br />
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Here, her world is expanded. First in Gyre (as the book description says, it's a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean), and later in Mumbai, Ava is confronted with a world that doesn't limit her potential, so she has to renegotiate who she is and who she imagines herself becoming. It's the ultimate culture shock, as she discovers how ignorant she was kept on Parastrata.<br />
<br />
The supporting characters are so richly imagined, complex, and diverse — but I'm afraid I'll spoil some things if I describe them. But they were all imperfect and multi-dimensional, and I loved how their relationships with Ava develop.<br />
<br />
One example is Miyole, a young girl Ava meets. In many ways, Ava is a mother or older sister figure for Miyole, literally ensuring her survival, but Miyole is self-educated and extremely intelligent, so she's teaching Ava reading and math. And Ava has these moments where she's incredibly proud of Miyole, but she can't help but be jealous of how much Miyole knows and how easily learning comes to her. Such a beautiful, complicated relationship!<br />
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The romance question — yes, a romance does develop, but no, there's no love triangle, because interest in two people does NOT a love triangle make! Interest in two people is totally normal, and in SALVAGE it works wonderfully, because one represents the best of the world she left, and one represents the new world she's come to know ... and neither overwhelm the story.<br />
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Going into the book, I had no idea if it was the beginning of a series, and as I approached the ending, I almost starting cringing inside, because I saw two paths emerge — one that would lead to a cliffhanger and sequel, and one that would lead to the end of Ava's story. I was so, so happy that Duncan chose to keep this a stand-alone, but I'd be very happy to read companion novels with different characters in the same world, because there's so much potential for this world!<br />
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And I'm going to throw a FIREFLY comparison in here, since I haven't seen one yet — between the unusual jargon, diverse societies both on planet and in space (with a dystopian blend of the past and future), and merchant spaceships, I definitely felt a hint or two of the FIREFLY world.
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-JjOkJW9JJRU%2FU7mFLVoKu9I%2FAAAAAAAACbY%2FOCniRIQpIIo%2Fs1600%2FSALVAGE.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDvhKm-UR4y-A4UgThVQOP3aWcKpWVvGntzVHg4G55PKU11ps_6jH6Bzh7z49MsHdL67tHMeLi6iMQT2PkfWdGcZeYypyWfwa4tDwQXJyEriZx6wIh2WR99K5Lwm04IblmUGHIXvthRo/s1600/SALVAGE.jpg" -->Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-24968316969669580502014-06-26T14:30:00.000-04:002014-06-26T14:30:00.039-04:00My unexpected love for THE WINNER'S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzjPHNDkPNSH33WUtnQ-WC1ULklbd_GQ55cNfoG8Ijhun95oXZI3Uuycsoj6eXkhyphenhyphenec7uG1SKKmnCW2f0FxE3v1Z3daknnM0rp99BcBce7xokkXnAcDdKnBZfrJyKC-m1nW5vdELnEHA/s1600/16069030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzjPHNDkPNSH33WUtnQ-WC1ULklbd_GQ55cNfoG8Ijhun95oXZI3Uuycsoj6eXkhyphenhyphenec7uG1SKKmnCW2f0FxE3v1Z3daknnM0rp99BcBce7xokkXnAcDdKnBZfrJyKC-m1nW5vdELnEHA/s1600/16069030.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GIRL IN THE FANCY DRESS!<br />
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Annnnnnd that's my acknowledgment that, when I first saw this book at ALA in January, I didn't even flip it over to read the back because I'm just so. damn. tired. of the passive fancy dress covers, no matter how pretty the title font. (Do I know better? Of course. But when surrounded by literally hundreds of books ... covers are a make-or-break factor.)<br />
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Yes, the cover is technically somewhat representative of the book because she DOES wear dresses and there is the tiny bit of intrigue with her holding a dagger (also accurate, THOUGH YOU BARELY NOTICE THE DAGGER) ... but whyyyyyy? <br />
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Ahem.<br />
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Despite the cover, four people convinced me to read this book:<br />
- Heather, at <a href="http://www.childrensbookworld.net/">Children's Book World</a>, who can always be counted on for great recommendations<br />
- Wendy Darling at <a href="http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014/02/winnerscurse.html">The Midnight Garden,</a> one of the toughest reviewers I follow, who gave it 4.5/5 stars<br />
- Jamie at <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2014/03/the-winners-curse-marie-rutkoski-book-review.html">The Perpetual Page-Turner</a>, who has nearly identical tastes as mine with this genre of YA<br />
- <a href="http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/">Kristin Cashore,</a> whose blurb alone will convince me to try out a book 95% of the time<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And now I'm going to convince you to read it, too, because IT IS EXCELLENT.</b><br />
<br />
The official summary:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span id="freeText4252667514071570815">As a general’s daughter
in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers,
seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or
get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. <br /><br />One day, she is
startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.
Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her
instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long
before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. <br /><br />But he, too,
has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a
fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. <br /><br />Set in a richly imagined new world, <i>The Winner’s Curse</i>
by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at
stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your
heart.</span> </i></blockquote>
<br />
First off, if you love Kristin Cashore's books and/or Diana Peterfreund's <i>For Darkness Shows the Stars </i>novels, stop reading right now and go buy THE WINNER'S CURSE. You will love it, without question.<br />
<br />
THE WINNER'S CURSE has a semi-fantasy, semi-historical feel, and as a reader, I was slowly enveloped in Kestrel's world. So much of this book centers on power struggles — who has it, who doesn't, emotional vs physical power, etc. — and it sets up so many interesting situations.<br />
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For example, Kestrel's people have enslaved Arin's people, and though she has bought and <i>literally owns</i> him, she doesn't have emotional power over him. At the same time, her father has almost complete power over her, but she makes small choices every day to subvert that power. Kestrel's admitted to not being a fighter, but her power and value come through an excellent ability to strategize ... but she chooses not to use that ability, thus further defying her father's wishes. <br />
<br />
These dynamics come to a head when Arin's people stage a rebellion, and Kestrel's developing relationship with Arin makes her feel sympathy for the enemy. She must finally come to terms with her discomfort with her empire's enslavement of conquered nations. For much of the book she's unsure of who she is, where she stands, and what she wants, but the uprising forces her to choose a side, with dramatic consequences.<br />
<br />
Overall, I loved the worldbuilding, which had so many small details that stood out so realistically. I enjoyed the way Kestrel developed as a character, and though I sometimes wanted her to be more decisive, I understood how conflicted she felt. I was very happy with how the book ended, and it left me looking forward to the sequel. Definitely recommend!Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-4872208676880538462014-06-03T13:00:00.000-04:002014-06-03T13:00:04.106-04:00BEA 2014 Recap — in tweets (and retweets)!<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WEDNESDAY: Arrival in NYC and Book Blogger Con</b></span><br />
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<i>After a 4am wakeup, I met Sara at the train station!
</i><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Waiting for the train to NYC in 30th St Station with <a href="https://twitter.com/sara_sans_h">@sara_sans_h</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA2014&src=hash">#BEA2014</a>! <a href="http://t.co/C4SSrCvAw0">pic.twitter.com/C4SSrCvAw0</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471586054014005249">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
No better way to start <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bea2014&src=hash">#bea2014</a> than with <a href="https://twitter.com/maureenjohnson">@maureenjohnson</a>'s Book Blogger Con keynote!<br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471643948688375809">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>(Maureen was hilarious.)
</i><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
"Comparing all YA novels to Twilight is like saying there haven't been any TV shows since Dallas." - <a href="https://twitter.com/maureenjohnson">@maureenjohnson</a><br />
— Evil Wylie (@EvilWylie) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvilWylie/statuses/471649385592676353">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>And my theme for BEA emerged: Restraint! I ended up with a goal of no more than 20 books total ... which I repeated ad nauseam during the rest of BEA, to hold myself to it.</i>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Looking through the list of books/authors at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> is like Christmas morning. Must. Practice. Restraint.<br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471653253810503681">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> for bibliophiles is like being let loose in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory after a three month diet.<br />
— Megan Fishmann (@mfishmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/mfishmann/statuses/471682457754816513">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>(Never was a truer tweet posted.)</i>
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<i>This was the most worthwhile panel of Book Blogger Con, and it was great to hear from Smart Bitches, one of my favorite blogs!</i>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Now we're in a packed room for <a href="https://twitter.com/booksmugglers">@booksmugglers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Cuddlebuggery">@cuddlebuggery</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SmartBitches">@SmartBitches</a>! Another great panel at <a href="https://twitter.com/beabloggers">@beabloggers</a>. <a href="http://t.co/pHsWO9racM">pic.twitter.com/pHsWO9racM</a><br />
— Quirk Books (@quirkbooks) <a href="https://twitter.com/quirkbooks/statuses/471676916152668160">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The badge! But where is my lanyard?! Not a fan of this pin thing. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/1gjvNwhRK5">pic.twitter.com/1gjvNwhRK5</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471685586554982400">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Why the Book Blogger Con after party is awesome in one photo. Ready to hear some Tiger Beat with <a href="https://twitter.com/sara_sans_h">@sara_sans_h</a>! <a href="http://t.co/ao0VLHQQLn">pic.twitter.com/ao0VLHQQLn</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471736958121943040">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Started my day off with <a href="https://twitter.com/maureenjohnson">@maureenjohnson</a> and ended with <a href="https://twitter.com/libbabray">@libbabray</a> and Tiger Beat... Love it! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/r5cOCG2Oku">pic.twitter.com/r5cOCG2Oku</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/471748446983315457">May 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>Afterward, we checked into our apartment (2 blocks from Javits FOR THE WIN), ate dinner, and headed to the Houndstooth Pub for some drinks with other kidlit folks!</i>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
First <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> selfie! <a href="https://twitter.com/sara_sans_h">@sara_sans_h</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jackiedolamore">@jackiedolamore</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale">@donnagambale</a> <a href="http://t.co/krlqZcJPVF">pic.twitter.com/krlqZcJPVF</a><br />
— Frankie Diane Mallis (@frankiediane) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankiediane/statuses/471813066745982977">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The pub is so loud we made post - it note nametags. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/jkGKF7snQA">pic.twitter.com/jkGKF7snQA</a><br />
— Frankie Diane Mallis (@frankiediane) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankiediane/statuses/471829442051198976">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THURSDAY: BEA Day One</b></span>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
In line at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> to meet <a href="https://twitter.com/ActuallyNPH">@ActuallyNPH</a> ... This is amazing. Good morning, Dr. Horrible!<br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472006426203029504">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>As a rule, I don't get in the forever long celebrity author signing lines ... but I made an exception for NPH. And his book (Choose Your Own Autobiography) looks hilarious!</i>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Yayyyy! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/sb46nkNvke">pic.twitter.com/sb46nkNvke</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472016109366165504">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Met <a href="https://twitter.com/RL_Stine">@RL_Stine</a> and got the first book in the Fear Street series revival ... Childhood revisited! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472087395425214464">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
This gives me such a giddy sense of nostalgia! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/ZF8G6Yaxwp">pic.twitter.com/ZF8G6Yaxwp</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472088773015388160">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Wednesday-Thursday <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> books! So excited!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23beahappy2read&src=hash">#beahappy2read</a> <a href="http://t.co/QXbKWkT4dP">pic.twitter.com/QXbKWkT4dP</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472193090351267840">May 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<i>Afterward, Sara and I headed to Housing Works Books (pretty much the coolest bookstore/cafe ever) for a Rainbow Rowell reading.</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Party <a href="https://twitter.com/HousingWorksBks">@HousingWorksBks</a> 2nite with Tumblr and <a href="https://twitter.com/rainbowrowell">@rainbowrowell</a>, John Darnielle of <a href="https://twitter.com/mountain_goats">@mountain_goats</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/_catherinelacey">@_catherinelacey</a>! <a href="http://t.co/aZyvBe1767">http://t.co/aZyvBe1767</a><br />
— Flavorpill NYC (@flavorpill_nyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/flavorpill_nyc/statuses/472144856308273153">May 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>FRIDAY: BEA Day Two</b></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
First line of the day at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="http://t.co/bqhx1Opy20">pic.twitter.com/bqhx1Opy20</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472362352566747136">May 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I magically got the 2nd to last copy!Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/SJMaas">@SJMaas</a> for signing so many and for so long! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23beahappy2read&src=hash">#beahappy2read</a> <a href="http://t.co/vz9HFYUM48">pic.twitter.com/vz9HFYUM48</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472422664569892864">May 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Feel that? It’s the pull of a book urging you to come find it:
<a href="https://twitter.com/MartinaABoone">@MartinaABoone</a> signing COMPULSION at Autographing Area Table 19 at 2! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a><br />
— simonteen (@simonteen) <a href="https://twitter.com/simonteen/statuses/472429887727599616">May 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
My books from today! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23beahappy2read&src=hash">#beahappy2read</a> So happy with all of them! <a href="http://t.co/3334NOGTCK">pic.twitter.com/3334NOGTCK</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472502621287489538">May 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>SATURDAY: BEA Day Three</b></span>
<br />
(AKA the day of BookCon ... dun dun dunnnnnnn)
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
All these BookCon people have fresh legs, and I'm one step away from my feet falling off. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a><br />
— Sara T.K. DeSabato (@sara_sans_h) <a href="https://twitter.com/sara_sans_h/statuses/472708171224465408">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
One thing is for certain in <a href="https://twitter.com/thebookcon">@thebookcon</a> line - the TFIOS/<a href="https://twitter.com/realjohngreen">@realjohngreen</a> fans are here in droves, & they have the shirts to prove it! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472713443016212480">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<i>So happy to support a lovely Philly writer friend (and BEA roomie!) I.W. Gregorio as she moderated this excellent panel!</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I'll be at the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WeNeedDiverseBooks&src=hash">#WeNeedDiverseBooks</a> panel at 10, Room 1E02 to cheer on <a href="https://twitter.com/pacylin">@pacylin</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdelapena">@mattdelapena</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JackieWoodson">@JackieWoodson</a>, and more. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TheBookCon&src=hash">#TheBookCon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23fb&src=hash">#fb</a><br />
— Alvina Ling (@planetalvina) <a href="https://twitter.com/planetalvina/statuses/472710795512807424">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WeNeedDiverseBooks&src=hash">#WeNeedDiverseBooks</a> Panel!!! Go <a href="https://twitter.com/IWGregorio">@IWGregorio</a>! <a href="http://t.co/h0xSB1qEnG">pic.twitter.com/h0xSB1qEnG</a><br />
— Frankie Diane Mallis (@frankiediane) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankiediane/statuses/472739591896977409">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<i>BookCon was INSANE. Total chaos, and most BEA-goers wanted no part of it.</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
So the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BEA14&src=hash">#BEA14</a> side of Javits is like "Aruba, Jamaica, Ooooh I want to take you...." And Book Con is like@$$!!!÷÷% ££¥&^/###/%^^##_^^#$$$$<br />
— Frankie Diane Mallis (@frankiediane) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankiediane/statuses/472734218863128576">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<i>I tried three times to go into the BookCon area to meet authors doing signings, and each time I gave up and battled my way out of the madness. It reminded me of Black Friday sales, or what I imagine Black Friday sales to be, if I ever attempted one.</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Just allowed myself to get roped into taking a picture with pirates, because it's that kind of day.<br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472760044015333377">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<i>I also attended a BookCon panel with Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Maggie Stiefvater.</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Great quote on why <a href="https://twitter.com/hollyblack">@hollyblack</a> loves editing vs writing a first draft: "Like cleaning the toilet, I can't make it worse."<br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472791035396235264">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<i>To sum up Saturday.</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Every time I considered going from BEA exhibits into BookCon <a href="http://t.co/Pax2dC04Y1">http://t.co/Pax2dC04Y1</a><br />
— Donna Gambale (@donnagambale) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnagambale/statuses/472817834368565248">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<i>I ended my four days in NYC with 19 books and a seat on an Amtrak Quiet Car train. Heaven!</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Peace out <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bea14&src=hash">#bea14</a>!<br />
— Sara T.K. DeSabato (@sara_sans_h) <a href="https://twitter.com/sara_sans_h/statuses/472810754832625664">May 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Final thoughts:</b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
THE BOOKS AND AUTHORS - I was so happy to focus my BEA time on only getting books I really wanted, with a mix of debut and longtime favorite authors. I loved being able to enthuse to authors how excited I was to read their books ... and my shoulders hurt a lot less. Also, no need to check a rolling suitcase! Woo!<br /><br />
THE PEOPLE - It sounds crazy, but I love waiting in lines at BEA because of all the amazing book lovers you meet and bond with as you sit or stand with each other for up to an hour (and sometimes more, but I kept away from those lines!). Hello, new friends! I also got a chance to speak with super-friendly reps from HarperCollins and Quirk, which is wonderful, because who better to introduce you to great books than the people who help bring them into the world?<br /><br />
BLOGGER CON - As a first-timer but long-time blogger, I honestly didn't learn all that much, but Book Blogger Con did exactly what I wanted it to do — it renewed my enthusiasm for blogging, which honestly has been waning a bit. It inspired a couple new ideas that you'll all be seeing soon enough!<br /><br />
BOOKCON - Though you couldn't pay me to enter the exhibit area, I did enjoy the two smaller panels I was able to attend. But hopefully next year will run more smoothly, because I'm sure I'm not the only BEA-goer who was running scared.<br /><br />
OVERALL - This was my first full, four-day BEA experience, and as a third-year BEA veteran, I definitely subscribed to the less-is-more mantra. It really helped to keep me refreshed and happy and able to enjoy all that BEA has to offer! But next year, I want a lanyard for my nametag, dammit. </blockquote>
Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-76785461871796190542014-04-22T10:00:00.000-04:002014-04-22T23:23:59.015-04:00Debut recommendation and giveaway! SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY by Julie MurphyConsider this my enthusiastic recommendation for Julie Murphy's <span class="il">SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY.</span><br />
<br />
<div>
It's a dual POV, back-and-forth-in-time narration of two friends, Alice and Harvey.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia86DUQSnaWjqP3H44TiQaWxU2CT7h_dbJTf2Y2NlpX7hEAzS5PSqe8d1rO2maoxJgOA5n4-jubAVcw5nvLqBmCpj2yT4bvnd5w2CPU1xWZ7g9MC_lvkJKKOOSsepraQFcEQlaTHqpEx4/s1600/15728577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia86DUQSnaWjqP3H44TiQaWxU2CT7h_dbJTf2Y2NlpX7hEAzS5PSqe8d1rO2maoxJgOA5n4-jubAVcw5nvLqBmCpj2yT4bvnd5w2CPU1xWZ7g9MC_lvkJKKOOSsepraQFcEQlaTHqpEx4/s1600/15728577.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
The official summary does a great job of setting up the novel:<br />
<i>What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? <br /><br />
When
sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is
grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final
months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend
Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with
a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her
ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope
(doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some
childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes
into remission.<br /><br />Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of
all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey.
But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the
one person who matters most? <br /><br />Julie Murphy’s <span class="il">SIDE</span> <span class="il">EFFECTS</span> <span class="il">MAY</span> <span class="il">VARY</span> is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.</i></div>
<br />
I
really enjoyed this book because <b>Alice is flawed before, during, and
after cancer. </b>She has a callous, selfish streak in her, and she lets it
run free a bit when she's diagnosed. And as much as you want to smack
Harvey upside the head for loving her, you kind of love her, too, and
he's very much aware of how she uses him. (And she is, too.)<br />
<br />
Caveat: Some people won't be able to tolerate Alice. Personally,<b> I love complex, dysfunctional characters that make me hate them a little (but who are still sympathetic),</b> so I had no problem with this book. I know it won't be for everyone, but definitely give it a try! <br />
<br />
This book showcases a messy
relationship between two complicated people, and it stands out
because the cancer is kind of ... there. <b>It's not a "cancer book" at
all. </b>And I love that it shows that cancer doesn't always bring out the
best in people. There's <b>such authenticity in Murphy's characterization</b> of both Alice and Harvey. But Alice is just redeemable enough that I didn't want
to throw the book against the wall, and I was rooting for her and
Harvey's happy ending, whether or not they ended up together.<br />
<br />
In addition to the incredible characterization, I have to give Murphy credit for so <b>deftly handling the narrative style</b> ... two narrators bouncing between the past and present is no easy feat, and she did it with the skill of a veteran. (And I
actually wasn't sure how she was going to end it, which is a
miracle in and of itself.)<br />
<br />
So yes, my recommendation is quite enthusiastic! <br />
<br />
Bonus: The cover! The cover! <b>The cover! Simple and perfect and oh-so-accurate! </b>Thank you, cover gods!<br />
<br />
See what other people are saying about SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15728577-side-effects-may-vary">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15728577-side-effects-may-vary</a><br />
<br />
SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is available now from Balzer and Bray, and <b>you can win my ARC here,</b> plus a <b>BONUS ARC</b> of GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith (for those who prefer realistic characters in absurd situations!)<br />
<br />
(U.S. mailing addresses only, please!)<br />
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/38865015/" id="rc-38865015" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-63327555667369404822014-04-02T12:00:00.000-04:002014-04-02T12:04:28.159-04:00Ask Away! I'm a new writer re-learning the rules of grammar & punctuation — help!We've been seeing more and more questions from aspiring authors in our
inbox, so we're turning them into a new, semi-regular feature — <b>Ask Away!</b><br />
<br />
Do you have a burning question about the writing, revising, or querying
process? Do you have a dilemma and want some advice or a second opinion
from fellow writers?<br />
<br />
Email us at <b>firstnovelsclub [at] gmail [dot] com</b>, tweet us <b>@firstnovelsclub</b>, or leave a comment on this post — we might answer your question next!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk2bmL798L7lmI4DO5yGfTXTTGvr3Gb48S2dldPazD12tC235LBJ7A8V11jgAYtaLvNPUdJKvmqiMEjmlIN6v6H1mTXj8REqx-X7OTyCxjsDISkeI302FcasOhcW395C5qTLEnK07vus/s1600/AskAway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk2bmL798L7lmI4DO5yGfTXTTGvr3Gb48S2dldPazD12tC235LBJ7A8V11jgAYtaLvNPUdJKvmqiMEjmlIN6v6H1mTXj8REqx-X7OTyCxjsDISkeI302FcasOhcW395C5qTLEnK07vus/s1600/AskAway.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Round Two!</span></i></div>
<br />
<b>THE QUESTION:</b><br />
<br />
I have a grammar question for you that I cannot seem to find the answer to. I am currently writing a children's chapter book for my daughter. [...] In one of my stories [...] I, as the author/narrator, toss out little funny and informative comments in the story. My problem is the placement of punctuation, specifically commas, when I am using parentheses to show a narrators smart aleck comments. I am just not sure where to put them. Can you help me on this?<br /><br />- Brian <br /><br /> <br /><b>THE ANSWER:</b><br /><br />Hi Brian!<br />
<br />
Grammar rules can trip up even the most seasoned of writers. In your situation, there's no need for commas before or after the parenthetical asides. Just do the normal punctuation of the sentences within the parenthesis, and you're good to go!<br /><br />In general, my go-to place for easy-to-understand grammar/punctuation advice is Grammar Girl — <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl">http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl</a><br />
<br />
Best of luck!<br />
<br />
Donna<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ok, readers! What grammar or punctuation issue trips you up every time? My personal Achilles heel is lay vs. lie — I ALWAYS have to look it up! (The answer is here! <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/lay-versus-lie">http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/lay-versus-lie</a>)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/03/AskAway-Queryagentassistant.html"><b>Ask Away - Round One! </b></a>Should you query an agent's assistant? Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-22397763388932830902014-03-20T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-20T12:00:01.991-04:00Ask Away! Should you query an agent's assistant?We've been seeing more and more questions from aspiring authors in our inbox, so we're turning them into a new, semi-regular feature — <b>Ask Away!</b><br />
<br />
Do you have a burning question about the writing, revising, or querying process? Do you have a dilemma and want some advice or a second opinion from fellow writers?<br />
<br />
Email us at <b>firstnovelsclub [at] gmail [dot] com</b>, tweet us <b>@firstnovelsclub</b>, or leave a comment on this post — we might answer your question next!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhup2bm8vkHYXn11fXLCgWeK5hKsa3NCd3ZwecS_8Lx9dzAkv7FrBpkbJawGmy0NO7OAKFezGMl9Y1hCDZNqPhoTL5NNbZdR__RdwZNVGX8kRhB58z0KHyaksn2LuDp0eOclFlL7kiY0/s1600/AskAway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhup2bm8vkHYXn11fXLCgWeK5hKsa3NCd3ZwecS_8Lx9dzAkv7FrBpkbJawGmy0NO7OAKFezGMl9Y1hCDZNqPhoTL5NNbZdR__RdwZNVGX8kRhB58z0KHyaksn2LuDp0eOclFlL7kiY0/s1600/AskAway.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Round One!</span></i></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-style: normal;">THE QUESTION:</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">I receive a very nice rejection (I
know!) from an agent's assistant a few day's ago about my 1980s
throw back YA thriller. Though the agent was a "pass," her assistant who
READ THE ENTIRE THING gave me some pointers and told me she really liked
it! So, wow. We chatted back and forth and now I'm wondering — can I
hit her (assistant) up re: a different manuscript? What's the best way
to do that, without seeming sleazy? I know there's a really thin line
between </span><span style="font-style: italic;">take that opportunity</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">you're such a parasit</span>e. Advice? I have seven, yes, seven, unpublished books I'm semi full-time trying to flog. Ah me.<br />
<br />
- Laura<br />
<br />
<b>THE ANSWER:</b><br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Hi Laura,</div>
<br />
Congrats on getting such
a thorough, helpful rejection (seriously, everyone who's ever gotten a
form rejection knows that specific pointers are worth their weight in
gold!). Obviously you're on your way to getting an agent!<br />
<br />
If the assistant isn't acquiring manuscripts yet, I would say <i>not</i>
to try to submit anything else to her right now. But keep an eye on her on social
media, and she'll likely soon be promoted at her current agency or switch agencies
and start acquiring her own books. At that point, feel free to query her. She'll likely be posting the genre(s) she'd like to represent, so you'll
be able to target her interests more specifically with a different
book.</div>
<br />
<div>
In the query, you may want to reference how much you appreciated her compliments and suggestions
for your previous book, and that you have another book that you'd like
her to consider representing ... or don't, if you don't want to remind her that she rejected your book on her boss's behalf before. That's up to you, since you know exactly what your emails back and forth have entailed.</div>
<br />
Here's the hard(ish) truth: If this assistant loved your book enough to
represent it, or loved your writing enough to ask if you had anything
else you could show her (and the agent), she would've made a move. A lot of
agent assistants start taking on books because there's that ONE book
that they felt so passionate about that they just couldn't handle their
boss passing on it without offering to represent it themselves.</div>
<br />
As someone who's been in the querying trenches and dealt with
the up and down rollercoaster of getting the absolute nicest, most
helpful rejections, it's incredibly important to remember that, no matter how pretty the wording, a rejection is a rejection.</div>
<br />
<div>
(However, that's not to
say that you shouldn't send her a brief reply email thanking her for the time
she took to read your manuscript, and for the helpful suggestions! Being polite and appreciative is never a bad thing.)</div>
<br />
I can tell that you have a good handle on the delicate nature of professionalism in querying, and that's 90% of the battle.</div>
<div>
Keep it up, and best of luck in the trenches!</div>
<br />
- Donna<br />
<br />
<b>THE ANSWER, PART DEUX:</b> <br />
<br />
<i>... And to get a second opinion, I asked fellow FNC-er Sara her take, and here's what she had to add:</i><br />
<br />
I agree with Donna that I don't think it's a good idea to just go ahead and query the
assistant now. Truthfully, it's
equally possible the assistant was just being nice or that she'd
actually be potentially interested in working with you. But if you feel like the assistant was more open to your work, you could email her and ask if she will be taking on her
own projects in the future, and if so, would she be open to you querying her another book at that time. <br />
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- Sara<br />
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Ok, readers — what advice do you have for Laura? Do you agree or disagree with my suggestion? If you've been in a similar situation, what did you do? <b>Leave it in the comments! </b>Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-36984207581535898912014-03-10T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-10T00:00:03.449-04:00Katy Perry & Bella Swan: The Sequel!Back in May of 2011, I pondered if <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2011/05/katy-perry-bella-swan-secret-critique.html">Katy Perry and Bella Swan were secretly critique partners</a>, because Katy Perry's song "E.T." seriously sounded like it was pulled straight out of Twilight.<br />
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Well, it looks like Katy Perry's at it again. This time her song is called "Dark Horse," and when I hear it, the only thing I imagine is this face:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4bNtdH8gpLk3vRzrp73u0tmR1htoR6v5xHCjSU8YyhLcaHjw8dnzYfMlKO1wNlOa22P3T6opPzuC-Tp879gCuiuUiCpbUcOhAxUX0osxxhYiWn8p-bTFOPxd8QcgukuX6_3TExU2dH0/s1600/bellaone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4bNtdH8gpLk3vRzrp73u0tmR1htoR6v5xHCjSU8YyhLcaHjw8dnzYfMlKO1wNlOa22P3T6opPzuC-Tp879gCuiuUiCpbUcOhAxUX0osxxhYiWn8p-bTFOPxd8QcgukuX6_3TExU2dH0/s1600/bellaone.jpg" height="200" width="168" /></a></div>
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Except, maybe more like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vfXRVr6ByoJCuMdwCxsChBpUWoYXWXr3lbKMJtPgJ9k57wvIvSRpNYGKMz4nvbE6LPOfOmN7HU18hW5pgaE6fpo89EaDFXIRXsS7gRS7ElXd3r_jIF2yvgpsJHMfUXlau8k8qyefnHQ/s1600/bellatwo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vfXRVr6ByoJCuMdwCxsChBpUWoYXWXr3lbKMJtPgJ9k57wvIvSRpNYGKMz4nvbE6LPOfOmN7HU18hW5pgaE6fpo89EaDFXIRXsS7gRS7ElXd3r_jIF2yvgpsJHMfUXlau8k8qyefnHQ/s1600/bellatwo.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DKcat5-j9akdqFzZzn-ubhc7kSgpNVl8Uiy2916cIdhlPI5yyMJ6Ct4DGD9huRetPithYk_ukMZys-t54SiW9PYyBnAmUnqx7mIoeTxE4I6WzszfveWgJg8K49kVwFX8Guc89Pgr1Uc/s1600/bellathree.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DKcat5-j9akdqFzZzn-ubhc7kSgpNVl8Uiy2916cIdhlPI5yyMJ6Ct4DGD9huRetPithYk_ukMZys-t54SiW9PYyBnAmUnqx7mIoeTxE4I6WzszfveWgJg8K49kVwFX8Guc89Pgr1Uc/s1600/bellathree.jpeg" /></a></div>
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That's right. I'm pretty sure "Dark Horse" is the sequel of their critique partnership, except this time she's not writing the story about Edward...she's writing it about Jacob.</div>
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This is how I imagine this going down. Like last time, I'm highlighting the lyrics of the song in red, so you can see what part is me and what part is the original song. Enjoy! </div>
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(And if you haven't heard this song yet, scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the video. Please ignore the ridiculous misappropriation of Egyptian mythology & culture.)</div>
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Scene:</div>
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Jacob walked up to Bella, smirk playing on his dusky lips. "<span style="color: red;">I knew you were</span>," he said. "<span style="color: red;">You were gonna come to me. And here you are</span>." He tossed his wet hair from his face. "<span style="color: red;">But you better choose carefully, cause I'm capable of anything</span>."</div>
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"<span style="color: red;">Of anything</span>," Bella breathed. "<span style="color: red;">And everything.</span>"</div>
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She let Jacob pull her close. Rivulets of rain ran from his slick hair down neck, soaking his shirt and revealing his muscled, broad chest. "<span style="color: red;">Make me your Aphrodite</span>," she teased, but another part of wondered--what if?</div>
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"<span style="color: red;">Make me your one and only,</span>" Jacob replied, pushing her away. "<span style="color: red;">But don't make me your enemy, </span>Bella<span style="color: red;">.</span>" He pointed to the right, the path to Edward's house. "<span style="color: red;">So you wanna play with magic? You should know what you're falling for.</span>"</div>
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Bella looked away. A part of her knew Jacob was right. Edward was dangerous. All the Cullens were. "<span style="color: red;">But do you dare to do this?</span>" She asked. Was he really going to fight Edward for her?</div>
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"<span style="color: red;">I'm coming at you like a dark horse</span>," Jacob stared at her, and she shivered. <i>Or a wolf, </i>she thought.</div>
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Thunder rumbled in the clouds above the reservation. The rain would come soon again. Jacob reached for her, pulling Bella against his chest once more. "<span style="color: red;">Are you ready for a perfect storm</span>?"</div>
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"<span style="color: red;">A perfect storm</span>," she repeated, whispering.</div>
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He leaned in, pressing his face against hers. "<span style="color: red;">Cause once you're mine, there's no going back.</span>" His breath brushed hot against her cheek. "<span style="color: red;">Mark my words</span>, Bella. <span style="color: red;">This love will make you levitate. Like a bird without a cage.</span> You don't need Edward's magic when I have my own."</div>
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Bella blinked. "I don't know, Jacob. I'm <span style="color: red;">down to earth</span>. What if I <span style="color: red;">choose to walk away</span>?" But could she? Could she walk away from her best friend? Especially when he could give her everything Edward could--and he wasn't afraid to touch her like he was.</div>
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He arms tightened around her. "<span style="color: red;">Don't walk away</span>." His lips trailed across her neck and she gasped. "<span style="color: red;">It's in the palm of your hand now, baby</span>," he whispered against her skin. "<span style="color: red;">It's a yes or a no.</span>"</div>
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"But--"</div>
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"<span style="color: red;">No maybe.</span>"</div>
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She could feel herself melting against him. Her resolve, her thoughts of Edward, everything was being washed away by the rain that had begun to fall. All she was left with was Jacob. His love. His arms wrapped around her. His lips, so impossibly close to hers. "I just need to <span style="color: red;">be sure</span>, Jake, before<span style="color: red;"> I give it up to you</span>..."</div>
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He touched a finger to her lips. "<span style="color: red;">Give it up to me</span>." And then his mouth was on hers.</div>
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Annnnd, end scene! I hope you enjoyed Katy Perry & Bella Swan's second critique session as much as I did. Let's hope they go for a trilogy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0KSOMA3QBU0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-12936799401250303752014-03-03T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-03T00:00:00.030-05:00Salvage: Review (in gif form!) and Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you like space? Do you like strong female main characters? Do you like islands made of trash? If you said yes to any of these, then you should definitely check out SALVAGE, by Alexandra Duncan. It's out from Harper in April and thanks to <a href="http://www.childrensbookworld.net/">Children's Book World</a> (my most favorite-est of book stores) I was able to grab an ARC of this book.</div>
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I have to admit, when I saw the cover I was like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpBGOBTdfxxmgCvsi6BW4OTZNnIJr1OYaM8JPpJc3sWMPGGQfP2hQ_Nazn_H3OJlFTpwomS8hIro_NOyD-W6kuVKXng25WkogoL4E1uG2xLZGKLpZPvvHpW0XI_hyHs1WyJ7lsgDCn2M/s1600/grimace.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpBGOBTdfxxmgCvsi6BW4OTZNnIJr1OYaM8JPpJc3sWMPGGQfP2hQ_Nazn_H3OJlFTpwomS8hIro_NOyD-W6kuVKXng25WkogoL4E1uG2xLZGKLpZPvvHpW0XI_hyHs1WyJ7lsgDCn2M/s1600/grimace.gif" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because I'm kind of way over the whole girl-in-a-dress thing.</div>
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But then I read the back of the book: <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>A</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>va, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.</i>"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">and I was like:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_R7MaJEYxys0LQsCVhxTbz0GywgxiZRDIjMneADy0Q5XJ6WD-nOoBJX8iQu4GmHWuTlFQtUcHHlxC_MS2f7wKU9mO8YhlaHHHtrj2wuQeQxkVc-dYeZsKCbGBi9rKov2Rv6ngB9xds4/s1600/mermaid.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_R7MaJEYxys0LQsCVhxTbz0GywgxiZRDIjMneADy0Q5XJ6WD-nOoBJX8iQu4GmHWuTlFQtUcHHlxC_MS2f7wKU9mO8YhlaHHHtrj2wuQeQxkVc-dYeZsKCbGBi9rKov2Rv6ngB9xds4/s1600/mermaid.gif" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I started reading.</div>
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And the world building took a little getting used to, but it was pretty solid. So I felt like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI2Z4j3fgv5c3EyomkCatwoC6CzBEc3C5cHQ_OGC_WAP_Qytejie8CoV1d6nDQyug2d_BBgDZpsO7Em0zm89fIU8p2jBtSOWCf9IkV7zgQ6ad8nFhrCOsgSEnj4TmGRENdEjBFJhelZg/s1600/thumbs_up_cat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI2Z4j3fgv5c3EyomkCatwoC6CzBEc3C5cHQ_OGC_WAP_Qytejie8CoV1d6nDQyug2d_BBgDZpsO7Em0zm89fIU8p2jBtSOWCf9IkV7zgQ6ad8nFhrCOsgSEnj4TmGRENdEjBFJhelZg/s1600/thumbs_up_cat.gif" height="171" width="320" /></a></div>
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But I was pretty sure I knew where the story was going. But THEN Duncan through us a curve ball! </div>
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And I was all like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDu79el_2IoAnOIRVcFAXnyjaEPqXzLmgbk0_ripo6nCsQ1d0l3mQLU6JNAAiitvqgROyothUHrLKd3-2DIS_LIM6L1MGDWtr4dVqzD9vYUGqWIXRYuWi6oX7JQz4VnfZNfRpSoyFkU0/s1600/omg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDu79el_2IoAnOIRVcFAXnyjaEPqXzLmgbk0_ripo6nCsQ1d0l3mQLU6JNAAiitvqgROyothUHrLKd3-2DIS_LIM6L1MGDWtr4dVqzD9vYUGqWIXRYuWi6oX7JQz4VnfZNfRpSoyFkU0/s1600/omg.gif" /></a></div>
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And I just had to keep reading! If anyone tried to interrupt me I gave them this look:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3vFPUWfOVJU4DRwSJavWHtgif1WsSv9aEyYHRfDTMOcZovUs5RZ8vsmkpFZRrUi-XAUUL7mObgJZnE2lCCYMIINncBsmA2SWVYsIs8Whga-SUuJ6ngWgLxmDXKr6g6gF8UU5iEriBkw/s1600/reading.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3vFPUWfOVJU4DRwSJavWHtgif1WsSv9aEyYHRfDTMOcZovUs5RZ8vsmkpFZRrUi-XAUUL7mObgJZnE2lCCYMIINncBsmA2SWVYsIs8Whga-SUuJ6ngWgLxmDXKr6g6gF8UU5iEriBkw/s1600/reading.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I totally fell in love with the world of SALVAGE. Between the merchant tribes in space, the Gyre, and Mumbai...I just looked around Duncan's world like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V_pXEtTf0VRtuse5fk5edx9BaPXxOhjb7ARlSfJhzYwH7Vy4mQJc0xnRm0yDJ_7l5BhT-Ce6jtASX2S7nc0ZrNQDXv1elJzjFSxKODvcbmPkG9Ni_I6OqyQ-b8yHe1NhIwAD9HSyQZ4/s1600/worldbuilding.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V_pXEtTf0VRtuse5fk5edx9BaPXxOhjb7ARlSfJhzYwH7Vy4mQJc0xnRm0yDJ_7l5BhT-Ce6jtASX2S7nc0ZrNQDXv1elJzjFSxKODvcbmPkG9Ni_I6OqyQ-b8yHe1NhIwAD9HSyQZ4/s1600/worldbuilding.gif" height="163" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the end, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0V_IXQjBl5IbK24bnBPBQTI6LxoBoQ-xCggx9gOBu7fV1nOmfnMu75k8B1qk1VYAP6-OzhCzFj7vhRnl8SdBGRX97tvvuBm-q5PuVQsMGFJZAPEcChJJIheXJWz92i6u_0xtSE5G_S0/s1600/brilliant.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0V_IXQjBl5IbK24bnBPBQTI6LxoBoQ-xCggx9gOBu7fV1nOmfnMu75k8B1qk1VYAP6-OzhCzFj7vhRnl8SdBGRX97tvvuBm-q5PuVQsMGFJZAPEcChJJIheXJWz92i6u_0xtSE5G_S0/s1600/brilliant.gif" height="132" width="320" /></a></div>
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But on the other hand, I was like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai8zkiijkNtQcLtHpCp9amjPCDHqmvDLsoCKWAuj9KLR7ABNYsAEBWMuQDNus_Cx0cumxjYWNJx1d0DPYxuF-io1v-iF1l1gZAkve9DZOjirnsfySizmUu1rnIHB76jzYZ-xDVWA_djo/s1600/noooo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai8zkiijkNtQcLtHpCp9amjPCDHqmvDLsoCKWAuj9KLR7ABNYsAEBWMuQDNus_Cx0cumxjYWNJx1d0DPYxuF-io1v-iF1l1gZAkve9DZOjirnsfySizmUu1rnIHB76jzYZ-xDVWA_djo/s1600/noooo.gif" height="132" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because it was over! And I wanted more! More Ava! More love interests! (Yes, there are a few!) More merchant tribes in space!</div>
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Really, I just want to be part of their world.</div>
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Alas, my reading of SALVAGE is over, and I will have to content myself with Internet stalking Alexandra Duncan (who, by everything I can tell from her blog, is adorable) and re-reading SALVAGE. But one of you lucky people can win a copy of SALVAGE, and experience it's awesomeness before it releases on 4/1, just like I got to!</div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/38865014/" id="rc-38865014" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-69913741779015866782014-02-26T00:30:00.000-05:002014-02-26T00:30:00.135-05:00Writing Pitfalls: Don't Put a Bow on It!Writing is so hard for so many reasons. Plots, subplots, character arcs, world building...how do you keep it all straight, right? Not to mention, you’re not only trying to keep it straight in your mind, but the reader’s mind too. Unless you’re an X-men, you can’t jump into the head of your readers to make sure they’re understanding everything just the way you want them to. Which means, when you’re writing, you might be tempted to throw a line in here or there to give your reader a shake that says, “You get it, right? Tell me you’re with me!”<br />
<br />I call that kind of thing “putting a bow on it.”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is awesome for your birthday, not your book.</td></tr>
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<br /><br />Now, if you’re giving someone a birthday present, putting a bow on it is a great extra touch. It makes everything look pretty, and polished, and put together.<br /><br />And writing is a story is also like giving someone a gift, but it’s a different kind of gift. A story is a working gift--if everything in your book has a bow on it, then there’s no fun left for the reader. Nothing for them to figure out. It’s like giving someone a jigsaw puzzle already put together. No fun, right?<br /><br />Here’s an example of putting a bow on it:<br /><br /><i>Muscles he didn’t even know he had ached. Could you even pull the muscles in your fingers? Was that a real thing? If so, he’d done it. His arms and legs felt like rubber. Really heavy rubber. There was a burning pit in the middle of his body where his abs had been, two hours ago at the beginning of swimming.</i><div>
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<i>Practice had been really hard.</i><br /><br />Did I really need that last sentence? Nope. You knew when I talked about the muscles and the rubbery feeling and the burning that swimming practice had beat this character up. You didn’t need me to put a bow on it and tell you that practice had been hard.<br /><br />Here’s another example:<br /><br /><i>Her cheeks burned as blood rushed to them. The blush spread from her cheeks down her neck, until she could feel her shoulder blades and her belly and her kneecaps burning too. The laughter of her classmates echoed in her ears, pushing all other thoughts from her mind.<br /><br />She was so embarrassed.</i><br /><br />You might not know what happened, or why, but from reading that short paragraph you definitely know that this girl was super embarrassed. You didn’t need me to put a bow on it for you.<br /><br />These kinds of summarizing sentences are something I see in published works too, and I think if you set it up just the right way, with the right circumstances, it can help deliver a final blow and be a very powerful thing. But nine times out of ten, I think less is more when it comes to writing. Less words means more work for you reader--but if you do it right, more fun too.<br /><br />Are you plagued by trying to put a bow on it? Or do you have another writing pitfall you get caught up in?</div>
Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-47464736243850837952014-02-19T12:00:00.000-05:002014-02-19T12:00:07.494-05:00Debut recommendation & giveaway! LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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Bethany Hagen's debut, LANDRY PARK, is a dystopian pitched as "Downton Abbey meets The Selection," but I would edit that to say that "Downton Abbey meets <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2012/06/why-for-darkness-shows-stars-has-jane.html">FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS</a>" is way more accurate.<br />
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The two books share the same quality of being set in a dystopian future but having the feel of a historical — FDSTS is a retelling of Austen's PERSUASION, and Bethany Hagen is a huge Austen/Bronte fan.</div>
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So what's LANDRY PARK about?<br />
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In future U.S., after a bunch of wars, society is split into the haves (the Gentry) and the have-nots (the Rootless).<br />
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The Gentry force the Rootless to handle nuclear charges that supply all the energy to homes and cities. (AKA, long work days, no benefits ... plus the added perks of poverty, cancer, and an early grave — and they'd better act grateful to the Gentry for their lot in life.)</div>
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LANDRY PARK's main character is the future Queen of the Haves — Madeline Landry, the descendant of the guy who invented the portable nuclear power and saved what was left of the U.S.<br />
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It's Austen-esque in the class awareness, and how the Gentry's job is basically to throw parties at luxurious estates, get married to another member of the Gentry, and further the line of rich people. But Madeline wants to get a college education first, which is a big no-no, considering her priority should be marriage and babies.</div>
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The conflict centers on the rumblings of war and rebellion, and how Madeline is slowly discovering that her family isn't as noble as history says, and that <i>maybe</i> she should feel bad about the way the Rootless are treated (literally, they're not classified as human beings).</div>
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You'd think Madeline wouldn't be a sympathetic character, but Hagen
does an excellent job showing that, despite how Madeline is initially a
spoiled, sheltered, entitled product of her environment, she also has
the potential for growth and a desire to learn about the world outside
the confines of Landry Park.<br />
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I really liked that, throughout the novel, Hagen
allowed a push-pull of conflicting desires in Madeline —
following the family tradition offers her an easy life of luxury that's all she's ever known, and
Madeline is not so noble and selfless that she's 100% willing to give
all that up without a second thought. To me, that added a layer of authenticity (as much as I wanted to scream, "Open your eyes!"), and it makes her character transformation all the more satisfying.<br />
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And, as with any Austen novel, there's romance! David Dana is the Gentry's Golden Boy, but as Madeline gets to know him, she begins to suspect that there's more to him than meets the eye. She soon is pulled deeper and deeper into the plight of the Rootless and the true Landry legacy.</div>
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Overall, LANDRY PARK is a well-written debut that kept my interest, and it had a satisfying ending that clearly leads to a sequel. (Why, of COURSE it's a trilogy! But this is one I'm looking forward to!)<br />
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Sound good? Go read it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13479780-landry-park?bf=1000&from_search=true">LANDRY PARK </a>is available now, and we have one ARC to give away!<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/38865013/" id="rc-38865013" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-28616826460166998092014-02-11T01:00:00.000-05:002014-02-11T01:00:02.326-05:00So Fetch! New Trends in YA Part Four: The Middle EastToday we conclude our series of what's so fetch and what's no longer going to happen in YA!<br />
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To recap, what's hot:<br />
1) <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-in-ya-part-one.html">Killer Girls</a><br />
2) <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-part-two.html">Psychological Thrillers</a><br />
3) <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-part-three-getting.html">Getting Incepted</a><br />
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And what's not:<br />
1) Dystopia<br />
2) Paranormal Romance<br />
3) Love Triangles<br />
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To finish off our list, today Gretchen Weiner says...<br />
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to...<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Middle East!</span></b></div>
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I'm really pleased about the introduction of this trend. This one looks like it's still growing--which is understandable, because it's definitely not easy to write about a different culture in a way that is both interesting and respectful. But I'm super glad that there are authors out there willing and ready to try, because diversity is always a) a hot button topic in YA lit and b) something that is often sorely lacking in YA and MG. (Blogger Steph Su, among others, does a great job of pointing out how sometimes diverse YA books end up getting white-washed.)<br />
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So if you're looking for something diverse, check out these books:<br />
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<b>THE SECRET SKY</b> by Atia Abawi<br />
From Goodreads: "A novel of love during a time of war by NBC's Afghanistan correspondant. Set in present-day Afghanistan, this is the story of two teenagers, one Pashtun and one Hazara, who must fight against their culture, their tradition, their families, and the Taliban to stay together. Told in three rotating perspectives—the two teens and another boy in the village who turns them in to the local Taliban—this novel depicts both the violent realities of living in Afghanistan, as well as the beauty of the land and the cultures there. And it shows that love can bloom in even the darkest of places."<br />
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<b>THE TYRANT'S DAUGHTER</b> by J.C. Carleson<br />
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From Goodreads: "When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?"<br />
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HONORABLE MENTION:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RVcDVv9iBqNKKG8Fkjos7BUfQgUxrKmFH86szlYLmWezAhyphenhyphenGjGSN17lSJKWnj_7O_WHWvO2XRtk6ZQUDflVZiIjrzmSQqu_S3a9uwvJ5SStK_tbUb6HhfODB2FSp6syWJP4vnlhdBEE/s1600/empty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RVcDVv9iBqNKKG8Fkjos7BUfQgUxrKmFH86szlYLmWezAhyphenhyphenGjGSN17lSJKWnj_7O_WHWvO2XRtk6ZQUDflVZiIjrzmSQqu_S3a9uwvJ5SStK_tbUb6HhfODB2FSp6syWJP4vnlhdBEE/s1600/empty.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY</b> by Maria E. Andreu<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From Goodreads: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior. Her school’s National Honor Society wants her to plan their trip abroad, her best friend won’t stop bugging her to get her driver’s license, and all everyone talks about is where they want to go to college. M.T. is pretty sure she can’t go to college, and with high school ending and her family life unraveling, she’s staring down a future that just seems empty. In the end, M.T. will need to trust herself and others to stake a claim in the life that she wants."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">**So clearly THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY is not about the Middle East, but I'm putting it on here as a honorable mention because I think it falls into a similar category of books that are being written about very right-now issues and things that many teenagers are either a) dealing with, b) aware of, or c) are in the process of becoming aware of. Also, this book looks fabulous, and I want to get the word out about it!**</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">And Regina George says:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't know. Honestly, I couldn't think of any other major trends that seem completely out right now, or that I'm tired of seeing. So I'm posing the question to all of you: What is so not fetch anymore? What are you excited to see go? And what are you most excited about to see more of?</span></div>
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Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-62124686592983674262014-02-10T11:05:00.001-05:002014-02-10T11:05:03.087-05:00So Fetch! New Trends Part Three: Getting Incepted!<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Welcome back, and get ready for part three of what's new and hot in YA!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We've already told you about <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-in-ya-part-one.html">killer girls.</a></span><br />
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And then we told you about <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-part-two.html">psychological thrillers.</a><br />
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Today, prepare for the weird. Because today Gretchen Weiner says:<br />
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to...<b style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Living Double Lives/Getting Incepted!</span></b><br />
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There are several books we saw at ALA--and probably some we missed--that turn the whole idea of sleep, dream, and life in general upside down. If you read David Levithan's EVERYDAY and you liked it, then these books are probably for you.<br />
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Here are some upcoming titles that are going to make your brain do this:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><b>OTHERBOUND </b>by Corinne Duyvis</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From Goodreads: "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every single time he blinks, he’s transported into the mind of Amara, a girl in another world. As a mute servant who’s tasked with protecting a renegade princess, Amara lives a life of magic and danger and pain; she’s completely unaware that Nolan can see through her eyes.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Until he becomes more than an observer. Until he learns to control her—and the two of them communicate for the first time. Amara is terrified. Then furious. She’s already spent a lifetime as property and punching bag. The last thing she needs is another force controlling her.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan’s breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they’ll have to work together to survive . . . and discover the truth about their connection."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"><b>WHITE SPACE</b> by Ilsa J. Bick</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Seventeen-year-old Emma Lindsay has problems: a head full of metal, no parents, a crazy artist for a guardian whom a stroke has turned into a vegetable, and all those times when she blinks away, dropping into other lives so ghostly and surreal it's as if the story of her life bleeds into theirs. But one thing Emma has never doubted is that she's real. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Then she writes "White Space," a story about these kids stranded in a spooky house during a blizzard. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Unfortunately, "White Space" turns out to be a dead ringer for part of an unfinished novel by a long-dead writer. The manuscript, which she's never seen, is a loopy </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Matrix</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"> meets </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Inkheart</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"> story in which characters fall out of different books and jump off the page. Thing is, when Emma blinks, she might be doing the same and, before long, she's dropped into the very story she thought she'd written. Trapped in a weird, snow-choked valley, Emma meets other kids with dark secrets and strange abilities: Eric, Casey, Bode, Rima, and a very special little girl, Lizzie. What they discover is that they--and Emma--may be nothing more than characters written into being from an alternative universe for a very specific purpose. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Now what they must uncover is why they've been brought to this place--a world between the lines where parallel realities are created and destroyed and nightmares are written--before someone pens their end."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">ONE PAST MIDNIGHT by Jessica Shirvington</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what - and who - is she really risking?"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Honorable Mention: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">MY REAL CHILDREN by Jo Walton</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">**MY REAL CHILDREN is actually an adult novel, but it looked so good that I picked it up at ALA. Bonus points, it fits into this new trend so perhaps will have some crossover for those of us that like books with a more literary feel!**</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Synopsis from Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. "Confused today," read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don’t seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles?"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">And with every new, there must be an old, and so today Regina George is saying:</span><br />
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to...<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love Triangles!</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Just like real life, every once in awhile a love triangle pops up in the YA world. Except in the past couple of years, when EVERYONE and their mother was in a love triangle. I'm happy this trend is over because if you think about it, a love triangle is extremely difficult to write. It's hard enough to come up with a compelling main character. It's doubly hard to come up with a compelling and fully fleshed out love interest. And then you go and try to add another equal-but-different fully fleshed out love interest? I can only think of a few books that really did this successfully (::cough::VampireAcademy::cough::). For this reason, I'm glad to see this trend go. Why make writing even harder than it already is? I'm looking forward to some quality, one to one ratio love stories in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Stay tuned for the conclusion of our new trends series!</span>Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-73213322125751178002014-02-07T01:00:00.000-05:002014-02-07T01:00:03.054-05:00So Fetch! New Trends Part Two: Psychological Thrillers<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday the FNC told you all about <span id="goog_888789349"></span><a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2014/02/so-fetch-new-trends-in-ya-part-one.html">the killer girls trend</a> and how it's going to be one of the hot new things in YA books this spring and summer. Today we have part two of the new trends in YA!<span id="goog_888789339"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, Gretchen Weiner says</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Psychological Thrillers!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This may be the biggest upcoming trend we saw at ALA. Looking through my books to see which titles to mention, there were TONS. This seems to go hand in hand with the killer girls trend, and the nightmares these books are going to give me are definitely worth it! For me, there's nothing like curling up with a scary story on a cold night. It certainly helps that my DVR is filled with episodes of Elementary, and Bones, and NCIS, and CSI...you can guess what kind of story I like.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am super excited to get wrapped up in the mysteries in these books!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>COLD CALLS</b> by Charles Benoit</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Three high school students-Eric, Shelly, and Fatima-have one thing in common: "I know your secret." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Each one is blackmailed into bullying specifically targeted schoolmates by a mysterious caller who whispers from their cell phones and holds carefully guarded secrets over their heads. But how could anyone have obtained that photo, read those hidden pages, uncovered this buried past? Thrown together, the three teens join forces to find the stranger who threatens them-before time runs out and their shattering secrets are revealed."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>THE KILLING WOODS </b>by Lucy Christopher</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This was the first book I picked to read out of my ALA pile. I almost missed my train stop THREE times because Christopher's writing pulls you instantly into the world of Darkwood. I sat in my car for 40 minutes after getting the train just because I couldn't put this book down before it was over! This is definitely a move-to-the-top-of-your-TBR-pile book!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE YOU</b> by Kathleen Hale</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: </span><s style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">689</s><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">This is my second read from ALA. I'm about halfway through. For me, NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE YOU hits the perfect combination of funny and creepy. I'm totally in love with Kippy Bushman. For me this has a Bones-esque feel to it--a solid dose of humor, but a serious murder mystery as well. Kind of like Bridget Jones joins CSI. And this book actually came out in January, so you can read it now!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>LIV, FOREVER</b> by Amy Talkington</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier—especially when Malcolm Astor, fellow artist and scion of one of the school’s original families, starts falling for her. Fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols warns her not to get involved with a “Wicky,” but things are finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy it. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">But Liv’s bliss is cut short when she is viciously murdered. In death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that spans 150 years and many, many lives. Gabe, cursed with the ability to see their ghosts, turns out to be Liv’s only link to the world of the living. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Liv must rely on Gabe’s help to prove to Malcolm that she’s still present… lingering with the other spirits. Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham before more lives are lost."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>THE VANISHING SEASON </b>by Jodi Lynn Anderson</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>From Amazon: "Girls started vanishing in the fall. For Maggie Larsen, the town of Gill Creek is only a stopgap before college and freedom. Until she meets Pauline and Liam. What starts as an uneventful year suddenly changes. Someone is killing teenaged girls, and the town reels from the tragedy. As Maggie's and Pauline's worlds collide and change around them, they will both experience love and loss. And by the end of the book, only one of them will survive."<br />
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And here's another trend Regina George has told:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOCwHaij7NO0a-yMlG91zBvucBBrfh7c3OOKPhyphenhyphenOY9rBatUIQ1pksAwDetxsj2JRhiPOCVwb8AfxV1e7mNMAiMvc-6Xzy_zbKlql2IE1fcVnopC9Y5J_5bsTB-32gyhr05BgwKejx3lQ/s1600/notfetch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOCwHaij7NO0a-yMlG91zBvucBBrfh7c3OOKPhyphenhyphenOY9rBatUIQ1pksAwDetxsj2JRhiPOCVwb8AfxV1e7mNMAiMvc-6Xzy_zbKlql2IE1fcVnopC9Y5J_5bsTB-32gyhr05BgwKejx3lQ/s1600/notfetch.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Paranormal Romance</span><br />
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Judging by what we saw at ALA, gone are the days of the "I'm just a girl--but I'm also a vampire!" and the "She thought senior year would be boring...until she realized she was a werewolf!" Not to mention the, "Nothing interesting ever happened in Spoons...until the dark brooding boy with the mussed hair and deep, soulful, elf-like eyes moved in." By all accounts, paranormal romance has returned to it's coffin to chill out for awhile, taking it's small towns and soulful bad boys with it. Personally, I was beyond ready for this trend to be over--because while there was a lot of great books that came out of it, and while this trend brought a lot more mainstream and adult crossover support to the YA world, I just couldn't handle anymore straight up romance books. Give me the gore! Give me the death! Give me the psychological thrillers, please (and if you want to add a dash of romance, so be it--but no damsels in distress, please!)<br />
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Tune in tomorrow for part three of upcoming trends in the YA world! (Hint: these books will haunt your dreams!)Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-65358224403860244492014-02-06T09:01:00.000-05:002014-02-06T09:10:24.693-05:00So Fetch! New Trends in YA Part One: Killer Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gretchen Weiner knows what's hot and what's not. And so does the FNC! (At least in the book world.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While checking out many upcoming titles at ALA, some definite trends emerged--and some trends were clearly absent. Some of the pitches we heard at the buzz panels and in the booths reminded me of Mean Girls--I kept waiting for a publishing rep to say, "Seriously, this book is SO fetch! You have to read it!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Originally I was going to try to put all these books in one post, but the thing just kept growing...and growing...and growing...and I just knew I couldn't fit all these awesome new books (and these great new trends) in one post. So this is the beginning of a four part series of what's the hot new thing in YA books--and what's been hit by a bus, Regina George style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, Gretchen Weiner says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to...</span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Killer Girls!</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Teen girls as assassins? Yes please! There were several books we saw at ALA that were pitched as "Dexter meets YA" or "Dexter meets Pretty Little Liars" or "Dexter meets..." anything, pretty much. Personally, I'm excited for this trend because I'm always on the lookout for something a little more dangerous and edgy than the average YA book. I'm glad I won't have to look far this spring!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you want to see some kick-ass girls literally kick ass, you should look for:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq7XsAwz3tGZ8sj3Yc4F6Lizhb4U0TjHlPOHbA1n5OKDrfFviMo-yxmwQdQ0MmwEKbvUIltE0nkwxN7CHRdDPEtqtV9S6i16UyZYYGReQQtVu4mu8AYCOO4JYYtdfd5Ir22TVRwnOLtc/s1600/uninvited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq7XsAwz3tGZ8sj3Yc4F6Lizhb4U0TjHlPOHbA1n5OKDrfFviMo-yxmwQdQ0MmwEKbvUIltE0nkwxN7CHRdDPEtqtV9S6i16UyZYYGReQQtVu4mu8AYCOO4JYYtdfd5Ir22TVRwnOLtc/s1600/uninvited.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>UNINVITED</b> by Sophie Jordan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Pitched as "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report," in UNINVITED, main character Davy must struggled with the results of her genetic testing--she's coming back positive for the murder gene. Suddenly her world is turned upside down, and everyone she thought was on her side turns against her.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLyv0d6NmBrHA0jytCAB-SSk5-nrm5Rsw-ifcM9-ioCrzNUf2o6ol6p-L7bPIf-1DNmNAyjCkz4yf_aEaPDSK4lxiG4XFQG_VqBtTUtnUUQNfpeLEt-cYT_qBrkkTecASdFFXMzdrX6Y/s1600/dearkiller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLyv0d6NmBrHA0jytCAB-SSk5-nrm5Rsw-ifcM9-ioCrzNUf2o6ol6p-L7bPIf-1DNmNAyjCkz4yf_aEaPDSK4lxiG4XFQG_VqBtTUtnUUQNfpeLEt-cYT_qBrkkTecASdFFXMzdrX6Y/s1600/dearkiller.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>DEAR KILLER</b> by Katherine Ewell</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">From Goodreads: "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there."</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03-TyqHwJI_tznfIZEFBAw8dlvcEnA5hhz0ZI13LwVMmMZ3Q-ROTnj-ElZNKo3QiKukCHqcTHWMwLAJ5XVct0OXEGGleVSC_joI1kJ0IBXyILBukV36pSsQQUv9tKXVButzrHiw7NRPw/s1600/killerinstinct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03-TyqHwJI_tznfIZEFBAw8dlvcEnA5hhz0ZI13LwVMmMZ3Q-ROTnj-ElZNKo3QiKukCHqcTHWMwLAJ5XVct0OXEGGleVSC_joI1kJ0IBXyILBukV36pSsQQUv9tKXVButzrHiw7NRPw/s1600/killerinstinct.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>KILLER INSTINCT</b> by Shannon Greenland </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From Goodreads: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">She’s not evil, but she has certain... urges. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Lane is a typical teenager. Loving family. Good grades. Afterschool job at the local animal hospital. Martial arts enthusiast. But her secret obsession is studying </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">serial killers. She understands them, knows what makes them tick. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Why? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Because she might be one herself. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Lane channels her dark impulses by hunting criminals—delivering justice when the law fails. The vigilantism stops shy of murder. But with each visceral rush the line of self-control blurs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">And then a young preschool teacher goes missing. Only to return... in parts. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">When Lane excitedly gets involved in the hunt for “the Decapitator,” the vicious serial murderer that has come to her hometown, she gets dangerously caught up in a web of lies about her birth dad and her own dark past. And once the Decapitator contacts Lane directly, Lane knows she is no longer invisible or safe. Now she needs to use her unique talents to find the true killer’s identity before she—or someone she loves—becomes the next victim..."</span></span><br />
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And here's something Regina George has told:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxMMSNUrFBmScsl-PdPf9zrTTPmjukIsIcghweR7ZA7SxT5TkvQJv71K1jDZfSzF6fDQoIlQ9bJ_VrGe0eGhtzkuSYDQJ5rnGuoO2_hZaWlM52H5A91tDq97rzUjiGVqbw3YA29pz290/s1600/notfetch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxMMSNUrFBmScsl-PdPf9zrTTPmjukIsIcghweR7ZA7SxT5TkvQJv71K1jDZfSzF6fDQoIlQ9bJ_VrGe0eGhtzkuSYDQJ5rnGuoO2_hZaWlM52H5A91tDq97rzUjiGVqbw3YA29pz290/s1600/notfetch.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dystopias</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Of course, no kind of book ever disappears completely--and dystopia is no exception. We did see a book here and there featuring some sort of dystopia-type setting or circumstances, but for the most part they were sequels to books or the third in a trilogy. Overall there was a distinct lack of books with back copy that started, "In a world..."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I have mixed feelings about this one, because I did love the dystopia trend a lot. I was a sucker for dystopia, really. But towards the end I found that more and more books were setting up really interesting dystopias that ultimately didn't have a logical follow through or resolution. For me, that means it's time for dystopia to hibernate a little, so it can reappear a few years down the line in some kind of grander, fiercer, 2.0 style.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Don't forget to continue tuning in as the FNC reveals the other big YA trends to come!</span></span></div>
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Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-26810263686082661862014-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-06T09:02:23.574-05:00ALA Recap: Five Books I Can't Wait to Read<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This past weekend I had the awesome chance to attend the ALA Midwinter Conference, hosted right here in Philly! That meant I was only a quick train ride away from so. much. awesomeness. all weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am not a librarian (yet!) but I still had a great experience. Besides all the awesome ARCs that were available, I had a chance to see a lot of writer friends, blogger friends, publishing peeps, and meet some great new people as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But really, let's get back to the books. I was very lucky that so many publishers were so generous with their galley copies. I have so many good books to look forward to! But after searching through my piles, there are some that stand out as the ones that just MUST be read first. So here, in no particular order, are my top 5 grabs from ALA that I can't wait to read:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfBqbWD-cx5Vb6FP3h8fOuoCTmS3IBozmuuRamgFP_o54EC8nNKLtYcK8M3_EuMT-2hhSaz1APg6Vkj6ee4c9CSntSRt6SqUOj5qKzmuKJwTxVqbcO4xQeQD414mGDVeEIOHoa6QLG68/s1600/killingwoods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfBqbWD-cx5Vb6FP3h8fOuoCTmS3IBozmuuRamgFP_o54EC8nNKLtYcK8M3_EuMT-2hhSaz1APg6Vkj6ee4c9CSntSRt6SqUOj5qKzmuKJwTxVqbcO4xQeQD414mGDVeEIOHoa6QLG68/s1600/killingwoods.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1) The Killing Woods, by Lucy Christopher</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark."</span></i></span><br />
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I saw Lucy read from her novel at Children's Book World on Sunday night, and holy moly listening to her gave me chills! It also put the character's voice perfectly in my head. Lucy is Welsh and has the most adorable accent ever. This book is set in the UK, and listening to Lucy read the MC, Emily's, voice made it so easy to hear Emily's accent in my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I can already tell this book is going to make me wonder about every sound I hear once the sun goes down. It's going to give me nightmares in the best way possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, lucky for all of you--even if you weren't able to be at ALA, THE KILLING WOODS is already out and available. So check out your local library and/or indie bookseller and put this one of the top of your TBR pile!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE43m2LewSkKM5HEbGXVZfyfCcbZ8s8YvNxYT7pBv0QBH-xuUneU_uIp650B6kFYegdgF4VNeDXQAfc9b_jjo5RaXevkR2ZrnzxtajxgZ1n1diRrjEyzzjgaIsiNyxrkr4-9CcwO3f1Q/s1600/whitespace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE43m2LewSkKM5HEbGXVZfyfCcbZ8s8YvNxYT7pBv0QBH-xuUneU_uIp650B6kFYegdgF4VNeDXQAfc9b_jjo5RaXevkR2ZrnzxtajxgZ1n1diRrjEyzzjgaIsiNyxrkr4-9CcwO3f1Q/s1600/whitespace.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2) White Space, by Ilsa J. Bick</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Seventeen-year-old Emma Lindsay has problems: a head full of metal, no parents, a crazy artist for a guardian whom a stroke has turned into a vegetable, and all those times when she blinks away, dropping into other lives so ghostly and surreal it's as if the story of her life bleeds into theirs. But one thing Emma has never doubted is that she's real. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Then she writes "White Space," a story about these kids stranded in a spooky house during a blizzard. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Thing is . . . “White Space” is virtually identical to a portion of an unfinished novel about characters who jump off pages into other stories. But she’s never seen that manuscript. No one has since the writer, killed years ago, never completed the book. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Which means she’s blinked into the head of the dead guy? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Or has she tripped into the nightmare of her own story? Because now Emma is trapped in a bizarre, fog-shrouded valley with other kids who have their own dark secrets and strange abilities: Eric, Casey, Bode, Rima, and a very special little girl, Lizzie.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Now they must discover why they've been brought to this place--a world between the lines where parallel realities are created and destroyed and nightmares are written--before someone pens their end."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Can you say, "HUH?" This book looks like a serious mind bender, and I am so excited to go along for the ride! It certainly helps that Ilsa's editor is a friend of mine at Egmont, who (even though I had already picked it up and gotten excited about the book) hand sold this book to me. I am ready to get incepted by WHITE SPACE!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">WHITE SPACE will be available in mid Februray from Egmont USA. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEYcZu1zC9TBaAQFNFE3uQu4kFl0b9mmvHWfs-Gw1YkP6Ovgx_02hsRelyr0ftSYCgzsJZW-HOaZ1Ed1yPliYKav0GHMxiPLq5wxZqpv52slNfg0tUl8VP6FG6hxWDCOOFe68zBUd6xs/s1600/nightandfog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEYcZu1zC9TBaAQFNFE3uQu4kFl0b9mmvHWfs-Gw1YkP6Ovgx_02hsRelyr0ftSYCgzsJZW-HOaZ1Ed1yPliYKav0GHMxiPLq5wxZqpv52slNfg0tUl8VP6FG6hxWDCOOFe68zBUd6xs/s1600/nightandfog.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Prisoner of Night and Fog, by Anne Blankman</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">And Gretchen follows his every command. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?"</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I almost tackled the Harper rep at ALA to get a copy of this book. World War II!! Romance!! I was kind of obsessed with WWII when I was younger and my 12 year old self would have cried happy tears if I had found this book at the store. But let's be honest, not a whole lot has changed. I can't wait to see how Blankman writes from this point of view and what's in store for the main character Gretchen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG will be available from Balzer + Bray in April.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWk24ALQxesxwBWfIKZeo-ZNVwq4B1CU_KFymUrBIbcH3z5P1fgJcA0-OBHpK-J0jP4CsnN4YOJQowgZgssqB5G8yppU3FDKYBjsEze_TT24Y7WT8glfJYCFZi4VCOwwVyP2Z3mvTHNE/s1600/grasshopper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWk24ALQxesxwBWfIKZeo-ZNVwq4B1CU_KFymUrBIbcH3z5P1fgJcA0-OBHpK-J0jP4CsnN4YOJQowgZgssqB5G8yppU3FDKYBjsEze_TT24Y7WT8glfJYCFZi4VCOwwVyP2Z3mvTHNE/s1600/grasshopper.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4) Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Andrew Smith has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the YA world. He's the author of WINGER and THE MARBURY LENS and it looks like GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE is not going to disappoint. A friend of mine who works at Penguin had an ARC of this book back at Christmas...and I almost stole it from her house. I was so happy to see them promoting it at ALA because it meant I finally could have my own copy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankfully for all of you, you don't have to wait too long, because GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE is coming out in a few weeks (mid-Februray) from Penguin!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j_EUYOYfvvCn6ov7IKbQd1dNBqLD-iQtzMxbEu-g-HR1EWBjUjs8dJwPn3J0tUUd3UTKGs7fCfajrLRREU5W9-Jssip1pufUgGw_V_7fK6g7xzXGJTCH0DnyU-sBKwAgOM94o6TuOqs/s1600/great.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j_EUYOYfvvCn6ov7IKbQd1dNBqLD-iQtzMxbEu-g-HR1EWBjUjs8dJwPn3J0tUUd3UTKGs7fCfajrLRREU5W9-Jssip1pufUgGw_V_7fK6g7xzXGJTCH0DnyU-sBKwAgOM94o6TuOqs/s1600/great.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5) Great, by Sara Benincasa</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This was another case of tack</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">le-the-Harper-rep. First off, can we talk about this droolworthy cover? I hadn't heard of this book, no one had hand sold it to me, but just by looking at the cover I knew--just KNEW--this was a retelling of THE GREAT GATSBY. Whoever designed this cover did an amazing job of creating an image that my brain immediately connected with the classic Gatsby cover, all while being fresh and new in itself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Plus, it's about lady love! In a YA world that is so entrenched in the romantic plot/subplot, it always surprises me that there are so few same-sex couples and same-sex love stories out there. It's a part of the teenage world, so why isn't it more a part of the YA world? I cannot wait to dive into this reimagined world of glitz, glamour, and danger.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">GREAT is available from Harper in April.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Honorable Mention: Salvage, by Alexandra Duncan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Confession:</b> I wasn't so sure about this book because I wasn't sold on the cover. Girl in a dress is a pretty standard trope in YA covers these days and to be honest, it makes me kind of wary to pick up a book because it so often isn't representative of what happens in the actual text.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Confession #2:</b> SALVAGE is not about a girl in a dress. It's so much more than that, and Ava--the main character--is so much awesomer than some faceless girl in a dress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This book gets only an honorable mention just because I've already read this one--I snagged a copy from the galley piles of my favorite local bookstore, Children's Book World. So I already knew going into ALA the awesomeness that is SALVAGE. And soon you will too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">SALVAGE is available from Greenwillow Books in April. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21px;">(And maybe, if you're really good, we'll be giving a copy away... ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What are YOU all excited to read?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Plot synopses from Goodreads! Thanks Goodreads!)</span>Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-30937719368940796452014-01-09T12:30:00.000-05:002014-01-09T12:30:00.917-05:00Australian YA Novel Purchases!I'm home from Australia!<br />
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Ok, I shouldn't write that with an exclamation point, because it's quite depressing that four days ago I was lying on a beach (Bondi, to be exact) and it was 25°C (77°F) ... and now it's barely 25°F. (Let's not get started on the wind chill!)<br />
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But I was so lucky to have such an incredible trip, and I will soon share gorgeous photos so we can all collectively sigh in wonder at my favorite place in the Southern hemisphere.<br />
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For now, though, let's talk about books! Paperbacks are quite expensive in Oz (around $18!), and luggage space was limited, so I came home with only four books. What a feat of willpower! I was tempted to throw out clothes to make more room. So many incredible YA novels come out of Australia, from authors like Markus Zusak, Melina Marchetta, Jaclyn Moriarty, and Justine Larbalestier ... but they're not all available in the U.S.!<br />
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While in Melbourne, I stopped at The Little Bookshop, an indie children's bookstore. Sadly, the large, main location of the store was closed for a couple weeks after Christmas (unheard of in America, but quite common in Australia), but I did get to shop at a smaller location, where I purchased <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12299576-the-extinction-gambit">THE EXTINCTION GAMBIT</a>, the first in The Extraordinaires series.<br />
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According to reviews, a quote from the novel sums up the plot: "<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer747042873"><span id="freeTextContainer5438547312069801553">So
the Olympic Games are being jeopardized by a band of evil sorcerers who
want my brain,” Kingsley said, “while I try to find my foster father
who may have been abducted by creatures from the dawn of time.” Sounds fun!</span></span><br />
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The YA selection in the smaller TLB store was limited, so I also went to Dymock's, which is like the Aussie Barnes and Noble. There I bought three books:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROC1z_yQnxJCdegFHxwUluLA0XQvaxilDDAq5UJXs2_HW6ibkwwuOLJc-i0L8c6Lcor5DOVYzM3OeHUhY12PmJfbbasgKBGG_HPVVkZ7Y0ytfq2LF5EKqj6nidjYPMgPVaCOYsW1JUyk/s1600/Wildlife-CVR-crop-540x836.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="206" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455881-wildlife">contemporary, dual-POV YA</a> that was recommended by bookstore employees ... and blurbed by Melina Marchetta.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FcD-ZltRgCDvHWCDsZXgqx9BFg_Sm2PdhiPoURbleMlz3giKo05gpYRYuIch5-A5l0ugtxShs3KNYgRScA-d9oZNcluXkLXycFBGxnKiRXFQsVKDARgoI4DIO6NjuDbQt1xUWlHSExI/s1600/ImageHandler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FcD-ZltRgCDvHWCDsZXgqx9BFg_Sm2PdhiPoURbleMlz3giKo05gpYRYuIch5-A5l0ugtxShs3KNYgRScA-d9oZNcluXkLXycFBGxnKiRXFQsVKDARgoI4DIO6NjuDbQt1xUWlHSExI/s1600/ImageHandler.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband's choice, an <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71865.Tomorrow_When_the_War_Began">Aussie YA classic</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiJgjGTgq1X6bOFaXryuS1zZnyFcY_hNYpX_pdBXpa4wXUYYoifl0mr8aYaoxO9g5i5WcsdV7bw1tTsodI_Nqcyt8Uj5gs-6bH0-Ti74KTnDRZN6AAmsPNGmwjfBHaClIRehuVY0wMOo/s1600/ImageHandler-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiJgjGTgq1X6bOFaXryuS1zZnyFcY_hNYpX_pdBXpa4wXUYYoifl0mr8aYaoxO9g5i5WcsdV7bw1tTsodI_Nqcyt8Uj5gs-6bH0-Ti74KTnDRZN6AAmsPNGmwjfBHaClIRehuVY0wMOo/s1600/ImageHandler-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2012/07/on-bookish-souvenirs-and-foreign-ya.html">my Harry-Potter-series-purchased-in-other-countries trend</a>.</td></tr>
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So far, I'm about halfway through <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455881-wildlife">WILDLIFE,</a> and I'm loving it! Here's the summary from the publisher:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Life? It's simple: be true to yourself.<br />The tricky part is finding out exactly who you are... <br />
<i>"In the holidays before the dreaded term at Crowthorne Grammar's outdoor education camp two things out of the ordinary happened.<br />A picture of me was plastered all over a twenty-metre billboard. <br />And I kissed Ben Capaldi."</i><br />
Boarding
for a term in the wilderness, sixteen-year-old Sibylla expects the
gruesome outdoor education program - but friendship complications, and
love that goes wrong? They're extra-curricula.<br />
Enter Lou from <b><i>Six Impossible Things</i></b>
- the reluctant new girl for this term in the great outdoors. Fragile
behind an implacable mask, she is grieving a death that occurred almost a
year ago. Despite herself, Lou becomes intrigued by the unfolding drama
between her housemates Sibylla and Holly, and has to decide whether to
end her self-imposed detachment and join the fray. <br />
And as Sibylla
confronts a tangle of betrayal, she needs to renegotiate everything she
thought she knew about surviving in the wild.<br />
<i>A story about first love, friendship and NOT fitting in.</i></blockquote>
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There were so many YA novels that I wanted to buy, and I'm definitely going to be looking into getting them in the U.S.<br />
<br />
LINK GOODNESS: <br />
- Here's an Aussie indie bookstore's YA recommendations, if you're interested in what Oz has to offer! <a href="http://www.readings.com.au/collection/recommended-australian-young-adult-fiction">http://www.readings.com.au/collection/recommended-australian-young-adult-fiction </a><br />
- A YA blogger's favorite Aussie YA reads: <a href="http://inkcrush.blogspot.com/p/aussie-ya.html">http://inkcrush.blogspot.com/p/aussie-ya.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Any Aussie YAs to recommend? Leave it in the comments!<br />
<br />Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-42798227543372206222013-12-09T14:00:00.000-05:002013-12-10T23:09:52.215-05:00How to travel like a bookworm!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week, I'm leaving for a <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/11/HowToAchieveYourGoals.html">monthlong trip-of-a-lifetime to Australia</a>. And though I'll be doing amazing (I-seriously-can't-even-believe-it-will-be-real-AMAZING) things like ziplining in the rainforest, camping in the Outback, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, and kayaking with seals, I can't forget my first love — books!<br />
<br />
<b>TO READ:</b><br />
When you're packing a month of your life into this bag... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvrOs_grexqewUpV066oxbyg9oCZA4o2xHSGLfF5qXiGMlWoqI5wz2V24kOC2aRUVNTZvq97vesKmvRUdvXiyP1xxHbBf4vWWZfCeA4lB10C1NF6GeQ5hm7xG8Ljq4gtts9ZLLoL40yg/s1600/210_756_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvrOs_grexqewUpV066oxbyg9oCZA4o2xHSGLfF5qXiGMlWoqI5wz2V24kOC2aRUVNTZvq97vesKmvRUdvXiyP1xxHbBf4vWWZfCeA4lB10C1NF6GeQ5hm7xG8Ljq4gtts9ZLLoL40yg/s320/210_756_lg.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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(the <a href="http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/backpacking/farpoint_70">Osprey Farpoint 70,</a> to be precise)</div>
<a href="http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/backpacking/farpoint_70" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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... you have limited space. So the books I'm bringing along will all be on my iPad. It's not the best e-reader, but the<b> <a href="http://omc.overdrive.com/">Overdrive app</a></b> is my savior. Thanks to my local library system, I have unlimited, free e-books and audiobooks to choose from during my 30 hours of travel. (And we can't forget the 30 hours it'll take to get home ... and the two mid-trip flights! Lots and lots and lots of reading time.)<br />
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This is my TBR "pile" so far! Pretty awesome, right?<br />
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<b>TO DISCOVER:</b><br />
I also didn't want to take up valuable suitcase space by bringing books because I'll definitely be buying some Australian YA titles! I'm so excited to be visiting <a href="http://www.littlebookroom.com.au/">The Little Bookroom</a> in Melbourne, Australia's oldest children's bookstore. And I'll also be visiting indies in Sydney!<br />
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(When my husband found out that our hostel is literally around the corner from The Little Bookroom, he just shook his head and said, "We'll be shipping a box of books home, won't we?")<br />
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<br />
<b>TO COLLECT: </b><br />
I've started a collection of <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2012/07/on-bookish-souvenirs-and-foreign-ya.html">international Harry Potter paperbacks</a>, and so far I have Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone from London and a French version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from Montreal. This trip, I'll be buying an Australian Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I'm hoping to find this version, which was marketed to adults!<br />
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<b>So that's my plan! </b>Leave a comment with any Australian YA recommendations — especially those not available in the U.S. — and let me know of any Aussie bookstores that are a must-visit!Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-91485721960492570512013-11-14T18:00:00.000-05:002013-11-15T13:46:34.728-05:00A Month in Australia: 6 Steps to Achieving Your Biggest Goals (Like Writing a Novel!)Australia is known for some big things, like an enormous, ancient rock formation, a wonder-of-the-world reef, and massive (and dangerous) wildlife.*<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uluru, via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24147900@N06">digitalreflections</a> / Great Barrier Reef, via <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Barrier_Reef_008_%285387514565%29.jpg#filelinks">Wikimedia Commons</a> / <br />
Crocodile, via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fvanrenterghem/">fvanrenterghem</a></td></tr>
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Traveling throughout Australia has been one of my biggest life goals. And this December, my husband and I will be spending a month there.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A little backstory</b><b>.</b></span><br />
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In 2006, when I was 19, I studied abroad in Australia on a college student's limited budget, and I fell in love. I promised myself that, before I turned 30, I'd return — for at least 3 weeks — and do everything that I couldn't afford to do the first time around.</div>
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Little did I know that I wouldn't be traveling alone.</div>
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When I left for my semester abroad, I had a boyfriend, Steve. We'd been together for just over a year, so a 4-month separation was quite a test of the relationship. He wanted to come visit me, but he was a poor, hardworking college student, too, so it wasn't possible.<br />
<br />
At the time, I joked that, if he was willing to spend over $2,000 to see me for one week (including two days of flights and a nasty case of jetlag), then he should save it for a ring.<br />
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Against the odds, our relationship survived and thrived during that semester apart, and five years later, we were married.</div>
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From the moment he proposed, we started planning that epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia. We spent a lovely, relaxing week in the Bahamas after the wedding, but our true honeymoon would happen over two years later.<br />
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After three years of planning, the trip has finally arrived.** </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VCzjcCfZx2x45zhyX-T8wYRJWHIWcrtswCo6Ux7tC_Z11A7-s0QvQnDgQ6FfDgKOSISv0CcugAk7eYDAuwLTVxGhnU3LW3vMGytF7UD0LKwXAiiDgkFjhR-Dt5GPDnr_2B6zsm1Smps/s1600/Sydney_Australia_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VCzjcCfZx2x45zhyX-T8wYRJWHIWcrtswCo6Ux7tC_Z11A7-s0QvQnDgQ6FfDgKOSISv0CcugAk7eYDAuwLTVxGhnU3LW3vMGytF7UD0LKwXAiiDgkFjhR-Dt5GPDnr_2B6zsm1Smps/s320/Sydney_Australia_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Australia_6.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How it's possible. </b></span><br />
<br />
Whenever I tell people of our dream honeymoon trip, the first question they ask is, "How is that even possible?" — with the same incredulity I often hear when I tell people I write novels.<br />
<br />
Both writing a novel (or two or three) and taking a monthlong trip on the other side of the world seem like impossibilities to many people, simply because they're "big" goals. They take months upon months of dedication, planning, and sacrifice, so they seem out of reach — and travel especially seems so for people like us, with full-time jobs and middle-class incomes.<br />
<br />
But achieving both goals requires surprisingly similar steps.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(1) Set your goal.</b></span><br />
<br />
<b><i>TRAVEL</i></b><br />
Location, duration, budget! Because of the length and cost of flying, I wanted a minimum of three weeks, and I wanted to travel to about 3-4 different locations — without being part of a tour.<br />
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<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
Genre, plot, completion date. The key is to give yourself a completion date for the first draft. Even if you change it, a deadline is how you get from starting a novel to finishing one. Also, interim goals help keep you on track and make the process less daunting.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">(2) Research.</span> </b><br />
<br />
<i><b>TRAVEL</b></i><br />
Look into your preferred destinations, and approximate costs for transportation, lodging, food, and activities. Don't forget to calculate in a spending cushion. Consider whether your traveling in the off-season or at the most popular time of year, because prices can differ drastically. (My husband and I could only finagle a month off from our jobs*** if we went during the most expensive time of year — December-January.) Once you have all the pricing, you can set a budget.</div>
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<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
What's the average/recommended length of a novel in your genre? (That's a good word count gauge.) Is there anything in your genre that's published or soon-to-be-published that's similar to your idea? (Make sure yours stands out.) And even if a novel is set in your present-day hometown, it inevitably requires research — of locations, policies or laws, slang/language, technology, occupations, even weather and geography. Authenticity is in the details ... but don't feel compelled to include everything you've learned! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(3) Prioritize.</b></span></div>
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<br />
<b><i>TRAVEL</i></b><br />
Research casts a wide net, but now it's time to decide what's most important to you. I was tempted to go to New Zealand, but I decided to stick with Cairns/the Great Barrier Reef; the Outback; the Great Ocean Road/Melbourne; and Sydney (for New Year's Eve!). Luxury was the least of my concerns, so I booked hostels the whole way. But I spent a bit more on my flight by choosing Qantas over a budget airline because my previous trip made me love love love Qantas planes and customer service! (And honestly, the flight to/from LAX is about 14 hours, so it's well worth the money!)</div>
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<br />
<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
What does your character want? Having rock solid interior and exterior motivations for your main character (and, if applicable, the villain/antagonist) is key in focusing your novel. Everything your character does, every choice he/she makes, must reflect that motivation. And every obstacle has to be in direct opposition to your main character's goal. This way, no scenes are wasted, and you can create a tighter first draft more quickly.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(4) Buckle down & sacrifice.</b></span></div>
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<br />
<b><i>TRAVEL</i></b><br />
<i><i>Buckle down: </i></i>Traveling without tour groups is liberating and can
save money, but it also requires work. Figuring out logistics of
traveling to and from airports, researching & booking excursions,
and getting to know the layout of foreign cities takes time.<br />
<i>Sacrifice: </i>In the past three years, I've lost count of how many times I've said, "Sorry, I can't — I'm saving for Australia." Every time I wanted to order take-out or buy a new pair of shoes, I said no. I chose to sacrifice the little things so that, during my epic dream trip, I didn't have to have any regrets. And the little things added up to a budget that I'm proud of!</div>
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<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
Sit down and write. Repeat, repeat, repeat. You've set yourself up for success, but it's still <i>hard </i>to write a novel. (And we haven't even gotten to revision!) Some days, it seems impossibly hard. The process is a rollercoaster, but if you want to finish a novel, it takes time and sacrifice. You can't add hours to the day, so you'll inevitably be giving up something to pursue this dream. (And some days, that "something" feels like sanity.) It'll be worth it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(5) Be flexible.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b><i>TRAVEL</i></b><br />
Something will inevitably go wrong.<b><i> </i></b>A flight will be delayed; a reservation will be lost; an outdoor trip will be rained out. Something else will inevitably go much better than you planned. Hour-by-hour itineraries are evil. If you follow them to the letter, you'll be exhausted and (likely) miserable, and if you skip things, you may feel guilty. Leave room for the unexpected, and have some adventures.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
If a secondary character is hopping around in the background, waving her hand and begging to be your main character, don't ignore her. If a subplot changes the way you see your novel, follow that. Don't be afraid to throw out <i>thousands</i> of words if something isn't working. Starting from scratch is not failure. If it derails your plan, make a new plan. It's much harder to finish the wrong novel than it is to begin the right one.<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(6) Have fun.</b></span><br />
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<b><i>TRAVEL</i></b><br />
Otherwise, what's the point?<b><i> </i><i> </i></b></div>
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<b><i>WRITING</i></b><br />
<i></i><b><i> </i></b><i> </i>Ditto.<br />
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<i>_____________</i><br />
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<b>What's your biggest goal? </b>Leave it in the comments! <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lYMRsngqPAc?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
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<i>* Australia's also known for epic spiders, but I didn't want to give everyone nightmares with that photo.</i><br />
<i>** I can't tell you how excited our friends and family are to FINALLY stop hearing about us planning this trip. </i><br />
<i>*** And we were very, very lucky to work for companies willing to let us pull vacation time from two consecutive years and take four weeks off.</i></div>
Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-17495174241848255792013-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:002020-01-30T14:29:35.723-05:00Getting Specific: What Literary Agents Want to Get RIGHT NOW (Guest Post by Chuck Sambuchino)<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(This column excerpted
from </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-Chuck-Sambuchino/dp/1599637286">GUIDE
TO LITERARY AGENTS</a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, from Writer’s
Digest Books.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eZzRnEJnM2uoYNM9QNZlPsrO41Dawr73C50iV7cCbi4EukQKBm6pZ6riLQkqYnRjT2igds-p-xLbxarCxpKSsF5q6a2EAud8SdsCmPkCX9Y1yMyPfHsWxqk6BYcdpjZf2FSJQtqZSlk/s1600/5666047820_f41647b8d4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eZzRnEJnM2uoYNM9QNZlPsrO41Dawr73C50iV7cCbi4EukQKBm6pZ6riLQkqYnRjT2igds-p-xLbxarCxpKSsF5q6a2EAud8SdsCmPkCX9Y1yMyPfHsWxqk6BYcdpjZf2FSJQtqZSlk/s200/5666047820_f41647b8d4_b.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/">Image source.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Something that gained attention during the past several
months on Twitter was #MSWL, which stands for “manuscript wish list.” It’s a
rare yet special occurrence when agents take a day and lay out exactly what
they’re looking for on Twitter. For example, instead of simply saying “I represent
young adult books,” they’ll get more specific and say “I really want to get a
query for a young adult western/horror set in the 19<sup>th</sup> century,”
etc. The value of #MSWL was in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">specifics</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Then it dawned on me. For some time now, whenever I’ve
interviewed agents on my Guide to Literary Agents Blog, I’ve tried to pry these
same specifics out of them—always asking the same question to each: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Besides “good
writing,” and “voice,” what are you looking for right now and not getting? What
do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The answers that come back are specific and illuminating, as
each agent cuts through the smoke and points to something concrete and unusual
that they want to see. These answers are like little lightning bolts that can
connect with writers who happen to be querying that very kind of story. So,
with no further ado, here is my collection of agent responses upon being asked,
“What are you looking for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right now</i>?”
Look over the list, and then query away!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I’d love to get more historical fiction and serious
adult literary fiction. I’d also love to get more really well written middle grade
stories that don’t talk down to readers. And I’d love to get a totally
heart-breaking YA story that doesn’t have death or maiming in it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-linda-epstein-of-jennifer-de-chiara-literary"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Linda Epstein of Jennifer De Chiara Literary</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m definitely looking for smart middle
grade books that will appeal to children and adults alike. One category I would
like to see more of is humorous middle grade fiction, especially in the vein of
Gordon Korman. I’d also love to see more spooky or creepy MG books. I’m
interested in wide range of writing styles, and am open to everything from
Roald Dahl to R.L. Stein. Kids really connect to the grotesque, and I’d jump at
the chance to have a writer on my list who can give me goose bumps, but still
be appropriate for MG readers.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-shira-hoffman-of-mcintosh-otis-inc"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Shira Hoffman of McIntosh & Otis, Inc.</span></a></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’d
love to represent more books that explore healing, perhaps of a sort that isn’t
always comfortable or popular to talk about—whether around psycho-spiritual
health, sexuality, death and dying, or grief. I also would like to find more
books that explore counter-intuitive or common sense approaches to business, as
well as books on creativity, either as interesting, illustrated gift books or
literary nonfiction.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-kristina-holmes-of-the-holmes-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Kristina Holmes of The Holmes Agency</span></a></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m seeing a lot of middle grade and young adult
submissions that are ‘issue’ driven these days, which is really not my thing.
Basically, I would love for your story to include a bullying subplot, but if
you’re going to preach at me about how bullying is wrong and everyone should be
nice to one another, I’m not going to be interested. I’m looking for story
first and message is a distant second. So, I would love to receive more
submissions that tackle issues without being issue books, if you can appreciate
the distinction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-brooks-sherman-of-fineprint-literary-management"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Brooks Sherman of FinePrint Literary Management</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->“An author
on a mission. Rory Freedman comes to mind. She’ll do anything for the animals
she loves, and her forthcoming book, BEG, will [sell well] because of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The infamous
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Create-Your-Writer-Platform-Building/dp/1599635755"><i>platform</i></a>.
Happily, a platform doesn’t have to mean your own national radio show or
network news broadcast anymore. It can mean a developed, consistent voice (and
the followers and friends that come with that) on Twitter and Facebook. Or
Pinterest and GoodReads. Maybe you blog or interact with fans and fellow
writers on sites like fictionpress.com (as our YA client Sarah Maas did for
years before publishing her first book, <i>Throne of Glass</i>). I know this
implies new burdens on writers, but we think of our authors as partners, and
with so much content out there, we need to know how we can work together to
distinguish your work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Historical
Fiction and just plain History.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->High
concept, funny middle-grade.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-laura-dail-of-laura-dail-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Laura Dail of Laura Dail Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I would love to see contemporary YA that tackles
some real, hard issues in a fresh way; a thriller that I can’t put down because
of its intensity; maybe a hot romance that breaks my heart then makes me cry
with joy at the end.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-michelle-johnson-of-inklings-literary-agency">-- Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“For nonfiction, I’d love to see some more popular
science projects, something that sheds light on an interesting topic in a compelling
and very readable way. I loved Rebecca Skloot’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</i> and would be thrilled to work
with something like it that combines history and science in such an absorbing
narrative.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-adam-schear-of-defiore-company"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Adam Schear of DeFiore & Company</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Hi, everyone. Chuck here chiming in for a second.
I wanted to say I am now taking clients as a </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freelance editor</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. So if
your query or manuscript needs some love, please check out my </i><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">editing services.</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
Thanks!)</i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’d love an
incredible retelling of a fairytale. I do see many of these queries come in,
and I almost always request material; I just haven’t yet landed on the right
one yet. I think they’re very difficult to do. Ultimately, I’m looking for something
like THE MAGIC CIRCLE by Donna Jo Napoli.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-elena-mechlin-of-pippin-properties-inc"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Elena Mechlin of Pippin Properties, Inc.</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">[Regarding pop culture book topics she’d like to
see:] “Women’s issues, relationships, music, sports. I think those are my top
four. But, you know, if a great project came across my desk that revolved
around psychology or science, I’d love to work on it, if all the chips were in
the right place.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-helen-zimmermann-of-helen-zimmermann-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Helen Zimmermann of Helen Zimmermann Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“For narrative nonfiction and memoir, I see too many
proposals that are only about the author’s life and family; they become too
much like bubbles of personal experience that don’t connect enough to some
bigger picture of the world. I love to have a personal voice on the page that
sucks me into some world I didn’t know existed or that shows me what’s so
magical about greyhounds or being the director of a giant public hospital.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-lindsay-edgecombe-of-levine-greenberg-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Lindsay Edgecombe of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I want my very own John Krakauer! However in
general, I’d like to see more quality nonfiction projects. And I’m still in
search of a good animal story, like <i>Homer’s Odyssey</i> or <i>Dewey</i>.
I recently found one on raising chickens (not for food) that I liked, but it
was already represented when I contacted the author. I would like to see more
women’s literary fiction projects. I wouldn’t mind finding the next Carlos
Castaneda or Dan Millman, and maybe a spirituality book with a fresh approach.
I’d definitely like to see a lot more humor. And [co-agent] Kimberley Cameron
is always in search of good horror.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-elizabeth-kracht-of-kimberley-cameron-associates"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I love nonfiction about science and I love working
with academics. I also want more literary fiction. I get a few mystery, crime,
and thriller submissions, but I want more. Please, however, keep sending me
your sci-fi, and your fantasy, and your YA, and your MG novels. I can never get
enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-evan-gregory-of-the-ethan-ellenberg-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Evan Gregory of The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I haven’t been finding enough edgy paranormal or
contemporary romances in my inbox and I am always searching for steampunk or
other non-traditional (not sword-and-dagger) fantasy. I have a fondness for
really quirky characters and novels about families that aren’t ‘normal.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-jita-fumich-of-folio-literary-management">-- Jita Fumich of Folio Literary Management</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I would love to see more women’s fiction. I’m also
looking for a good cozy mystery and all types of romance including romantic
suspense, historical, contemporary, category, or paranormal. On the nonfiction
side, I would love to see an advice/relationships or parenting book with an
interesting/new thesis, current events, or narrative nonfiction with an
interesting topic.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/ready-literary-agent-interview-jill-marsal-of-marsal-lyon-literary-agency">-- Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I always hope I’ll find a great adventure story but
these are tough to come by. Anyone can describe just about any situation
as an adventure if they stretch it enough, but the books I want to find focus
around an unusual or unlikely quest, such as in <i>The Lost City of Z</i>, or
that tell a story of survival, as in <i>The Ledge</i>. I also love travel
memoirs as long as they are driven by a plot with a real beginning, middle, and
end. I also look for remarkable love stories, or any human-interest story in
which people triumph over great odds.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/literary-agent-interview-elizabeth-evans-of-jean-v-naggar-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Elizabeth Evans of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I would love
to see more romance (all genres) and sci-fi/fantasy/urban fantasy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-nicole-resciniti-of-the-seymour-agency">-- Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency</a><span id="goog_10874884"></span><span id="goog_10874885"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m always looking for a well-written cozy mystery. I’m
also on the lookout for a good edge-of-your-seat thriller. I am always looking
for a good romance. I work with many subgenres of romances: contemporary,
historical, paranormal, suspense. I’d also love to get a steampunk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-dawn-dowdle-of-blue-ridge-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“I’d like to find something with good
action in it, with humor and strong characters, and a good, creepy mystery. I’m
also always looking for that new paranormal or urban fantasy that just sucks me
in and truly stands out from the slush pile.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-taylor-martindale-of-sandra-dijkstra-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Taylor Martindale of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“I want to learn about other cultures and
experience different points of view [in multicultural fiction]. In another
direction, I think non-white characters are underrepresented in children’s
fiction, which just simply doesn’t represent the population.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-melissa-sarver-of-elizabeth-kaplan-literary-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Melissa Sarver of Folio Literary</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">-------------<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">“I’m really hungry for well-written
contemporary YA without any fantasy or paranormal elements. I’ve seen a lot of
manuscripts in the last year or two about teenagers who can read minds, open
magic portals, or talk to ghosts. I think those stories are fascinating, but
I’m increasingly interested in reading manuscripts with situations and
characters that readers can relate to.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/agent-advice-lauren-macleod-of-the-strothman-agency"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-- Lauren MacLeod of The Strothman Agency</span></a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-------------</span></div>
<b>Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers Conferences:</b><br />
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Early 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?p%3D635&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEqYbpnmj7NWWEkllDxPuyv4JXwNw" href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?p=635" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Retreat of Maui</a> (Maui, HI)</div>
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March 7, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEh4V8KX5bt5Irp2FLjki_YNpCfbQ" href="https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Minnesota Writing Workshop</a> (St. Paul, MN)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNHQ-Z7wfkGeUnaNwiVY7fevRTOIug" href="https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Writing Workshop</a> (Pittsburgh, PA)</div>
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March 28, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNGguwm6_T-ix8oV_0SlrfnEtkGtWA" href="https://kansaswritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Kansas City Writing Workshop</a> (Kansas City, KS)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 18, 2020: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNFKme0tzb79h-vY_n1F53hxA8ZW4w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">North Carolina Writing Workshop</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Charlotte, NC)</span><br />
April 25, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEr14LKfjlPqLzz44MUVTbeZOrZmA" href="https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Seattle Writing Workshop</a> (Seattle, WA)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
May 2, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/&source=gmail&ust=1566856312491000&usg=AFQjCNEZ7qROQzf_hWVEpiC28rrM5wp6jg" href="https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Conference of Los Angeles</a> (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
<div>
May 9: 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGAEYbCrqRHpVPmIbqA0hvS_28nCA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">San Diego Writing Workshop</a> (San Diego, CA)</div>
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May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNF3GCdS5RA1gYG9V76voxL_7GIubg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cincinnati Writing Workshop</a> (Cincinnati, OH)</div>
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May 16, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://floridawritingworkshops.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHd1voWD53vW9pNNE69QWkfcscUiA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://floridawritingworkshops.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Florida Writing Workshop</a> (Tampa, FL)</div>
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June 13, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHgtcQ4gLftbrdj5QxobsQjkmrgYQ" fg_scanned="1" href="https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tennessee Writing Workshop</a> (Nashville, TN)</div>
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June 27, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNGwbA5gCPO2A9sX3xyfF_KB9zBwKA" fg_scanned="1" href="https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Workshop of Chicago</a> (Chicago, IL)</div>
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July 11, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNHdUDz23-3LRuTJ50dRpHy0zcBz-w" fg_scanned="1" href="https://clevelandwritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cleveland Writing Workshop</a> (Cleveland, OH)</div>
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August 8, 2020: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://torontowritingworkshop.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580490452988000&usg=AFQjCNEbYUxF0Tcvnm8YJ2DwPcDcAAdihg" fg_scanned="1" href="https://torontowritingworkshop.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Toronto Writing Workshop</a> (Toronto, Canada)<span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>Other columns by Chuck Sambuchino</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/07/HowToWriteAScreenplay.html">How to Write a Screenplay: 7 Starting Tips for Adapting Your Own Novel </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/06/BestAdviceforWriters.html">Why “Keep Moving Forward” is My Best Advice For Writers Everywhere </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/05/MultipleAgentsForDifferentGenres.html">Do You Need Multiple Agents if You Write in Different Genres?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/04/WriteANovelSynopsis.html">How to Write a Novel Synopsis: 5 Tips </a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/03/BuildingYourWriterPlatform.html">Building Your Writer Platform—How Much is Enough?</a> <br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2013/08/QueryLetterBioSection.html">What to Write in the “Bio” Section of Your Query Letter</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/09/15-questions-to-ask-literary-agent.html">15 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/11/crafting-novels-pitch-7-tips-guest.html">Crafting a Novel’s Pitch: 7 Tips</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2016/10/25-debut-authors-share-advice-for.html">25 Debut Authors Share Advice for Getting Published</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7Z9VnnUNZNzRFxBKBrtZvfDQNA6mH0E29-yahaYXWJs-REJISKHIKVnLPAOzia-EAHJLCM8EQrEv4TwNmGF4k7Zh-I9vSYLXw38g4MDAZRX4-btmfefBkDXIA6WE4FCNHM4lAM5sfSE/s1600/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7Z9VnnUNZNzRFxBKBrtZvfDQNA6mH0E29-yahaYXWJs-REJISKHIKVnLPAOzia-EAHJLCM8EQrEv4TwNmGF4k7Zh-I9vSYLXw38g4MDAZRX4-btmfefBkDXIA6WE4FCNHM4lAM5sfSE/s200/+Chuck+FW+head+shot.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/">Chuck Sambuchino</a> of Writer's Digest Books edits the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary-Agents-2017-Published/dp/144034776X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS</a> and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market-2017/dp/1440347778/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">CHILDREN'S WRITER'S and ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET</a>. His <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents Blog</a> is one of
the largest blogs in publishing. <br />
His 2010 humor book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Garden-Gnome-Attack/dp/158008463X">HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK</a>, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck has
also written the writing guides <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/formatting-submitting-your-manuscript-paperback?lid=cswdblog">FORMATTING and SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT</a> and <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/create-your-writer-platform?lid=cswdblog">CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM</a>.<br />
Besides that, he is a <a href="http://www.chucksambuchino.com/?page_id=15">freelance book and query editor</a>, husband, sleep-deprived new father, and owner of a
flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham. Find Chuck on <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckSambuchino">Twitter</a> and on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="140f13c60cf23676__GoBack" rel="nofollow"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/chuck.sambuchino">Facebook</a>. </span></div>
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Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-86320558457544208252013-10-24T14:30:00.003-04:002013-10-24T14:30:29.486-04:00You Know You're a Writer If...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71G7vv7aUt9ouzFjR57yx8MYE_TVTS4F7w4o7obwHnliEsMMnFBIJpZrnSqQXJDp48IW4Mbc0PwxLNW-a3uyyKgpmDZjCPPAhCDEBy9xMq1hG03nz09BySbcjaL1uzQUE8eKRQLSMxBU/s1600/bitchy_resting_face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
We've all seen the lists before. "You Know You're a Writer If..." and then a joke about caffeine addiction. Below, you'll find my personal quirks and reasons that peg me into the writerly box. (Caffeine addiction is not one of them. Yes, I down as much as 4 or 5 cups of coffee in a day, but as far as I can tell, so do accountants. And nurses. And, well, adults.)<br />
<br />
If:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwxdXpS-46lvvzC2x7QT4quSYZ9eVncVuFkkztYpyaZ9RMxp9oaGayjS9ABz-aVEN9GJ4imtfFpnwdNsLTdEPjiYHd2YqkgOakpKl8YBbRtENTgFAtaQC3cNNxTS_RmqJWZe6WRagF2c/s1600/talking-to-myself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwxdXpS-46lvvzC2x7QT4quSYZ9eVncVuFkkztYpyaZ9RMxp9oaGayjS9ABz-aVEN9GJ4imtfFpnwdNsLTdEPjiYHd2YqkgOakpKl8YBbRtENTgFAtaQC3cNNxTS_RmqJWZe6WRagF2c/s200/talking-to-myself.jpg" width="168" /></a><b>1) You see a person talking to themselves on the street, and your first thought is: "Perhaps they're speaking with an invisible spirit that's charging them with an impossible quest."</b><br />
<br />
<br />
True story. The other night I was driving home from work and saw a woman who kept turning to the person next to her and aruging with them. Except, there was no one next to her. I'm pretty sure she just had some issues going on, but was that my first thought? Of course not!<br />
<br />
<b>2) The playlists on your iPod aren't titled things like "Summer 2011" or "Driving Mix", but "Battle Scene" and "Book 2" and "Character Theme Songs."</b><br />
<br />
Even though I listen to white noise rather than music when I'm writing, I love making playlists to help keep the inspiration going at times when I can't write. Which is why, if you're driving next to me, you might see me slicing an invisible sword across my dashboard, or weeping into my steering wheel as I imagine the death of one of my favorite supporting characters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwVvuhp26DfiCQfT6uedzTo5xcYa1hvEofmtHxpUvD7rrp29qx3Im02Xf5Hc6Gin9GQuqcxNkwyPidtnRjq8Ll7HnslQal4xU0aBPhJcLEX-B5TqF9W49H8Mrk5Mg_LrVONS-MKoDwqg/s1600/desktop-imac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwVvuhp26DfiCQfT6uedzTo5xcYa1hvEofmtHxpUvD7rrp29qx3Im02Xf5Hc6Gin9GQuqcxNkwyPidtnRjq8Ll7HnslQal4xU0aBPhJcLEX-B5TqF9W49H8Mrk5Mg_LrVONS-MKoDwqg/s320/desktop-imac.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>3) Similar to your iPod, your computer desktop is cluttered with 100 different files, all of which</b><b></b><br />
<b> are documents, all of which have names like "Book 2," "Book2 Take 2", "Book2 3," "Book2 IT WILL NEVER BE FINISHED," and on and on and on...</b><br />
<br />
I am super paranoid about editing a single file over and over and over. I have a fear that I will either accidentally delete something, or purposely edit something out, only to realize 8 months later it was the perfect scene and can never be replicated. So anytime I have an idea that doesn't fit seamlessly into my current draft, I hit select all, copy, and paste that sucker into a new file. Rinse & repeat. Like eight thousand times. A sub-quirk to this quirk is I often get create with file names to help make them more distinguishable, which means I have drafts of my novel with proper file names like "Untitled Novel, Draft 2" and then other copies with names like "Pumpkin Puppy Face Also This is A Book."<br />
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<b>4) You refuse to upgrade to anything past Word 97. You have ordered old copies of Word 97 off Ebay to achieve this. When Mac stopped recognizing PowerPC programs, you switched to OpenOffice because it's the closest thing you can get.</b><br />
<br />
This is a true story. I've been writing in Word 97 for the past 16 years. Ain't nothing gonna break my stride. Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh no. Especially not the disorienting look of a brand new program. When I close my eyes and imagine myself writing a book, the program on the screen is Word 97. And so you will have to pry Word 97 (or the OpenOffice equivalent) out of my cold, dead hands. We'll all have computers embedded in our eyeballs and I will still be writing on the same word processing program.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71G7vv7aUt9ouzFjR57yx8MYE_TVTS4F7w4o7obwHnliEsMMnFBIJpZrnSqQXJDp48IW4Mbc0PwxLNW-a3uyyKgpmDZjCPPAhCDEBy9xMq1hG03nz09BySbcjaL1uzQUE8eKRQLSMxBU/s1600/bitchy_resting_face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71G7vv7aUt9ouzFjR57yx8MYE_TVTS4F7w4o7obwHnliEsMMnFBIJpZrnSqQXJDp48IW4Mbc0PwxLNW-a3uyyKgpmDZjCPPAhCDEBy9xMq1hG03nz09BySbcjaL1uzQUE8eKRQLSMxBU/s200/bitchy_resting_face.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl isn't pissed off, she's <br />pondering a plot twist!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><b>5) Let's not forget "Writer's Face." Often confused with Bitchy Resting Face, Writer's Face is the vacant, slightly peeved look one achieves when your body is sitting at Starbucks, but your mind is helping your MC pick the lock to the cellar they've been imprisoned in.</b><br />
<br />
I am a proud sufferer of Writer's Face.<br />
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So, what are YOUR writing quirks? (Or reading quirks. They often go hand-in-hand!)<br />
<br />Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144844961496270733.post-576960547881023892013-10-15T14:00:00.000-04:002013-10-15T17:33:38.028-04:00Book Recommendation: Diana Peterfreund's ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEABecause Diana Peterfreund's FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS gave me <a href="http://www.firstnovelsclub.com/2012/06/why-for-darkness-shows-stars-has-jane.html">all the feelings<i>,</i></a> I was ridiculously excited to delve into the companion novel, ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTasiUZZpdg95w7DJRs4neQyOHuY7R1-SZV1CuzHw4sosvM-KeuZhK-184evLSi0wQXeNRyxIDc7vv4J7wNp_yHMTaivL5WR6Sfr8yGvh-YyNbbZ-uCHYC1ccID6qwVYJESbquLqLlja4/s1600/AcrossStarSweptSeaJKT_des3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTasiUZZpdg95w7DJRs4neQyOHuY7R1-SZV1CuzHw4sosvM-KeuZhK-184evLSi0wQXeNRyxIDc7vv4J7wNp_yHMTaivL5WR6Sfr8yGvh-YyNbbZ-uCHYC1ccID6qwVYJESbquLqLlja4/s320/AcrossStarSweptSeaJKT_des3.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Whereas FDSTS was a retelling of PERSUASION, STAR-SWEPT SEA is a retelling of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL set in the same world — and both are excellent.<br />
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<br />
I've never read either of the original novels, but from
what I gathered from synopsis snooping, Peterfreund's reimaginings stay
very true to the plot and tone of the originals, but in an entirely
unique world.<br />
<br />
<u>ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA Summary</u>:<br />
<br />
<i><span id="freeText12062246163875431670">Centuries after wars
nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand
alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating
brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the
isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned
deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their
enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known
as the Wild Poppy.<br /><br />On the neighboring island of Albion, no one
suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat
Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide
her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her
pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her
well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is
her most dangerous mission ever.<br /><br />Though Persis is falling for
Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she
learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his
country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly
socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both
islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to
Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world
she’s sworn to protect.<br /><br />In this thrilling adventure inspired by </span></i><span id="freeText12062246163875431670">The Scarlet Pimpernel</span><i><span id="freeText12062246163875431670">,
Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing
is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a
future only they dare to imagine.</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
I highly recommend STAR-SWEPT SEA because, like FDSTS, it's a complex and well-written novel. The characters are flawed and realistic, with conflicting motives and standout personalities. I especially loved the push-pull between Persis and her best friend (and queen!), Isla, who knows the truth about Persis's alternate identity. Like any quality sci-fi, the book presents multi-faceted ideas on issues of science, politics, war, justice, morality, and equality — but it's never heavy-handed or boring.<br />
<br />
And though the romance wasn't quite as bosom-clutchingly epic as that in FDSTS (to me, it had swoon but not the SWOON built by years of longing and separation), I loved the relationship between Persis and Justen, and how they had to overcome their prejudices against each other (and their enemy nations). They were a solid couple I really rooted for ... plus, I'm a sucker for secret identities!<br />
<br />
For readers who are itching for just a glimpse of Elliot, Kai, and the rest of the FDSTS crew, you get that and more! The weaving together of the characters is pretty darn awesome. In particular, I loved the outsiders' view of the FDSTS characters we've grown to know and love.<br />
<br />
<b>Let me sum up: </b>Adventure, romance, and spies, surrounded by rockstar world-building. Go read this book!<br />
<br />
<b>Cover talk: </b>I would've liked the badass spy side of Persis to be represented somehow on the cover (since that's what makes her so awesome), but the gorgeous image of her in full socialite getup in a frothy-looking blue dress ACTUALLY EXISTS IN THE BOOK, plus it matches the romantic title. That's a win, to me! Donna Gambalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.com0