I'm back...

With news. BIG news!

Details coming soon. I need to take my time writing this post and I've been very busy with revisions (yes, they are a part of the BIG news!) Lots of people to thank and excited gifs to insert, like this one...

Inspiration Board

Since I'm such a visual person I love to make inspiration boards for my stories.

This is one I made for my recently completed MG fantasy,

THE STAR CATCHER AND THE DRAGON THIEF.

A few images are my own. The rest I found on Pinterest where I also

have a board for this project and you can find the source

information on the photos and artwork.

Wishing you all a very

 MERRY
CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR

filled with peace, joy, and books!

Epic Start to October

Did you hear that sound? Yep. That was my head exploding from the awesome that is October. So many amazing book releases! And exciting news.

A very BIG congratulations are in order for Becca Fitzpatrick and her major announcement yesterday on BLACK ICE, her first book after the completion of the Hush, Hush Saga. You can read all the juicy details here. Much more on that later.

Since there are so many great new releases this month I'm only going to focus on a few coming out now and save the later releases (FINALE, ICED, BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION!) for a second  post. Now for the new release love...

October1
STEALING PARKER by Miranda Kenneally

I love this book. Being the awesome person that she is Miranda brought me advance copies of Parker and DEAR TEEN ME (another incredible October release. More gushing to come when I post on the last half of Oct releases.) to Becca's signing when we met up during a visit in DC. Such a great surprise! I'm a huge fan of Miranda's sharp tight writing and killer dialogue, and super realistic honest characters. She handles heavy topics with ease and nails the romance. Any author that can get me--an avid non-sports fan--to fall madly in love with stories that contain a sports theme is a genius. So excited for THINGS I CAN'T FORGET, coming in March 2013!

Equally exciting is Miranda's big announcement from last week...

Author of CATCHING JORDAN, Miranda Kenneally’s RACING SAVANNAH, about an underprivileged girl training to be a jockey while working in the barn at a high-stakes horse farm whose on-again, off-again relationship with the owner’s son has an upstairs/downstairs effect on race day, pitched as Downton Abbey in the South, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks Fire, in a good deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2013, by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency (world).

So much awesome to look forward to from Miranda. We all need to send her plenty of diet coke and Mexican food to fuel all the writing she will be doing. Congrats, Miranda! You're a rockstar.


October 2
THE MARK OF ATHENA by Rick Riordan

I'm way behind on my reading these days (lots of productive writing and critiquing happening so it's a good thing) so I'm actually at this very moment reading the book that comes before Athena, THE SON OF NEPTUNE. But I can't wait to get to this one. I adore all of Rick Riordan's books and know Athena will be another action-packed adventure full of mythical wars and characters you can't help but love.

I also love how long the length of each book in this series and the Kane Chronicles are. The more time I get to spend in the amazing worlds he creates the better!








October 2
KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger

My niece (and book buddy) read the advance copy  of Keeper over the summer and gave it rave reviews, so I'm really looking forward to reading this book. I don't even know where to begin...the great reviews I've been hearing for months, how awesome Shannon is with her pay it forward attitude and involvement in the writing community, her excitement over the book, the gorgeous cover, the description...so many reasons I can't wait to read KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.

Her second book, LET THE SKY FALL (this one is Young Adult) sounds equally amazing. And the cover featuring Becca's blurb? *Swoon*






October 2

THE SPINDLERS by Lauren Oliver 

Let me start by saying I love anything Lauren Oliver writes. Her stories are works of art and, whether she's writing about a girl navigating a secret underground world full of giant mice and insects or an epic romance to rival Romeo and Juliet, her writing style is magical. And like all of her stories, THE SPINDLERS has a timeless quality, a book you can see kids reading 100 years from now. (Shout out to my writing buddy Nisha for sharing her advance copy with me!) When Liza’s younger brother Patrick’s soul is stolen by the evil Spindlers, spider-like creatures who live underground, she knows she must set out on a heroic quest to the world below to rescue it. And that she does. Everyone will love this Alice In Wonderland meetsThe Underland Chronicles story. I can't wait until my son is a little older so I can read Spindlers to him.

 

The Beautiful BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Movie Trailer

As a huge fan of the books I was super nervous to see the trailer for the first time last night. But holy WOW. The music (Florence is always a perfect choice), using the Beautiful Creatures title font from the book, the setting--so fantastic! Now if I could just get past the fact that this Ethan (am I the only one who thinks he looks way older than a high schooler?) still doesn't fit with the Ethan in my head... 

Counting down the days to February!

A Contest You Can't Miss!

Susan Ee, author of the super amazing ANGELFALL (to say that I love this book is an understatement!), is running a contest right now, one you can't miss. It's easy to enter and the winner will get a signed Kindle Fire with Angelfall!

Is it totally selfish of me to not want to share the details so I have a better chance of winning? Ok, fine. I'll spill...you can find all the juicy details on how to enter here.

Good Luck!

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My Pinterest Love Continues

I love Pinterest. I mean really, really LOVE it. Sure, I've had a lot of fun making the yummy recipes and stockpiling outfit ideas and decorating tips, and I swoon every time I look at my board of gorgeous writing inspiration pins. But lately it's the quote pins that have me most inspired.

Some of my favorites for writing motivation 



Image source can be found here



Image source can be found here



Couldn't locate a link for this one



Image source can be found here



Image source can  be found here



A contest for Middle Grade Writers

Do you write Middle Grade fiction? Do you have a finished manuscript? Are you excited? You should be! (I am!) because the latest "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest is all about Middle Grade fiction, and the amazing Sara Sciuto from Full Circle Literary is judging!

Stop by the Guide to Literary Agent for all the details on how to enter here.

Good Luck!

Best music video. Ever.