You Might Be A YA Writer If... And... He Loves Me...He Loves You Not...Poll

Hello Readers!

Hope everyone's week has kicked off to great start!

I had this super fun idea for a post last week, but I'll get to that in a sec.

First I wanted to take a poll from the readers who've read, He Loves Me...He Loves You Not...

So, I've been toying with the notion of rewriting. No... Not completely rewriting, but writing a second addition and adding Henry's POV to it. I've asked a few people who have read it and some say, "No don't!" While others say, "That might be interesting to read."

Truthfully, I love Henry. He's one of my favorite characters. Part of me thinks he deserves to tell his story. So in the end, I want to know what the readers think. What about Henry? Would you want to read his POV?


Now on to the fun part of today's post?

How many of you watch or listen to comedians?

Personally I love some of the ones that incorporate stuff like this into their acts.

You might be a (insert word here) if....

So I thought, how fun would that be if we did that for today's post? Let's face it. We all draw our inspirations from different places.

And...

If you're adult, sometimes its difficult to find yourself in the teen mind-frame when writing a YA novel. We might think we know what the current trends are in the world of teenagers, but that's not always the case.

Now on to the fun part. Here's how I dip into the teenage mind, lol.

You might be a YA writer if...

1. You casually eavesdrop on a conversation between some bubbly teenage girls while skimming the sales rack at Forever 21. Then you ask yourself,"Did she just say fugly?" Hmm... Fugly? Is that even a word? Maybe I can use that somewhere.

2. You observe your teenage brother with his dudes while they play basketball to catch up on current teenage boy speak.(I have to say, that from doing this I've learned that teenage boys lingo is totally and completely different from teenage girls.)

3. Google becomes your best friend and you've been sitting in front of your computer for the last hour typing in searches like; fashion trends for teens. (Yes, I have done this, lol.)

So let's hear some of yours....

You might be a YA writer If.... Finish this in the comment section.

Hopefully you've had fun with this!

I know I did.

Cheers!

Query Do's And Don'ts

Hiya Readers!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

Today's post is about query do's and don'ts. (At least mine, anyway.)

Now, some of you are in the beginning stages of the query process and some of you are all ready agented so you don't have to worry about this stage at all.

But...

You never know when a few helpful tips might come in handy.

Do's

1. Be informative, but describe the novel in no more than three paragraphs.

Look, here's the thing, and I don't know if this is just me or other agents feel the same way, but I don't want to read a book about you explaining your entire story from beginning to end. Paragraphs in a query should be short, simple, and to the point.

2. Always tell the agent a little bit about yourself.

So you're a member of three great writing groups? Have a degree in Creative Writing? Have a platform? Yeah. We want to know that stuff.

And me personally, I want to know just how many projects you've written.

3. Be professional.

But I'm pretty sure most of you know how to do that. :)

Don'ts

1. Do not. I repeat do not... Tell me that you're the next J.K. Rowling.

This is my number one query pet peeve. I dislike query letters to begin with. I don't like to read them. I think a lot of writers have trouble with them. And 99.9 percent of the time, I skip the query portion and read the writing that's pasted into the email first.

BUT....

If I do happen to skim the query line and see something like that, its an instant rejection for me. First off, its great that you're confident in your skills, I mean it really is, but how much is too much? THAT is too much.

2. If you receive a rejection, do not write back with a snappy, unprofessional letter.

I don't know about other agents, but I avoid rejection letters as long as possible because I don't like writing them. I feel like a giant dream crusher. I know how hard writers work on their craft. How much time they put in. The passion and emotion that's involved. And I wish I could sign everyone that queries me, but sadly, I can't.

Sometimes you might think you're ready to begin querying, but you're not. And all it will take is a little more time, hard work, and perseverance before you should begin building that query letter, perfecting it, and then sending it out. Don't ever be in a rush. Take it from me, I used to be that way. But, I have since learned my lesson and also learned to take a step back, breathe, and take my time on things.

In the end, that will show in your work. And the reader or agent will able to see it to.

Hopefully some of these tips helped.

Cheers!

So...What Are You Writing?

Good Morning, Readers!

It's been a while.

I've been away from the blogger world due to some family things, but I'm excited to be back with this post!

Because this post is about WIP's. Yay!

Lately, I'd been in a writing slump. Mainly because of all of things that had been going on in my personal life, but I'm excited to say that I've found my voice again. And I can't even begin to express how good that feels.

It's amazing.

Transcendent.

Glorious.

So I'm going to share a little piece of my new WIP with you. I'm actually super excited because this will be my first adult romance novel, that and... It's hot, steamy, and spine tingling at the same time.

So here is a teaser for my latest WIP- Insanity(Asylum 1)

I panic, screaming louder, and thrash as hard as I can. The orderly’s in front of me grip my wrists harder and I can see one clearly through my strands of unwashed hair. Thick black hair, blue blue eyes, and toasted almond skin. He doesn't look at me like the chubby one with pale, ashy hair next to him is looking at me. He's not looking at me like I'm crazy. He's looking at me like he feels sorry for me. Like he wants to take me away from this gloomy prison and hide me from the doctors with needles and metronomes.

Please, blue eyes.

Save me.

Be my prince charming.

My knight in shining armor.

Rescue me from a burning tower of depression, sadness, and misery.

He doesn't.

The needle plunges into my skin and I let out a whimper. The drug blasts through my veins and infiltrates my bloodstream, shutting every organ inside of me down for the night. Widening my eyes, I fight off the effects of the drug as it works its way through my body. I clench my fists defiantly, trying to scream again, but I'm too weak, too tired, and too over taken by the drugs to do anything but moan inaudibly.

I hear the doctor. “Just wait until it takes full effect.” His voice is muffled, fading away, pretty soon I can't hear him at all anymore. I think my door closes.

There's a ringing in my ears that I can't shut out. There's a hand on my wrist that doesn't let go. Before exhaustion takes over I look up. Blue eyes is at the end of the bed. He releases my wrist and laces his fingers through mine. I squint as the sedative blurs my vision, begins to decapitate my mind, and then notice the painful look in those blue blue eyes.

He mouths something.

Six words.

Six words that seem to impossible to be true.

Six words that bleed hope into my soul.

Six words.

“You're not crazy. I love you.”

So now that I've shown you mine, tell me about yours.

What are you writing?

Emotions...How are your characters affected by them?

TGIF!

Whoot! Whoot!

Happy Friday Readers!

Sooo...What is everybody doing for St. Patty's Day?

Today's post is about emotions and how what you're feeling can affect your characters.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm big on emotions and feelings when it comes to my writing.

Professionally too.

As an agent and reader, I want to be able to feel your character. I want to cry with them. Laugh with them. And fall in love with them. Unfortunately some writers fall flat on conveying the emotions needed to make a novel work. Granted, every one who reads a book has a different opinion and approaches the novel with a different view, but ultimately I think this true for everyone, we all want to feel something when we read.

Now, we all know that we are not our characters. We all know that even though we create them, that they have their own personalities and they we as the writer might not do some of the things they do, but I do think it is important for writers to ask themselves a few things when trying to breathe emotional life into our characters and here are few tips that help me.

1. What mannerisms, actions, smells, or even tastes affect my character? What does it remind them of?

2. Strong characters vs. Weak characters. Honestly I don't care what anybody says I find redeeming qualities in both types of characters. You know why? Because they're relate-able. No two human beings are alike.Some are stronger than others. Some are weaker. But what's important when breathing life into the type of character is authenticity. A weak, type of character wouldn't do some of the things a strong type of character would do, so its important to know which type of character you're writing and stick to that.

3. Feelings. This is sooo important. I ask myself 'how would this make Hadley feel'? (Hadley happens to be the MC in the adult romance I'm currently working on so I'm using her as an example.)How does a look, a touch, a kiss, a smell, make her feel? What kind of things make her happy, sad, disgusted...etc. I could go on with that list forever.

In closing I'm sure most of you understand how to effectively convey emotion in your characters, but I hope some of these tips help you if you don't.

Cheers!

Have a safe and Happy St. Patty's Day!

Some Major News To Share!

Hi Readers!!!

So I feel like it's been forever and a day since I've written a post, but things have been a lil insane on my end and I'm so excited to be getting back to blogging.

First things first...

I have some exciting news! Some of my books have been picked up by a publisher. Curiosity Quills Press will be releasing, Infect Me, Yelling Out Loud(A Whisper To A Scream 2.), and No Rest For The Wicked.

They will also be re-releasing Asphodel. So I'll be taking the version that's currently up down in the next week. If you read the old version and didn't like it you might like the new one because there is going to be some rewriting done.

In the next couple weeks I will also be taking Famished down and rewriting that one as well. It will be put back up some time in May when the sequel Wasted will be released.

The point of taking down Famished is...well, that was the first book I'd written before I really, really found myself as a writer. I know there are ways I can make it better and would like to be able to do so.

Honestly, I think every writer has to write several books before they really know who they are. Before they really find their voice and I'm happy that I finally found mine(Even though it took me about five books to find it,lol.)

On another note, I have two more romance novels I'm going to be releasing on my own in the next two months. 12 Rounds is my first adult romance and I'm super excited about that! The next one is called Straightjacket. You know me, I like to walk on the dark side, lol.

I hope all of you are doing well and keeping busy. What are some of the writing projects you've been working on lately?

Or how are you doing in general?

Have a great day!

Cheers!

Writer's Block and How to Conquer It.

Yay! Happy Friday Readers!

I know it's been a while, but I've been insanely busy lately, so I've little time for blogging.

I'm excited for today's post because it's about writer's block and how to overcome it.

How many of you experience writer's block?

I'm sure quite a few of you have.

Personally, I don't get it too often, but when I do these are some of the things I do to overcome it and hopefully some of these things will help you too.

1. BACK AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD & TAKE A BREATHER. - I get it, you're super excited to finish your last WIP. You've worked so hard on it, put passion into it, and suddenly it feels like you've hit a snag in the road. You can't think. Your mind is drawing a blank.

DO NOT I repeat DO NOT just type anything just finish it. If you have to take a break, for a day, a week, a month even if you have to. Nothing good is going to come from a manuscript that's rushed.

2. START A NEW WIP. - Sometimes it helps me when I start a new WIP and come back to the old one. Then again that probably explains why I have like 50 manuscripts saved on my desktop, but I find that when I'm thinking about a new WIP, it completely clears out the blockage I had with the old one and I can go back to it with a clear conscience and a fresh perspective on where I want to take it.

3. DO SOMETHING FUN - If you're like me, there are a lot of times where I'm so absorbed in writing or working on stuff for my clients that I forget how to relax, let go, and have fun sometimes. YOU need this... TRUST ME.

And a lot of times, a ton of great ideas come to me when I'm out with my friends, taking a weekend trip, or even spending time with my family.

4. GET A BETA READER OR TWO - Beta readers are awesome. Why? Because when they approach your manuscript with feedback they have a completely different outlook on it. They will offer you advice and suggestions that might put that blockage to rest. Well, at least for a little while.

Hope some of these comments help.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

<3

If I Can't Have You...I Don't Want Nobody, Baby!

TGIF! TGIF! TGIF!

Good morning everyone!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic week! YaY!

Today I'm excited to celebrate the release of my steamy, YA Romance - IF I Can't Have You...

Yay!

So I'm going to be sharing another snippet with you :)

There are two major reasons why I stayed behind; one I don’t want to push and shove my way through all the people and two because I might miss an opportunity to see and talk to Drake without Whit or Elliot being around. When it comes to the guy you’re crushing on, three is a crowd, but four is a sold out concert. There’s no intimacy when you’ve got to share a conversation four ways.

A flash of gold glimmers in my peripheral vision and I see Drake as he shoves his way through the crowd. He’s headed straight for me and instead of being bold, I do the exact opposite, I clam up. I can’t understand why I’m so nervous now. I mean, we’re not in a remote setting or anything. We’re swimming in a sea of people. What do I say? What do I do? How do I act? And how did I manage to play it so cool when I was on the beach with him earlier today? Maybe I was at ease because Elliot was there too.

“Kid!”

He’s only inches away from me now and suddenly I feel like I have TMJ and some surgeon has just laced wire through my gums to correct it.

“So you made it,” he says softly as he plants his feet across from me.

I nod. He smells like the ocean mixed with his own personal brand of cologne. He’s wearing a white cotton button up shirt with the first couple buttons undone and a sheer foray of perspiration glistens on his bronzed skin. I stare at the opening. I want to run my fingers along the wetness. I want to slip and slide against his essence.

The fact that I can’t speak makes this encounter awkward. I need a drink. Yeah, that’s it. Once I have a drink or two I’ll loosen up. I think.

Drake smiles at me and inside I’m a smoothie, a bunch of fruit and ice thrown into a blender, spinning. I’m being crushed together to make a delicious concoction, a delicious concoction that Drake will want to devour in one gulp.

Drake moves closer and my spine stiffens. I don’t know what to do. He rests his warm hands on my shoulder blades and his touch sets me on fire. And I’m so pissed at myself for blowing this moment.

For the last three years this is all I’ve thought about. For the last three years this is all I’ve wanted. All I’ve wanted is for Drake to notice me and feel for me the way I’ve felt for him. I finally have my chance and I’m letting my nerves get the best of me. Inside I’m screaming; you moron! Stop standing here like a twit and say something! Do something! But it doesn’t matter if I tell myself to do it. It doesn’t matter how many times I scream at myself to make a move. I know I won’t.

Drake’s lips are against my ear. His warm breath caresses my earlobe and I sigh completely consumed by my desire for him. “You look really pretty,” he whispers.
The word ‘thank you’ is lodged in my throat being kept down by my nerves and a wad of saliva as thick as honey. I want so much more from this moment. I need so much more from this moment. Inside I’m begging for his kiss. I crave it. I’m a Drake kiss-a-holic. Just send me to rehab already.

I hope you guys enjoyed this snippet and I hope you get a chance to check out If I Can't Have You!

Have a GRRREEEAAT weekend!

Cheers <3