Pitch Wars Prep and the Eternal Editing Flames

Hi folks! It has been a bit, so I figured I'd do a simple post to say I am currently lost in the editing stacks. I've edited Dissimulate and The Mundane List, which I have been shopping to agents for the time being, and I'm working to bring Ferals into a finished state before Pitch Wars starts on September 26th.

I am really excited to have the opportunity to enter this delightful story into Pitch Wars, but I am even more excited to start pitching it as soon as possible. It's my first attempt a YA Horror, and honestly, I love it.

I predict there will be more YA Horror and Suspense novels in the future, because editing has thus far gone very smoothly (for once in my life I am ... enjoying the editing process?) Okay, okay, you caught me, "enjoy" is too strong of a word, but I am not hating it, which is a huge step up in my book, because let's be honest: I have the attention span of a bee surrounded by pollen when it comes to editing. I want to go to all of the flowers, but like... really should be paying attention to this flower, but look at all of the other flowers that need my attention and how do I spent all of my time on just one flower?!

You get the picture.

Anyway! Pitch Wars has given me a (much needed) deadline, so now I will edit, polish, and sweat from my fingertips until the final words are done and ready for pitching.

Anyone else out there with me?

January 2017 Book Wrap Up and Giveaway

At the end of every month, I wanted to do a vlog with a wrap up of what I've read, or more specifically, what titles I recommend reading and why. However, I have found myself continuing to read books that I feel "meh" about. Despite knowing that I should put them down and move onto a different read, I still finish the title despite knowing I'll probably never really enjoy it.

Thus comes the idea that perplexes me. I can go months and years without finishing a writing project, but I can't seem to permanently walk away from an already written book. There have been very few exceptions to this rule. Very few. If I reach fifty pages in, I can't stop.

I tend to research books before I read them. I check out reviews from people I trust, because books are a huge commitment for me. A recent book I read had a huge red flag review, but I still started it anyway. I continued to think, "I should just walk away" until the very last page,

I did read a book in January that I'd like to recommend. At first, I was upset by one YA Trope used toward the end of the book (perhaps I'll make a YA Gets Real post out of it). But as time goes on, I find myself remembering the description, the characters, and the writing, because it was all really strong. The dialect was hard to get used to, but Orleans by Sherri L. Smith is a fast-paced book that starts slow and then becomes chaotic, much like her depiction of Orleans itself.

When I finished reading it, I wasn't as big of a fan as I am now. The trope almost killed it for me, but perspective has made me appreciate it more.

I also wanted to provide a few more recommendations based on the books I read last year. You can click on any of the photos for a link to amazon.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Silly somewhat dystopian Lord of the Flies take on a beauty pageant. When I started reading this book, I thought, "Man, this is going to be a trip." It was, but in the best way possible. These girls learn to kick butt. Who cares if it might be a totally outlandish plot, I adored every single ridiculous second of it.





Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
A disturbing and psychological look at a boy who needs the most amount of help possible. Intense and gripping toward the end when it all slams together in a fast-paced near nightmare.






The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
You know how all those supernatural stories have other people in them that never get talked about? The ordinary people who somehow manage to still have a normal high school experience despite the insanity going on around them? In this quirky and lovely book, Patrick Ness explores the lives of those people, creating an extraordinary story out of the ordinary.




If you are looking for indie authors to read, I've enjoyed books by all of my fellow Scriptors. I cannot recommend any of their titles enough.

That's it for January. Hopefully February will have several more titles to recommend and more current reads. I'm hoping to break the streak of mediocre books with some amazing titles in the future. Also, YA recommendations are welcome! Leave a comment! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: Girl Nevermore

Purchase your copy on Amazon

Girl Nevermore is my dark contemporary young adult novel based on real life events. When I was much younger, my best friend at the time tried to take her own life while sitting next to me in class. She went to the bathroom with the pass that hung by the door, was gone for a while, and came back a completely different person.

She slowly started fading away as she sat next to me.

The image of her eyes haunted me for almost a decade, and I still remember the look she gave me to this day, but I've grown up a lot since then. While the helplessness I felt in that moment used to cause me anxiety, I've realized I'm much stronger now and much more sympathetic because of it.

Thankfully, my friend is still alive, but some people do not get second chances like she did. I've lost a lot of people - a lot of good people - along the way, and I cannot imagine how it would have been to lose her in that moment.

Girl Nevermore's story grew from that single moment, and the thoughts and feelings that I had after. I never truly grasped how much it affected me until later on in life. But events like that change you.

If you are in the mood for a dark story, Cooper's journey is full of life lessons, things that took me a lot longer than her to realize. Today, I am sharing a small piece of Girl Nevermore with you. Cooper finds the journal that her twin sister, Kayla, had been keeping. Over the course of the book, she reads her sister's writing. Kayla never seemed so alive, and then ... Well, I'll let you read to find out the rest. Enjoy the excerpt from Kayla's found journal below:

We pulled into the park, stealing drinks from the flask he keeps in his glove compartment. We leaned against the side of his car, passing it back and forth, him taking bigger gulps than me.

When the sprinklers came on, I was already a little light-headed, feeling freer than I had in a long time. I kicked off my shoes and ran into the grass barefoot, laughing as water soaked through my jeans, my shirt, everything. The grass squelched between my toes, and I watched him watching me. His dark eyes never left my body.

It felt blissful, perfect.

Trent and I don’t talk much. There’s not much to say. We just are. We’re two different people who are from separate parts of the universe. But when we collide, our worlds smash together with such fire I can barely breathe. I want to take the feeling he gives me and bottle it up, keep it for whenever I need it.

This kind of perfection never lasts a lifetime. I’m not stupid. But that’s why I’m soaking it all in. I take every chance I can get with him to make up for all the insignificant moments that will happen later. Because as long as I live, I will never meet anyone who makes me feel as alive as Trent does now.

I spun around in the middle of the field until the stars collapsed in on themselves, blending together into one blurring ball of light. I wanted to kiss that sky, get sucked up into it and dance forever.

When I stopped, the world kept moving around me. Trent marched right through the sprinklers, dropped the flask in the field, and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed me with such an intensity I thought I would melt right into his skin.

That’s how he makes me feel, like I could become something bigger than myself. I’ve never felt that kind of power before. I grinned the whole way home, wondering how I got so lucky, but also wondering how I was going to keep this a secret.

Because I want Trent to be mine and just mine. I don’t want to share any of these moments with anyone else. They are too beautiful, too enormous. And I’m afraid if I tell someone, they might become a little bit smaller, and that would ruin the magic we have now.

YA Gets Real: Don't Go Inside the House

The lone house loomed at the end of the street, dark and foreboding. Night crept around the car's headlights, trying to shut off what little light illuminated the front of the building. As Trevor cut the engine, a crow cawed in the distance.

"This doesn't look anything like the brochure." Katie held up the bed and breakfast pamphlet, one that promised pampering and relaxation. She glanced between the brochure and the house. The sign that hung on rusted nails came loose at that moment, and half of it fell in a pendulum arc, swaying back and forth to the breeze.

"Yeah," Trevor said, holding his gaze steady on the house. He wouldn't claim to be afraid of whatever was inside, not in front of the girl he was trying to impress, but he also didn't want to step foot inside the house.

The wooden paneling was a gray, faded from the bright white that the pictures of it reflected in its glory days. The paint was chipped and peeled, flaking off in the least bit of wind. Each window was smeared and tarnished with years of grime, unknown in origin. The porch held a single rocking chair, one that eerily tilted with the wind, creaking all the way.

"Maybe ..." Katie let her voice trail off as she stuffed the brochure back in the glove compartment. "Maybe we shouldn't go inside?" She rubbed her arms, trying to stop the goosebumps from forming on her skin.

"I mean, it doesn't look anything like the advertisement." Playing it cool, Trevor tapped his fingers on the wheel. "If you want, I mean, we could ..." He shifted his gaze to Katie, hoping she would tell him to get out of there.

Katie took another look at the house. The roof hanging over the porch seemed ready to collapse on itself. Curiosity had run through her, but she didn't like the looks of those steps. If something happened to her already sprained ankle, she could be looking at sitting out the rest of field hockey season.

Just then, a small flicker of a light danced in one of the upper rooms. The couple blinked and leaned forward, trying to get a better look, but the house offered no answers. The yellow glow eased in and out of existence, almost like it wasn't real.

"We probably shouldn't go investigate," Trevor said. To heck with trying to appear cool, he had no desire to die at this old house.

"No, you're right. This place gives me the creeps." Katie squeezed Trevor's arm. "Hey, look." She held her phone up to him, and he was momentarily blinded by the blue glow. "I found a place with better reviews. Want to go?"

"Sure," Trevor said, turning the car around.

For the seventh time this month, the spirit was annoyed that social media existed. The ghost sighed. Someday, maybe, someone's phone would fail and leave them with no other option than to go inside.

- - -

These posts are silly, parody posts of some scenes that can be found in YA tropes intended to make you smile for your weekend. I adore YA books, as a reader and a writer. These stories are fiction, but provide a possible alternative to scenes from stories we love.

Titles I enjoyed where the MC does investigate (linked images):
            

Update on Shenanigans!

I’ve been busy behind the scenes and haven’t had much time to update the blog. So let me take the time now to inform you of what’s been happening!

First, I published Girl Nevermore, my dark contemporary YA book. You can get it on Kindle, Amazon Paperback, and B&N Paperback. And it got some amazingly fabulous reviews from YA Author Robyn Jones, Bookworm Brandee, and Brandi Breathes Books. There's currently a giveaway being hosted on JC's Book Haven too!

Second, I’ve started a newsletter! The newsletter will have exclusive sales information, upcoming releases, links to interviews, and the best part is you'll receive a short story, ZERO, for free for being a subscriber. The short story isn't published yet, but will be in a month. Want it the second it comes out? Subscribe! I solemnly swear not to spam your inbox with tons of newsletters.

Third, I've been gearing up to publish my apocalypse novella, The Unanswerable. Ideally, I want to publish it by the end of October, but we'll see! I'm not afraid to push back the date if it means delivering a better book. Regardless, it will come out sometime this year, which makes for three releases in just one year! That's crazy and really exciting.

I can't believe I started publishing just two years ago, and I'm also shocked with how far I've come. I cannot thank my support systems enough for being there for me! Anyone who has read any of my books, you keep me going! I appreciate it :)

The Collapse: Out now!

It has been a long journey to get to my third release date. A large part of it still feels very surreal, like I'm dreaming. This has to be a fantasy world, because there's no way I could have three books out... right?  Alas, I'm not waking up from the real world--not anytime soon anyway. So three books it is!

I've learned a lot on this journey. The main thing: stop stressing.

The other thing I learned? Try to finish everything as early as possible. Having more time to ask blogs and get readers before the release would have been nice. But I'm quite happy that I made the deadline with a darn good book.

The Collapse was a lot of fun for me to write. Murphy is such an interesting character and getting to write a dual narrative was a nice change of pace. I wrote about how I switched playlists depending on which voice I was writing for. Jay and Murphy have such different feels, and I think that's what makes The Collapse so interesting.

You can purchase your copy of The Collapse for kindle. It will be out soon in paperback!

Murphy carries on after Jay abandons Hipstopia--and him. With a mixture of hatred and admiration for his new foe, Murphy becomes more aggressive than ever, unearthing a darker side of himself. He’s willing to sacrifice anything to keep Sky and Hipstopia safe, even if it means killing Jay.

Free from Murphy’s reins, Jason wants to begin his new life with Kiera, but she’ll never be able to settle as long as Leo is trapped in prison. The only way Jason can keep her safe is by going back into Hipstopia with her, but if he sees Murphy again, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to pull the trigger.

Now on opposite sides of the war, Jason and Murphy tell their stories as they come head to head in the final battle.

If you haven't read the first book in the duet, Hipstopia, you can get it for .99 on kindle.

Hipstopia Cover Reveal!

The month has finally come when my next novelette/novella is released (is 110 pages a novelette or a novella? Whatever, it’s 110 pages, you decide)!

Hipstopia is 20 days away from release – TWENTY! All the exclamation points!

Since we’re 20 days away, it was only appropriate to finally reveal the cover. I’m not going to take away from Jaclyn’s thunder at JC’s Book Haven – which means you guys should take the trek over to her blog and see the cover :)

Expect another blog post when the goodreads giveaway goes live!  

Hipstopia will be out in paperback and available on Kindle on July 22, 2013.